5 things everyone should know about being in an emergency

An emergency is any situation that poses an immediate threat to a person’s health, security, property, or environment. Knowing how to assess the signs that make up an emergency will help you know how to handle it.

Dialdirect Namola, the free emergency app supported by Dialdirect, encourages South Africans to be proactive in their safety by downloading and testing the app. They also offer the following advice, should you find yourself in an emergency situation

Namola is on your smartphone. This may sound obvious, but in an emergency, panic can take over. Regularly test your Namola app and put it on your home screen so it is easily accessible in an emergency.

Panic may set in. Remain calm. Although emergencies require rapid action, the most important factor in effectively handling the situation is to keep calm. If you find yourself becoming confused or anxious, stop what you’re doing. Take a deep breath. Reassure yourself that you can handle the situation.

You may need additional help. No matter your emergency, use your Namola app for emergency assistance. After you request assistance through Namola, one of Namola’s dedicated Operators will call and confirm your emergency and coordinate the right help for you. Remember you need to answer your phone or communicate with the Response Operator through Namola’s in-app chat feature.

There could be an immediate threat. If one person appears injured, are you or anyone else in danger of also being injured? If you find yourself in an emergency of this nature, keep yourself safe. Run to a safe location, or find shelter in a safe place and then request assistance through Namola.

You may need to comfort victims. If you have assessed that there is no immediate threat to your safety and you can safely assist someone else in leaving a dangerous situation, do so. If the situation is risky, rather wait for a trained responder. You could still assist by offering verbal reassurance to an injured person if they are conscious, even if you can’t move them. Let that person know who you are and what is happening to them. Ask them questions to keep them conscious. If the situation is stable, stay with the victim.