What to do in Emergencies and Environmental Disasters
Three Rules for when a fire breaks out
1.Warn people quickly
- Call 119
- Shout loudly to warn people in the area.
- If you cannot shout, use a bucket or other tools to make noise and warn people.
2.Extinguish quickly
- Use a fire extinguisher or bucket of water to put out the fire as much as you can.
- If the fire is out of control DO NOT try to put it out yourself.
Ensure your own safety and your own escape route first.
3.Evacuate quickly
- The smoke is more dangerous than the fire. Evacuate before the room fills with smoke.
- When you are evacuating in a room full of smoke, cover your nose and mouth with a wet towel and crawl on the floor to escape safely.
- Once you evacuate the building, DO NOT go back to retrieve your personal belongings.
Use the following phrases to report the situation (as an example).
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Kaji desu! | There is a fire! |
| XX-cho XX-banchi no ie desu | It's the house at XX-cho XX-Banchi |
| XX shogakko no higashi | It's ** meters from |
| ** me-toru desuXX | elementary school (A landmark for easy identification) |
Calling an Ambulance
Ambulances are dispatched in the following emergency situations:
- When there are sick and injured people as a result of a fire, typhoon, or traffic accident.
- When there are injured people in public places, such as movie theaters and department stores.
- When a sick or injured person must be transferred from their house to a hospital as quickly as possible, but there is no means other than an ambulance.
When calling an ambulance, remain calm and dial 119.
Use the following phrases to report the situation (As an example):
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Kyuukyuu desu! | It’s an emergency! |
| XX-cho no XX-banchi desu | The address is XX-cho XX-banchi |
| XX-shogakko no higashi ** meto-ru desu | It’s ** meters east of XX elementary school (A landmark for easy identification) |
Also try to explain:
- What happened to whom (be as specific as possible)
- The cause of the injury or the condition of the illness
- The current situation (explain exactly what you see)
- If there are many sick or injured people, report how many
- The phone number of the phone you are calling from
Prepare for Earthquakes
- If an earthquake strikes, immediately turn off any open flames.
- Remain calm. Do not panic and do not rush outside.
- Open any doors and windows to ensure an escape route.
- Listen to radio and other media for correct information.
- When evacuating, bring only essential items and walk to a designated evacuation shelter using a safe path. Do not walk through any narrow alleys, under any buildings or signs, or close to any walls, cliffs or riverbanks.
Prepare for Typhoons
- The typhoon season in Kanoya runs from Summer to Autumn, and serious disasters are always a possibility.
- When a typhoon is approaching, pay attention to the weather reports on television or radio, and make sure you know where you nearest evacuation center is.
If you don’t know where the nearest evacuation center is, ask your neighbours, or ask at city hall. - Prepare flashlights or a transistor radio in case of blackouts.
- Double-check your house to see if it needs any reinforcing.
Thoroughly check the strength of windows and doorways. - Prepare emergency provisions such as bread and canned foods.
- Gather your valuable belongings together for safety.
- Prepare a store of emergency water using water bottles or any other suitable containers.
- Prepare a first aid kit and other medical supplies.
Prepare for Heavy Rainfall
- Remove the water from any drainage channels or ditches around your house.
- If there is a large cliff behind your building, thoroughly check the condition of the cliff.
If there are any rocks or earth that look like they could collapse and cause a mudslide, remove them. - If the cliff has many large trees growing on top, cut down the trees, or cut off any large branches (A strong wind could shake the trees loose and cause a mudslide).
- If there are cracks on the cliff, fill the cracks with rubble and cover with mortar to ensure that rain will not enter the cracks and loosen the soil beneath.