[nabs-l] Building Emergancy Captain

[Ben Fulton]

Thanks Jo,
 
I feel that perspective is very helpful.  I will be sending an email along to someone who has agreed to put me in touch with the current Emergancy Captain for the building.  I will talk to them about the specific duties required.  I read the emergency fact sheet and know what everyone is expected to do.  I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't look like an idiot asking the Emergancy Coordinator for a position and then being dumbfounded if I was asked how to find and assist unconscious people, or how to plan an escape route, or other questions involving assessing danger.  I was just hoping to get some ideas about how to adequately interpret the conditions of an emergency situation so I would have some good ideas to help me function as an effective Emergancy Captain.
 
Best wishes,
Ben
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2015 20:06:32 -0400
> From: "Joe" <jsoro620 at gmail.com>
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
> 	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [nabs-l] Emergency Captain
> Message-ID: <001b01d0e05c$3b8f8960$b2ae9c20$@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
> 
> 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 
> > >