Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with emergency

Where to get Plan B on Christmas Day in DC?

Tomorrowful — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:34:23 -0800

A friend of mine had a broken condom last night, and needs to get hold of Plan B. She's in Washington, DC. Planned Parenthood's closed, as are all the pharmacies she's tried. Those are the relevant facts - please assume she knows what she's doing re: testing, etc. Moralizing can be left at the door, she just needs to know where to get the EC.

Trapped Sister!

yellowbkpk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:58:48 -0800

My sister is trapped in Lynchburg, VA due to the weather. She only has $30 cash to last her until her backup flight leaves on Sunday. What's the best way to get her money so she can eat? Also, she doesn't have any real boots to deal with the 10 inches of snow they're supposed to get tonight and no transportation to get the 1 mile down the street to a Kohl's.

Any ideas for money/clothing/transportation?

Thanks in advance!

Near Longfellow Bridge in Cambridge MA: What is going on?

vincele — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:43:39 -0800

Why are there dozens of emergency vehicles with lights flashing right now on the Cambridge side of the Longfellow Bridge (in MA)? Training? Incident? Other? I couldn't find any mention of it on boston.com or traffic.com and google terms elude me. Just curious.

Where's the fire?

avocet — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:00:43 -0800

Seeking fire department incident response websites from anywhere in the world – updated on the fly (e.g. Toronto) or whenever they get the chance (Shropshire), it doesn't matter. Does your area's fire service do this?

How do you monitor up/down Internet usage on a dial-up connection?

fujiko — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:38:19 -0800

Rural Internet Connection: I need help with gauging current data use before investing in mobile broadband. So, like 4% of American homes, my parents have no access to broadband Internet service. The valley they live in is technically covered by Verizon 3G, and my dad is considering erecting his own cellular repeater. (He's a mountain goat, so I'm not worried about him running cable up 200ft of hillside.) We've already been assured that you can use 3rd party equipment to rebroadcast 3G service directly in the house.

We totally get how the repeater works and is set up.

Here's the real problem: How the hell do you know if you're using 5GB of Internet access in a month? I understand there might be monitoring software out there, but I don't know what it's called. Looking for "monitoring software" leads to software teaching you how to snoop on other people's browsing habits. I just need to know how much data they're pulling down and sending up in a given 30-day period. I want them to have better Internet access (instead of 28.8 kbps) and access to phone service during fire season (lots of things related to the phone lines get burned). He's not going to spend $600-$800 on repeater equipment if I can't make this a watertight presentation.

Anyone know of any good candidates? Remember: this is dial-up. I can't configure a router to monitor or help me monitor their usage.

Thank you!

do i need a medic alert bracelet?

nadawi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:26:58 -0800

When is a medic alert bracelet necessary? how useful are they actually? i'm a 28 year old female that's allergic to penicillin, erythromycin, and i'm asthmatic. it seems like all three of those could come up in a situation where i wasn't able to speak for myself. lower on the list of "things that are wrong with me" - i have a severe allergy to poison ivy that doesn't look like poison ivy, but could potentially kill me (my eyes, lips, and most alarmingly-throat swells up. the only medication that works is a steroid shot). i only say lower on the list because it takes 24 hours or so before i'm in such bad shape that i have to be in the hospital and i've always made it before my throat as actually swelled to the point of not breathing (but the doctors are all agreed that 12 hours or so more and that's exactly where i would be), so it doesn't seem like an emergency responder sort of situation.

so! do you have a bracelet? what has you wearing one? are you in the medical profession, and if so, do you take notice of them? would you take notice if someone had the symbol tattooed on the top of their wrist, with the allergies/conditions tattooed under the wrist? am i foolish to not wear one?

emergency boot disk for laptop

Wong Fei-hung — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:19:46 -0800

Any suggestions on an emergency boot tool that can see my hard drive? My laptop won't boot all the way. Right when I should see three account icons I get an spinning circle and a "please wait" message. Circle and message eventually go away and I am stuck. Toshiba Satellite with Vista Home Premium 32 bit. I have tried booting from Knoppix CD (on USB) and Windows X-PE (on CD) but neither can see my hard drive. Laptop is just over a year old.

Thanks! (The Recovery Disks that Toshiba supplied with my computer are not compatible with it.)

