How to help your neighbour in an emergency
Neighbours play an important role in keeping each other safe – read about the safety precautions you should follow when you help your neighbour in an emergency.
WHILE crime continues to be on the rise in South Africa, community members are encouraged to reach out to their neighbours should they encounter an emergency in their homes. Noting that the police and armed response officers are trained to deal with dangerous situations and should definitely be your first point of contact, Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing and Communications for Fidelity ADT, says neighbourhood networks play an important role when it comes to needing help in an emergency.
Hattingh gives advice on how to safely respond to a neighbour who is in distress with an emergency.
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“Not all emergencies are related to crime. Accidents and incidents at home can include accidental poisoning, fire, drowning, a serious fall, electrocution, a bee attack, a dog bite and various medical traumas, like a heart attack or stroke.”
Any of these will require a quick emergency response which is why it is important to have a link with your neighbours and the broader suburb through social media groups.
Hattingh gives these seven most important steps when reacting to an emergency at a neighbour’s house:
- Ensure it is safe to approach the house.
2. Ascertain what has happened as quickly as you can, but don’t wait for this information – if you know something is wrong, hit your panic button and send a message to your local WhatsApp group.
3. Stay with the victim and try to keep them calm.
4. If they are injured and you know basic first aid, initiate treatment if the wounds are not too severe.
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5. If the house number is not clearly visible, stand on the curb and signal to the emergency responders where to go.
6. Keep track of what others are reporting on the WhatsApp group. It often happens that criminals jump walls but aren’t quick enough to get out of a suburb before residents offer enough information on their whereabouts to get them arrested.
7. When the right help arrives, step aside and let them take over. You may be required to give a statement to the police and a description of events to your security company.
“The bottom line in an emergency is that you need to get the right help quickly. This means keeping a cool head and using the resources you have available to summon help. Quick reactions often save the day – and lives – as our reaction officers know all too well,” Hattingh concludes.
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