Earthquake Safety: Drop Cover Hold On — A spate of earthquakes in Lombok and Bali have left residents and visitors jittery although by taking precautions and learning what to do during an earthquake will ease anxiety and help protect you and your family from injury.
According to the Red Cross, here’s what to do in the event of an earthquake: Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck with your arms, crawl only as far as needed to reach cover from falling materials and hold on to any sturdy furniture until the shaking stops.
If in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow. If inside, stay there until the shaking stops. DO NOT run outside. If in a vehicle, stop in a clear area that is away from buildings, trees, overpasses, underpasses, or utility wires.
If you are in a hotel, expect fire alarms and sprinklers to go off. Do not use elevators. If you are travelling around Bali and near cliffs or mountains, be alert for falling rocks and landslides. And you can expect aftershocks to follow. Check yourself for injury. If in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building. Do not enter damaged buildings. Cover your mouth for protection and instead of shouting use a whistle. If you are on a beach or near the ocean go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops. And save important phone numbers such as ours:
BIMC Hospital Kuta Telp +62 361 761 263 Telp +62 361 3003 911
BIMC Siloam Nusa Dua Telp. +62 361 3000 911
Residents of Bali should consider a basic emergency kit that includes:
- Several Aqua “galon” with small bottles that can be carried easily
- Food such as energy bars and dried foods
- Battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries)
- Special items such as prescription medications, infant formula and equipment for those family members with disabilities
- Extra keys to your car and house
- Sufficient cash
- First aid kit: No matter where you live (perhaps especially Bali and SE Asia), a first aid kit is essential to have on hand for all homes (and don’t forget your automobile) helping you deal effectively with common injuries before emergency assistance arrives.
Think about tailoring the contents of your kit based on your specific activities and store all in preferably a durable waterproof storage container. You need to have the following items for your kit:
- Adhesive tape
- Elastic bandages
- Sterile gauze
- Band aids or various size
- Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs
- First aid alcohol
- Scissors
- Normal saline
- Antiseptic solution
- Lotion, cream or balm for skin treatment
- Antihistamine
- Pain relievers/killers
- Cough, cold and nausea medications
- Flashlight
- Whistle
- Blanket
Once you have the essential supplies and equipment above:
- Include BIMC emergency cards and other notable emergency numbers you may require or just be sure to have them saved in your phone.
- Include a first-aid instructional manual.
- Check your first-aid kit on occasion for cleanliness and neatness and replace supplies that have expired or been used up.
- Consider taking a BIMC first-aid course.
- Get your children to recognize a medical emergency and consider a class designed to help them with basic first-aid techniques.
BIMC Hospitals provide first-aid kits that contain essential items for basic accidents and emergencies. Once you have the kit, be confident and obtain basic training. Note: BIMC provides first-aid courses with a minimum number of participants.
