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[music]

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Any type of natural disaster
or manmade disaster

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is a psychological
event to somebody.

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The other important
impact is

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the emotional impact
of a disaster.

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The best predictor of
how people will deal

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with a crisis is what
their functional

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level was before
the crisis.

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This kind of work
is hypnotic,

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but it is incredibly
engaging.

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You need to take
care of yourself,

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that's the number
one rule.

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Take care of yourself and
your buddy after a disaster.

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It's a normal response to
an abnormal situation.

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Disasters are
dynamic events.

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They can occur seemingly
out of nowhere

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and they can challenge
a community

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and community members.

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As CERTS volunteers you are
being trained to support

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the first responders
in your community

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and to be strong and
vigilant members of a team.

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In all ways you will
be challenged, but

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if you are prepared you will be
more successful and helpful

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during the event and
more able to rebound

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easier in your own life

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when the crisis is over.

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Nice and easy,
don't hurt yourself.

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But just as there is a
physical environment

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in a crisis, there is an
emotional environment as well.

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And whether you are an
experienced first responder

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or a citizen who is being
trained for the first time,

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understanding some of
the dynamics of disaster

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psychology will be
very helpful to you.

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When bad things happen,
which do happen

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because that's just
the way life is,

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whether it is, as I said
earlier a man made disaster,

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or it's a natural disaster
like an earthquake

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or a tornado or flood
or what have you,

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we respond because
that's the way

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we are wired as
human beings.

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We respond and we respond in
a number of different ways.

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We respond emotionally,
we respond physically,

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and we respond socially.

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If you don't understand
psychology and the way

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people think, then you won't
know how to react when you

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see the kinds of behaviors
that you're going to see and

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that's the whole point of
the psychology approach here.

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[crying]

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And there may be a
wide range of feelings and

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behavior that
people will exhibit.

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Some people define it
as a normal reaction

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to an abnormal situation.

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And the person may respond
in a typical way for them or

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they may respond in an
atypical way for them

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depending on the incident,
depending on the scope of

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the incident, how close the
incident feels to them.

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Now some people are able to
really kind of bend with the

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wind and manage and cope
with lots and lots of very

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unpredictable and powerful
overwhelming events.

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They may be able to do that
during the incident they may

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have a delayed distress
response after the incident,

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but a lot of people can
come through incidents

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and I've seen this
in war situations,

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people come through
extraordinary things

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and then go on and their
natural support systems

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seem to be enough
to help

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get them back on
an even keel.

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Of course there are great
differences in coping styles

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and even in the ways that
people from different

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cultures, religions and
ethnicities will react.

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Just to give an example, in
certain cultures it is not

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encouraged to
express emotion.

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You know you're supposed to
kind of pull up your socks

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and be able to deal with it.

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And while you want to take
care of the population

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we still need to be respectful
that this is not someone

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who is going to just
come out and you know

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start to really engage
in a conversation

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and you may want to take
a different approach

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and you may want to invite
them in into helping

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because maybe they might
feel better that way,

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you know earlier on in
the process than later.

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But the important point is
that during a difficult

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situation you can be
empathetic and supportive,

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sometimes by doing or
saying very little.

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Let's say for example where
someone's lost a family

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member, there's really
nothing you can say.

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There's nothing you can
say that's going to help.

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Nothing's going to
mitigate that for them.

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What people need is support,
you know sometimes 

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putting an arm around them
and just being supportive and

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listening and seeing that
their needs are met,

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that's what's important.

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The segments of this video
will help you learn more

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about how to deal
effectively with the

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physical, emotional, and
psychological reactions

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you may see brought
on by a crisis.

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You'll also learn strategies
to ensure your own health.

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Here's what follows.

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The CERTS volunteer;
working together as a team.

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Helping people
cope in a disaster.

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Helping children and youth.

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Helping the elderly.

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Helping yourself
and your teammates.

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Managing people in crisis.

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Disasters are very
stressful experiences

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and as a member of
a CERTS team,

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your responsibility is to
work with your team members

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and take on whatever
challenges you are assigned.

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But the first step in
being able to help others

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is to make sure you have
your own house in order,

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that means being
psychologically ready,

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but also having all of
the details in your own

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home worked out
so that you know

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that your family members
are safe and taken care of.

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The first thing you want to
do if there was a disaster

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is make sure that your
own family is okay,

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make sure your own house is
safe and then you want to get

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together and meet up
with your partners

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and your buddies and your other
CERT members in your community

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and then you can come up
with a plan and start to

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operate in a systematic
manner so you can go out and

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do the most good for the
most amount of people.

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As a CERTS volunteer you
are part of a team,

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and your teammates will be a
source of strength for you

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as you work together in
the disaster areas.

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Of course you will work hand-
in-hand with your buddy and

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with the team of first
responders in your community.

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You don't go
anywhere by yourself.

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You always go with your
buddy; you need to take care

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of yourself so you
can help other people.

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To work together in a team, for
one thing it's a safety issue.

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We want to make sure that
if something happens to me

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my partner is going to be there
and we consider it their buddy

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is going to be there for
them to assist them

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and if I'm injured it's
somebody that can aid me

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or maybe go get help
if I need help.

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We just feel that, in a way,
two heads are better than one.

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Because you'll be operating
as part of an official team,

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community members
will look to you

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for information and
answers.

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You'll be perceived as a
leader during the situation

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and must be confident
about what you're doing.

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The CERT teams are
there to take the lead.

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They're there because
they've been trained and

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they're in a perfect
position to take the lead,

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and the CERT team members,
however many of them there are,

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job is to organize their
neighbors into a workable

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workforce to protect and
take care of their backyard,

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their community, their
street, their building.

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Another important strategy
is to keep communicating

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with your team members.

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One thing is just to brief
people as they come into

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an incident, to let people
know if there are going to be

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really disturbing images,
you know what they're going

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to see so that they're not
going to go through an

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emotional shock just
walking onto the scene.

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They'll be able to steel
themselves a little bit

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emotionally and you know
have a better chance of

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staying in that middle zone.

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Here's what you
want to remember.

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Be prepared, have your own
emergency supplies organized.

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Establish emergency plans
for your home and family.

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Work with your buddy.

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Work with the team.

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Work with the other teams
of first responders.

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Be ready to be a leader.

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Keep communicating
with your team members.

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Expect people to react.

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After a disaster occurs
people will experience a

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range of emotions and

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they may exhibit a variety of
emotional, psychological and

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physical reactions
depending on their loss.

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As a team member, you may
have the responsibility of

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helping to manage and
stabilize situations.

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For you to be effective
you need to recognize

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how to deal effectively with
different populations in the

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community such as
children, the elderly,

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persons with disabilities
and adults.

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When you work with
these groups some

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of your reactions will be
intuitive and natural

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but because people are
under acute stress

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they may react or over-react
more than they would normally.

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It became very clear that
our being able to focus

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our energies in the right
way to manage situations

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could result in a clear
management of the situation

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to stabilize it, to increase
the calm, increase the peace,

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amongst those people going
through it right then.

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Sometimes in a crisis
situation

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people will over-react when
they are part of a group

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as emotions are contagious
and seem to spread

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from one person to the next.

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As the CERT team member your
job is to keep the group calm.

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At times this may mean
separating someone from the

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group if they are
extremely troubled.

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Stabilizing a group that's
engaging in that kind of

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thing involves sometimes
trying to separate out and

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contain the people that are
agitating or creating that

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kind of a response in
the larger group and

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also providing whatever kind
of information you can

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that will help to
stop that process.

