- In 1965, I was seventeen,and in training at a hospital
in Connecticut. It was my turn to be on call that night. Try as I might,
I couldn't pay anyone to take my place, I was stuck. I remember being down
in the cafeteria having supper when the lights all went out. I made my
way up the darkened stairs to the first floor, and grabbed a flashlight
in the desk drawer. I then made my way up the stairs to the operating room,
where I thought there might be problems. Sure enough there were. There
was a real crisis. The doctors were in the middle of a Caesarean, when
they were plunged into darkness. I left my flashlight with the nurses and
made my way back down the stairs through the dark.
Now the backup generator system was supposed to kick in and didn't. They'd
not tested it for years, and as it was told afterwards, the lines were
all clogged. This being a Catholic Hospital, I made my way to the Chapel,
and took down off the altar the big candelabra with it's eight candles,
lit them and proceeded for the next hour to escort the visitors out of
the hospital.
All the doctors in town came to the hospital immediately, as there was
a real fear that something monumental was happening. Everyone feared the
worst. I joined them in the coffee shop lit with candles gathered around
a battery operated radio. Nobody knew what was happening, only that the
East Coast was dark.
-
- Firemen arrived and ran cables through the hallways setting
up portable lights. People from town, hearing we had no lights and no backup,
came with their cars and surrounded the hospital on all sides putting on
their headlights. We had a few emergencies, one with a small baby needing
an immediate operation. An x-ray was needed, but that department was darkened
with the machines unusable. It's then that I remembered an antiquated portable
machine..really ancient in a back hallway. Now, it just so happened, that
my dentist in town, a young guy just starting out in practice couldn't
afford an x-ray machine. So to help him out, I'd taught myself how to use
this thing, and do the needed oral x-rays he needed. It came in handy,
this knowledge. I merely adapted the settings, got 8X10 plates from the
darkroom and the firemen set up a generator to handle the needed voltage.
Then I just hand developed the film.Ta Dah!
- The thing most impressive to me that long night; was
that even in the unknowing, of whether this indeed was the end of the world
kind of thing, people stayed where they were needed, or left their homes
(the doctors) to be where the crisis in the community was most pronounced.
I was sure glad that nobody had taken up my offer to replace me that night
on call. The most important reason being, I was the only one who could
run that lumbering machine. Second; the realization, that it is in crisis
that people find out what they're really made of. Easy, lounging somewhere
saying what you'd do, or being a Monday morning quarter back, but the knowing
comes in the situation. A few people (nurses-aides) left, visitors were
hysterical, but the ones who were needed were calm--innovative and if they
had fear they kept it to themselves.
Watching the crisis in New York City and elsewhere, with this most recent
blackout, it hit me. My dear God, with all this brouhaha with our Sherwin
William color coded warning days, searches at airports of three year olds,
and wheelchair bound people, road blocks, car searches, boo this and boo
that people better wake up and realize that we really have no emergency
plan in times of crisis or great chaos. Hey people, we're on our own.
Cleveland people had no water. ATM machines didn't work. Even those booked
in the best of hotels, were out on the streets due to no lights and fear
of fire. Rich-poor-in between; darkness and crisis brings an instant equalization.
In fact, the homeless, in this situation, were much better off knowing
the streets--having their niches and supplies of food, water, bedding etc.
No crisis for them.
- The Mayor of New York City advised folks to drink water!
Now there's a plan. The President was at a fund raiser in California, then
back to the well lit, air conditioned ranch. Politicians weren't helping,
but yawn, per usual, playing the forever tedious blame game! Lest we forget,
during 9-11 ordinary folks weren't being rushed to opulent, perfectly appointed,
well stocked underground bunkers. Nope, they were on their own, gasping
through the choking ash and debris. We're on our own folks.
The time to prepare for a crisis is not in the midst of one. As I watched
the millions waiting at the docks, sitting on the curbs, laying on sidewalks,
groping around and trapped in the city (there is no exit plan), I thought
that many are probably wishing now that they'd had a little more foresight.
People working in the city should have an emergency backpack put away in
their offices somewhere, or with a friend in the area. They should have
a flashlight, cash, some energy bars, granola bars, rain gear, sneakers,
socks, a solar blanket, a battery operated radio, extra packs of batteries,
a couple bottles of water, toilet paper, a city map, disposable wipes,
aspirin (you will get a headache), pen-notebook, etc., and a plan if needed,
on how you would get out of the city, where you would head for (friends?
relatives?). We're on our own folks, I can't stress that enough. Nobody
is going to take care of you. Wring your hands, cry, get aggravated, demand
something be done. Too bad. In a crisis, no matter your money or station
in life they'll not be people at your beck and call or impressed with
your designer handbag or silk shirt.
When I worked with the homeless for some years; I grew to have a great
appreciation for their ingenuity and their survival skills. I remember
thinking one night on the city streets, visiting some in their makeshift
quarters, really quite comfortable given the elements, that if a catastrophe
ever hit the city, I'd want to have some homeless friends. I learned a
lot just observing. Not so stupid as you might imagine..not at all. Note:
your emergency knapsack should be adapted per the season.
Rural America is not exempt. Blackouts, snowstorms, ice storms, flooding,
fire anything at all, can have you in an instant crisis. How would you
keep warm, eat, drink? Do you have batteries, emergency lights, wood, food
(dry easy to prepare--soups) on hand for a couple weeks? Extra medications
if you need them to survive? An extra can of gas/oil in the barn or garage,
in case you'd have to leave. Just common sense; what would we do in a crisis?
We're on our own folks, keep remembering that. Yes, top brass, those who've
identified themselves as the important folk, have used our billions in
tax monies to prepare comfortably for a crisis. Oops, they forgot about
us. Or did they?
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