Es Hawk - Jun 2006

Civil Air Patrol
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EMERGENCY SERVICES HAWK Vol.5, Issue 3 Civil Air Patrol June 2006 To Be Ready, Responsive, and Relevant CARRYING THE FIRE The Customer Service Creed  We will offer a service to our customers only after we have demonstrated we can provide a quality service with consistent results.  We will work closely with the customer to clarify and document all their needs.  We will do whatever is possible to meet the needs of the customer in providing that service.  We will do whatever is possible to adapt our services to the customer's needs, instead of modifying the customer's needs to meet our services.  If we fail in providing a service, we will make every attempt possible to help the customer in meeting their needs.  We will not offer excuses, but will choose instead to offer options to the customer for fulfilling their needs.  When we provide a service to a customer, our members will be expected to dress and act like professionals, demonstrating knowledge and confidence about the service they are providing.  When a service is requested we will provide that service in a timely manner.  For all available services we will provide our customers with appropriate names and contact information of members who will act as the liaison between the customer's needs and our services.  We will periodically evaluate our services to make sure the customer is provided the best available service, using proven technology with competent training. The essence of the 'Service Creed' is that we will do whatever we can to provide the customer with our best people, using our best equipment, with our proven techniques and procedures in a timely manner to fulfill their needs. If we can do that, our customer base will grow along with the demand for our services. SEMPER VI Team Bonding Emergency services operations is a serious business, and we strive to train our emergency response teams that way. In recent years, training experts have recommended a parallel form of team building called „team bonding‟, as a means to get the most out of team relationships. Research has shown the best way to learn new skills, is through hands-on training. Students who sit in a classroom listening to an instructor will retain only 20% of what they hear. Getting those students involved in active learning with a simulation or on-the-job training will retain 90% of the information. Team bonding through training exercises, simulations or participation through teambuilding exercises will greatly involve the team in active learning. When teams work together in a cooperative manner, the effect is synergistic, enhancing creativity, efficiency, innovation, productivity, and team morale. It is now suggested along with team field training and simulations, organizations stress team bonding through the „power of team play‟. When people work together as a team to accomplish a goal, they build relationships that will be important to success. Providing that experience in an enjoyable, fun environment will build friendships and vitalize the team spirit. It will also increase knowledge transfer. So, why is having fun together as a team such a great learning tool? - It offers the team members a safe environment to explore, take risks, and make mistakes without the treat of operational failure. - It is a means in which team dynamics can be evaluated under controlled conditions, with different teams demonstrating varying strengths or weaknesses, as well as their ability to adapt to change. - It allows team members to increase their awareness of themselves and of those around them, which can improve team effectiveness. - It allows everyone in the team to become familiar with his or her teammates, and understand how and where he or she fits in the team dynamic. - It provides the team an opportunity to discover the value of diversity, and in understanding the broad nature of everyone‟s knowledge base. “You learn more about a person in an hour of play than a lifetime of conversation.” Plato There appears to be a correlation between fun/enjoyment and productivity. The „fun factor‟ vitalizes a group, builds morale, increases commitment, and helps teams learn more and retain knowledge longer. Team bonding programs have shown to improve the following abilities: Problem-solving Decision-making Time management Resolving conflict Effective communication Listening Mutual support and cooperation Enhanced relationships Heighten awareness Creative thinking Trust building Delegation/empowerment Responsibility Confidence Motivation Collaboration FORTY SECOND BOYD Lessons from the Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War- Col. John R. Boyd, USAF Establish trust and flexibility in your subordinates, by avoiding detailed orders and supervision. If that is what you require to communicate, you can‟t expect your subordinates to act fast and adapt quickly. ALCYONEUS NOW Managing Chaos In his work on Chaos Management Theories, researcher Douglas L. Kiel states, “Most importantly, during times of high instability such as disasters and occasions when emergency services reach peak levels of activity, it is essential to recognize that stability can only be regained by developing strategies which are themselves unstable. In short, we must match the instability of these environments with management practices and organizational strategies that are dynamic and fluid.” According to Kiel‟s theories, there are three ways to control chaos:  Alter organizational parameters so the range of fluctuations is limited- reduce the amount of change going on within the system by reducing the effect of critical behavioral and other factors on the system. The goal must be to reduce uncertainty and increase predictability so that operational goals can be achieved. However, this will not work in a response at the edge of chaos, since the number of factors affecting the situation may be large, and their relative importance to a new response cannot be predicted.  