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Survival: how to handle an emergency situation

Communications

Before a disaster hits, establish a family meeting place, memorize home location, work place and phone numbers, and make sure to include an emergency contact outside the disaster zone to relay information. About communications skills, learn how to signal your location using a reflective mirror, visual emergency signals, or smoke signals : learn how to communicate easily in a crisis.

You also need some essential devices to communicate with others, a cell phone, wired telephone and hand-operated charger ; a radio to listen to emergency and weather radio stations ; a whistle and signal mirror. Make sure you know local emergency numbers in France. Use these emergency numbers to get through to the emergency services free of charge 24h/24 :

  • call 112, European emergency number, if you are victim or witness of an accident in a country within the European union
  • call 15, SAMU, that is, the French Emergency Medical Assistance Service, to call out a medical team to a medical emergency as well as to be referred to a round-the-clock health facility
  • call 17, Emergency Police, to report a crime requiring immediate police response
  • call 18, Fire Brigade, to report a dangerous situation or accident concerning people or property and receive a swift response
  • call 114, emergency number for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, if you are a victim or witness of an emergency situation and require emergency assistance. Number can be accessed by fax and SMS.
  • call 196, Sea rescue teams, if you are witness of any abnormal or emergency occurrence at sea

First aid

First-aid kits and basic skills are very useful even in non-life-threatening situations. But in case of an emergency, they are invaluable and extensively used. You need to have some first-aid skills, you need to know how to stop bleeding and how to disinfect and dress wounds. Learn how to revive a person (CPR) and also how to give the Heimlich maneuver to open the airway of an adult or a child older than age 1. Practice using an automated external defibrillator. Knowing the basic principles of first aid can enable you to respond to 90% of emergency situations.

You should also learn some intermediate skills to be better prepared : how to stabilize fractures, suture and close wounds or help during medical triage in a mass casualty event. For your first-aid kit, you can purchase a preassembled first-aid kit or build your own kit. Should you have the skills, we recommend you add a mini surgical kit or some dental tools. Start with the basics then tailor your first-aid kit to your personal needs.