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Here are some general
strategies for dealing with

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adults after a
crisis has occurred.

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Listen to them.

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Support them.

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Reassure them.

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Comfort them.

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Distract them from
the situation.

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Encourage them to breathe.

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Encourage them to walk
around and walk with them.

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Keep groups calm.

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Give them accurate
information about

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what's happening
and will happen.

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Try to find out answers
to their questions.

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Encourage them to
follow instructions of

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first responders and law
enforcement personnel.

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Involve them in
helping others.

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Stay calm yourself.

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During and after a disaster
everyone is stressed and

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feels unsettled but for
children being involved in a

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disaster can be
frightening and confusing.

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Just like adults, children
too are affected by

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disasters in a number
of different ways

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but we forget that children
are not miniature adults

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and so they are
affected socially,

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they are affected emotionally

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and it can also impact
their cognitive abilities.

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Of course children will
react differently to a

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crisis depending
on their age.

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And so when we work with
kids who have faced a

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disaster or an act of terror
we really need to be mindful

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of what the age of the child
is and so our approach to

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how we work with them or how
we talk to them about what

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might have happened really
would be impacted by that.

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Younger children have fewer
emotional defenses and

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less cognitive ability to deal
with a crisis situation.

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Young children can confuse
reality and fantasy

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and they can be
very fearful.

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Children are terrified by these
things just like adults are

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and they don't have
the understanding

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that adults have in an event.

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Children don't understand
for example that a hurricane

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has gone by and that another
one is not right behind it.

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We make the assumption that
they believe that, but they

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don't know that, they don't
understand that concept.

247
00:13:21,831 --> 00:13:23,788
I think the other thing
that young children really

248
00:13:23,798 --> 00:13:25,288
sometimes blame themselves.

249
00:13:25,298 --> 00:13:28,288
You know they indulge in what we
call magical thinking.

250
00:13:28,298 --> 00:13:32,388
And to answer these
questions sometimes they

251
00:13:32,398 --> 00:13:34,354
start to think that
you know if I

252
00:13:34,364 --> 00:13:36,788
had just picked up my
clothes this morning,

253
00:13:36,798 --> 00:13:39,621
maybe this wouldn't
have happened.

254
00:13:39,631 --> 00:13:41,888
And it is amazing, it
is really amazing

255
00:13:41,898 --> 00:13:44,588
because kids have
such imaginations

256
00:13:44,598 --> 00:13:48,788
that they're trying to
make sense of this all

257
00:13:48,798 --> 00:13:51,088
and they somehow
think that they had

258
00:13:51,098 --> 00:13:54,388
something to do with it and
I think if you hear that

259
00:13:54,398 --> 00:13:58,421
as a grown up you can say, "no
honey, no not at all" and

260
00:13:58,431 --> 00:14:02,254
you can just imagine how
comforting that may be for

261
00:14:02,264 --> 00:14:05,254
the child to think it is not
something they have done.

262
00:14:05,264 --> 00:14:07,554
But even though we may want
to protect children it is

263
00:14:07,564 --> 00:14:12,421
still a good practice to be as
honest with them as we can.

264
00:14:12,431 --> 00:14:14,521
Very important to be up
front to children and older

265
00:14:14,531 --> 00:14:16,254
people and let them
know what's going on

266
00:14:16,264 --> 00:14:19,421
and experience has shown that
if you are very direct with

267
00:14:19,431 --> 00:14:21,554
children and the elderly and
tell them exactly what's

268
00:14:21,564 --> 00:14:23,954
going on, and what's happened,

269
00:14:23,964 --> 00:14:25,954
they tend to react
very well to that.

270
00:14:25,964 --> 00:14:28,888
It's intuitive that we want to
take care of our little ones

271
00:14:28,898 --> 00:14:30,821
and so sometimes we don't
want them to see bad things,

272
00:14:30,831 --> 00:14:33,054
we don't want them
to hear bad things,

273
00:14:33,064 --> 00:14:37,421
but they are, and so for us to
say "don't worry about it"

274
00:14:37,431 --> 00:14:40,821
really is doing a disservice
to the child because you're

275
00:14:40,831 --> 00:14:44,221
shutting that door of dialog
and then the child is left

276
00:14:44,231 --> 00:14:49,354
with these feelings that
the grown up has kind of

277
00:14:49,364 --> 00:14:52,021
given a message -
don't talk about it.

278
00:14:52,031 --> 00:14:54,821
And so it's really important
for us to acknowledge what

279
00:14:54,831 --> 00:14:58,454
has happened in a very
simple age appropriate

280
00:14:58,464 --> 00:15:03,321
developmentally in line
with where the child is

281
00:15:03,331 --> 00:15:08,488
and you know as a
child, you know...

282
00:15:08,498 --> 00:15:10,988
what's your sense
of what happened?

283
00:15:10,998 --> 00:15:12,488
Because that will give
you an indication.

284
00:15:12,498 --> 00:15:16,121
If the child says something,
"oh you know a lot of roofs

285
00:15:16,131 --> 00:15:19,854
got blown up," you know we
don't have to give a more

286
00:15:19,864 --> 00:15:24,088
sophisticated explanation,
so that gives you kind of a

287
00:15:24,098 --> 00:15:28,654
bar of where the child is
and you kind of either

288
00:15:28,664 --> 00:15:31,888
raise it or lower it depending
on what the response is.

289
00:15:31,898 --> 00:15:34,154
So volunteers should try
to talk to children

290
00:15:34,164 --> 00:15:36,754
about their feelings just
as they would with adults.

291
00:15:36,764 --> 00:15:40,321
In a little time to say,
"How are you feeling and

292
00:15:40,331 --> 00:15:40,888
how are you doing?"

293
00:15:40,898 --> 00:15:42,821
You're opening a dialog.

294
00:15:42,831 --> 00:15:45,954
Now some people walk through
that door and others don't,

295
00:15:45,964 --> 00:15:49,821
but at the same time, you know
we need to be available.

296
00:15:49,831 --> 00:15:53,988
We need to be
somewhat reassuring.

297
00:15:53,998 --> 00:15:58,054
We can talk about, well you
can actually even make a

298
00:15:58,064 --> 00:16:03,788
statement, "this must
really upset you" or

299
00:16:03,798 --> 00:16:07,321
"this is really a difficult
situation you're in."

300
00:16:07,331 --> 00:16:12,188
You're just trying to open
a dialog with the child

301
00:16:12,198 --> 00:16:15,021
and you know we are here
to help so be available,

302
00:16:15,031 --> 00:16:19,488
be reassuring and then talk
in a language that you think

303
00:16:19,498 --> 00:16:25,021
the child will understand
and you know, "are there any

304
00:16:25,031 --> 00:16:28,188
questions you have,"
and depending on how

305
00:16:28,198 --> 00:16:29,621
much time the person has

306
00:16:29,631 --> 00:16:31,954
you can actually take it
a step further and say,

307
00:16:31,964 --> 00:16:35,221
you know "what can I do to
make you feel better?"

308
00:16:35,231 --> 00:16:38,788
Different children respond
to that differently.

309
00:16:38,798 --> 00:16:40,988
Some might want to talk,
others might want to play a

310
00:16:40,998 --> 00:16:45,054
game with you, because
the younger children,

311
00:16:45,064 --> 00:16:48,388
you know after maybe a
minute, they're done.

