How to behave in an emergency situation

Gold Wolf - First Aid: Know how to behave in an emergency situation

Notes for Pack Scouters

If you look at this requirement carefully, and relate it to the situation where you run Cubs, where you go for outings, camps etc, you will realise that there are a number of different emergencies that you could have to face. Add to it the possibilities that could happen in any home and you will understand that the Scouter has to train the Cub not in just general behaviour in the case of an emergency situation, but quite a bit further.

However, it is necessary for Scouters to look at their own situation first. If you have a fire at your Pack meeting place, do you have a procedure for your Pack? Does each Scouter and helper have an allotted task? How can you be sure that there are no Cubs missing? Where is your nearest telephone, or place where you can get help? Do you have a well-equipped first aid kit? If you can answer yes to these questions you will have a certain peace of mind, knowing that you are prepared. But should that not be the case, perhaps you should get this corrected before you read on and try to train your Cubs. Don't forget that your personal example is most important.

Your next task is to think of all the different emergency situations that Cubs could possibly find themselves in (within reasonable bounds, of course) and to discuss with the Cubs working for this activity what the correct procedure or behaviour pattern should be. This is not only a most valuable exercise, but also it gives you more insight into the character of your Cubs and their various strengths and weaknesses. By knowing them, you can help them to grow and learn more useful and necessary skills.

Although most of us know how to behave in emergency situations, when actually placed in one, do we know that we will do the correct things? The best way to try to ensure that the Cubs have absorbed the requirements is to put them in the role of dealing with an emergency, either by play-acting or by actually setting up a simple simulated emergency. Ideas that you could use are:

• Without any Cubs observing you, let off a smoke bomb and watch their behaviour, especially that of the older ones. Of course this will also check your emergency procedure too. Fire is the sort of emergency your Cubs could easily experience themselves as we often read about fires caused by an electrical fault, a child getting too close to an electric heater in a home, or a candle falling over and a curtain catching alight.

• Fire in the home could easily be the subject of a play-acting session. During this you can include revision for the younger Cubs in getting adult help in the case of any emergency.

• Role-play the situation where a Cub has fallen out of a tree and is lying on the ground. You can decide whether they are conscious or not, or make up some mock cuts and grazes and use this as revision for first aid as well as putting the Cubs into an emergency situation to see how they react.

• In recent years there have been a number of floods in our country, and a discussion around this topic, with the Cubs listing all the possible emergency procedures, could be a most valuable exercise. This would also bring in water purification, message carrying, general safety rules and differing aspects of first aid.

• Your local Fire Department would possibly be most helpful in staging a demonstration or sending people to talk to your Cubs.

Remember that for you and your Cubs, the key to behaviour in any emergency is to remain calm and to think logically. This is not always the easiest thing to do, but with practice, and being prepared in your own mind in how to deal with emergencies, you are halfway there.