How do you stay calm in an emergency?

[FarmerJamie]

I'm actually too calm... We've had a couple of ER-situations with the kids over the years and the DW (in the heat of the moment) got upset with me more than once because I wasn't running around in circles like everyone else. DON'T YOU CARE YOUR KIDS COULD BE SERIOUSLY HURT????

 

[abifae]

Another calm during, freak out after kind here

Same. If i am actually panicked, i am being autistic and there is no emergency. That is actually a way I reassure myself. I am panicking: therefore, nothing is wrong. So stop it already.

 

[Wannabefree]

See enough stuff that nothing amazes you/freaks you out, an it'll come natural. Otherwise...I dunno. I never freak out, and those who do...sometimes make it harder on us who don't I worked in a prison, and my partner freaked out on me, so I had 220 big convicted felons come out of their cells in pitch black and had to calmly tell them the door locks were cycling due to the power outage/thunderstorm that was going on, and to go back to bed. THEN I had to do "partners" job and let my back up yard officers into the front gate and doors, because he was shaking so bad he couldn't hit the keyhole. I was 19 and weighed about 120 soakin wet... thankfully all the inmates complied. I'm pretty sure I could have been in a bit of trouble there otherwise That "partner" got a good loooooong chewing out aferward, and I never would work with him again PLEASE learn to stay calm and BREATHE, that was his main problem, he started hyperventilating. Nothing is worse than your back up disappearing in front of you in a crisis!!

 

[BarredBuff]

I just stay calm. Mom on the other hand hmmmmmmmm welll..........they set well with her.......

 

[Icu4dzs]

I have to deal with "serious emergency" things all the time. If I panic, everyone else around me would panic and then bad things would result. I am the only one who WALKS to an emergency. Everyone else runs. By the time I get there, they are all out of breath and freaked out. I make everyone stop, assess the situation and then calmly ask others to do what I want them to do. It always works. Panic is reserved for that last second before you hit the ground when falling from 200 feet. It isn't the fall that hurts, it's the sudden stop.
//BT//
Trim sends

 

[k0xxx]

First I

Then I keep repeating "42".

It seems to cam me down.

 

[savingdogs]

I have to deal with "serious emergency" things all the time. If I panic, everyone else around me would panic and then bad things would result. I am the only one who WALKS to an emergency. Everyone else runs. By the time I get there, they are all out of breath and freaked out. I make everyone stop, assess the situation and then calmly ask others to do what I want them to do. It always works. Panic is reserved for that last second before you hit the ground when falling from 200 feet. It isn't the fall that hurts, it's the sudden stop.
//BT//
Trim sends

I worked for doctors for years, so I'm used to being the assistant to someone like what ICU$dzs is describing, so I do well in a crisis too, but tend to dissolve into rubbery legs afterward.

Once when we were vacationing in Seaside, Oregon, we sat in a cafe eating. A corpulent gentleman at the next booth began choking on his meal. Everyone in the restaurant was soon aware the man was in distress, and he began pointing at his throat. His companion looked on helplessly. The waitresses were young girls, children actually, barely old enough to wait tables. The cook or manager was not around. No one was doing ANYTHING. I finally leapt to my feet, telling the waitress to call 911 NOW. I shout, "Who can do the Heimlich on this guy?" and I push my way over there. A lady says "I'm an RN!" and I shout, "you are elected". We push her behind him and she tries. She can't get her arms around him, he is too large. By now the guy is slumping forward, all red. I am getting worried. I say, "Is there anyone bigger here that can do this?" to the restaurant at large. Sure enough, another person, a big dude, steps forward and gets behind the guy, does the Heimlich and the man BARFS all over the table, but expeled the food and took a breath. It was several minutes later before the ambulance arrived. I don't know what they would have found.

I kinda got embarassed that I jumped up and was directing everyone like that. Hubby was all red-faced. My kids were sitting there with their jaws on the table, watching me. I just said, "Well, I wasn't about to let that man choke." I had been taught the Heimlich but knew someone my size couldnt' do it but wasn't gonna let that guy choke and die right in front of me! I couldn't believe that the RN didn't do what I did. I'm not trained like that or anything, I've dealt with animal emergencies mostly, not people!

No one at the restaurant, or the man with the victim ever said a word to me. But later I thought my goodness, that man probably thought I was the angel coming to save him, and in a way, I kinda was. I think the Lord just kind of used me that day. I felt a little like it just happened without me thinking about what I was doing. But later I realize that I was the only one in the restaurant mentally equipped to deal with a crisis is all.

 

[framing fowl]

Take two breaths deeply from the gut. Take a 360 degree visual scan/assessment of the situation, looking for the primary issue. Try to screen out the "noise".

At work, I am part of the staff's volunteer emergency response team. Thankfully, we have not had any significant events, only training exercises for these type of events. Not everyone does it naturally like your husband, but keeping yourself calm is the first step.

Looking for some other opinions, too.

How often do you have the training? Have you had a chance to put it to use in other situations?

If I recognize that I am not thinking clearly, I could train myself to stop but sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. Maybe one of those community preparedness classes could help.

 

[framing fowl]

I'm a weird one. I stay pretty calm in a crisis, but get a little freaked out afterwards, when I have a chance to think about how dangerous the situation was.
For people that get panicky :
Get "Rescue Remedy" and carry it with you. It's a natural formula for calming in crisis situations. You can find it at health food stores. It's usually in liquid form, but that bottle is glass, so you might want to look for the pastilles version if your purse gets banged around alot.
The other big help is to take a deep breath and make a conscious effort to keep the breathing slow and even. It helps prevent panic and helps you think clearer.

Do you know how stable the oil is? I probably couldn't leave some in my car in this heat could I? I don't always carry a purse.

How does it work? Do you just put a drop on your tongue?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Take two breaths deeply from the gut. Take a 360 degree visual scan/assessment of the situation, looking for the primary issue. Try to screen out the "noise".

At work, I am part of the staff's volunteer emergency response team. Thankfully, we have not had any significant events, only training exercises for these type of events. Not everyone does it naturally like your husband, but keeping yourself calm is the first step.

Looking for some other opinions, too.

How often do you have the training? Have you had a chance to put it to use in other situations?

If I recognize that I am not thinking clearly, I could train myself to stop but sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. Maybe one of those community preparedness classes could help.

We used to have sessions every quarter (for a few years after 9/11). Lately, we haven't had any sessions other than quarterly fire/tornado drills.

I got some "live" practice with two car wrecks I stopped to help with, a handful of son's sports team injuries that ended up looking worse than they actually were, and three instances of broken bones with the kiddos, and numerous pet/animal injuries. With one injury, the responding EMT thought I was a doctor as I explained everything to him.