Fire Captain Jeff Howard on Safety, First Aid, and Accidents

In his 10 years of service as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, Captain Howard has responded to lots of accidents and heard the accounts of victims and bystanders. In this lively presentation, Jeff shares with us his experiences and tells us how to avoid accidents and what to do if they happen anyway. Some Terminology Cardiac Arrest - occurs when the heart stops beating, and there is no pulse. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), for cardiac arrests, consists of chest compressions at a rate of 100/minute (to the beat of the Beegees song, "Stayin' Alive") Anaphylaxis - a life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. Ask the person if he or she is carrying an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen, Auvi-Q, others) and administer immediately. Call 911. An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't sufficient to treat anaphylaxis. Durham One - Non-Emergency number (919) 560-4600 established by the Durham Emergency Communication Center (DECC) to free up 911 lines for life threatening or in-progress emergencies. Recommended First Aid Kit Roller Gauze - sometimes called "cling", a 4" wide strip of elastic gauze for wrapping open wounds. 4 by 4 - an individually packaged square of gauze, 4"x4" Non-Latex gloves Triangular bandage (2) - a loose-weave cotton cloth in the shape of a triangle that can be used as a sling, folded into an absorbent pad, or as a wrap to hold a pad in place. Water - for irrigating abrasions (road rash), from your water bottle An inner tube can also serve as a sling - drape it around the back of your neck. You should have two loops dangling down either side. Put your forearm through the loops.