312
00:16:48,398 --> 00:16:52,488
You know and so sometimes we
don't appreciate that and

313
00:16:52,498 --> 00:16:55,488
we kind of keep at it, but
the children are you know

314
00:16:55,498 --> 00:16:57,754
they've gone to
another issue.

315
00:16:57,764 --> 00:16:59,788
So you need to be where
the child is and sometimes

316
00:16:59,798 --> 00:17:02,554
that's hard to assess but I
think if we pay attention to

317
00:17:02,564 --> 00:17:07,254
it in our minds we'll
do a better job of it.

318
00:17:07,264 --> 00:17:09,621
Sometimes something as
simple as a toy or

319
00:17:09,631 --> 00:17:14,054
teddy bear could be very
helpful in comforting a child.

320
00:17:14,064 --> 00:17:18,221
If we do have to place
family members in a shelter

321
00:17:18,231 --> 00:17:20,854
or be away from them,
particularly with children,

322
00:17:20,864 --> 00:17:22,554
we like to make sure they have
something familiar with them.

323
00:17:22,564 --> 00:17:25,888
A doll, a bear, a toy,
something familiar that

324
00:17:25,898 --> 00:17:29,388
that child can clutch to, it's
very, very helpful for them.

325
00:17:29,398 --> 00:17:31,454
It's also important that if
you say you're going to be

326
00:17:31,464 --> 00:17:33,454
back in a couple hours
or you're going to call

327
00:17:33,464 --> 00:17:35,688
in a couple hours,
you do that because

328
00:17:35,698 --> 00:17:39,721
they're watching the clock
even if you're not.

329
00:17:39,731 --> 00:17:41,888
Older children and
teenagers may feel better

330
00:17:41,898 --> 00:17:44,088
if they are given
tasks to perform.

331
00:17:44,098 --> 00:17:47,588
Everyone can help in some
way, shape, or form and

332
00:17:47,598 --> 00:17:49,588
I think that's really
important, in fact I would

333
00:17:49,598 --> 00:17:53,154
encourage those because then
they feel that they're just not

334
00:17:53,164 --> 00:17:57,154
witnessing this
helplessly and that

335
00:17:57,164 --> 00:18:00,954
they must be important enough
that someone actually values

336
00:18:00,964 --> 00:18:03,288
what they have to offer.

337
00:18:03,298 --> 00:18:05,454
So when you work with
children and youth respond

338
00:18:05,464 --> 00:18:08,254
appropriately to them
based on their age.

339
00:18:08,264 --> 00:18:11,421
Make sure that younger
children are never left alone.

340
00:18:11,431 --> 00:18:13,654
Shield them from the
scene of the disaster.

341
00:18:13,664 --> 00:18:16,754
If you need to put them
behind a car or bus

342
00:18:16,764 --> 00:18:18,354
and away from any
dramatic scene.

343
00:18:18,364 --> 00:18:19,721
Keep them warm.

344
00:18:19,731 --> 00:18:22,954
Give them water and food and
of course unite them with

345
00:18:22,964 --> 00:18:26,154
family members as
soon as you can.

346
00:18:26,164 --> 00:18:29,321
And remember, sometimes with
children you may have to

347
00:18:29,331 --> 00:18:32,688
explain the situation again
and again and reassure them

348
00:18:32,698 --> 00:18:36,054
that everything
will be all right.

349
00:18:36,064 --> 00:18:38,754
You know, know what the
psychological responses are.

350
00:18:38,764 --> 00:18:40,954
Know what the differences
are depending

351
00:18:40,964 --> 00:18:42,088
on the age for the child.

352
00:18:42,098 --> 00:18:45,121
Know that everyone
is affected.

353
00:18:45,131 --> 00:18:48,121
Know that most people are
resilient and will get back

354
00:18:48,131 --> 00:18:51,588
and will bounce back
on their feet,

355
00:18:51,598 --> 00:18:56,588
it's a normal response to
an abnormal situation.

356
00:18:56,598 --> 00:18:59,254
Key points to remember
helping children.

357
00:18:59,264 --> 00:19:02,521
Be gentle with children.

358
00:19:02,531 --> 00:19:03,621
Listen to what
they have to say.

359
00:19:03,631 --> 00:19:05,888
Begin a conversation
with them.

360
00:19:05,898 --> 00:19:07,654
Be honest.

361
00:19:07,664 --> 00:19:09,788
Get on their
level, literally.

362
00:19:09,798 --> 00:19:11,721
Talk to them at
their height.

363
00:19:11,731 --> 00:19:13,254
Hold the child.

364
00:19:13,264 --> 00:19:15,954
Make sure children
are not left alone.

365
00:19:15,964 --> 00:19:18,688
Shield children from the
scene of a disaster.

366
00:19:18,698 --> 00:19:22,254
Keep children warm and
give them water or drinks.

367
00:19:22,264 --> 00:19:26,054
Re-unite children with family
members as soon as possible.

368
00:19:26,064 --> 00:19:30,488
Explain the situation
clearly again and again.

369
00:19:30,498 --> 00:19:33,088
Give them something
to comfort them,

370
00:19:33,098 --> 00:19:34,288
a teddy bear or doll.

371
00:19:34,298 --> 00:19:35,988
The younger the child

372
00:19:35,998 --> 00:19:38,554
the more supervision
he or she needs.

373
00:19:38,564 --> 00:19:41,121
Give older children tasks to
do such as helping with the

374
00:19:41,131 --> 00:19:50,221
younger children or
taking on other jobs.

375
00:19:50,231 --> 00:19:52,254
Today more and more
Americans are living longer

376
00:19:52,264 --> 00:19:55,154
and living independently
in their communities

377
00:19:55,164 --> 00:19:57,154
and within the
elderly population

378
00:19:57,164 --> 00:20:00,254
there is great diversity.

379
00:20:00,264 --> 00:20:04,354
If someone is cognitively
intact, not demented,

380
00:20:04,364 --> 00:20:07,288
high functioning, they're
going to react the same way

381
00:20:07,298 --> 00:20:09,988
that a younger
person may react.

382
00:20:09,998 --> 00:20:13,488
Those people are
attentive to the news,

383
00:20:13,498 --> 00:20:14,888
they've paid attention,

384
00:20:14,898 --> 00:20:17,454
they've thought about what
they're going to do.

385
00:20:17,464 --> 00:20:19,954
They will have disaster
emergency kits and phone

386
00:20:19,964 --> 00:20:23,288
numbers and things like that
prepared just as a younger

387
00:20:23,298 --> 00:20:27,488
person would and some people
in some studies show that

388
00:20:27,498 --> 00:20:30,421
the elderly are in
fact more resilient

389
00:20:30,431 --> 00:20:32,988
in the time of a
disaster because

390
00:20:32,998 --> 00:20:37,154
they have experienced
problems in the past.

391
00:20:37,164 --> 00:20:39,854
But although elderly
people may be resilient,

392
00:20:39,864 --> 00:20:43,321
they may still need some special
assistance during an emergency.

393
00:20:43,331 --> 00:20:45,488
Often times you may
need to help them

394
00:20:45,498 --> 00:20:48,854
with their physical needs.

395
00:20:48,864 --> 00:20:51,988
Sometimes people get
along fine on their own,

396
00:20:51,998 --> 00:20:55,988
but they move more slowly
and they may have

397
00:20:55,998 --> 00:20:58,921
difficulty with going quickly.

398
00:20:58,931 --> 00:21:02,421
Also they may be hearing
impaired and may have

399
00:21:02,431 --> 00:21:06,554
trouble hearing what
people are saying to them.