Apply small adjustments to the chaotic system to try and cause it to organize- a highly unstable system may require small adjustments to begin the stabilization process. The adjustment may be as simple as a single person on scene taking charge and making decisions. In most cases, adjusting the communication network is preferred to adjusting the hierarchical structure.  Change the relationship between the organization and the environment- track the relationship between critical conditions and available resources or organizational systems. As change occurs, resources and systems are to be adjusted through a continuous feedback system. For organizations on the edge of chaos, the last two options are useful, with emergency managers asking why information, problems, or performance peaked at one point and then dropped to a low at another point. Use of Chaos Theory for Emergency Managers: It is important to note the „chaos theory‟ has some applications for use by emergency managers:  It is difficult to determine when a response is reaching a peak of efficiency relative to the intensity of the situation. The emergent response may be on the verge of efficient and effective „order‟, or at the precipice of uncontrollable „chaos‟. An emergency manager suddenly changing the response plan when „order‟ in the response is about to occur can be as disastrous as allowing a response plan to remain in effect as the response effort turns to „chaos‟.  Not every organization or agency responding to a disaster comes close to chaos. Different organizations have different management systems that can readily balance preset response plans with situational flexibility. One responding group could be in chaos, while another may not be.  There must be a reserve of resources available for a commitment on short notice, but it must be understood those resources just may not be available for use at the time you need them.  An over commitment to flexibility can result in rigidity (as well as confusion), particularly when decisive action in a single direction is required. Indecision in how and when to use available reserved resources can cause operational rigidity.  Leadership that constantly revises its direction may create its own organizational chaos.  Organizations which have worked together as a single entity team in accordance with their pre-set operational plans, may experience weakened bonds if forced to deviate from their plans and break up into smaller response groups to deal with a changing situation. Major disasters involve many different organizations, which provide a broad range of resources and services. No emergency response organization can exist without pre-set operational plans. However, if the disaster response breaks down into chaos, those same organizations through the direction of their emergency manager must be able to quickly become flexible to readily adapt to a rapidly changing situation. CREW’S CONTROL Fun Under the Sun There are some things you need to know about sunburn. Infants and children are especially sensitive to the sun‟s ultra-violet radiation, the major cause of sunburn. People with fair hair and skin have an increased susceptibility to sunburn, but dark hair and dark skin can also be easily „burned‟. The sun‟s rays are strongest during the hours of 1000 to 1400, at the higher altitudes, and the closer you live towards the equator. Reflection off water, sand and snow can intensify the sun‟s harmful rays. So, when the sun is „out‟, a person can get sunburn at almost any location at any time of the year. Overexposure to sunlight causes sunburn, with the time it takes to sustain that „burn‟ related to the age of the person, skin type and color, location, altitude, time of day, and the seasonal position of the sun during the year. Even some medications can make a person more susceptible to sunburn. We are all aware now that there is no such thing as a healthy suntan. We have come to find out that unprotected sun exposure can cause premature aging of the skin, as well as skin cancer. The skin cancer that appears in our adulthood was caused by the sun exposure we got as children. Cataracts have also been attributed to the unprotected exposure our eyes received for so many years. There is evidence building now that we may be harming our bodies from a lack of exposure to the sun. Recent warnings from the „National Institutes of Health‟ in late 2003 have cited studies indicating that many Americans are suffering from Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D (Calciferol) is synthesized in the body after exposure to ultra-violet light (sunlight). Vitamin D is needed in the absorption of calcium for the forming and maintenance of bones. There are three ways in which your body gets this vital nutrient; food products, vitamin supplements, and exposure to sunlight. It would require four glasses (8 fluid ounces) of Vitamin D-fortified milk a day to provide enough to meet the minimum requirements of 400-1000 IU (depending on the body size), or one table spoon of cod liver oil (yuk!). A Daily multivitamin with the availability of 400-1000 IU of Vitamin-D is available over the counter, but most people do not take such vitamin supplements. With a population of adults that no longer drinks the amount of milk they once did as a child, nor taking vitamin supplements, and avoiding the sun whenever possible, Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a major concern to the medical community. According to researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota, Vitamin D deficiency can cause chronic muscle/joint pain, and osteoporosis. Extreme Vitamin D deficiency can even lead to high blood pressure, colon cancer, non-Hodgkin‟s lymphoma, and multiple sclerosis. As adults, what are we to do? Our choices are simple; drink about 32 fluid ounces of Vitamin D-fortified milk a day or one tablespoon of cod liver oil (yuk again!), begin taking those adult super fortified vitamins with 400-1000 IU of Vitamin D, or realize that some sunlight is essential. Even though Dermatologists are reluctant to tell people to go back to