First Response- Time is not on your side.

First Response- Time is not on your side. Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspections.

In my past life I spent over fifteen years as a First Responder and HazMat Technician.

I was part of one the very first Industrial HazMat and Emergency Response teams in Seattle Washington. The company that I worked for was a Biotechnology company and as such we had many workplace hazards from steam sterilization to very toxic chemicals to radioactive materials. We also had many confined spaces which adds another level of risk involved.

The fire department liked us because they hated our facility. They thought it had too many unknowns for them. Though Seattle has a very good Hazmat team they do not have intimate knowledge of what is inside the building and risk areas. Plus for whatever reason the Radioactive Materials really made them uncomfortable.

I always told them the real risk was some of the chemical we had. We had corrosive gases and what we all referred to as methyl ethyl death, a slang term used by responders in reference to toxic hazardous materials.

Another huge factor was that we were located on one of the world’s subduciton zones. The Cascadia subduction zone, which is the convergent boundary between the North America plate and the Juan de Fuca plate, lies offshore from northern California to southern British Columbia. So earthquake preparedness was always at the forefront of planning.

So out of this background I cannot help myself but think of things. So preparedness is always there. Not that I do this on a daily basis but I always have a few tools of the trade on hand. Quick response can be the difference in life and death.

So I thought I would share my handy dandy “First Responders Bag” I carry with me.
This was put together here locally by Northwest AED Inc in Medina, WA.  I do not know if they still are making these bags but they are sure nice.

The main issue with some of the response bags is they are bulky. Not real good to have in your vehicle. With this bag it is pretty small and easy to strap on and go.

So here is the list of goodies in the bag-
Pressure cuff, stethoscope, mouth depressors(make good splints), Rescue breathing mask (This is not done now with the new CPR techniques), Biohazard bag, scissors that can cut through metal, small flashlight, tweezers, eye protection, sterile wipes, sterile gauze, bandages, cling wrap, triangular bandage (for slings), survival blanket(keep trauma patient warm), medical tape(duct tape is awesome stuff for this), instant cold compresses, and nitrile gloves.

It is a quick and dirty kit and you can put one together pretty easily.

As home inspectors you should really have a kit like this on hand. Because of our job we are at more risk than the normal public. You should take a basic first aid and CPR course, you just never know when you may need it.
 

“Good Risk Management fosters vigilance in times of calm and instills discipline in times of crisis.

Dr. Michael Ong

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

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