What can I expect after a possible terrorist event?

Overall | In the immediate aftermath | Evacuation | Biological/radiological exposure | For more information | First aid primer

Overall

• Employers and schools may need to contact family members and/or loved ones. Make sure they have up-to-date information about medical needs and on how to contact your loved ones.
• Heavy law enforcement involvement at local, state and federal levels follows a terrorist attack due to the event's criminal nature.
• Health and mental health resources in the affected communities may be strained to their limits.
• Extensive media coverage, strong public fear and international implications and consequences can continue for a long time.
• Workplaces and schools may be closed, and there may be restrictions on domestic and international travel.
• You and your family or household may have to evacuate an area, avoiding roads blocked for your safety.
• Clean-up may take many months.

In the immediate aftermath

• Remain calm and be patient.
• Follow the advice of local emergency officials.
• Listen to your radio or television for news and instructions.
• If the disaster occurs near you, check for injuries. Give first aid and get help for seriously injured people.
• If the disaster occurs near your home while you are there, check for damage using a flashlight. Do not light matches or candles or turn on electrical switches. Check for fires, fire hazards and other household hazards. Sniff for gas leaks, starting at the water heater. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open windows, and get everyone outside quickly.
• Shut off any other damaged utilities.
• Confine or secure your pets.
• Call your family contact-do not use the telephone again unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
• Check on your neighbors, especially those who are elderly or disabled.

Evacuation

If local authorities call for an evacuation, they have a good reason to make this request, and you should follow their advice immediately. Listen to your radio or television and follow the instructions of local emergency officials, and keep these simple tips in mind-

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and sturdy shoes so you can be protected as much as possible.
• Take your disaster supplies kit.
• Take your pets with you; do not leave them behind. Because pets are not permitted in public shelters, follow your plan to go to a relative's or friend's home, or find a "pet-friendly" hotel.
• Lock your home.
• Use travel routes specified by local authorities-don't use shortcuts because certain areas may be impassable or dangerous.
• Stay away from downed power lines.

Your local authorities will provide you with the most accurate information for your area. Staying tuned to local radio and television, and following their instructions is your safest choice.

If you're sure you have time:

• Call your family contact to tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
• Shut off water and electricity before leaving, if instructed to do so. Leave natural gas service ON unless local officials advise you otherwise. You may need gas for heating and cooking, and only a professional can restore gas service in your home once it's been turned off. In a disaster situation it could take weeks for a professional to respond.

Biological/Radiological Exposure

• Listen to local radio and television reports for the most accurate information from responsible governmental and medical authorities on what's happening and what actions you will need to take.
• People who may have come into contact with a biological or chemical agent may need to go through a decontamination procedure and receive medical attention.
• The CDC and HHS Web sites can give you more information on how to protect yourself from exposure to biological or radiological hazards.

For more information

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.bt.cdc.gov
• American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
  • Together We Prepare: www.redcross.org/prepare/
  • Homeland Security Advisory System Recommendations: www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_1_1418,00.html
• Your local Red Cross chapter: consult your yellow pages or go to www.redcross.org to locate your chapter by zip code.
• Your state and local health departments: consult the government listings in your telephone book.

First Aid Primer

If you encounter someone who is injured: Check-Call-Care.

Check the scene to make sure it is safe for you to approach. Then check the victim for unconsciousness and life-threatening conditions. Someone who has a life-threatening condition, such as not breathing or severe bleeding, requires immediate care by trained responders and may require treatment by medical professionals.

Call out for help, by shouting or calling 9-1-1.

Care for someone who is hurt, but whose injuries are not life threatening. The risk of getting a disease while giving first aid is extremely low. However, to reduce the risk even further:

• Avoid direct contact with blood and other body fluids.
• Use protective equipment, such as disposable gloves and breathing barriers.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water immediately after giving care.

It is important to be prepared for an emergency and to know how to give emergency care.

1. Check Breathing and Pulse.
   • If person is not breathing and does not have a pulse, perform CPR with rescue breathing. Make sure airway is not obstructed before beginning and clear any obstructions. Use an automated external defibrillator (AED), if one is available, to restart the heart. [ok?]
   • If person does have a pulse but is not breathing, check airway for obstruction and clear it. Start rescue breathing if/when airway is clear.
2. Control Bleeding.
   • Cover the wound with a dressing and press firmly against the wound.
   • Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart if you do not suspect that the victim has a broken bone.
   • Cover the dressing with a roller bandage.
   • If the bleeding does not stop:
     • Apply additional dressings and bandages.
     • Use a pressure point to squeeze the artery against the bone.
3. Care for Shock.
   • Keep the victim from getting chilled or overheated.
   • Elevate the legs about 12 inches (if broken bones are not suspected).
   • Do not give food or drink to the victim.
4. Tend Burns.
   • Stop the burning with large amounts of water.
   • Cover the burn with dry, clean dressings or cloth.
5. Care for Injuries to Muscles, Bones and Joints.
   • Rest the injured part.
   • Apply ice or a cold pack to control swelling and reduce pain.
   • Avoid any movement or activity that causes pain.
   • If you must move the victim because the scene is becoming unsafe, try to immobilize the injured part to keep it from moving.