bandaidman

I'm sure everyone has seen an episode of MASH where the wounded are all lying on stretchers on the ground and the doctors are checking each soldier, what they seldom showed was those who in their opinion wouldn't survive being put off away from the others. It's called triage, in EVERY mass casualty event it happens in illness unless you are the President or maybe Einstein if you are old you get treated later rather than sooner. Medical professionals have had to go through this in drills and in real life when supplies or equipment isn't available to all. There is no hospital system that keeps old ventilators around just in case. Often they donate them to 3rd world countries so they have something. Our hospital once sent a respiratory therapist to Chile to teach Doctors and Nurses how to use a ventilator that had been donated to them. You have to remember that Europe and Canada both have socialized medicine that is a fact of life there.

krashdragon

If you want to save tp, get a get a squeeze bottle ( an empty dish detergent bottle works well) rinse it out. Before you sit, fill it with warm water.
Poor man's bidet. The US is the only country where we totally freak out over tp. Why? Because outhouses and slum tenements didnt have running water..

Angmo

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Triage: (actually has 5 groups)
(1) those needing immediate lifesaving help; Treat/care for NOW
(2) those who need treatment to survive but not as urgent - that can be delayed; bandage, make comfortable and leave someone to watch over and help - then treat after finishing
with group 1
(3) those needing little or no treatment; bandage, make comfortable, have someone watch over them (it may even be some of them who are mobile etc) - treat after groups 1 & 2
(4) those who are so severely ill or injured that survival is unlikely; Any that survive that long treat after the first three groups, pray for a miracle and that you didn't put any of
group 1 into this group and they died waiting
(5) Dead - put the bodies aside or have someone start to bury or place them in storage somewhere

Within the groups they are in turn divided into sub-groups based on the problem/injury and resources available for treatment.


Folks, this is serious stuff and many don't have the heart to take part. When the Los Angeles school district was designating schools to be earthquake shelters, putting in stores/supplies, planning and starting to train teachers and staff to run those shelters we had teachers who absolutely freaked out at some of the stuff. One asked what a big crate was and lost it when told "body bags". Another lasted until the part of the plan where the body bags were to be stacked in the big walk in freezer of the cafeteria or equipment from the nearby Cal Trans yard would be used to dig tranches to bury them if it went on too long to keep them around.

An Assistant Principal who was a veteran himself told those of us who were also veterans that he was counting on us to keep things going if it ever got that bad because he was worried about how many of the teachers would hold up.

As for me, I had to hope and trust that my son's teachers would do for him and his classmates what I and my fellow teachers were going to be doing for our students.

SueScott Loc: Hammondsville, Ohio

I think that we in this country have the attitude that "it could never happen here" - when you look at the catastrophies taking place in other places around the world we are a very blessed nation by comparison which has led to complacency and denial.

bandaidman

To add more fun here in Utah in the Salt Lake area near the airport at 0700 this morning we had a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, We are south about 45 or so miles in Utah county and felt the bed move. Both of us lived in California in the Valley and knew what to expect. Now we have people freaking out for two things the earthquake and Covid-19. Just when I thought I might be able to get a few food items. No damage here so far, haven't been paged out for anything as of 1030. ( I work in emergency communications as a volunteer).
I have a daughter south of us about 45 miles away who didn't feel it, and another daughter in Idaho who did she lives over 100 miles away.
I totally agree with Sue Scott with the Corona virus we had too many "chicken littles" ringing their hands thinking that at any minute they would get the bug, now here we have all the people that have been told for over 25 years to prepare for the "big one" here comes the second wave of hoarding.
Back in 1999 when the y2k scare I had a friend who worked for Emergency Essentials and they were selling disaster food as fast as it came in the warehouse. He told me after it turned out to be a big nothing he had people who were wanting to take back the food because we don't need it now. He had to inform them that food supplies cant' be returned. When will they learn?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=bandaidman]To add more fun here in Utah in the Salt Lake area near the airport at 0700 this morning we had a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, We are south about 45 or so miles in Utah county and felt the bed move. Both of us lived in California in the Valley and knew what to expect. Now we have people freaking out for two things the earthquake and Covid-19. Just when I thought I might be able to get a few food items. No damage here so far, haven't been paged out for anything as of 1030. ( I work in emergency communications as a volunteer).
I have a daughter south of us about 45 miles away who didn't feel it, and another daughter in Idaho who did she lives over 100 miles away.
I totally agree with Sue Scott with the Corona virus we had too many "chicken littles" ringing their hands thinking that at any minute they would get the bug, now here we have all the people that have been told for over 25 years to prepare for the "big one" here comes the second wave of hoarding.
Back in 1999 when the y2k scare I had a friend who worked for Emergency Essentials and they were selling disaster food as fast as it came in the warehouse. He told me after it turned out to be a big nothing he had people who were wanting to take back the food because we don't need it now. He had to inform them that food supplies cant' be returned. When will they learn?[/quote

For a far too large portion of the population I fear it will be about "The 12th of Never."

I personally think we need universal service in he military or similar for everyone for a year or two after high school and before college/trade school. Learn discipline, learn to handle crisis and be better prepared to pick a path for further education and training. We really have an adequate supply of chicken littles and PhD's in nothing of any practical use.

In fact I like the service for full citizenship (voting and office holding) that Heinlein has in the novel "Starship Troopers". Full rights for everyone, but voting and elected office only for those who serve in some way.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state