basking in the sun, Dr. Catherine Gordon with the Harvard Medical School has this recommendation, “…sunlight is healthy in moderation. During most months 10-15 minutes a day is what most people need. That is enough for your skin to make Vitamin D, but probably not enough to raise cancer risk.” If you live in the northern half of the United States, it is recommended you also take vitamin supplements and ingest more Vitamin D-fortified foods. That brings us to what you thought this article was about, sunburn treatment and prevention. The symptoms of sunburn are as follows (They may not appear for a couple of hours, but with advancing effects fully realized within 24 hours): Symptoms: - Skin is red, tender and warm to the touch Skin may become blistered and/or swollen Severe reactions may include fever, chills, nausea, and/or rash Blistering can occur several days following the initial burn, and may start peeling soon after - Contact emergency medical assistance if there are signs of shock (faintness, dizziness, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, increased thirst, pale skin, clammy or cool skin) Treatment: - Cover the burn area with cool, wet compresses for 10-15 minutes several times a day (baking soda in the water may help relieve the pain) - Apply a lotion or cream containing aloe or antioxidant vitamins C and E to the skin - An over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen taken as prescribed can relieve the pain - Keep the burn covered and out of the sun What Not to Do: - Do NOT apply petroleum jelly, ointment or butter to the burn area, as it will make the symptoms worse and not allow air to assist in the healing - Do NOT wash the burned area with harsh soap and hot water - Do NOT use cold or hot water (use water only at a cool or tepid temperature) - Do NOT use creams or sprays that may contain „benzocaine‟, which can often cause an allergic reaction Prevention: - Avoid sun exposure during the peak hours of the day (1000-1400) - Liberally apply sunscreen (SPF of at least 15) over those areas of the skin that will be exposed to the sun‟s rays (particularly to the face, nose, ears, neck, hands, and arms) - Allow at least 30 minutes for sunscreen absorption prior to expected exposure to the sun - Wear a wide brim hat whenever possible (if a hat is not practical, then a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 25 is recommended for the exposed skin areas of the head) - Use sunglasses with UV protection - Use lip balm with SPF for your lips - Reapply sunscreen every two hours - Wearing dark, tightly-woven fabric will provide more protection for over exposure - Cloud cover, is no cover at all because clouds will only filter out about 20% of the harmful UV light that will cause sunburn. THE ACE FACTOR Working the Problem and Not the Worry A leader in the field does not have time to fret. Every minute on an emergency services tasking or sortie is valuable. The minutes you waste in decisions, works against the customer you serve- the victim. A leader in the field needs to stop worrying about the problems, and put his or her energy in finding solutions. When a problem arises, the first question that has to be asked is; “what needs to be done here to fix this so we can move on?” A problem can be broken into four basic steps for a solution: 1. Face the problem squarely and determine exactly what happened. If the cause of the problem appears to be complicated, break it down into its most simple elements and determine what happened to each one individually. 2. Accept the situation for what it is and realize it is not likely going to change unless you act on it. Accepting the reality of the situation is the first step in fixing the problem. 3. Based on what you know about the cause(s) of the problem, develop real options to fix each. The reality may be there are no options other than to scrap what was planned and develop another plan of action. The sooner you get on that, the sooner you can continue. Failure to develop options is not an option and will be instrumental to a leader‟s failure. 4. Take action on the best problem-solving/decision-making option available and move on. If there has been plenty of thought put into the options, the option you select will be the correct one. You will always be able to second-guess yourself later, but do not waste time in the field doing so when your energy must remain positive to be successful. 5. Quickly adapt to the changing situation. Accept the change in plans as natural, exciting and as another opportunity to succeed. SURVIVAL SENSE Applying Wilderness Survival to an Urban Setting More often than not, people think of survival as a concept in a wilderness setting. Understanding the basics of survival can help you in the wilderness if you are lost or caught in some dramatic inclement weather. Those same basic survival concepts can hold equally well in an urban environment with crime, potential terrorism, or catastrophic environmental threat such as an earthquake or hurricane. The following are basic survival basics that people can do to keep safe and less fearful of their environment whether it is in a wilderness or urban setting: - Do not allow your life to be controlled by fear or paranoia. Fear and paranoia creates paralysis, indecision, and pessimism. You can control both by becoming more knowledgeable about your environment. (Fear and paranoia can too easily be transferred to children, and children are looking to the adults for guidance and leadership) - Become the „go to‟ person in your group. (Teach your peers and your children to be situationally aware and knowledgeable about the changing environment/situation, and how you will help them adapt) - Develop situational awareness to your surroundings and attentive to change. (Become aware of your every day environment, so you can spot or sense when there is something suspicious or out of the ordinary) - Stop, Observe, and Plan. (When an out of ordinary event occurs, it is important to stop and quickly observe what is happening, evaluate the situation