Disaster Management on select Natural and Manmade disasters

Disaster Management on select Natural and Manmade disasters

1 | Earthquakes*

• In case of an earthquake, the safest place to be would be in an open ground – away from all kinds of buildings and tall structures.
• If you can not rush out of your building, you can duck under some sturdy desk etc. which might provide protection against heavy objects falling on your body.
• Sit against a wall, with your back pushing the wall firmly, and, lean forward – to take your head in between both your knees, and, put your hands at the back of your head – to provide protection to your head and spine.
• Or, you could stand directly below one of the door-frame in your house. In most styles of construction, doorframes are made very strong, or, would have a “RCC beam” running right above these frames. If you use this posture, remember to save your arms and fingers from swaying doors etc. If not careful, they could cause damage by chopping off fingers etc. due to the banging of the doors against the frame.

2 | Floods*

• Food: After flooding sufficient food should be supplied by government and NGO`s to the flood affected people.
• Water and sanitation: To provide pure drinking water, supplying oral saline, rebuild sanitation system.
• Agriculture: Provide emergency seed, fertilizer and agricultural equipments
• Health: Flood affected areas people may face various health problems. So their needs to reduce health problems by long term medical treatment.
• Education: To promote public awareness about flood & to know its adverse affect for all people.

3 | Terrorism*

• Secure the scene
• Have a bomb squad sweep the area prior to treating the casualties (so that rescue personnel do not become victims themselves if terrorists have booby-trapped the site with more explosive devices)
• Prohibit responders from entering the scene if sniper fire exists
• Direct the wounded to pre-identified trauma centers
• Photograph and videotape the scene
• Rapidly remove victims from the scene
• Number the human remains sequentially and place in body bags, then transport to the medical examiner’s office
• Provide rapid cadaver identification, so that the victims may be identified, released to their families, and buried according to religious customs
• Establish a command information center, so that relatives have one source to contact, rather than calling individual hospitals in search of their loved ones.

4 | Fire*

• Using An Extinguisher
• Organized relief. This refers to the mobilization of all civil defence, military and volunteer forces that are ready to intervene in the event of a large disaster.
• In case of a fire, one should never use escalators
• If there is lot of smoke, crawl on the floor.
• To reduce smoke inhalation, put a wet handkerchief to cover your nose. If there is no water available, use your own saliva to wet a small portion of the handkerchief, and, use that portion to cover your nostrils.
• If you can go to an open-area (for example uncovered terrace, open ground etc.), there will be no risk of smoke-inhalation. However, use your own judgment if you decide to go to the terrace of a high-rise building.
• Always evacuate in an orderly manner.
• While evacuating, do a quick survey to see, if there is somebody around you, who might need some assistance
• If an area is already clear, while, evacuating, close the door behind you.

*Disaster occurrence:

When the disaster actually occurs. (not before or after, it is while the event is ongoing)

Be safe.

Thank you.