![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/backus-15-e1501860301301.gif\")
And I have added a short article on \u201cReducing the Rope Hazard\u201d (Appendix F p. 81) that many of you will be familiar with.<\/p>\nA\u00a0previous Fish Safe article in CFN (Mar. 2016) described the then newly released RESCUES<\/i> manual.<\/p>\n
The first edition of \u201cResponding to Emergencies at Sea and to Communities under Extreme Stress\u201d was developed with assistance from the members of the coastal communities of Gloucester and New Bedford, MA and Point Judith, RI.<\/p>\n
The second edition, now hot off the presses, is an adaptation that reflects the specific issues of the lobster fishery in Maine and New Hampshire.<\/p>\n
For example, The Canadian Institut de recherche Robert-Sauv\u00e9 en sant\u00e9 et en s\u00e9curit\u00e9 du travail (IRSST) gave permission to lead author Madeleine Hall-Arber to excerpt key concepts from their video identified as the \u201ctricks of the trade\u201d that help lobstermen avoid falls overboard (Appendix E p. 77).<\/p>\n
And I have added a short article on \u201cReducing the Rope Hazard\u201d (Appendix F p. 81) that many of you will be familiar with.<\/p>\n
The pictures, contributed from the Mane Sea Grant collection, represent coastal scenes familiar to those of us who frequent the northern New England coast.<\/p>\n
The major adaptation for Maine and New Hampshire is the extensive references section, Community Profiles and Contact Information (Appendix G pp. 85-129), that contains information and contacts for relevant service organizations, presented in four sections:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Coastal New Hampshire,<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Southern Maine,<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Mid-Coast Maine, and<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Downeast Maine.<\/p>\n
We are grateful to the National Office of Sea Grants for providing Community Resilience funds for this adaptation.<\/p>\n
What is RESCUES<\/i> anyway?<\/p>\n
When we actually take a deep dive into what we need to do to prepare for an emergency, get through it, and recover in the days, weeks, and months afterwards, there is a lot to take in.<\/p>\n
This manual covers:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0What needs to happen on land, at home \u2013 knowing the location of the bank accounts, the pin numbers and passwords, the insurance papers, the mortgage documents, the will and other legal documents, etc.;<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0What needs to happen on the dock \u2013 a float plan, sharing of emergency contact information, preparation of sealed envelopes containing personal health information (one to be left at the dock and one to be given to the medevac team, checking-out communications equipment and EPIRBs, ensuring the availability of a substantial first aid kit, and\u00a0 many more, plus<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Vessel repair and readiness, as well as knowledge of safe practices and emergency response, are also covered.<\/p>\n
Chapter 2, the \u201cAt Sea\u201d chapter, covers potential dangers at sea: weather, fire, flooding, toxic gases, collisions, tangled gear, fatigue, falls overboard, etc. and finishes with responses fishermen can take in an emergency.<\/p>\n
In many cases, because we (fortunately) have not experienced an emergency at sea, we have little knowledge regarding how things proceed once an emergency is in progress.<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 is helpful for both fishermen and their families because it sets out what the role of the Coast Guard is and how the community organizations interface with that role.<\/p>\n
Helpful hints such as having the family designate one person as the family spokesperson can take some of the pressure off the family, and help ensure consistent messaging among the parties.<\/p>\n
This chapter makes clear that there are also numerous steps that communities as a whole can take to lessen the impact of a particular emergency.<\/p>\n
My favorite example comes from discussions I had in Point Judith where I learned that the docks were not labeled and that the fire department had no maps of the dock system.\u00a0 Precious time could be lost should the fire responders not be able to locate the fire.<\/p>\n
Ideally not only a map of the docks, but one that includes what hazardous materials such as gas, diesel, transmission oil and ammonia, might be present on the docks or in the boats should be available to the harbormaster and the community\u2019s emergency responders.<\/p>\n
Community resilience<\/b><\/p>\n
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The goal of the RESCUES<\/i> manual is to provide a blueprint to help fishermen and their families be better prepared, not only for fishing-related emergencies, but for any emergency, and to encourage communities to develop the infrastructure and interdependence among organizations that support a coordinated and well-thought-out response at the outset and for the long term.<\/p>\n
Emergencies and disasters get resolved, but almost always leave physical, social and psychological scars that linger and need to be addressed.<\/p>\n
A resilient community is one that is prepared for and can respond to the initial punch, and that recognizes that a number of other layers of services may be needed to bring the community back to some semblance of wholeness.<\/p>\n
For a screen version or printable copy of RESCUES: Maine and New Hampshire <\/i>visit <https:\/\/cdn1.sph.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2012\/09\/RESCUES_Maine-and-New-Hampshire-screen-version.pdf>.<\/p>\n
Ann Backus, MS, is the director of outreach for the Harvard School of Public Health\u2019s Department of Environmental Health in Boston, MA.\u00a0 She may be reached by phone at (617) 432-3327 or by e-mail at <abackus@hsph.harvard.edu>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
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To get these complete stories and much more, you’ll need to purchase the AUGUST 2017 issue of\u00a0Commercial Fisheries News. \u2022 BUY a Single PRINT edition of CFN that is delivered by MAIL.\u00a0PRINT EDITION<\/a> \u2022 Quickly enjoy ONLINE access with our Hi-DEF flip-book.\u00a0<\/strong>PURCHASE THIS ONLINE EDITION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a0Shop the\u00a0Online ARCHIVE<\/a><\/p>\n (Read online flip-book immediately with purchased access key and download a copy for yourself to keep. \u00a0Not sure if it works for you? Try a\u00a0FREE SAMPLE HERE<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/CFN-8-17-cover-243x300.jpg\")
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