tornado first aid

How Basic First Aid Can Keep Your Family Safe in a Tornado

According to Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. It’s wise to always prepare for the worst, as life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Health hazards exist all around us, be it in the form of the utensils we use or external items that we come in contact with.

You can ensure the safety and health of your family by wising up in the ways of first-aid. Here are a few mishaps you can prevent with basic knowledge of first aid:

Stopping Bleeding

First aid kits contain items such as bandages, cotton, and gauze that are enough to control the average cut. Small cuts and scrapes clot very quickly, so they can be treated right away.

A larger gash or profuse bleeding is a cause for concern. As larger wounds do not clot, they will require immediate remediation to stop the person from bleeding out. Covering the wound tightly with pressure will stop the rush of blood, and raising a bleeding limb above the heart can also slow down blood flow and loss.

Hands-Only CPR

475,000 Americans die in a year because of cardiac arrest. Knowing hands-only CPR is essential, and you could potentially save a life before the paramedics come in. If someone around you has any heart condition, this knowledge is crucial. There’s double and even triple the chance of saving someone’s life from a cardiac arrest with this method.

CPR

A well-known technique for hands-only CPR is pressing your hand against the heart of the unconscious person and pushing it down to the beat of the aptly-named Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gee’s.

Saving Them from Choking

Something can get lodged up and stuck in the throat, causing a person to choke. In this scenario, a person will most likely be unable to talk, as they attempt to breathe and push the item out of the cavity. You will have to note their gestures and confirm if they are choking.

If they nod, you will have to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

  1. Standing behind the person
  2. Place one hand between the ribcage and the belly, and the other hand over it.
  3. Performing a strong upward thrust, repeat until the object is pushed out.

US Safe Room Tornado Shelters provides tornado safe rooms and community storm shelters in Arlington, Sherman and Plano, Texas. For services and safe room quotes, get in touch with us today.

Other Storm Shelters