When it comes to emergency preparedness, Amanda Ockeloen is one of the most knowledgable people on Bowen Island. She teaches first aid to adults and children and has also taken on the role of the director for the island's Emergency Social Services (ESS). And she was part of the ambulance team for seven years before she decided to concentrate more on teaching. She comes to the Undercurrent office with the props she uses for her first aid classes as well as a defibrillator, a piece of life-saving equipment that she wants to make available more widely. Defibrillators cost $1,200 and Ockeloen believes that, in addition to the community recreation office and the municipal hall, they should be available at strategic locations on Bowen Island. "They save lives," she says. "And I am hoping to have them in the different neighbourhoods. If you live in Hood Point, for example, your chances of surviving a medical emergency reduce of you don't do CPR or have a defibrillator."
Ockeloen's goal is to bring various agencies and community groups who contribute to emergency preparedness to the table and start a discussion on how to create awareness on Bowen Island. "We have many different groups in the community that make a contribution," Ockeloen says. "But sometimes there is a lack of communication. It would be great to build the connections and identify the resources that are available." Another community resource can be found in the Neighbourhood Emergency Response Persons (NERPs) who put their names forward as contact points in different parts of Bowen Island. Ideally, they are trained in first aid and will point islanders in the right direction, according to Ockeloen.
She sees her role as a local advocate but also feels that it is important to be connected to ESS organizations on a regional level. "I want to keep us linked in and have good contacts," she said.
"Every municipality has to have ESS set up. We now have an office at the municipal hall and keep our gear there." The office at the municipal hall increases visibility and reminds people to be prepared, according to Ockeloen.
Sometimes preparedness is little more than thinking ahead, says Ockeloen who has made that a habits. "Sometimes it's as simple as bringing a cell phone on a hike," she suggests, adding that first aid training should be part of high schools and career training. "I think it should be part of the curriculum," she said. "A first aid certificate lasts for three years but as soon as people feel they don't remember it, they should take it again."
"We try to get everyone prepared for emergencies such as wildfires, house fires, earthquakes or even extreme weather conditions. The goal is to get people to think ahead and have food, water and first aid supplies," Ockeloen said. "The first three days after something happens are crucial." She explained that, in a disaster situation, the Emergency Social Service team would open a reception centre that could be the school gym or another central location. "The idea is that ESS would be able to look after people if they can't," Ockeloen says, adding that Bowen Island already has good community connections that would be an asset in an emergency situation.
"We are set up a little bit better," Ockeloen says. "For example, we are used to power outages." Still, it is a stretch to think about a major disaster and Ockeloen adds, "A lot of effort [goes into preparedness] but it's not much noticed unless something goes wrong." One of her best strategies has been to get the kids on board. They, in turn, bring their knowledge home to the parents.
"We focus a lot on prevention," Ockeloen said. "I look at an accident as a preventable injury and I believe that almost all accidents don't have to happen. That is a big part of the first aid courses, to learn how to prevent silly mishaps."
A message that Ockeloen would like to pass along is to have a plan. "It's fairly simple but it's good to think about what to do if something goes sideways," she says. "I do a lot of running and make it a habit to think about my plan before I go on trails. I think ahead what kind of gear I need to bring and often get to be the first aid person on the trails or in the group."
In a real emergency, decisions have to be made fast and Ockeloen believes thinking ahead can help. "For a family, it's would be good to know who could look after the children or the pets in an emergency," she says, adding that people who have medical conditions are encouraged to wear identifying bracelets that could help pin point the problem in case they are unresponsive. "And if anyone in your family carries an EpiPen, it helps to practice," she says. "In an emergency, there is no time to read the instructions." Learning to identify the signs and symptoms of heart attacks can also save lives.
Ockeloen says that there are many incidents where kids have saved their parent's life and telling them what to do when someone is unconscious is covered in the first aid courses she teaches. These tools are important for everyone. Ockeloen is hired by organizations, schools, businesses or even groups of islanders to do first aid training and the feedback she gets is that it empowers people. "I take up to 14 and a minimum of eight. I also do an emergency childcare course that focuses on what to do when babies are choking," Ockeloen said, adding that babies' airways are the size of the little finger.
"I love to see it when people come in expecting the program to be boring. And when they are leaving, they are so confident."
Most of all, she loves the enthusiasm that the kids bring to the table and teaches children from Kindergarten age to the babysitting course for ages 11 to 15. Ockeloen says that the CPR course manuals include lots of graphics and show different examples.
"They are very friendly," she says, adding that the courses cover training on how to use a defibrillator. "They really do help jump-start your heart. The courses also cover teaching the kids about food and choking. Preventing choking can be a major life-saver."
Ockeloen gives the example of a student at the Bowen Island Community School who saw a class mate choke and quickly remembered the Heimlich manoeuvre. "That was so exciting," Ockeloen said. "Imagine how they felt. They are heroes."
For a first aid kit, Ockeloen suggests the standard content but cautioned that, for some people, it needs to be personalized. "For instance, people need an EpiPen if they are allergic," she says, adding that she has a mask to safely administer rescued breaths and gloves for stopping bleeds. "There are also loads of materials to stop bleeding, triangular bandages for broken limbs, tweezers, scissors for cutting off clothes, cleaning material and antibacterial wipes and cold packs."
Ockeloen has been teaching for close to 20 years. "I find it really interesting to see the changes in material that is covered," she said. "Now it covers the use of EpiPens and asthma - things that have become more prevalent. And an allergic reaction can quickly become life threatening."
For people who witness an accident or emergency situation, Ockeloen advises to help according to their level of training, in addition to calling 911. "They have to use their best judgement."
Other advice Ockeloen would like to give island residents is to have their address clearly marked at the driveway and the house to make it easier for first responders to find the right location.
"It happened that we would be driving by without being able to see the address. It has to be visible at night as well," she explained. "It also helps if all the family members including children know the address and, in an emergency, go out to meet the ambulance. That can make things easier and quicker. Ockeloen adds that the ambulance has a GPS but some addresses are not in the system.
