Quick cards
Medical
Unconscious person / not breathing: CPR and AEDDoesn't respond and isn't breathing, or is only gasping.Severe bleedingBlood spurting out, pooling, soaking clothes, or not stopping.ChokingGrabs their throat. Can't talk, cough, or breathe.Heart attack or stroke (BE FAST)Chest pain or pressure, or drooping face, weak arm, slurred speech.Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)Trouble breathing, swollen lips or tongue, hives all over the body.Heat strokeHot skin, confusion, slurred speech, or fainting. It's an emergency.Hypothermia and frostbiteShivering, clumsy, confused, or slurred speech. White, hard, or waxy skin.BurnsFrom fire, hot liquid, chemicals, or electricity.Snakebite or dangerous stingsPit viper, black widow, brown recluse, scorpion, bees, or fire ants.Injured dog or dog with heat strokeBleeding, hit by a car, or panting hard, drooling, weak, or vomiting.Fracture, sprain, or hard blowDeformity, severe pain in one spot, swelling, or can't bear weight.Deep wound or cut (no massive bleeding)Deep, dirty, or open cut, but the bleeding stops with pressure.SeizureFalls, goes rigid, or shakes uncontrollably.Poisoning or intoxication (includes carbon monoxide)Swallowed, breathed in, or got something toxic on their skin. Or several people feel sick at once.Person in shockFast, weak pulse, pale, cold, or clammy skin, confusion, intense thirst.
Weather and disasters
TornadoTornado Warning: a tornado has been spotted or detected by radar. Act now.Flash floodFlash Flood Warning or water over the road. It happens in minutes.Hurricane or tropical stormThey bring torrential rain, wind, tornadoes, and blackouts; on the coast, storm surge too.Extreme heat without air conditioningSummer blackout or broken AC. It's one of the biggest risks in many parts of the U.S.Winter storm and freezeIce, extreme cold, and maybe no power or water, as in historic winter storms.Thunderstorm and lightningIf you hear thunder, lightning can strike you. It strikes from more than 10 miles (16 km) away.EarthquakeThe ground shakes. In some areas the risk is low, but it's not zero.
Home and city
Nuclear explosion or falloutGet inside. Stay inside. Stay tuned.War or attack: plan activatedConfirm, activate and act in the first 90 minutes.Chemical release: shelter in placeYou're ordered to shelter because of a chemical cloud, a strong odor, or a chemical accident.Prolonged blackoutNo power for hours or days: storm, freeze, heat, or rolling blackouts from the power grid operator.Building fireYou may have only 2 minutes to get out. Smoke kills more than fire.Gas smellSmells like rotten eggs, or you hear a hissing near a pipe.Active shooter or violence: Run, Hide, FightGunshots or an attack near you. What you do in seconds matters.Evacuate in 5 minutesEvacuation order, fire approaching, or water rising at your door.
Nature and water
Car falling into waterYour car goes into a river, canal, or flooded underpass. You have about 1 minute.Rip current at the beachA channel of water pulls you out to sea. It doesn't pull you under: it carries you away from shore.Fall into cold waterYou fall into a cold lake, river, or sea. The gasping kills first, not the cold.Lost in the woods or the backcountryYou don't know where you are on a trail or in the backcountry.Stranded in the desert or in a car in the heatYour car breaks down on an isolated road in the heat, as in the desert.Stranded in a car in cold or snowIce or snow leaves you trapped on the highway.Someone is drowning: how to help without drowningThey sink silently, head back, mouth at water level. They almost never shout.Bee or wasp attackMany chase and sting you. In many parts of the southern and southwestern U.S. there are Africanized bees.
Basics
No safe drinking water: how to make it safeBoil water notice from your water utility, water cut off, or water of doubtful origin.No toilet or sewerThe water was cut off or the sewer isn't working.Calling for rescue: signalsYou need to be found: lost, trapped, or with no way out.Separated family: how to reuniteThe disaster caught you in different places and you can't reach each other.Panic attack or emotional crisisBreathes fast, trembles, tunnel vision, wants to run or doesn't listen.After the disaster: first 48 hours of recoveryThe worst has passed. Go back safely, document everything, and avoid scams.