400
00:21:06,564 --> 00:21:11,254
So it may be necessary for
emergency workers to speak

401
00:21:11,264 --> 00:21:15,588
loudly for example, more
loudly than usual or

402
00:21:15,598 --> 00:21:17,754
visual impairment may
also be a problem.

403
00:21:17,764 --> 00:21:22,988
People may have reduced
visual capacity and

404
00:21:22,998 --> 00:21:27,188
that may also really
impair their ability

405
00:21:27,198 --> 00:21:29,488
to respond to instructions.

406
00:21:29,498 --> 00:21:33,088
Some elderly people may also
experience cognitive problems.

407
00:21:33,098 --> 00:21:36,088
Over the age of 80 it's
estimated that 40% of

408
00:21:36,098 --> 00:21:39,288
the elderly may have
some form of dementia.

409
00:21:39,298 --> 00:21:42,021
This dementia may leave the
elderly person confused

410
00:21:42,031 --> 00:21:46,021
and unclear, particularly
during a stressful situation.

411
00:21:46,031 --> 00:21:50,521
On the other hand, someone
with cognitive impairments,

412
00:21:50,531 --> 00:21:54,188
somebody who is mildly
or moderately demented,

413
00:21:54,198 --> 00:21:57,521
still living on their own
in the community but maybe

414
00:21:57,531 --> 00:22:02,221
dependent on neighbors or
family members or spouses or

415
00:22:02,231 --> 00:22:06,788
children to help them
with basic organization,

416
00:22:06,798 --> 00:22:10,288
they may have a very
difficult time

417
00:22:10,298 --> 00:22:12,621
understanding that
something is going wrong.

418
00:22:12,631 --> 00:22:15,721
One of the characteristics
of dementia is a difficulty

419
00:22:15,731 --> 00:22:19,988
in absorbing new information
and also another

420
00:22:19,998 --> 00:22:22,721
characteristic of people
with mild to moderate

421
00:22:22,731 --> 00:22:26,654
dementia is a real
dependence on routines

422
00:22:26,664 --> 00:22:30,721
and disruption of the
routine may be very hard

423
00:22:30,731 --> 00:22:33,154
for them to understand.

424
00:22:33,164 --> 00:22:36,188
So volunteers should assess
the level of functioning of

425
00:22:36,198 --> 00:22:39,154
the elderly person and
then respond accordingly.

426
00:22:39,164 --> 00:22:41,754
For instance you may need to
repeat an instruction to an

427
00:22:41,764 --> 00:22:44,154
elderly person several times

428
00:22:44,164 --> 00:22:46,288
or you may need to give
them more time to

429
00:22:46,298 --> 00:22:50,154
process their thoughts or
help them move around.

430
00:22:50,164 --> 00:22:52,221
Elderly people who
live in a nursing home

431
00:22:52,231 --> 00:22:54,988
will also need a great
deal of assistance.

432
00:22:54,998 --> 00:23:01,154
Nursing homes have their
own disaster plans but

433
00:23:01,164 --> 00:23:04,388
we're dealing with a population
like a hospital population

434
00:23:04,398 --> 00:23:08,221
where people are often bed
ridden or are quite frail

435
00:23:08,231 --> 00:23:11,421
and are unable to ambulate,
really, without assistance.

436
00:23:11,431 --> 00:23:13,488
They may have hearing
and vision problems,

437
00:23:13,498 --> 00:23:17,288
they may be wheelchair bound,

438
00:23:17,298 --> 00:23:21,288
but that's a much more
difficult proposition

439
00:23:21,298 --> 00:23:24,854
to evacuate a nursing
home facility.

440
00:23:24,864 --> 00:23:27,454
Of course elderly people can
also be very helpful during

441
00:23:27,464 --> 00:23:31,054
an emergency and they
like to be useful.

442
00:23:31,064 --> 00:23:32,421
They're a great
resource for us.

443
00:23:32,431 --> 00:23:35,288
We don't use them very often
and they want to help,

444
00:23:35,298 --> 00:23:37,288
they want to participate and

445
00:23:37,298 --> 00:23:38,588
they should be allowed to,

446
00:23:38,598 --> 00:23:41,054
to the extent that they
can, they feel useful,

447
00:23:41,064 --> 00:23:43,354
we all want to feel
useful and too often

448
00:23:43,364 --> 00:23:46,321
older people are great
resources, just not used.

449
00:23:46,331 --> 00:23:48,954
Search workers can benefit
from having a check list

450
00:23:48,964 --> 00:23:51,421
when working
with the elderly.

451
00:23:51,431 --> 00:23:54,021
I think it would be a great
idea for the volunteers to

452
00:23:54,031 --> 00:23:57,388
have a short checklist to
go through when they're

453
00:23:57,398 --> 00:24:00,488
evacuating an older person.

454
00:24:00,498 --> 00:24:02,154
Do you have a hearing aid?

455
00:24:02,164 --> 00:24:03,688
Do you have eyeglasses?

456
00:24:03,698 --> 00:24:07,688
Do you use a cane or
a walker sometimes?

457
00:24:07,698 --> 00:24:09,254
Do you have dentures?

458
00:24:09,264 --> 00:24:10,621
Where are your medications?

459
00:24:10,631 --> 00:24:13,021
Can we take your
medications with us?

460
00:24:13,031 --> 00:24:14,488
Do you have an
address book or

461
00:24:14,498 --> 00:24:16,854
a list of emergency
contacts

462
00:24:16,864 --> 00:24:18,721
so we can take that
with us?

463
00:24:18,731 --> 00:24:22,454
Those things would
be most useful and

464
00:24:22,464 --> 00:24:26,754
that's a short list, could be
gone through very quickly,

465
00:24:26,764 --> 00:24:31,654
and that would help both the
older person being evacuated

466
00:24:31,664 --> 00:24:34,221
and the volunteer
make sure that

467
00:24:34,231 --> 00:24:36,754
they've covered everything
that they need to.

468
00:24:36,764 --> 00:24:39,321
Key points to remember.

469
00:24:39,331 --> 00:24:42,888
There is a great diversity
among elderly people.

470
00:24:42,898 --> 00:24:45,954
Help elderly people
walk or get around.

471
00:24:45,964 --> 00:24:49,521
Remember they may have
hearing or visual problems.

472
00:24:49,531 --> 00:24:53,321
Encourage elderly people to
leave their home if necessary.

473
00:24:53,331 --> 00:24:57,554
Be aware some elderly may
be confused or disoriented.

474
00:24:57,564 --> 00:25:01,588
Repeat instructions several
times if necessary.

475
00:25:01,598 --> 00:25:04,388
Give extra, and
kind, attention.

476
00:25:04,398 --> 00:25:07,121
Give them tasks that
they can handle.

477
00:25:07,131 --> 00:25:12,688
Make them partners
in your efforts.

478
00:25:12,698 --> 00:25:15,588
It's clear that when people
are victims of a disaster

479
00:25:15,598 --> 00:25:18,121
they will react and even
though you are part of a

480
00:25:18,131 --> 00:25:20,854
helping team you can
still be strongly

481
00:25:20,864 --> 00:25:25,188
 affected by the experience.

482
00:25:25,198 --> 00:25:28,621
Volunteers themselves are
having the same responses.

483
00:25:28,631 --> 00:25:30,654
You know they're not any
different from the people

484
00:25:30,664 --> 00:25:33,121
who are directly affected
by what's happened.

