First Aid merit badge 2A: Explain how you would obtain emergency medical assistance from: your home, on a wilderness camping trip and during an activity on open water
There are several ways to summon help from home.
- Call 911. If the phone is working, this is the best option.
- NOTE: Do not call 911 from a cell phone if you have a choice: the operator will not be able to trace your call
and find your address.
- NOTE: Do not call 911 from an internet phone: most VOIP providers do not provide 911 service at all.
- If you have an alarm system, press the emergency button.
- If someone in the house has an "emergency button", press the button.
- Call the police department, fire department or poison control center directly.
- Ask a neighbor for help.
- NOTE: DO NOT leave the victim alone.
- Flag down a passing car and ask for help.
- NOTE: DO NOT leave the victim alone.
There are a number of ways to summon help on a wilderness camping trip.
- If anyone has a working cell phone, use it to call 911. Be prepared to give detailed directions to your location.
- If anyone has a working radio or satellite phone, use it to call for help. Be prepared to give detailed directions to your location.
- Send several people back to the vehicles and have them drive to the nearest phone.
- NOTE: DO NOT leave the injured person alone.
- NOTE: Tell them to stay at the phone until help arrives, then lead the responders back to the injured person.
- Use three loud noises to signal rescuers (whistle blasts, gunshots, car horns)
- Use a signalling mirror to get a low-flying aircraft's attention.
- Create an emergency marker:
- Light a large, smoky fire that will draw attention. NOTE: DO NOT start a forest fire.
- Flip a canoe in the water and put a red cloth over it.
- Use rocks, logs or branches to create a large "X" or "HELP" in an open area that will be visible from the air.
- Place three unusual markers in a row: piles of brush, piles of rocks, fires, etc
- If you cannot immediately summon help, stay where you are. Rescuers will look for you in your last-known location.
Summoning help on the open water can be difficult if the boat cannot return to a port.
- If the boat has an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), activate it.
- If the boat has a radio, call for help on the emergency frequency.
- If anyone has a working cell phone or satellite phone, use it to call for help.
- If the boat can still navigate, move it into busy traffic where you can signal for help.
- If the boat has a flag, fly it upside-down.
- Make the boat appear to be in obvious distress to attract an aircraft's attention. For example, place the sail or debris in the water.
- Use a signalling mirror to attract attention from a low-flying aircraft or the shore.
- Devise a smoke signal (a smoke flare or a very small smoky fire) only when rescuers are visible.
- Use a flare only at night and only when rescuers are nearby.
- DO NOT attempt to swim to shore.
©2005 Sam Clippinger / samc (at) troop50 (dot) org
Last updated: 12/9/2005