[nabs-l] Emergency Captain

Thu Aug 27 00:06:32 UTC 2015

Ben,

I appreciate your interest in the blindness perspective for your question.
Yet, I think it would make more sense to engage the people responsible for
selecting captains. That may sound counterintuitive. Why would you ask
questions of the people you are attempting to impress with confidence? Yet
they would be more familiar with the exact guidelines required of their
emergency captains. You might very well be stressing out over expectations
they may not even have. I highly doubt the captain is singularly responsible
for the safety and security of a whole building. There are typically people
assigned to specific areas of responsibility, and you might be the perfect
candidate to help direct these monitors through their tasks. It seems to me
you are seeking permission to be a captain, and no one here is going to
grant you that permission. You want it or you don't. The people at your
school will either choose you or they won't, but here's the thing, even if
you aren't selected, an emergency captain is merely a formality. If the
substance ever hits the fan, what's to stop you from getting in there and
pitching in whatever way would be most useful? If you believe you have the
calm temperament to remain steady under pressure, get in there and help.
I'll tell you what I've told other blind people regarding gun ownership: If
you aren't willing to commit to killing, there's no sense in you carrying a
gun. To put it in context, if you aren't willing to risk your life to help
another, don't bother applying. Get comfortable with that basic
understanding, and you'll make a fine emergency captain whether the powers
that be acknowledge it or not.

Joe

--
Musings of a Work in Progress:
www.JoeOrozco.com/

Twitter: @ScribblingJoe

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ben Fulton via
nabs-l
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 7:04 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Cc: Ben Fulton
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] nabs-l Digest, Vol 106, Issue 27

Hi Caitlin,

Thank you for your response.  I'm still not sure what to do if an
unconscious person is in a room alone.  How would I know that there is
someone in the room if no one answers?  Also, what if I had to assist a deaf
person?

I also want to be prepared if the person accepting my application ask me a
question like. - How would you plan an escape route? If there was a fire
would you be able to see the flames and know which way to exit the building?

I know the protocols for a dangerous person/lock down situation on campus,
but what if they ask me - How would you be able to tell if a threatening
person was coming toward your location? - I could say by sound but I want to
make sure that my answers instill confidence in my ability to do the job.
As well as I want to be able to do the job.  The last thing I want is to
take on a responsibility as a emergency captain and be incompetent at my
job. People could get seriously injured if I am not qualified to perform the
duties I agree to.  

I also would welcome feedback on the feasibility of this task.  How do the
other members of NABS feel about the ability of a fully blind student to
ensure the safety of other students on campus?

Also, I want to know how I would instill confidence in sighted students.
How do I convince them that I am capable of looking after the emergency
situation?

I appreciate your feedback and look forward to more responses about this

Sincerely,
Ben

> Hi Ben,
> As for fires, heat and the detection of smoke would be the most
important.. The range of fires is detected mostly by heat and how thick
smoke is. A sighted person would be able to tell if a fire is really bad by
the color of the smoke, but I usually use how strong the smoke smells.
Regardless, if there is a fire in the building, everyone should evacuate no
matter how big or small it is. It is however good to know where all the fire
exits and fire extinguishers are in case of a tiny fire like in a garbage
can. 
> If someone is unconscious, I assume they wouldn't be in a room alone and
that someone would call for help for them. A d if you are in the room as
well to tell if they are unconsciouss, repeating their name, ask if they are
okay and if no response then I'd assume they were non-responsive. You can
also lift their arm up and if it falls to the ground then they are
unconscious, because no one who is conscious would want/be willing to let
their arm fall on top of them.
> To assess an injury...hmmm.. I would ask what level of pain the person is
feeling on a scale from one to ten. If it is a cut or something I would get
cloth and have pressure applied to the wounded area, as far as something
like a break, I am not really sure. It's always good to learn basic first
aid and safety measures in different situations.
> If there is a threatening person on campus, it is best for students and
faculty to stay where they are (or get inside), go into a classroom or
somewhere else potentially safe, stay low to the crowd, under a desk or
something like that. Don't be near windows and lock all doors. I think most
schools nowadays have a system that if there issuspicious activity on campus
you can sign up for emails or text messages to alert you.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> Cheers,
> Caitlin
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> > On Aug 24, 2015, at 17:17, Ben Fulton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Greetings fellow students.
> > 
> > I was thinking that I would like to become the Emergency Captain for the
building I have most of my classes in.  Perhaps not this year as I am new to
campus but perhaps next year after I have had time to learn where all the
exits and other important features are located.  While discussing this with
a sighted friend of mine she brought up several good questions I did not
have ready answers for, so I thought I would ask members of this list to
help me with this.  
> > 
> > 1. In case of a fire how could you tell if flames were imminent? - I
thought by heat but I don't think heat alone would be sufficient.
> > 
> > 2. How would you be able to quickly assess the level of personal injury?
> > 
> > 3 Would you be able to know if someone is unconscious and in need of
assistance? - Seriously, if someone was unconscious how would you know that
they were in the room?
> > 
> > 4. - Basically all these questions add up to asking - would you actually
be able to do the job?
> > 
> > I am nearly completely blind with no detail left so I would not be able
to see if there was a person in a room or not.
> > 
> > Other concerns might also include, - How would you deal with a situation
involving a dangerous person on campus posing a risk to other students?
> > 
> > And please help me think of any other concerns that might come up.  I
would like to have thought out and reasonable answers before putting in my
request.
> > 
> > Be Well,
> > Ben 
> > 

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