What is it like to be a volunteer victim advocate?

kathrineg — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:39:22 -0800

What is it like to be a volunteer victim advocate? I am looking for personal experiences or descriptions of what it is like to be a volunteer victim advocate on an Emergency basis, not on an ongoing basis. Thank you.

Can I get tornando warnings through email or text?

nadawi — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:41:04 -0800

Is there a service that will text or email tornado warnings to me? i don't watch tv. i only listen to the radio on the work commute. i'm not sure that i'll hear the sirens. it got me thinking - is there an internet warning solution?

i'm in owasso, oklahoma

Know of an intensive, concentrated EMT course in the US?

howgenerica — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:50:07 -0800

I'm already certified as an EMT outside of the US, but now that I'm going to school in America I'd like to get certified there as well. However, I don't have a lot of time over the summer for the course. Does anyone know of any really intensive, really concentrated EMT basic course? Like all day, every day for a couple weeks. Does this exist in the US?

How do you thank someone for a well-timed Lethal Weapon II joke?

troika — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:59:28 -0800

What can we do to thank some extremely helpful Emergency Room staff? My boyfriend had to go to the ER late last night for a dislocated shoulder. The staff had a ton of patients to deal with and they were all genuinely pleasant and helpful and upbeat (on the graveyard shift on a Monday, no less!). What can we do to properly thank these wonderful doctors and nurses? Is it okay to bring them a few dozen donuts, or something like that?

We caught most of their names and are planning on writing a glowing letter, but who would we address it to? The board of directors, their supervisors, the chief administrator? What kind of information should we include?

And there were lots of staff that we didn't directly interact with that probably deserve thanks as well.

This is Howard Univ. Hospital in DC.

Emergency date venue in London's South Bank

ajp — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:22:55 -0800

Emergency date venue in London's South Bank; any suggestions? Hi all :-)

Okay, so my plan for taking my date to the Tate tonight has been kyboshed by.... the Tate closing at 6pm. Oops.

Anyway, it's a grey day in London town, and the streets will be full of damp commuters all looking for a drink and food. Which is exactly what I'll be looking for too.

I am thinking of going to Gordon's Wine Bar, but there's the usual danger of it being packed.

So: where to take a first date on a Thursday night in London's South Bank?

We're meeting at Embankment, so it would have to be within walking distance or easy tube-travel. Bonus points for anywhere with suitably intimate suroundings, good food and wine, that sort of thing. It's a first date, so we'd need somewhere suitably intimate to get to know each other.

I shall be checking out the Oxo Tower, but any more suggestions will be most gratefully received.

We're both 30-something; it's a first date; money isn't exactly "no object" but let's just say restaurants are preferable to burger-bars.

Many thanks, Hive Mind, you just might save my skin.

Emergency responders and accident victims - share knowledge from your experience

txvtchick — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:20:33 -0800

What happens after a serious, possibly fatal, accident or crash? NOT an insurance question. Some time ago, Mr. TXVT wrote an "Emergency Information" letter and put a copy in our cars. It contains information on how to contact each of us, and how to contact our next of kin in case we're both in the same accident.

This got me thinking about how little I know about what occurs following an accident. So, I have a series of accident-related questions. I am in Texas, but could get into a car accident anywhere in the continental US, or fall off a ladder in my own front yard:

1. How is the responder determined? (Austin area Me-Fiers: I've seen the Hudson Bend Fire Dept responding to calls way out on Hamilton Pool Road a couple of times, and am confused because the Dripping Springs FD is a lot closer than Hudson Bend).

2. How do they decide what hospital to take you to? If we listed a preferred hospital in our "Emergency Info" document would that carry any weight? Does carrying an insurance card factor into the decision at all or is it usually just the nearest hospital?

3. Who tracks down next of kin and how do they find them? Do they even look in the glove compartment? What if, say, you are a single person living in a different state from the rest of your family? It seems like it would be nearly impossible to figure out who to call.

4. What other things should we do to prepare for the possibility of a serious accident, either an auto accident or one in your house or wherever? Other than trying to avoid them, of course.

Thanks!

Emergency medicine FAQ in multiple languages.

greatgefilte — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:47:17 -0800

Does anyone know of a handy reference of emergency medicine questions and statements in different languages? I'm thinking along the lines of cue cards or the like that would have a list of commonly-used questions and other items that might need to be said (e.g. "Point to where it hurts, are you taking any medication? Please give us your health card," etc.) translated and transliterated into a bunch of other languages. Software for a Palm or iPhone would be just as good!

