Opinion: You’re completely prepared until you aren’t.
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The phrase “emergency preparedness” likely brings up images of earthquakes and other natural disasters in your mind, but my brain is still reeling from the events of last weekend and conjures up spilled bleach instead. My roommates and I managed to spill an entire gallon of bleach in our living space and nearly poisoned ourselves in the subsequent freakout. The incident gave me a new perspective on my response to emergencies, and I, like many other members of the general public, have some serious room for improvement.
Although I tend to think of myself as a reasonable and quick-thinking person, my composure often falls apart immediately when I’m confronted with a potentially dangerous situation. I once started a small microwave fire and instead of turning the machine off or getting a fire extinguisher, I stared into it for a few seconds and thought “I bet this is what a time machine would look like.” It’s safe to say that my emergency response skills could use some work.
This time, though, I was initially proud of myself. I paced around the floor and called my mom in a panic like a real adult. My roommates and I opened every window in the apartment and poured cold water on the bleach spot while dabbing at it with paper towels. This worked well for about three minutes until we all got lightheaded and decided a breath of fresh air was in order. I vividly remember sitting in my pajamas (I’m a blast on Saturday nights) in the lobby of my building drinking bottled coffee and wondering how many brain cells I had lost.
It was around this time that we started figuring out how to get rid of the smell. The good news is that our plan worked and the apartment smelled normal after a few days. Unfortunately, the method we used is known in scientific circles as “making chlorine gas.” That’s right, we tackled the overpowering bleach with vinegar.
Luckily we’re all still alive and functioning, but I’ve been kicking myself in hindsight for over a week now. The phrase “losing your head in a crisis” keeps running through my mind, and I know I’m guilty of it. We all have a tendency to think that we’ll just know what to do when disaster strikes, but when confronted with a situation that demands fast action, it’s not always easy to do exactly the right thing. It’s important, though, to slow yourself down and consider the risks of anything you do to try to mitigate the problem.
This is naturally easier said than done. Researching tips for staying calm in a crisis results in list upon list of advice such as “breathe,” and if you’re anything like me, this is infuriating — especially bad when your crisis is spilled bleach. There’s seemingly no practical advice for responsibly dealing with emergency situations without making mistakes. While I can’t offer you a foolproof method for handling every catastrophe with grace, I can share what I’ve found helpful in the time since the spill: the old adage “think before you act.” Taking a moment to think about the potential consequences of your actions can stop you from making a bad situation worse. Moving quickly is important, but it’s not more important than saving yourself from more significant harm.
Obviously you can’t be constantly prepared for every possible emergency, but having a general idea of how you might act can’t hurt. I’ve been browsing disaster preparedness resources this week, and I already feel better having a loose survival plan. The bleach was a freak accident and not really something I could’ve prepared for, but going forward, I know what not to do if I spill a chemical indoors.
Experience is a good teacher, but I imagine it’s even nicer to avoid nearly poisoning yourself. Don’t forget to evaluate your decisions before you’ve made an emergency situation even worse.
