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At Community Options, we take training very seriously. You just never know when an emergency will happen. Now with COVID-19, it’s even more important that our Family Home Providers, staff, and the people we support know what to do within the best of their abilities.  It is also very important that when responding to an emergency, we all must be aware and take precautions to protect ourselves as we help others.

 

On July 4th, one of our families got to put that training to the test. Alex is a client of COIS and appreciates his annual tradition of watching the neighborhood fireworks. This 4^th, he was sitting on the front porch of his home when a man riding an ATV down the street suddenly lost control and flipped off the vehicle. He landed headfirst onto the ground and was not wearing a helmet. Alex, without hesitation, hurried inside to alert the rest of the family to call 911 for assistance. 

 

Everyone sprang into action doing their part to help this young man. Lupe (a family home provider), after taking in the situation instructed her sister Imelda (also a family home provider) to call 911. Imelda called from the landline and her cell phone, as sometimes landlines can get through faster. She stayed on the line with the dispatcher to make sure emergency services had an exact location and an explicit description of the situation. Elias grabbed gloves and reminded everyone to put on their masks. Freddie went to the man to check his vitals, but not before putting on his shoes. He and Lupe stayed with the man until help arrived while Rosa and Elias stayed inside to make sure their dogs didn’t get out and to comfort Alex.

 

There are so many things in this story that are addressed in our training. Alex knew to get help rather than run over to see what happened. He’s a real hero in this situation! Imelda remembered the importance of calling 911 from both phones and provided enough information so help could get there fast and with the full story. Freddie remembered that even though time is of the essence, it’s safety first before administering first aid. If he’d have gone over without shoes, he could have stepped on something and injured himself. Elias made sure everyone had their protective gear of gloves and masks because, again, personal safety is critical. He and Rosa made sure that while others were helping the injured man, the scene stayed calm and Alex felt safe.

 

We’re so proud of how everyone handled this situation. Staying calm in an emergency is crucial and knowing what to do makes that happen. Being prepared for situations like these makes all the difference. Empowering Alex to take action fast made him a hero. Unfortunately, the man who was injured suffered severe head trauma. We send thoughts and prayers to him and his family for healing and peace. 

 

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