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We are amazed and excited by all the positive feedback we have received with respect to this blog. And those range from the ‘Good Job, guys‘ to the ‘Let’s start our first program in January 2009‘. And getting our first program out there has become our first, and most important goal.

Volunteer @ the Commonwealth Games and get safety training!

I read an article in the Times of India today about the work Dr Angeli Qwatra. She is doing an amazing job training individuals and companies/institutes in the best practices of safety and measures that can be taken to avoid negligence. She is also working on a project to train volunteers to be able to respond to any emergency during the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. The training will be held at the Asian Games Village in Delhi. Please contact her NGO, Philanthrope (www.philanthrope.in) if you are interested either in the Commonwealth games or in making your school, college, workplace or other institution safer!

Vote for a Safer India – BJP vs. Congress

At EPR India, we believe that safety and security of citizens should be one of the most important issues in the current elections. Below we compare the manifesto of both the BJP and Congress on issues pertaining to national emergency preparedness. Both parties give significant space to terrorism but fail to deal with other issues such as the need to an effective nationwide emergency medical response system.

BJP (NDA)

Is your product safe?

BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) who is responsible for the famous ISI mark is working feverishly to enable Indian products to be certified as safe, in accordance to international standards that have been adopted with minor changes for India. The process has been made easier over time and a flowchart for obtaining certification is shown below. The certification is voluntary. However, it is an easy way to expand to bigger markets.

The industries they cater to are as follows :

A Citizen Security Initiative

Jagruk Nagrik Surakha Sansthan is a citizen action group formed in Delhi with the aim of preparing citizens to counter terrorism. Some of their initiatives were recently highlighted on Live Mint:

As the first part of its action plan, JNSS has identified areas that are most vulnerable to terror strikes. These are busy and crowded markets. Two separate teams are being formed, one to keep a watch and the other to act in case of an emergency – the Citizens’ Intelligence Network to keep a vigil Citizens’ Active Response team.

All the shopkeepers have been asked to volunteer just one worker to join the Citizens’ Active Response team. They would be expected to take note of any suspicious activities and people moving around the market.

The goals of JNSS embody EPR India’s belief that citizens must take responsibility for their own safety and security. Here is their mission and vision according to jnss.in

To put in place at the very grassroots a localized ,highly proactive & immaculately responsive, “Citizen Intelligence Network (CIN)” to ensure prevention of any terrorist attacks in Delhi (Targetted time to achieve the same = 6 months from 01/12/08 )

To put in place a localized & highly responsive, “Citzens Active Response Team (CART)”, comprising of dare devil patriotic souls/ individuals who will assist the police ON SITE & its other agencies in case any terrorist attack still happens through the length & breadth of Delhi & NCR (RESPONSE TIME = 2 – 3 minutes ).

The above module will be set up for each Market area followed by Railway station neighborhoods, Metro neighborhoods, Bus Stands, Schools, Malls, RWAs, Colonies etc.To put in place a 10 – 20 member strong highly motivated CTF (Central Task Force) which shall operate zonally to back up the localized CART team with a response time of less than 30 minutes.

Finally, to pursue the deliverance of a considerate & sustainable Rehabilitation Programme for the victims which is automatically initiated and door delivered without them being further harassed or victimized by the system.

Here are EPR India, we are extremely excited about the formation of JNSS and wish them a lot of luck in their endeavors. Godspeed

Hijacking Survival Guidelines – what you can do to keep you and your family safe

India has been a target of numerous aircraft hijackings, the most recent one being IC 814 from Kathmandu (Dec, 1999). While the primary prevention of hijackings is done through airport security and intelligence agencies, it is important that as citizens we play our part by being prepared.

Here are the US government guidelines on surviving a hijacking:

“The physical takeover of the aircraft by the hijackers may be accompanied by noise, commotion, and possibly shooting and yelling, or it may be quiet and methodical with little more than an announcement by a crew member. Either way, how you and others react during these first few minutes of the hijacking may be crucial to the outcome.”

“The appropriate reaction may depend upon the presumed purpose of the hijacking — the hijackers’ goal a suicide mission to use the airplane itself as a bomb, take hostages to gain publicity for a political movement, or a simple desire to escape to another country.

Remember that the hijackers will be extremely nervous and probably as scared as you are. Although they may appear calm, they cannot be trusted to behave reasonably or rationally. Fear can trigger a disaster. One wrong move by either a victim or a hijacker could easily set off a defensive spate of violence. To promote a peaceful resolution of the situation, follow these guidelines.

Could you save a life (Part 2)?

Here are a couple more quizzes to test your first aid skills:

CPR

Could you save a life?

Take this quiz put together by the American Red Cross to see if you could save the life of a family-member, co-worker or fellow citizen in an emergency.

Leave a comment below on how you did. Let us know if there are areas that you would like to learn more about. For more tips on CPR, refer to our earlier post.