Help me absorb my vitamins & prevent my cold!!

Black_Umbrella — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:52:39 -0800

How fast do vitamins & Minerals absorb into the body? Alright, i am coming down with a cold, it is setting on fast and bad. I don't want it! My question is, does it help to take more vitamins then the recommended daily value?

I take Emergen-C as a supplement.

The first number is the amount, % is percent daily value

Emergen-C (super orange)
The first number is the amount, % is percent daily value

Vitamin C (as Mineral Ascorbates)
1000 mg 1111 %

Vitamin B1 (THiamine HCI)
.38 mg 25 %

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
.43 mg 25 %

Special Niacin Complexes
10 mg 50 %

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCI)
10 mg 500 %

Folic Acid
12.5 mcg 3.1 %

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
25 mcg 416 %

Pantothenic Acid
2.5 mg 25 %

Potassium
200 mg 5.7 %

Magnesium
60 mg 15 %

Calcium
50 mg 5.0 %

Zinc
2 mg 13 %

Manganese
1 mg 50 %

Chromium
10 mcg 8.3 %

Quercetin (Bioflavonoid)
10 mg *

Alpha-lipoic acid
2 mg *

So i guess my question is how long should i wait until i take another? If i take two at the same time do they build up and take two times as long to be used or does one just get passed on? If they do not stack how long should i wait until i take another?

I didn't authorize this plumber.

puddleglum — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:47 -0800

I was recently out of the country on vacation. The tenants at my rental property had a plumbing emergency while I was unreachable, and I suspect they were taken advantage of. What options do I have? While I was on vacation, my tenants had a leak under the sink. Since they could not get a hold of me*, they called a plumber on their own. Unfortunately, they called the most disreputable plumber in town (based on online reviews and a bad experience of my own), and ended up paying $450 for the repair, which strikes me as fishy.

My tenant said that when he called the plumber, they initially said that they couldn't come out without my authorization as the landlord. My tenant said that if they didn't come, he would call another plumber and claim to be the landlord. The plumber called back 5 minutes later and said they'd left a message at my work number, (They hadn't.) and that they'd come out.

They came out, my tenant paid them in cash. My tenant also signed both a "Work Authorization" and a "Acceptance of Work Performed". Of course I'm not going to stiff my tenants on this, but I'm wondering if I have any recourse with the plumber based on the fact that they were not authorized to come out and do work without my permission, and they knew it, and they came anyway.

I suspect that the plumber will tell me that my only option is to take it up with the tenants, but I wanted to check in here to see if I could get some better information.

*I've learned my lesson. I'm going to provide my tenants with an alternate emergency contact, plus ensure that they know who my preferred plumber is.

Need a fast loan!

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:43:42 -0800

Is there a reputable place (online or otherwise) where I can get a quick emergency loan within the next 10 days for $600 - $900? I have somewhat poor credit. I just spent all of my available cash and my emergency saving bailing a family member out of trouble. Saying no wasn't an option, as I was the only person close to her who had the funds available.

I am paid monthly at my job, so this has put me in a position where I'm strapped until the 15th of next month. I have one credit card with $300 of available credit that I'd rather not max (but I will if I need to), and I will be $900 short to pay my rent on the 31st, plus a utility bill and groceries.

The highest you can go on a payday loan in my state is $500, and you can't have more than one. My credit score is around 650 right now so that rules out a lot of the less costly options I'd have with a better score.

I checked with Modest Needs already but they don't have any available slots for applications. I think everyone is in pretty dire straights right now.

I know this isn't the best way to get money, but I'm desperate here. I already talked to my landlord and he said he really can't defer my rent because the economy is killing him. I probably won't get evicted but the late penalty will be just as significant as any fees I incur on a short term loan. And I'd rather keep my payment history with him current because the rental market here is very tight and I will probably need a reference if I ever move.

It's been a rough year for my family financially and basically I've sold everything I own of any value in order to help different people out. So that's pretty much out at the moment.

Also, if people have some suggestions about any odd jobs where I can raise cash quickly, that would be good too. I can't do manual labor like raking and mowing at the moment because I just had knee surgery and am on crutches, but anything else that you can think of that pays cash quickly would be appreciated. I have a young child at home, so that's also a consideration as far as time.