485
00:25:33,131 --> 00:25:35,454
And so I think it is
important to be in tune

486
00:25:35,464 --> 00:25:39,454
with yourself as well and
we don't allow ourselves

487
00:25:39,464 --> 00:25:42,721
to have the same feelings and
so there's a lot of burn out

488
00:25:42,731 --> 00:25:45,388
amongst people who are
the helpers if you will.

489
00:25:45,398 --> 00:25:47,621
While we're helping
everyone else

490
00:25:47,631 --> 00:25:49,888
we need to help
the helpers.

491
00:25:49,898 --> 00:25:52,754
A person who is new to
emergency work suddenly can

492
00:25:52,764 --> 00:25:54,388
find themselves in
the position of being

493
00:25:54,398 --> 00:25:57,221
overwhelmed by the
intensity of it.

494
00:25:57,231 --> 00:26:00,054
They themselves may be
either overreacting or

495
00:26:00,064 --> 00:26:02,054
under reacting but
later on

496
00:26:02,064 --> 00:26:04,554
even if they're functioning
well at the time

497
00:26:04,564 --> 00:26:06,921
they may later discover

498
00:26:06,931 --> 00:26:09,388
that they're having
delayed reactions to it.

499
00:26:09,398 --> 00:26:12,788
Everybody can get into
situations that can create

500
00:26:12,798 --> 00:26:15,988
that kind of delayed
reaction and

501
00:26:15,998 --> 00:26:18,888
anybody who says that
that's not true

502
00:26:18,898 --> 00:26:20,888
simply hasn't lived
long enough yet,

503
00:26:20,898 --> 00:26:22,588
they'll get there eventually,

504
00:26:22,598 --> 00:26:24,788
particularly doing
emergency work.

505
00:26:24,798 --> 00:26:27,354
Often times people
don't pace themselves

506
00:26:27,364 --> 00:26:29,988
and keep working and working
because there is so much

507
00:26:29,998 --> 00:26:32,288
to do and they want to help.

508
00:26:32,298 --> 00:26:36,421
We do know that people
rushing in to help others

509
00:26:36,431 --> 00:26:39,621
in times of a disaster
will work till they drop

510
00:26:39,631 --> 00:26:42,054
and it's not uncommon to
see workers work 12,

511
00:26:42,064 --> 00:26:45,754
14 hours straight
without any break and

512
00:26:45,764 --> 00:26:48,421
so it's incumbent upon
somebody who's in charge

513
00:26:48,431 --> 00:26:50,821
to make sure that the people
working are stopped,

514
00:26:50,831 --> 00:26:53,721
rest, get hydrated
with some fluids,

515
00:26:53,731 --> 00:26:57,154
get something to eat, get some
rest, or you burn them out.

516
00:26:57,164 --> 00:26:59,054
Once they're burned
out they can take

517
00:26:59,064 --> 00:27:00,888
three days to recover from it.

518
00:27:00,898 --> 00:27:02,254
So you've got psychological and

519
00:27:02,264 --> 00:27:05,121
physical stress all
working at the same time.

520
00:27:05,131 --> 00:27:07,588
We all learn how to try
to pace ourselves and

521
00:27:07,598 --> 00:27:10,554
to try to give ourselves
a proper break.

522
00:27:10,564 --> 00:27:13,021
When we check ourselves and
we check our buddies and

523
00:27:13,031 --> 00:27:15,888
we see that you know we're
under a lot of stress and

524
00:27:15,898 --> 00:27:18,354
things are getting a little
bit out of control,

525
00:27:18,364 --> 00:27:21,921
that might be the time to
say, "We need a break."

526
00:27:21,931 --> 00:27:23,988
Because working in a
disaster environment

527
00:27:23,998 --> 00:27:26,954
can be compelling, sometimes
it is difficult for

528
00:27:26,964 --> 00:27:29,488
volunteers to leave
the situation.

529
00:27:29,498 --> 00:27:33,121
And people get very attached
to incidents and it's really

530
00:27:33,131 --> 00:27:37,754
hard sometimes to know
yourself that you need a break.

531
00:27:37,764 --> 00:27:40,554
Sometimes it takes somebody
from the outside, or a buddy

532
00:27:40,564 --> 00:27:44,588
or a team leader to
recognize that it's

533
00:27:44,598 --> 00:27:47,821
time to stop, to talk,

534
00:27:47,831 --> 00:27:49,754
to eat something,

535
00:27:49,764 --> 00:27:51,054
to drink something,

536
00:27:51,064 --> 00:27:56,921
and rotate somebody else into
those kinds of activities.

537
00:27:56,931 --> 00:27:59,254
And it is also important to
the success of the team

538
00:27:59,264 --> 00:28:02,154
that volunteers understand
the stresses they are

539
00:28:02,164 --> 00:28:03,788
experiencing so
that their teams

540
00:28:03,798 --> 00:28:07,221
can remain unified
and effective.

541
00:28:07,231 --> 00:28:11,721
CERT teams have to be fully
aware of all the gambit of

542
00:28:11,731 --> 00:28:13,554
psychological
responses to events

543
00:28:13,564 --> 00:28:16,221
otherwise your teams
won't hold together.

544
00:28:16,231 --> 00:28:18,654
People get uptight,
they get upset,

545
00:28:18,664 --> 00:28:19,921
they say things
they shouldn't.

546
00:28:19,931 --> 00:28:22,854
The group can't wear their
emotions on their sleeves

547
00:28:22,864 --> 00:28:24,188
and get angry and
break up

548
00:28:24,198 --> 00:28:26,254
or the team won't
hold together.

549
00:28:26,264 --> 00:28:28,354
It's important to the team
leaders and the stronger

550
00:28:28,364 --> 00:28:30,554
people in the team to keep
the teams together to

551
00:28:30,564 --> 00:28:33,188
understand the emotions
that are going on.

552
00:28:33,198 --> 00:28:35,721
People get upset and have
every right to be upset,

553
00:28:35,731 --> 00:28:37,154
they get angry,
they get sad,

554
00:28:37,164 --> 00:28:40,688
they go through a
lot of experiences.

555
00:28:40,698 --> 00:28:43,454
It's also important that you
check in with your teammates

556
00:28:43,464 --> 00:28:45,488
and make sure that they are
handling the situation

557
00:28:45,498 --> 00:28:48,888
all right are not
spiraling up or down.

558
00:28:48,898 --> 00:28:51,888
Often first responders tend
to under respond because

559
00:28:51,898 --> 00:28:55,188
they are focused on the job
so it may be easy not to

560
00:28:55,198 --> 00:28:59,721
notice that a team member
is even having a difficult time.

561
00:28:59,731 --> 00:29:03,321
You've got to have somebody
in charge that's regulating

562
00:29:03,331 --> 00:29:06,288
how long people work because
at some point when you get

563
00:29:06,298 --> 00:29:08,354
tired you become
a liability.

564
00:29:08,364 --> 00:29:11,388
You're going to have a chance
of getting injured now

565
00:29:11,398 --> 00:29:15,054
so it's very important to
pace that so that we do

566
00:29:15,064 --> 00:29:18,021
try to tell whoever is
leading the operation to

567
00:29:18,031 --> 00:29:20,821
make sure that they pace
people and rotate them in

568
00:29:20,831 --> 00:29:23,921
their duties and
things like that.

569
00:29:23,931 --> 00:29:26,854
And everyone has their own
hot spots or areas that they

570
00:29:26,864 --> 00:29:29,454
cannot work in or that
are too much for them.

571
00:29:29,464 --> 00:29:32,354
Everyone needs to assess
what they can't handle and

572
00:29:32,364 --> 00:29:35,088
you should not feel that
you have to work in every

573
00:29:35,098 --> 00:29:37,854
situation and if you are
uncomfortable you should

574
00:29:37,864 --> 00:29:40,921
have yourself reassigned,
find other tasks to do to

575
00:29:40,931 --> 00:29:44,388
support your team's effort.

576
00:29:44,398 --> 00:29:47,121
Folks who have been in
emergency work for some time

577
00:29:47,131 --> 00:29:50,588
usually have a tremendous
capacity to let most things

578
00:29:50,598 --> 00:29:54,521
just run off their back like
water off a duck's back,

579
00:29:54,531 --> 00:29:56,754
doesn't get
under their skin.

580
00:29:56,764 --> 00:30:00,854
But when you hit the
right Achilles' heel,

581
00:30:00,864 --> 00:30:03,188
when you hit the right
area of vulnerability

582
00:30:03,198 --> 00:30:06,621
in their particular life
where this situation

583
00:30:06,631 --> 00:30:10,021
parallels a situation that
had defeated them before,

584
00:30:10,031 --> 00:30:12,488
or this situation reminds them
of a particular horrible

585
00:30:12,498 --> 00:30:16,088
situation that had
happened before,

586
00:30:16,098 --> 00:30:18,088
that they're carrying
baggage about,

587
00:30:18,098 --> 00:30:22,621
then they are more vulnerable
than other people

588
00:30:22,631 --> 00:30:25,388
in just those
particular places.

589
00:30:25,398 --> 00:30:27,754
Really know yourself.

590
00:30:27,764 --> 00:30:29,488
It's not only just
permission, it's what

591
00:30:29,498 --> 00:30:31,188
you should be doing,
check yourself.

592
00:30:31,198 --> 00:30:34,321
If you find yourself
becoming unduly distressed

593
00:30:34,331 --> 00:30:37,288
and a little break
is not enough,

594
00:30:37,298 --> 00:30:39,521
take yourself out if you can.

595
00:30:39,531 --> 00:30:42,654
You know, do something else
and come back for the next one.

596
00:30:42,664 --> 00:30:46,188
Everyone needs to find ways to
relieve stress in their lives,

597
00:30:46,198 --> 00:30:48,821
 especially when you're working
 in a disaster situation

598
00:30:48,831 --> 00:30:49,988
it is important that you

599
00:30:49,998 --> 00:30:51,554
take extra care of yourself.

600
00:30:51,564 --> 00:30:55,221
For some people exercise is
a way to relieve stress.

601
00:30:55,231 --> 00:30:58,388
Other people find other
ways, eating a healthy diet,

602
00:30:58,398 --> 00:31:00,354
relaxing with
family or friends,

603
00:31:00,364 --> 00:31:02,754
or connecting spiritually.

604
00:31:02,764 --> 00:31:04,721
One of the biggest things
that you can do is be

605
00:31:04,731 --> 00:31:06,554
hydrated and proper
nourishment, you know.

606
00:31:06,564 --> 00:31:10,288
Alcohol, caffeine and
those types of beverages

607
00:31:10,298 --> 00:31:14,054
are not conducive to
lowering stress in those

608
00:31:14,064 --> 00:31:15,954
kinds of environments and
typically that's what people

609
00:31:15,964 --> 00:31:19,154
load up with, coffee, sodas,
beer, and that's really the

610
00:31:19,164 --> 00:31:21,754
wrong stuff to be taking.

611
00:31:21,764 --> 00:31:24,988
People need to eat, they
need to get water,

612
00:31:24,998 --> 00:31:27,821
they need to rest and
they need to talk.

613
00:31:27,831 --> 00:31:29,854
That's an important thing,
being able to talk with each

614
00:31:29,864 --> 00:31:33,688
other and that will
minimize the stress.

615
00:31:33,698 --> 00:31:35,721
Talking or debriefing
with other volunteers

616
00:31:35,731 --> 00:31:37,254
is also important
to your health.

617
00:31:37,264 --> 00:31:39,521
You need time to talk
about your experience and

618
00:31:39,531 --> 00:31:42,321
what went on during
recovery operations

619
00:31:42,331 --> 00:31:44,188
with others who
were involved.

620
00:31:44,198 --> 00:31:48,754
I would really urge the
volunteers to have their own

621
00:31:48,764 --> 00:31:52,154
way of talking about what
they've experienced,

622
00:31:52,164 --> 00:31:53,621
whether it's in groups
or whether it's

623
00:31:53,631 --> 00:31:56,188
in a more formalized
or informal way,

624
00:31:56,198 --> 00:31:57,754
but it's absolutely
critical to take

625
00:31:57,764 --> 00:32:00,221
care of yourself because
otherwise you're not going

626
00:32:00,231 --> 00:32:05,188
to do a good job of the
people you're trying to help.

627
00:32:05,198 --> 00:32:07,388
You'll also be involved in
official debriefing sessions

628
00:32:07,398 --> 00:32:10,354
that can be very helpful.

629
00:32:10,364 --> 00:32:12,988
Debriefing is about pulling
the team back together

630
00:32:12,998 --> 00:32:15,454
after it's had a
difficult experience.

631
00:32:15,464 --> 00:32:17,954
It has an organizational
level, not just

632
00:32:17,964 --> 00:32:19,788
a personal psychological level.

633
00:32:19,798 --> 00:32:23,021
Debriefing is what we
do normally when we get

634
00:32:23,031 --> 00:32:24,888
together with other people
who have been through

635
00:32:24,898 --> 00:32:27,721
something difficult and
we just talk about it.

636
00:32:27,731 --> 00:32:31,354
A formal debriefing has
very clear steps that

637
00:32:31,364 --> 00:32:35,221
have to be gone through
in order to be utilized

638
00:32:35,231 --> 00:32:38,954
in terms of its
maximum potential.

639
00:32:38,964 --> 00:32:42,788
When we go into
emergency situations

640
00:32:42,798 --> 00:32:47,321
we must learn to keep
ourselves balanced inside,

641
00:32:47,331 --> 00:32:50,554
to have a running dialog
with our deeper self

642
00:32:50,564 --> 00:32:54,321
about what in this
situation moves me.

643
00:32:54,331 --> 00:32:58,388
And keeping an eye
on that, go ahead,

644
00:32:58,398 --> 00:33:01,354
but protecting
ourselves first.

645
00:33:01,364 --> 00:33:03,454
Key points to remember.

646
00:33:03,464 --> 00:33:05,988
Find your own way to
manage your stress levels.

647
00:33:05,998 --> 00:33:07,488
Exercise.

648
00:33:07,498 --> 00:33:09,288
Eat a healthy diet.

649
00:33:09,298 --> 00:33:11,654
Connect with
family and friends.

650
00:33:11,664 --> 00:33:13,588
Connect spiritually.

651
00:33:13,598 --> 00:33:16,188
Talk about the experience
with other volunteers

652
00:33:16,198 --> 00:33:25,188
in informal and formal
debriefing sessions.

653
00:33:25,198 --> 00:33:27,321
Experts now recognize that
some people will need

654
00:33:27,331 --> 00:33:29,688
assistance during a crisis.

655
00:33:29,698 --> 00:33:32,421
Their normal response to
this abnormal situation

656
00:33:32,431 --> 00:33:35,154
may be exaggerated.