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1. The Cardiac Chain of Survival consists of a sequence of steps that are activated in response to an emergency in which a person suffers sudden cardiac arrest. Each link in the chain is critical. Put the links in the Cardiac Chain of Survival in the correct order.

1) Early defibrillation — delivers an electrical shock to the heart with an automated external defibrillator (AED)
2) Early advanced medical care — a team of medical professionals arrives and takes over by providing advanced care and transport to a medical facility
3) Early CPR — keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs
4) Early recognition and early access — a bystander recognizes an emergency and calls 9-1-1 or the local emergency number

Part-time contributors

EPR India is growing rapidly and we are looking for passionate individuals to join us as part-time contributors and editors. You can work on our blog or off-line work (brochures, posters, etc). This is a great way to gain some leadership and writing skills and a great experience to add to your resume. Expected work load will be anywhere from 2-6 hours per week. Email us at eprindia@gmail.com.

Drowning emergency

Here are some tips for what you should do in drowning or water-related emergencies. It is important to assess your own swimming ability in the prevailing conditions before jumping into the water. Some important ways to prevent and prepare for drowning emergencies are to follow the posted rules (in a pool, at a beach, etc), keep an eye on children around water and learn CPR.

Preparing for a chemical or biological terrorist attack

A chemical attack can be carried out by releasing a hazardous chemical in a populated area. A biological attacks can be carried out by releasing viruses, bacteria or other germs.

A US congress panel reports that such attacks are possible over the next five years. In fact, such attacks have a long history of use in non-traditional and terrorist warfare. There has been an increased concern about these attacks recently because of the potential to cause large-scale damage in crowded urban areas. While there is no need to panic or be paranoid, it is definitely a good idea to prepare your family for such emergencies.

A terrorist attack using a chemical or biological agent may be characterized by:

CPR

What is CPR?
CPR is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest.

CPR India Training Centers

CPR can be used anytime the air passage is blocked, a heart attack has occured or the person is unconscious. There are obvious benefits of doing so, like regaining consciousness or in the least prolonging death for emergency professionals to take over.

In cities such as Seattle, Washington, where CPR training is widespread and EMS response and time to defibrillation is short, the survival rate for witnessed VF cardiac arrest is about 30 percent.

In cities such as New York City, where few victiims receive bystander CPR and time to EMS response and defibrillation is longer, survival from sudden VF cardiac arrest averages 1–2 percent.

Lets make CPR a common skill, so that more lives are saved. It only takes an hour of training! Read below for contact info to get your training.

Should India enact a Good Samaritan law?

Please enlighten yourself at
Good Samaritan law (wiki)

In short, this law would protect any good Samaritan who is responding to an emergency, from liability related lawsuits. It encourages people to act without hesitance during an emergency when someone is ill or injured since it saves them from being sued for any wrongdoing.

Venice is closer than we thought: Flooding and What You Can Do

Floods are one of the most common and widespread of all
natural disasters. Many communities can experience
flooding during the rainy season or during sudden thunderstorms. Floods can be slow or fast rising and usually
develop over a period of days. Conversely, flash floods
result from intense storms over a brief period of time can
occur with little or no warning and can reach full intensity
within a few minutes.

We need Artists

….to disseminate information in Lucknow, in conjunction with OpenSpace (http://www.openspaceindia.org) and F.A.T.E (http://fateinurhands.blogspot.com) in Mumbai. Email us at eprindia@gmail.com to spread awareness while having fun! Ideally, you are a creative, artistic individual who has some experience using graphic design software (photoshop,coreldraw etc) but we would be more than happy if you are a calligraphist or pencil artist or even a marketing enthusiast. Your geographic location is immaterial. If you believe in our goals and are interested in working with a driven, global team, write to us asap.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Wonderful Kwanza and a Vibrant New Year to all!

New Employee Orientation

We’re unsure of the depth of security training received by staff in organizations. While the Mumbai incident shows us that staff seem to be prepared as far as five star hotels go, similar information needs to be given to others in smaller organizations, because an emergency cannot target only the prepared! These tips are given with regard to a theater setting, however can be used for a variety of situations.

How Safe is Your Local Mall?

I am guessing that very few of us can answer that question with any degree of certainty. Nobody really thinks about safety when they are out with friends and family on a Saturday night. However, just a little bit of proactive thinking and research may one day help save their lives. Are you ready to take a few simple step towards keeping India safe?

If yes, then here is what we recommend. Meet with the security in-charge at your local mall and ask him/her about their preparedness.  According to this article malls can improve safety by taking these few basic steps:

Home Emergency Kit

Most of us do not think about the safety till it is too late. Having a basic emergency kit in an easily accessible location around the house can help you save the lives of your family. A small investment of time and money right now can prove priceless later. These are basic recommendations for what an emergency kit can have. You are encouraged to customize these suggestions to the needs of you and your family. Remember to think about basics of survival: fresh air, water, food, basic communication and moderate temperature.

Do you live in an earthquake prone area?

India earthquake zone map