Handling Emergencies - Vocational

Continued Growth

Table of Contents

Definition: Emergency - A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.

Key Terms:

  1. 9-1-1 - An emergency telephone number used as a contact point to dispatch emergency services. (Police, fire, ambulance)
  2. Intruder - A person who comes into a home or building without permission.
  3. Emergency Medical Services/Technicians (EMS/EMT) - Works on an ambulance and responds to medical emergencies. They can bring emergency medical supplies to someone and help treat them, or transport them to the hospital to get more help.
  4. Firefighters - Works on a firetruck, and responds to fires. Can help put out/rescue people from fires.
  5. Police Officers - Drives in police cars and responds to situations where they need to protect/help people from harm or danger.
  6. Antibiotic Ointment - A medicine that can help destroy bacteria.

Discussion Points

  • An emergency is a serious situation that needs to be taken care of right away, for example: Fire, broken bone, intruder in your house, if you can’t breathe.
  • A non-emergency is a non-serious situation that you can handle on your own, or with the help of someone in your home, for example: Scraped knee, fight with friends or siblings, rainstorm, stomachache.
  • In the case of an emergency, you should dial 9-1-1 on your phone.

Activity 1: Emergency vs. Non-Emergency

After discussing with students the difference between an emergency vs. non-emergency, read the first three scenarios on Activity Sheet A out loud to the class, and have students vote on if they think the situation is an emergency or non-emergency. Afterward, students can work independently to determine the remainder of the scenarios on their own.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet A for each student
  • Pencil

Activity 2: Situations

Write the following emergency situations on five index cards, using 1 situation per card: Out of Control Fire, Intruder Breaks In, Possible Broken Bone, Bad Burn, Person Bleeding A Lot. Review and discuss the do’s and don’ts of how to handle various emergency situations with the class. Divide students into five groups/pairs. Give each group/pair an index card. Have each act out the scenario they were given for the rest of the class- Once with a way it should be handled, and once with a way they should not handle it.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet B
  • Marker
  • 5 index cards

Script Writing and Animation

Script Prompt: Have students work independently to create two short video clips. One video should be of someone handling an emergency situation, and one of a non-emergency situation. When videos are done, have each student choose one to share with the class and have students decide if the video is of an emergency or non-emergency situation. Students should name and record their scripts using SiLAS software, and save the final movie.

Materials Needed:
  • Script sheet for each group
  • Pencil for each student
    •

Lesson Review

Allow students to complete the student lesson review sheet. Discuss answers when finished.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Lesson Review Sheet - 1 per student
  • Pencil for each student
    •

Students

Go to only student curriculum

Student Activity Sheet A

Scenario One: You are outside playing basketball with a friend, and he trips and falls onto the pavement. You ask him if he’s ok, and he stands up on his own, but his knee is bleeding from a scrape. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Two: You are playing video games in your living room, when you hear a loud noise outside of your house. When you go to the window, you realize a car hit the electric pole in front of your house. The car is damaged, but no-one is getting out of it. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Three: You are home alone, and eating a bunch of cookies, while watching a movie. Halfway through the movie, you start to get a stomachache. Your parents will not be home for another hour. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Four: You are sitting outside with your friends when an unfamiliar truck pulls into your neighbor’s driveway while they are away on vacation. Someone gets out of the car, and does something by their car, then pulls away. A few hours later, you notice the neighbor's car has a flat tire. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Five: You are babysitting a 4 year old girl, and have been carefully supervising her all day. You need to use the bathroom, so you turn on the girl’s favorite tv show to occupy her temporarily. When you return from the bathroom, she is sitting on the floor drinking out of a bottle of nail polish remover. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Six: You have your best friend over, and he starts to play with a lighter he found on the walk over to your house. When you ask him to stop he says “You need to stop worrying...watch this!” He lights a piece of paper on fire, but then he drops it when the fire gets too close to his hands. The paper falls on the couch, and catches it on fire. You run to the kitchen to grab a big bowl of water, but by the time you return, the fire has spread to the curtains. You go to get more water. Should you continue to handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Seven: You are home alone and working on a major project for school. It needs to be submitted online in two hours, and the power goes off. You run out of battery for your computer after doing 20 minutes of work, but still have a lot more to do. You wait another half hour, but the power is still off. At this point you start to panic because you only have an hour and ten minutes left before your project is due. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Scenario Eight: You are getting ready to go swimming with your friend, and she slips and falls when climbing up the pool ladder. She lands on her right arm, and begins to cry, saying it hurts too much to move it, as it starts to swell. Should you handle this by yourself or call 911?

Student Activity Sheet B

Do’s and Don’t Do’s of Emergency Situations

*For All Emergency Situations, Don’t Panic, Do Keep Calm!

Fire

Do

1. Stay low to the floor and exit your home as soon as possible.

2. Go to a safe meeting place outside.

3. Try to put water on an electrical or grease fire.

Don't

1. Open any windows.

2. Hide inside your home.

3. Try to put water on an electrical or grease fire.

Severe Bleeding

Do

1. Wrap a sterile bandage around the wound.

2. Press the bandage firmly with your hand.

3. Call 9-1-1.

Don't

1. Leave the wound open.

2. Call 9-1-1 for a minor bleed. Instead, clean with water, apply a small amount of antibacterial ointment, cover with band aid.

Severe Burn

Do

1. Call 9-1-1 immediately.

2. Take off any jewelry or tight clothing close to the burn.

Don't

1. Put any liquid, oil, ice, iodine, or cotton balls on burns.

2. Call 9-1-1 for minor burns. instead, run under cool water, then wrap loosely with a clean bandage or cloth.

Intruder in Your Home

Do

1. Call 9-1-1 once you verify it is an actual intruder in your home, not just a noise you heard.

2. Stay put and hide until help arrives.

3. Alert anyone else in your home or neighbors by texting.

4. Stay quiet!

Don't

1. Interact with the intruder at all. It might be tempting to try to sneak up on the person with a bat, etc. but that could endanger your life.

2. Yell out to other people in your home.

Broken Bone

Do

1. Call 9-1-1.

2. Take clothing off from the injured area.

3. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth.

Don't

1. Try to move the injured limb, keep it in the same position.

2. Eat or drink anything in case you need surgery.

Student Lesson Review Sheet

Directions: To check your understanding of the lesson, answer the following questions.

  1. What is the most important thing to remember to do in the case of any emergency?
  2. What is something you SHOULD NOT do to treat a bad burn?
  3. What is the first thing you SHOULD do in the event of a fire in your home?
  4. Give two examples of an emergency situation you would call to get help for:
  5. Give two examples of a non-emergency situation that you can handle on your own: