Square Dance Emergencies
| Contents |
| Square Dance Emergencies |
| Emergency Call For Medical Aid |
| Surviving A Hotel Fire |
| Contents |
| Square Dance Emergencies |
| Emergency Call For Medical Aid |
| Surviving A Hotel Fire |
No matter how much planning you do for a square dance event, an unplanned EMERGENCY SITUATION is usually inevitable...either at the dance, or even going to or from a dance. Dancers can easily over-exert themselves, risking serious injury to themselves or others.
The ONLY time one should leave a square during a dance is if you start to feel dizzy, or otherwise ill. Don't walk out of a square even if the other dancers are not as proficient as you think they should be...we all were beginners at one time.
Note that the dances/festivals are NOT marathons...to see how long you can dance before you literally drop!! You have to have time to take restroom breaks (nature tends to call at the most inopportune time), to eat, to relax, to fellowship, and of course, to sleep. The secrets are to PACE YOURSELF, and KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
If you begin to feel light headed, dizzy, etc., tell the other dancers in your square...and go off to the side to sit down and get your bearings together. In most cases, a substitute dancer can take your spot, and the square can continue dancing, while you take care of yourself. Some people can dance for several hours without a break...others can only dance as little as one tip...only you can know how far you can go before you need a break.
When I myself got into square dancing in 1985...and until I took a 5 year hiatus from the hobby in 2002 (mainly because of work schedules), I could dance every tip without a break...unless I could not find a partner...which was rare...since there are usually more women than men dancing. After getting back into square dancing in 2007, three months after the untimely death of my wife, I found that I now have to ALTERNATE tips...dance one, sit one out, dance one, sit one out, etc. Believe me, if you PRESS YOUR LUCK, you're asking for TROUBLE.
It's a good idea to take along a windbreaker, in case the hall is chilly when you first get there...or if you choose to sit out for a time. You most likely will warm up after dancing a tip or two...but pace yourself by the temperature in the hall. If you start feeling chilled or too warm, chances are your body is telling you that it's time for a rest... although you might joke that ''the calling made you ill'' (grin!).
1) When a dancer goes down, one other dancer in the square will attend to the injured dancer.
2) The other dancers will back up in a circle, to give the injured and attending dancer room and air.
3) The remaining dancers will lift their hands into an arch, known as the E)mergency C)all For M)edical A)id (ECMA) formation.
4) Upon seeing this, the caller or hall monitor will place an Emergency Call For Medical Aid; summoning paramedics, etc. If this does not occur, a dancer should run to the stage to alert the caller, or those in charge, so the proper authorities can be summoned as quickly as possible.
Although we don't like to think of it, everyone needs to be prepared to deal with an emergency situation, should one develop. Being an Amateur Radio operator, and having experience in emergency communications situations, I know how vital it is to quicky summon help. I usually will have my handi-talkie with me...and if needed, I can get on a repeater, and issue a distress call, asking for help, saying that I have Emergency Traffic...which includes the safety of human life, and/or the protection of property, according to Part 97 of the FCC Rules. In fact, I was in such a situation at one of the National Square Dance Conventions I had attended in years past.
1) When you check into your room, find out EXACTLY where the FIRE EXITS are located.
2) Know where your room key is at ALL TIMES. You may have to return to your room if the halls are filled with smoke.
3) At the first hint of the smell of smoke, call the Fire Department. Tell them your hotel and room number, then call the Front Desk.
4) Feel the doorknob. If it is HOT, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR!! If it isn't, peek outside. If it is not too smokey, go to the fire exit. Keep a wet towel over your face. If it gets too smokey, turn around, and go all the way up to the roof. Firefighters will rescue you there.
5) If you are forced to stay in your room, DO NOT break the window. You will need to close it if there is smoke outside.
6) Fill the bathtub with water. Wet the towels and sheets, and shove them around the door. Block all air vents with wet towels and sheets. If the walls are hot, use the ice bucket to throw as much water on the wall as you can.
7) Above all, keep fighting. Don't quit. The longer you stay conscious, the better your chances for survival.
