Standby Emergency Response Teams

Answer: A common misconception is we have them there for liability purposes. That is not the case. You have them there to ensure the right thing is done when needed.

With any emergency response, afterwards, you will be judged on these 3 things:

1. Immediacy – the speed in which the response occurs. Immediacy does vary from one setting to another. Fire Departments target to get to your in front of the building with 4 to 6 minutes. An ambulance response time in Ontario is a little longer. The response times are based on a hazard assessment. A fire department’s priority is preventing spread to adjacent structures. The original one, maybe to far gone to “save” it.  Ambulances can take a little longer as firefighters have life saving skills. Now, you must do your assessment as to what can go wrong and how fast do you need to respond.
2. Action – the steps taken to mitigate the situation. The action discussed here is dictated by skill, not confidence. Rick Hillier former Chief of Staff for the Canadian Armed forces, in his book on Leadership, wanted just one “warrior” in a group who would do what was right. What is right is usually only done by someone specifically trained and practiced in the skill required. They would look like a James Bond in the application as well as after the fact on the 6 o’clock news. So back to your assessment, do you have the skills available in the timeframe needed to do anything but handhold?

Equipment – the gear to do the job well. How often does a DIY project go longer without the right tools? Even a well skilled individual loses some advantages without the right tools to do the job. This is not a dissertation about need for the best tools in the marketplace. I just want to emphasize the need for the tool(s) needed to respond to the emergency as determined by the hazard assessment. For instance, if the hazard assessment determined large fires could occur, a properly appointed burn kit makes more sense than just a general first aid kit. The skilled person taking the action, determine the brand and model that they have trained on and are comfortable with.