Important Phone Numbers | What to do in an emergency? | Overdoses | Self Harm | Vehicle Accidents | Emergency Supplies | First Aid Kit Important Phone Numbers S.U. Ambulance: 711 (on-campus) - 443-4299 (off-campus) S.U. Dept of Public Safety: 711 (on-campus) - 443-2224 (off-campus) S.U. Safety Department: 443-5475 or 443-5474 Syracuse City Police and Fire: 911 Syracuse Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222 -top- What to do in case of an emergency: Dial 711 (on-campus) or 443-4299 (off-Campus) Provide the Dispatcher with the following information: The location of the emergency including nearby landmarks The telephone number from where the call is being made What happened How many people require assistance Condition of the people / What is wrong with the people What assistance is being given? Any other information requested Do not hang up until the emergency dispatcher does. In response to your call the emergency operator will not seem excited, and will ask you questions that you may think are not important. Remember that the operator will be calm because it is their job to handle emergencies and they handle many everyday. While you are talking to them, they are starting the emergency response. They need all of the information they request. Be specific. Based on this information, the ambulance crew can then plan how they will handle the emergency as they drive to your location. Give the correct address you are currently located at. Be sure to give your full name and telephone number either from where you are calling from or where you can be reached immediately. The dispatcher may need to call you back for more information or if you are disconnected. If the emergency is difficult to locate or you don't know exactly where it is, provide the dispatcher with a "general vicinity" of the emergency location or have someone lead help in. Above all, do not hang up until the dispatcher has all of the needed information. In a medical emergency, the operator will give you appropriate first aid information and will keep you on the line until responders arrive. Remember that you may not be familiar with managing an emergency, but emergency operators are. By following the above instructions, you will enable them to help you more quickly and efficiently. -top- Overdose of Alcohol or Drugs If someone has overdosed on alcohol, drugs or pills call an ambulance immediately. If you are not sure whether the amount they have taken is damaging you can contact your local poison control center 1-800-222-1222 for advice. Save any bottles, pill containers, etc and give these to the ambulance crew. Don't make the patient vomit before the ambulance arrives unless you are told to do so. Even if someone appears to be all right now, get help and advice. Often the damage from an overdose is not immediately apparent and can cause problems over time and in the future. -top- Self Harm If someone has harmed himself or herself intentionally, call an ambulance immediately. If the person is willing to go to hospital then it is best if you call an ambulance. At the hospital, after they have been physically checked, they will usually be assessed by a mental health professional. In larger hospitals, they will likely be evaluated by a psychiatrist. At this point the patient will get the help they need and be on the way to recovery. -top- Accidents You can assist the victim and first responders by keeping calm. Hard to do, but call one of the above emergency numbers and give them all of the information they request. If someone else is available to make the call, have him or her do it while you help the victim. Only provide assistance if you are competent and trained to do so. If you are unsure of what do you may cause more harm to the victim. Help is only minutes away. Do not move an accident victim if there is any suggestion of head, back or neck injuries, or you don't know exactly what happened. Do only the procedures you have been trained or told by a dispatcher to do. Keep others away from the victim, but let them help by bringing the first aid kit, blankets, etc. Have someone lead the emergency responders to the scene. Have others keep people back if there is a crowd. If people are trapped, do not try to free them, because you will only make the injuries worse. -top- Emergency Supplies Do you have an adequate first aid kit? Does everyone know where it is? Is it kept stocked? Do you have fire extinguishers in the house and garage? Are they fully charged? Do not locate them near a stove. If there is a fire you might not be able to reach the extinguisher. The best location is near doors or exits. Do you have flashlight and fresh batteries? Do you keep a three to seven days supply of food and have some way to prepare it? Is your home equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? Are they hard wired to your home's electrical system with a battery back up built-in so they can operate during power outages? Are medicines kept in stock and rotated to keep them fresh? -top- Making a first Aid Kit A general house-hold or automotive first-aid kit should include: A first aid manual Medicines: Pain reliever/fever reducer (acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin) Cough suppressant Antihistamine to relieve allergic reaction and inflammation Decongestant tablets Oral medical syringe for administering medicine to children or the elderly Activated charcoal and Syrup of Ipecac to treat ingestion of poisons Fluids designed to provide oral rehydration (e.g.: Pedialyte, Gatorade) Injury care items: Assorted bandages for minor cuts and abrasions Butterfly bandages A triangular bandage to make a sling Elastic wrap (commonly known as an ace bandage) Gauze in rolls Two-inch and four-inch pads to dress larger wounds A roll of bandage adhesive tape Scissors Safety pins Antiseptic wipes Tweezers Hydrogen peroxide Rubber gloves Other Supplies: Thermometer Petroleum jelly Calamine lotion Hydrocortisone cream -top-