657
00:33:35,164 --> 00:33:39,721
Now there are times
when that response

658
00:33:39,731 --> 00:33:43,721
can go a little awry
and people can become

659
00:33:43,731 --> 00:33:46,988
a little bit too over-aroused
or too under-aroused,

660
00:33:46,998 --> 00:33:48,854
but when we're in the middle

661
00:33:48,864 --> 00:33:53,888
we're able to carry out a lot
of extraordinary actions.

662
00:33:53,898 --> 00:33:56,454
In other segments of this video

663
00:33:56,464 --> 00:33:58,088
you were introduced to
some basic strategies

664
00:33:58,098 --> 00:34:00,988
for helping people cope
after the disaster.

665
00:34:00,998 --> 00:34:03,221
Now you'll learn some
strategies to help people

666
00:34:03,231 --> 00:34:07,721
who are exhibiting acute stress
reactions during a crisis.

667
00:34:07,731 --> 00:34:09,888
We're stabilizing the
individual to cope with

668
00:34:09,898 --> 00:34:12,054
the situation here and now.

669
00:34:12,064 --> 00:34:15,088
And so we're doing
things like taking

670
00:34:15,098 --> 00:34:18,588
a stronger personal
role as a leader,

671
00:34:18,598 --> 00:34:20,888
being very clear in
what we're saying,

672
00:34:20,898 --> 00:34:24,088
sizing up whether
the person is able

673
00:34:24,098 --> 00:34:27,221
to make decisions themselves
or not; guiding them

674
00:34:27,231 --> 00:34:32,921
in terms of utilizing their
personal inner-resources better

675
00:34:32,931 --> 00:34:36,454
and gradually take them
from the extremes

676
00:34:36,464 --> 00:34:38,954
of behavior which are
largely dysfunctional

677
00:34:38,964 --> 00:34:41,654
back to their own
personal center

678
00:34:41,664 --> 00:34:43,954
so that they are functional.

679
00:34:43,964 --> 00:34:45,054
Experts have identified
three kinds

680
00:34:45,064 --> 00:34:47,188
of acute stress reactions.

681
00:34:47,198 --> 00:34:50,288
Over arousal, under arousal,

682
00:34:50,298 --> 00:34:52,454
and shut down.

683
00:34:52,464 --> 00:34:53,821
A person who is over-aroused

684
00:34:53,831 --> 00:34:56,188
is probably easy to identify.

685
00:34:56,198 --> 00:34:59,188
He or she may be panicked,
hysterical, or rageful.

686
00:34:59,198 --> 00:35:01,754
They may be sweating
or breathing rapidly.

687
00:35:01,764 --> 00:35:06,088
They may be agitated, their
thinking is catastrophic.

688
00:35:06,098 --> 00:35:07,821
On the opposite end
of the spectrum

689
00:35:07,831 --> 00:35:09,988
is the person who
is under-aroused.

690
00:35:09,998 --> 00:35:12,788
The person who is under-
aroused may be acting

691
00:35:12,798 --> 00:35:15,121
or moving slowly or
may be even immobile.

692
00:35:15,131 --> 00:35:16,988
They may appear pale,

693
00:35:16,998 --> 00:35:19,321
their affect may be
numb or dismissive.

694
00:35:19,331 --> 00:35:22,421
They may be disassociated
from the present

695
00:35:22,431 --> 00:35:24,488
or appear to have shut down.

696
00:35:24,498 --> 00:35:26,988
The most dramatic stress
reaction will be seen in

697
00:35:26,998 --> 00:35:28,788
someone who is shut down.

698
00:35:28,798 --> 00:35:30,721
Their stare may be vacant.

699
00:35:30,731 --> 00:35:33,721
They may show little
responsiveness or emotion.

700
00:35:33,731 --> 00:35:36,288
They may have a lack
of muscle tone and

701
00:35:36,298 --> 00:35:38,254
are immobile and slow.

702
00:35:38,264 --> 00:35:41,954
People suffering from these
stress reactions can be helped.

703
00:35:41,964 --> 00:35:43,521
Watch these scenarios now
that demonstrate some

704
00:35:43,531 --> 00:35:47,688
helping techniques and
then practice them later.

705
00:35:47,698 --> 00:35:48,788
Hey, how you doing?

706
00:35:48,798 --> 00:35:50,788
Look, I can't talk, my
house is burning down,

707
00:35:50,798 --> 00:35:52,188
I can't talk right now okay?

708
00:35:52,198 --> 00:35:53,188
What's your name?

709
00:35:53,198 --> 00:35:54,354
Olin.

710
00:35:54,364 --> 00:35:57,854
Olin, I'm here with CERT, I'm
with the fire department.

711
00:35:57,864 --> 00:35:58,754
Do you know if my
brother is okay?

712
00:35:58,764 --> 00:36:00,488
That's what we're
finding out right now.

713
00:36:00,498 --> 00:36:01,388
Okay.

714
00:36:01,398 --> 00:36:02,488
You see those
firefighters right there?

715
00:36:02,498 --> 00:36:02,954
Yeah.

716
00:36:02,964 --> 00:36:03,888
They're going in.

717
00:36:03,898 --> 00:36:05,021
They're going to go in.

718
00:36:05,031 --> 00:36:05,988
They don't know.

719
00:36:05,998 --> 00:36:07,188
Did he get out!

720
00:36:07,198 --> 00:36:08,988
They're going to get him.

721
00:36:08,998 --> 00:36:10,088
I know this is tough.

722
00:36:10,098 --> 00:36:11,988
Just so you can focus a
little better would you do

723
00:36:11,998 --> 00:36:13,921
me a favor and just breathe
with me a couple of minutes?

724
00:36:13,931 --> 00:36:16,054
But look, I don't have time,
my house is burning down!

725
00:36:16,064 --> 00:36:17,188
I don't know if my brother
is going to be alive!

726
00:36:17,198 --> 00:36:18,888
They're in there,
they're in there okay!

727
00:36:18,898 --> 00:36:19,888
They're taking care of it.

728
00:36:19,898 --> 00:36:22,421
Do me a favor just breathe
in real slow okay.

729
00:36:22,431 --> 00:36:23,621
All right.

730
00:36:23,631 --> 00:36:25,388
Just breathe in a nice deep
breath, push your belly out.

731
00:36:25,398 --> 00:36:30,488
One, two, three, four, hold
it, two, three, four, let it

732
00:36:30,498 --> 00:36:35,088
out, let your belly relax,
three, four and hold it,

733
00:36:35,098 --> 00:36:37,488
two, three, four.

734
00:36:37,498 --> 00:36:39,688
Let's do it one
more time okay.

735
00:36:39,698 --> 00:36:45,988
Big breath in, two, three,
four, hold it two, three,

736
00:36:45,998 --> 00:36:50,554
four, let it out, that's it
relax, two, three, four, and

737
00:36:50,564 --> 00:36:53,521
hold it two, three, four.

738
00:36:53,531 --> 00:36:55,221
Okay, we're going to
walk over there okay.

739
00:36:55,231 --> 00:36:58,488
Keep breathing while
you walk over there.

740
00:36:58,498 --> 00:37:01,554
We're going to see what
they're doing and find out

741
00:37:01,564 --> 00:37:03,621
what's going on, okay?

742
00:37:03,631 --> 00:37:06,154
All right.

743
00:37:06,164 --> 00:37:09,588
Hi, I'm Ken with the
CERT team with the fire

744
00:37:09,598 --> 00:37:13,754
department, how
are you doing?

