When disaster strikes, every second counts. That’s why a group of doctors and nurses are taking preparedness into their own hands.
Backed and funded by the Greater Laguna Coast Fire Safe Council and Edison International Foundation, this team of medical volunteers is equipping themselves with specialized field kits that help save lives when access to hospitals is delayed or impossible.
“As an emergency physician for 21 years and former Navy commander who’s been deployed to combat zones, I know how important it is to stabilize a patient within the first few minutes of an injury occurring,” said Dr. William Dodge, a physician at Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach who also spearheads the efforts to get the kits.
Serving at the only hospital in Laguna Beach, Dr. Dodge is well-versed in the specific dangers the city could face in the event of a major disaster like an earthquake or wildfire. With only three main roads in and out of town, evacuation routes can get blocked, trapping people in their neighborhoods with no way to reach emergency care.
Dr. Dodge and other residents saw these challenges unfold during disasters like the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and the Rancho Fire in July, which underlined the need to obtain field kits.
“Edison recognizes that placing well-stocked medical kits in skilled hands can make all the difference in protecting lives during a wildfire or other disaster,” said Liz Seelman, Edison International director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy.
Designed for a variety of emergencies, the kits contain splints, materials for treating cuts, tourniquets and special gauze to stop bleeding, and tools to open up and protect a person’s airway when breathing becomes difficult. These supplies can help a medical professional stabilize injuries like fractures, severe bleeding and respiratory distress, until the injured person can access a hospital.
Specialized kits were purchased last year with part of a $15,000 grant from the Edison International Foundation to support wildfire safety efforts.
“These kits go far beyond basic first aid,” said David Horne, chair of the Greater Laguna Coast Fire Safe Council. “They’re basically half of what’s in an ambulance, packed with advanced trauma care equipment used routinely by emergency physicians and nurses.”
As these kits find their place in cars, homes and into the hands of medical professionals, they’re setting a new standard for what it means to be ready.
“We’ve have not had to use these kits before, and we hope we never have to,” said Dr. Dodge. “But as a community, we’ve decided not to leave preparedness to chance.”
For more information on Edison International’s commitment to giving back, visit edison.com/community.