Anon because I don't want this to sound like a thinly-veiled attempt to beg for money off anyone. I'm really not. I just need some suggestions to scrape up this money for the short term. If I borrow it, I'll be more than able to pay it back around the middle of next month.

Inexpensive fluorescent lantern/lamp with 12 volt option?

ae4rv — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:02:09 -0800

Fluorescent lantern suggestions for emergency home use? We've endured a total of 14 days without electricity in the past six months due to a wind storm and an ice storm. I have a portable 12V battery with "cigarette lighter" ports, a powered USB port and built-in LED floodlight, and of course, several flashlights. But next time I want a fluorescent lantern to compliment the battery. Trouble is, it's very hard to find a lantern that can also be powered by an external 12V source - most use internal D cells and that's it. Coleman makes a rechargeable one that can be charged (and presumably used) with an external 12V source, but I don't want to introduce the inefficiencies that I associate with the charging circuit. And rechargeable batteries typically have a shelf-life. And it's a little 'spensive.

Any suggestions? Don't want to spend too much...<$25.

PS: Should I just buy a 12V fluorescent bulb with built-in ballast and rig it up to a regular lamp with a homemade power adapter? Also, hacking an eight D-cell lantern to work with an external source has occurred to me, but I want to avoid that if possible.

Source for Medical Malpractice Insurance Quotes for Doctors/Hospitals?

Quarter Pincher — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:28:59 -0800

Do you know of any reasonably credible sources that list the premiums and deductibles that hospitals/doctors (of any kind, but largely medical surgeons for intensive-care/emergency/surgical hospitals) pay for medical malpractice insurance? I'm researching figures for a malpractice reform idea. The idea is based on a rumor that medical malpractice insurance is an absurdly burdensome expense for hospitals/doctors who must pay it in order to legitimately practice. If there were a way to eliminate that particular burden, the massive periodic (monthly/etc) savings would gradually equal lesser medical expenses for Billy and Susie down the line.

My idea was to eliminate the need for malpractice insurance by enacting legislation requiring the hospital in question to add the malpracticed-against as simply a new employee, paid out of the standard payroll expenses, at a comfort-offering rate (variable according to terms of the suit and local standards of living) instead of having to lop over this giant sum (and pay insurance for the dark cloud of a giant sum to loom over them, waiting to be dished out). Does this idea hold much water?

Mom was robbed. Now what?

cuddles.mcsnuggy — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:31:02 -0800

My mother's car was robbed yesterday in Savannah, GA. Thieves made off with the originals of her Social Security card, the Social Security card of my recently deceased father, her bank debit/ATM card, her original driver's license, credit cards, documents with her address on it, business cards, and a lot of cash. She had the police involved & a report has been filed. She has canceled the credit cards and will be talking to her bank. Thankfully her checkbook wasn't taken. What else can she do, or can I help with, to prevent identity theft now that criminals have her SSN, my dad's SSN, and her drivers license and address? I'm worried sick for my poor mom. Not only did her husband/my dad pass away ten days ago, but now she's been hit with the blow of this robbery. In addition to all of the vital documents above, she lost $2,000 cash. Everything was in a small purse she had "hidden" in the car when she was doing some shopping. Thieves watched her get out of the car and waited till she walked away then broke the window.

She has started the ball rolling to get her affairs back in order; she called her credit card companies already (she had several cards but she's pretty sure she got them all) and the police faxed some kind of report to her bank. She'll be going to the bank first thing in the morning and the DMV for a new license tomorrow. The police also did a forensics sweep over her car for fingerprints and "evidence" but we're not expecting that to go anywhere. My biggest concern is -- how can she keep her (and my dead dad's) Social Security number, ID, and address from being used to open unauthorized loans, accounts, or credit cards? What's to prevent someone from using her data to run up gargantuan debts in her (or Dad's) name?

I have read through previous AskMeFi threads and I have seen these sites:
What to do when your purse is stolen
The FTC's site on ID theft
US Dept. of Justice

- Are there additional things she must do besides the tips in the above links? Better easy-to-understand sites to refer her to? She is NOT at all tech-savvy.
- None of these sites seem to specifically address Social Security card and driver's license theft: What specifically will she need to do about those? Does she need to talk to the Social Security office? What would they do to help prevent fraud?
- Have any of you gone through this and have personal suggestions?
- Is there any way at all she can recover some or all of the cash (ie: will car insurance cover anything like that)?
- She is a resident of South Carolina and the theft happened in Georgia. What additional things will she need to do, or be aware of, because of the two states involved?
- Are ID protection services like LifeLock or TrustedID worth it; or would doing that now be like shutting the barn door after the horse ran off?