and act on it. Not all unique and out of the ordinary events are worthy of alarm. The change you observe may be good and worthy of note, while in a worst case scenario you will be able to remain alert and initiate an alarm) - Know your environment and develop an exit primary and secondary exit strategy no matter where you are or where you are going. (As you travel about the city, try alternate routes and as you enter any building locate where the exits are. If a situation arises, you will already have a response plan partially developed in your mind) - Maintain an additional amount of supplies for emergency use. (Store extra clothing, food, water, medications, and emergency equipment at home, at work, or in your car. This can be invaluable in any disaster situation) - Stay together as a group. (Participate within your neighborhood as a „Neighborhood Watch‟, where you watch out for each other‟s welfare taking care of yourself and helping each other) - Know where each member of your group is, where they are going, what their plans are and when you will expect to see them again. Develop an emergency meeting place where if you get separated, you will know how to connect again. (This has great application in an urban setting within your family or extended family, routinely staying in touch) - Stay in tune with a news source to monitor changes in weather. (Know what is going on in your community by paying close attention to local, state, and country news) - Practice emergency response procedures and prepare for those times „when things go wrong‟. (Learn with your family and friends public emergency management procedures that apply to your community, state, region, and country. Have these procedures available in your place of work, as well as at home) - Minimize personal risk by remaining responsible, accountable, and maintaining good common sense. (Minimize personal risk by remaining responsible, accountable and maintaining good common sense) ON SOLID GROUND- Tips for Becoming a Good Ground Team ‘Ground Pounder’ This is an operational guideline for emergency response ground team leaders to follow to survive a mission sortie. The main focus here is to provide a means for ground teams to improve their chance for successfully completing their sortie, but it can also be used for an individual to follow in a life and death situation. We take the U.S. Army acronym from the Special Forces field manual 3-05.70: S- Size up the situation, Learn as much as you can about the mission objective, and how the capabilities of your team match up. Find out who on your team has experience and/or knowledge about a tasking of this nature. Find out what you know, what you do not know, and what you need to know. Then, fill in the unknowns as soon as possible. The faster you can size up the situation, the faster you can adjust to a rapidly changing situation. U- Use all your senses. Delegate responsibilities and coordinate the input and feedback to all members of the team. Communicate your intentions and listen to what is going on. Observe the team dynamic and sense the level of positive synergy that leads to success. R- Remember where you are. Knowing your location relative to a base, operation area, and other response teams (air and ground) is essential for success. A rapid response depends on knowing where you are, and how to quickly get from your current location to another point for a response. V- Vanquish fear and panic. Maintain a positive mental attitude from top to bottom on the team throughout the sortie. There is never a guarantee that a positive attitude will ensure success, but most assuredly a team expecting failure will never recognize opportunities for success as they present themselves. Dwelling on the negative brings out indecision and lost opportunity. A positive outlook is a force multiplier. I- Improvise. A team in the field on a sortie is expected to perform and use all their skills to complete an objective. A team that does exactly as briefed, without adjusting to a changing situation will find limited success. If you are in the field with limited information and instruction, make do with what you have. Your job is to complete the mission, not to worry about a lack of support or instruction. V- Value living Embrace the opportunity to successfully complete the mission sortie. Although, it is unlikely you can be totally prepared for ever situation, it is important to step up to any challenge you face during the mission. Use your imagination and make things happen. Enjoy and appreciate the challenge. A- Act like the natives. Immerse yourself in your operational environment. Evaluate the terrain, the weather, the winds, and road conditions. Try to perceive what is beyond the next bend in the road, or what is in the wooded area beyond. Adapt to your surroundings. (Okay, this one is a stretch of the imagination.) L- Live by your wits. No matter what equipment you carry with you, the best piece of equipment you have is your brain. An ability to adapt along the way to a rapidly changing situation is a prerequisite for success. Editor‟s Comment: As in all procedures presented in this section, the above represents a point of view based on in-depth research and practice from experienced ground team members. It is up to the reader to determine if the procedure should or should not be used in their operations. If someone has a better tip to share, we encourage that person to come forward to share it. GOING FROM GOOD TO GREAT You Have Only Yourself to Blame for Success or Failure In his book, „The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be‟, author Jack Canfield provides the secrets of success and how to achieve the highest goals possible in your life. Here are the fundamentals for success from that book:  Take 100% responsibility for everything- unlike the pervasive myth in our culture that you are entitled to a great life, the reality is there is only one person who is responsible for the quality of life- you!  