All of a sudden, anyone can find oneself in an emergency situation. By taking the right action, you can save lives.
If your or someone else’s life, health or property is threatened or at risk, do the following:
Try to remain calm.
If someone else is already there giving help, ask them whether they need assistance.
Call other people for help.
Call 112 and report the emergency.
Start the necessary actions according to the situation: first aid, resuscitation or first-aid firefighting
Give as much help as you can based on your knowledge and ability. The emergency response centre will give you instructions.
Remember your own safety: help in such a way that it is safe for yourself.
Prevent additional accidents if the situation may cause them.
Do not leave the site before the authority that has come to the location permits you.
Also remember that everyone has a duty to help in an emergency according to their own abilities. At the very least, helping means alerting additional help if, for example, you cannot or do not know how to extinguish a fire or provide first aid to an injured person.
Different types of emergencies require a different number of authorities. Sometimes, for example, only the police or the rescue department arrive on the site, but especially major accidents require the presence of many different authorities.
It is important that everyone involved in the situation and in the nearby areas act in such a way that the authorities can focus their resources on sorting out the situation.
This is how you can help the authorities:
If there are already rescue workers on site when you come to the scene, do not stay there for no reason.
Always follow the instructions of the authorities.
Provide first aid and CPR to injured persons if you have the necessary skills.
Help the authorities if they ask for help.
Do not leave the site until you have received permission from the authority to do so to ensure that all information you may have can be recorded.
First aid is needed in situations where someone has got injured or has fainted, for instance. The first aid of an unresponsive person is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
First aid provided by anyone improves the chances of survival and recovery for those in need. First aid aims to safeguard basic vital functions and prevent the deterioration of the person’s condition.
Fast action and careful consideration are needed when saving someone who has fallen in water. A drowning person may not wave their arms or call for help.