Many thanks.

Access Granted?

Hands of Manos — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:32:20 -0800

Had to go to the emergency room (I'm fine) and when I presented my insurance they said my "ER Access Fee" was 0$. So I paid nothing, but what does that cover exactly? What does the ER Access Fee cover? I had x-rays done, a physician saw me and I was in the ER for about 6 hours. Surely that's not all covered, right?

I'm on a HSA and have a 5k deductible. Something tells me I'm going to be expecting a large bill in the mail pretty soon. I called the hospital and they were unable to give me any explanation of what the ER Access fee meant and of course it's Saturday and no one will pick up at Assurant.

I'm just trying to see if I need to panic now, or just wait until I get the bill in the mail.

Help me choose health insurance?

attercoppe — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:55:14 -0800

Can you help my wife and I choose health insurance? I'm shopping for health insurance for my wife and I. I'm looking here for recommendations on good companies and good plans; tips on what to be sure to get and what to avoid; and even "Hey you sound like me, here's what I have and love."

We are 31 and 29, in good shape, and non-smokers. We live in Colorado. She currently does massage but in about three months she'll quit that, we'll move, and start trying to get pregnant. I have a desk job now but when we move I'll be looking to learn a trade - likely I'll be apprenticing as a plumber. We both snowboard now, she more than I.

So considering our current vocations and free-time activites, as well as our planned future situation...

I think we need covered: ER/broken bone, pre-natal and post-natal and possibly delivery. We lean towards home birth, alternative medicine, etc so coverage for that would be great.

I think we don't need: prescriptions, major surgery, mental health.

We might like: dental, vision, chiropractic, massage.

Bonuses would include portability (for when we move (within CO)), and a good range of choice in providers, as well as (in priority order) low premiums, low deductibles, and low co-pays. As befits insurance, this is pretty much just-in-case coverage. We don't really expect to use it much or at all. (Feel free to regale me with evidence that supports other thinking, just please no YOU GOTTA HAVE PSYCH AND MAJOR MED CUZ YOU NEVER KNOW!!1!.)

Thanks so much!

Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up...

juliewhite — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:58:05 -0800

I need recommendations for a good "emergency autodialer" system for my grandmother. The general idea is that should she fall and break her hip (or whatever), she can hit a button on a pendant, and the system calls some preprogrammed numbers and delivers an emergency message. CTQs below... What I am looking for is something that calls a couple of preprogrammed numbers FIRST before calling 911. AND that respond intelligently to voicemail - i.e., if it calls my cell and gets voicemail, it should continue down the list. The reviews I have read suggest that some systems do not have this feature. Some sort of feedback to the device "Press the pound key if you acknowledge this message" would be perfect, if that stopped the calling cycle.

Also, ideally in a "pendant" form (rather than a watch), and waterproof. Any suggestions?

How can I afford to build an "emergency fund" ?

swiffa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:41:29 -0800

How does one "put aside" x months of expenses for emergencies? Not pay expenses for x months? I often hear this advice (which I think is great) but putting it into reality is driving me mad.
For example: I make $18,000 year net and want to put aside $ 9,000 or 6 months living expenses (living practically check to check). If I put 1/2 of my check aside (impossible with expenses) it would take a year. At a more reasonable rate of 1/8 of my check ... 4 years?

Seems like by the time you have it put aside an emergency quite likely will have already happened (like a job loss). Any thoughts?(besides not sleep and work until health is lost) :)

Looking for a bulletproof web host with built-in colocation and failover.

benzenedream — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:33:55 -0800

Looking at setting up a simple web site (no CGI) but needs to be up 24/7 and reasonably disaster proof (earthquake, hurricane, regional fires, etc.). Hosting company needs to be multisite with automagic failover assuming one site goes down. Updates from primary to failover site can be as slow as hourly, they do not need to be in realtime. Minimal traffic (less than 2Gb/month). Don't care if it's straight hosting or a whole VPS, proc and memory usage should be minimal. Dedicated colo hardware would be overkill.

I realize there are various hand-rolled ways to achieve the same thing (rsync, cron, various DNS tricks spring to mind) but would prefer that the vendor worry about it. Most of the vendors I've found have a single bulletproof site but have no site failover.