Pro-whistler

As people grow older it seems as if whistles get less and less fun.  I remember happily deafening myself throughout my childhood to make that shrilling noise and now I jump a foot in the air, search all around to find out who’s making the ruckus, breathe a sigh of relief when I realize it’s just a kid having fun, and then cringe at the endless piercing.  

Photo courtesy of buisness-ethics.com



But as an emergency preparedness promoter I cannot say that I wish I could ban all whistles from the face of the earth.  Besides the fact that sports games would be a complete mess without that resounding noise, they are also a fabulous way to draw attention to yourself.  This is why during every presentation I give in the community, whistles are always on my agenda.  Why you ask?



Say that you are sleeping in your room one evening and you awake to the sounds of fire alarms.  When you get to the door, it’s hot, and smoke is beginning to enter the room.  What do you do? If it’s not possible to get out through another door or safely exit a window, you should, if you have a phone in your room, call 9-1-1 and tell them that your house is on fire and that you’re are stuck.  You can then crack a window (DON’T open it all the way unless you are going to jump or be rescued immediately) for fresh air, grab your trusty whistle (which we advise everyone to have in each bedroom of their home) and blow it.  Not only will the noise of the whistle travel much farther and much louder than your voice but it will also prevent you from inhaling as much smoke as you would be yelling. 

Aside from by your bedside, we also advice you to have a whistle in your emergency kit incase you’re ever trapped or need to get someone’s attention quickly during an emergency and/or disaster as well as have a whistle on your keychain so that you will always be able to draw attention to yourselves if you need help.



For more information on what else you should pack in your emergency kit, click here!