MODULE 2 - Section 5

Health, Security, & Emergencies

10 Minutes to complete section and related assignments

In this section, you will learn how to:

Set the team up for good physical health while in-community
Help the team keep themselves and their belongings safe
Think about how you will respond to an emergency or crisis involving a team

Health Considerations

When a short-term team visits your community, they will be in a new environment. This is fun and exciting, but also brings unfamiliar stimuli to the team. While we tend to think of this stimuli coming in the form of sights, sounds, customs and ideas, on a practical level some of those stimuli include things like unfamiliar foods, different sources of drinking water and new allergens and bacteria. As you orient the team, you can help set them up for a healthy visit.

Below are some health-related items to consider before the team arrives. This is not a comprehensive list, but a place to begin thinking about which aspects the team will need preparation and guidance.

Food

Sourcing from reputable vendors
Safe preparation and cooking methods
Avoiding raw or undercooked foods, including produce

Personal Hygiene

Hand washing
Showering
Bathroom/toliet use

First aid

Hydration
Availability of a first aid kit
CPR and First Aid trained field staff
Proximity to local medical facilities

Water

Safe sources and which to avoid

Safety & Security

A short-term team will likely have little familiarity with your community. You were once in their shoes, but now that you have been living and working in your community, there are decisions you unconsciously make in order to keep yourself and your belongings safe.

All short-term teams will have access to a basic security training. However, as you make preparations, be aware of the team’s safety as they are largely unable to do so for themselves. In fact, safety and security is the responsibility of all field staff, regardless of one’s position or authority. All team activities and decisions should be filtered through the lens of safety and security.

Instead of trying to review an inexhaustible list of safety topics, here are several general safety and security categories to consider. As you read them, ask yourself: What considerations do I need to make for a group without familiarity or awareness of our context?

While the list is not all-encompassing, it will give you an idea of where to start when considering safety and security measures as it applies to the team’s community engagement.

categories to consider:

Airport
Transportation
Lodging
Being out and about
Interactions with locals

Personal Documents
Picture Taking
Cell Phone & Internet
Social Media

Highlighted Resource

Short-Term Team Security Training

All short-term teams receive this security training. As a host, you should be aware of these security measures and should add/highlight any measures that apply to your specific context.

Emergency Response Plan

The purpose of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is to encourage each community to think through crisis protocols related specifically to short-term teams.

The Crisis Response Steps to the right are a general protocol and are not meant to take the place of the pre-established emergency response protocol for your community. For scenarios that more broadly impact your community, your general community Emergency Response Plan should cover it. If you do not have a general community ERP in place, you should contact your Catalyst to create one before receiving teams. Your Senior Area Director can also give directions.

These steps are a condensed version of the very in-depth crisis response plan which has already been laid out through security training during Access. It has been modified to assist you in quickly responding to crisis situations which may arise as they relate to a STT.

If a situation arises, regardless of its severity, take action and communicate in a way that keeps information concise, contained, and accurate. The goal is to keep the team safe and healthy as you move through a crisis situation.

The Crisis Response Steps pertain to four general categories of crisis: minor, major, severe, and life-threatening. The most common issues that arise during a STT are minor illness or injury, such as a cold/flu, twisted ankle, stomach issues, etc. Second to that is major illness or injury such as a laceration or broken limb, minor car accident, concussion, etc.

Crisis Response steps

Recognition and Acknowledgement
- You become aware of the crisis
Containment
- Take immediate action steps that will keep team member(s) safe from further illness or injury
Communication
- Determine lines of communication when a situation arises (i.e. Catalyst, Team Leader, STT Dept Director, Senior Area Director, Safety Officers)
Assessment
- What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? How did it happen? Why did it happen?
Action Plan
- Determine additional steps based on what you know until the situation is resolved, starting with your primary objective. For example:
  - Keep the team member(s) safe and comfortable
  - Take them back to the place of lodging for rest
  - Get medical attention for the team member
- Determine your secondary objectives. Examples might include:
  - Keep the rest of the team active and busy while I care for ill/injured team member
  - Relocate the rest of the team
- Consider what other resources you need in place in order to accomplish your primary and secondary objectives
- Divide up the work to be done
  - Be specific in your assignments
  - Set clear expectations for communication
- Fill out an Incident Report Form (in Ohana) if a) you needed to seek outside medical attention for a team member or b) multiple people were impacted by the crisis

Examples

Use the following scenarios to determine a response plan given your location. Walk through the 5 steps for your Crisis Action Plan.

Example 1

A team member reports feeling nauseous shortly after breakfast. They feel they could still travel with the team to the work location for the daily activities, and you allow them to participate. Another team member comes up and reports they have been in the bathroom vomiting.

Recognition/Acknowledgement

How did you become aware of the crisis?

Containment

What immediate steps do you need to take to contain the crisis? Both the ill person and other healthy team members.

Communication

Who would you contact? 1st? 2nd? 3rd?

Assessment

What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? How did it happen? Why did it happen?

Action Plan

Develop an action plan to handle the situation with the ill team member

Example 2

A team member is complaining of fatigue, dizziness and stomach issues after returning from an afternoon project in the sun. You and the team leader agree they should rest and have fluids and that you will check in the next day. The team leader finds you just a couple hours later. The team member now is hot to the touch, sweating profusely and is going in and out consciousness.

Recognition/Acknowledgement