Preparing Kids for Emergency Situtations

Week 2: We learned about rescue breathing, the Heimlich maneuver, impaled objects and stopping bleeding.

Thinking about emergency situations in advance helps both kids and adults prepare. In an emergency, kids should first stay calm and breath. Next, they should make sure the scene is safe. Third, they should decide whether or not they are indeed in an emergency and call 911.  

If kids are involved in an emergency situation, there are actions they can take before the paramedics arrive. Knowing what to do, and what not to do, is very important. During this short class for young children, kids learned basic first aid techniques.

ABC is an emergency acronym which stands for Airway, Breathing and Circulation. In an emergency, the first responder should first check to see if the injured person's airway is clear. Once it is, the first responder should check to see if the injured person is breathing. Once the person is breathing, circulation is checked. 

When somebody is choking (has a blocked airway) and cannot cough, performing the Heimlich maneuver can sometimes dislodge the blockage. It can be performed with the person who is choking both sitting down and standing up. Using additional leverage from the back of a chair will assist small people trying to perform the Heimlich on bigger people.

Other ways to open an airway include tilting the head back or rolling a person who has been vomiting on his/her side.

Once the airway is clear, the first responder should check to see if an unconscious injured person is breathing by listening for breaths. If the person is not breathing, rescue breathing can be performed.

Sometimes, in order to perform rescue breathing, the person needs to be repositioned. If no head, neck or back injury is suspected and the person is not breathing, even a small child can roll him/her onto his/her back. Rolls may also be required to move a person away from a hazard.

Rolling should not be done if a fall or any type of spinal injury is suspected.

If the injured person is talking it can be assumed that the airway is clear and he/she is breathing. The next step is to check circulation. Bleeding could be a problem. The first responder should work to stop the bleeding by applying pressure and elevating the wounded area. Something clean should be held against the cut if possible; towel, shirt, tissues. Impaled objects should not be removed.

If the person has severed a body part completely - the bleeding should be first stopped, then the bleeding area should be kept clean and finally the search for the severed part should begin. The severed part should be wrapped in a clean towel and kept cool by setting on ice if possible.


Be sure to visit next week for hands-on scenarios and check out these great blog hops for more kid activities.