745
00:37:13,764 --> 00:37:16,754
What's your name?

746
00:37:16,764 --> 00:37:17,888
Trevor.

747
00:37:17,898 --> 00:37:20,521
Where do you live Trevor?

748
00:37:20,531 --> 00:37:22,121
I live in that house.

749
00:37:22,131 --> 00:37:25,954
Where the fire is?

750
00:37:25,964 --> 00:37:31,788
What's going on, can you
tell me what's going on?

751
00:37:31,798 --> 00:37:40,488
Smoke and fire, and
I don't know really

752
00:37:40,498 --> 00:37:41,554
what's going on right now.

753
00:37:41,564 --> 00:37:43,121
Okay Trevor would you like
to find out a little bit

754
00:37:43,131 --> 00:37:45,754
more about what's going on.

755
00:37:45,764 --> 00:37:46,888
Sure.

756
00:37:46,898 --> 00:37:49,021
Take a deep breath.

757
00:37:49,031 --> 00:37:51,888
Take a breath, another one.

758
00:37:51,898 --> 00:37:54,788
Okay, do another one, good.

759
00:37:54,798 --> 00:37:58,654
Okay, listen, let's stand
up a little bit okay?

760
00:37:58,664 --> 00:37:59,954
Stand up.

761
00:37:59,964 --> 00:38:01,121
There you go.

762
00:38:01,131 --> 00:38:02,321
We're going to walk over
and see what's going on all

763
00:38:02,331 --> 00:38:02,988
right.

764
00:38:02,998 --> 00:38:03,854
Can you come with me?

765
00:38:03,864 --> 00:38:04,854
Yeah, I can come.

766
00:38:04,864 --> 00:38:07,721
All right, let's
take another breath.

767
00:38:07,731 --> 00:38:09,088
Come on, let's
go out this way.

768
00:38:09,098 --> 00:38:09,621
All right.

769
00:38:09,631 --> 00:38:13,254
All right, come on.

770
00:38:13,264 --> 00:38:16,488
Hi, how are you,
how are you doing?

771
00:38:16,498 --> 00:38:20,021
I'm Joanne from the fire
department, the CERT team.

772
00:38:20,031 --> 00:38:23,888
What's your name?

773
00:38:23,898 --> 00:38:26,921
Okay.

774
00:38:26,931 --> 00:38:29,421
Do you think
that you're hurt?

775
00:38:29,431 --> 00:38:32,788
Do you think you can get
up and walk out with me?

776
00:38:32,798 --> 00:38:35,988
I want you to take a few
quick breaths, okay

777
00:38:35,998 --> 00:38:38,721
so that you can tell me
what's going on okay?

778
00:38:38,731 --> 00:38:38,921
Ready?

779
00:38:38,931 --> 00:38:40,754
Breathe a few
breaths with me okay?

780
00:38:40,764 --> 00:38:43,288
Take a few kind of quick
breaths to sort of

781
00:38:43,298 --> 00:38:44,254
get you going, all right?

782
00:38:44,264 --> 00:38:45,221
Ready?

783
00:38:45,231 --> 00:38:49,354
Breathe in, out, in,
out, in, out, in, out.

784
00:38:49,364 --> 00:38:50,121
Good.

785
00:38:50,131 --> 00:38:52,688
Can you shake
your hands now?

786
00:38:52,698 --> 00:38:54,254
Can you shake
your feet for me?

787
00:38:54,264 --> 00:38:57,688
Can you stand up at all?

788
00:38:57,698 --> 00:39:00,254
Are you hurt now?

789
00:39:00,264 --> 00:39:02,588
Okay, you know what we've
got a team of people

790
00:39:02,598 --> 00:39:04,854
that are coming through and
they'll help to take you out,

791
00:39:04,864 --> 00:39:07,388
okay, they'll help to carry
you out so you can get

792
00:39:07,398 --> 00:39:08,754
some help, all right?

793
00:39:08,764 --> 00:39:12,021
I want you to keep
on breathing, okay?

794
00:39:12,031 --> 00:39:13,621
I'm going to move on so I
can see if there are other

795
00:39:13,631 --> 00:39:16,321
people in the other
room, all right?

796
00:39:16,331 --> 00:39:18,121
But you remember that
there's a group of people

797
00:39:18,131 --> 00:39:20,954
coming behind me and I'm
going to make a mark here on

798
00:39:20,964 --> 00:39:24,554
a tag that lets them know
that you should go out as

799
00:39:24,564 --> 00:39:27,888
one of the first
people, okay?

800
00:39:27,898 --> 00:39:29,454
Keep on breathing now,

801
00:39:29,464 --> 00:39:32,188
they're coming right
behind me, all right?

802
00:39:32,198 --> 00:39:36,454
Okay.

803
00:39:36,464 --> 00:39:38,821
Although a disaster
situation can produce strong

804
00:39:38,831 --> 00:39:40,888
reactions and panic
in some people,

805
00:39:40,898 --> 00:39:44,754
most will be able
to stabilize.

806
00:39:44,764 --> 00:39:47,554
But for some people their
stress is too great

807
00:39:47,564 --> 00:39:50,021
and they do not respond to any
of the helpful strategies

808
00:39:50,031 --> 00:39:51,988
 you've seen demonstrated.

809
00:39:51,998 --> 00:39:53,954
These people should be
referred immediately to

810
00:39:53,964 --> 00:39:56,954
a mental health expert.

811
00:39:56,964 --> 00:39:59,688
Refer people to a mental
health expert immediately

812
00:39:59,698 --> 00:40:02,988
who are having a serious
cognitive disorientation,

813
00:40:02,998 --> 00:40:05,988
appear stunned, have
hallucinations,

814
00:40:05,998 --> 00:40:07,854
have bizarre beliefs,

815
00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:10,821
 are hysterical or showing
 uncontrolled emotionality,

816
00:40:10,831 --> 00:40:13,488
seem disconnected or unfocused,

817
00:40:13,498 --> 00:40:17,488
are agitated, are having
a profound withdrawal,

818
00:40:17,498 --> 00:40:20,221
are showing
ritualistic behavior,

819
00:40:20,231 --> 00:40:24,121
are unable to protect or
care for themselves.

820
00:40:24,131 --> 00:40:25,754
Key points to remember.

821
00:40:25,764 --> 00:40:28,588
During an acute stress
reaction a person may be

822
00:40:28,598 --> 00:40:32,854
over-aroused, under-
aroused or shut down.

823
00:40:32,864 --> 00:40:34,688
There are strategies
to help people

824
00:40:34,698 --> 00:40:37,521
who have acute
stress reactions.

825
00:40:37,531 --> 00:40:39,988
Most people will
stabilize during and

826
00:40:39,998 --> 00:40:42,221
after the stressful event.

827
00:40:42,231 --> 00:40:45,121
People who are profoundly
stressed should be referred

828
00:40:45,131 --> 00:40:49,121
to a mental health
expert immediately.

829
00:40:49,131 --> 00:40:51,554
Disasters are challenging
for everyone involved,

830
00:40:51,564 --> 00:40:55,088
but the work can be compelling
and richly rewarding.

831
00:40:55,098 --> 00:40:57,554
As a CERT volunteer you
are making an important

832
00:40:57,564 --> 00:41:00,154
contribution to
your community.

833
00:41:00,164 --> 00:41:03,621
Remember to work with your
buddy, work with your team,

834
00:41:03,631 --> 00:41:05,454
and take care of yourself.

835
00:41:05,464 --> 00:00:00,-010
[music]
