Pumpkin patches are open, mums are on display on porches across the nation, and kids everywhere are planning their Halloween costumes. Halloween is an exciting time. Not only does it give families a chance to binge on candy and make-believe; it also marks the start of the holiday season. Many kids already have well-developed holiday wish lists by the end of October.

The weather may still be hot throughout most of the country, but walk into any grocery or home improvement store and you’ll see signs of fall: pumpkins, mums, apple cider, and straw bales. Cooler weather and the holiday season it brings will be here before you know it. Now is the time for emergency management agencies to begin preparing for holiday emergencies. Public outreach can save lives, so consider planning a public education seminar about common holiday emergencies before the temperature begins dropping.

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children under the age of 15, and when natural disasters strike, children are often the first casualties. The health and social costs of emergencies and natural disasters often last for years or even decades. Floods in South Asia, for instance, left 1.8 million children out of school. This presents the possibility that the floods may affect children for the rest of their lives.

The total cost of natural disasters reached more than $300 billion worldwide in 2017. Catastrophes such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes displace millions of people every year and send thousands to emergency departments. Climate change, increasingly crowded urban centers, and failing infrastructure all play a role in exacerbating the effect of these disasters, which show no sign of slowing down. Yet many EMS departments remain woefully unprepared. Don’t wait for a natural disaster to hit your area. The time to begin preparing is now.

For many families, summer means picnics, fireworks, and time at the pool. These summer experiences can quickly turn into nightmares when a parent turns their back on a swimming child.

Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes a slew of summer-related emergencies. From natural disasters to drownings to close encounters with stinging insects, the warm months usher in a plethora of deadly events that you, the emergency responder, must be prepared for.

Respiratory emergencies among the elderly are a common occurrence. As an emergency responder, especially if you work in warmer climes—such as Florida and Arizona—where many people go to retire, you will frequently be called upon to administer life-saving treatments for those in respiratory distress.

We all know what an important role the 911 system plays in communities throughout the United States, but the role of EMS goes well beyond responding to fire and medical emergencies. Today, departments are realizing the impact they can have throughout their cities by getting involved in public outreach and education.

Last August, on a calm Sunday at the southern coast of England, people strolling along the shore were suddenly engulfed in a strange chemical cloud. More than 130 people were treated at an area hospital for complaints ranging from sore throats, to streaming eyes, to difficulty breathing.¹ The source and the identity of the cloud have yet to be determined, but the event is a reminder that hazardous materials can cause a range of medical issues—one of the most serious being respiratory emergencies.