About the author: Kerry L. Tucker

Early in his journalism college years, Kerry had a revelation: there were not nearly enough

law communicators. Peoples’ difficulties in understanding the law, procedures, and how the

justice system worked stemmed from the fact that no one took the patience to explain

complicated matters to them. Therefore, he took upon him the task of helping people

navigate legal matters easier. He works with attorneys and other legal journalists, and

spends time doing research so that everyone – from a mother whose child got a bike injury to a company needing insurance counsel – to find the actionable answers they are looking for.

Emergencies and disasters tend to happen when you least expect them. They range in impact and severity, but all in all, it helps to remain calm and be prepared. Preparation goes beyond being conscious of what to do. You should have a plan of action in case you find yourself in a disaster. Have a backup plan and let all family members know what to do.

Part of the preparation means identifying emergency services that can help you. There are many companies and hospitals offering emergency response services. Conduct research to learn what type of cases they handle and how they can help with your situation.

Emergencies Caused by Fire

Fires seem to be among the most common disasters in homes. They can be caused by electrical malfunctions, arson, kitchen accidents, or unsupervised candles. Even a tiny spark may cause a huge disaster.

When choosing your emergency service, you need to consider:

How far they are from your location
Their working hours
The facilities and resources they have
Availability of fire trucks
Response time
Which hospitals do they work with

You should not call an emergency company many miles away from you when the fire is raging. Assess the options available near you and see if they have all the facilities required. Time is of the essence.

Once the fire is extinguished you will have a new series of problems to handle. Depending on the severity of the fire and the property damage suffered, you may need to remodel or rebuild your home and dispose of damaged objects. In this case, a 30-yard dumpster can help you with the clean-up.

Natural Disasters

Mother nature sometimes reacts unexpectedly, unleashing floods, earthquakes, landslides, and hurricanes. At best, you may receive a warning of a looming disaster, giving you some time to prepare. However, if you live in areas prone to these occurrences, it is best to prepare in advance.

Emergency services are usually flooded with requests during and after natural disasters more than any other time. This makes getting help a little harder than usual. Therefore, when choosing your emergency response, your priority would be an established facility or hospital that can accommodate many people at a time.

Since most people run to public hospitals, you may consider some private healthcare facilities. During emergencies, they tend to accommodate more people and offer the immediate medical help victims need. If you can afford to, you may also connect to an air emergency response team to help evacuate you.

Health Emergencies

Health emergencies can happen due to accidents, pre-existing medical conditions, or pandemics. You need a reliable emergency response team who can quickly come to your aid. When analyzing the emergency services, consider several conditions:

Ambulance access: How fast will they send the ambulance to help you, and how many vehicles do they have?
Payment plans: Do they accept your insurance cover or the payment plan you usually use?
Treatment: Does the hospital they partner with have the capacity to treat any illness or injury that may occur?
Personal doctor: If you have a personal doctor, ask about the hospitals they partner with for ease of treatment.

No matter what kind of emergency or disaster you are planning for, you require a hospital or emergency response company that will come to your rescue when you need them most. Consider all factors at play and make your choice.

Contact several facilities, learn their terms and conditions, and follow up on their payment plans. The comments and reviews from other people should also tell you what to expect from the service.

When you finally settle on your emergency service, always keep their contact information within reach or memorize it. Also, let those close to you, especially family members, know your choice so they know who to call in case of an emergency. Choose a response team that will not let you down.