You have to give up all your excuses, blaming, and complaining- to become successful, you must forget how to act as the victim, the reasons you can‟t do something, and blaming outside forces for your limitations or failures. Your first response to failure is asking yourself what you did and how you can do it differently next time to get a better result.  If you do not like your outcomes, change the way you do business- if you keep doing things the way you always have done them and nothing improves you need to find a better way. If you want something different, you have to do something different.  Everything you experience today is the result of choices you have made in the pastevery action and reaction you have is based on a conditioned response mechanism developed from your life experiences. You have control of three things in your life- your thoughts, your visualized images, and your actions. How you use them now will determine the experiences you will use in the future.  You either create or allow everything that happens to you- whether deliberate or unintentional you cause something to happen by your actions or inactions. If you won‟t study for a test, you will not likely do well on the test.  Pay attention to your „Yellow Flags‟- each of us receives advanced warnings or telltale signs. They can be internal (gut instinct or intuition). Or, they can be external (receiving less responsibilities and limitations to authority, overhearing comments). If you pay close attention to these and ask yourself why or what you did to bring this about, you can change it.  Results don‟t lie- the best way to determine how you are successful or why you fail is to examine the results in your life and simplify the outcome. Either you were successful or you were not. Either you failed or you did not. Then modify your behavior from there. POINT OF CARE Routine, Recover, Regenerate, and Refocus Change is a part of our life. Whether the change is welcome or not, it can be stressful unless we learn how to better adjust. The more intensely we fight change, the more stressful it becomes. The Four Rs of Change are recommended for adjusting: Re-establish Routine- following a life change, it is important to regain your „routine‟ and balance within your life. Most of life‟s changes create a certain unfamiliarity. This unfamiliarity can present itself with symptoms such as headaches, backaches, or depression. To begin a recovery, it will help to re-establish your routine as soon as possible. Get back to doing something you used to do routinely prior to the change so your life has more of its familiarity back in it. If you cannot reestablish an old routine, begin a new routine as soon as possible. Recovery- after you have re-established a routine, it will help to step back and relax. Put some distance between you and your situation by taking mini-breaks or getaways to gain a different perspective. Spend more time for yourself. Relaxing more may be a part of your new routine. Increased exercise and sharing your feelings with others can be excellent stress reducers. Regenerate- following change, your body, mind and spirit may need to heal. Try to get extra rest, avoid alcohol, and eat properly. If you regenerate your spirit, often the mind and body will soon follow. On the other hand if the body is not well, the mind and spirit may never heal. Always try to find a way to regenerate you health. You can also regenerate by increasing your circle of support, connecting with new people or re-establishing relationships with long-time friends. Refocus- to reach a peaceful acceptance of change, it is suggested you try to look at the bigger picture. Take the time while you are recovering and regenerating to think about what has happened, why it happened, and what it might mean in a larger sense. Along that discover path, you may find you have mixed emotions about the good and bad of the situation. Time will heal those mixed emotions, and the situation, which has changed, will soon become routine. Nobody can escape change. Quickly accepting and adapting to change is important. If you take the time to re-establish routine, recover, regenerate, and refocus, you will find acceptance of change is much easier. DID YOU KNOW? Calculating Time in the Field If you are in the field and are not aware of how much time you have before the sun sets, try this technique: Face the sun over the western horizon and hold your hands at arm‟s length. Fold your thumb in and align your four fingers horizontally. Stack your hands atop each other between the horizon and the sun. Each hand represents approximately one hour left of sunlight. Each finger then represents about 15 minutes. CHECK IT OUT! If you are interested in what type of team player you are, and how you can improve the performance of your team check out this website. This website offers a short “Team Player Survey” with a very quick assessment of your „team style‟ based on your responses. It will list your primary and secondary styles as a team player, along with your least active styles. This „no charge‟ survey then provides you an explanation of how to improve the performance of your team once you understand your style and the style of your teammates. http://www.onlinewbc.gov/Docs/manage/Team.asp WORDS OF WISDOM- Coffee Cup Leadership Advice from the Military Pros The leader is rarely, if ever the best performer, but knows how to make the team successful. A good leader is like the pizza man. You have to perform and deliver results, not just ideas. You win with superior logistics. Sitting on your slicker while on picket duty helps avoid ants, ticks, and poison ivy. (from an old U.S. Cavalry saying) FAMOUS QUOTES Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. Sun Tzu SUBMISSIONS Queries, suggestions, and news items are welcome. Please submit to the following addresses: Mail: Bruce Marxsen 5231 Topaz Crt. Lincoln, NE 68516 E-mail: [email protected] The next issue of the „Emergency Services Hawk‟ will be sent out on or about 15-Aug-2006. Please have information you would like to be considered in that issue to my attention no later than 01-Augx-2006.