Many times an emergency creates a life and death situation making the situation a medical emergency. If there is not the availability of an emergency lantern or emergency light source, the medical situation will be significantly compromised. Having all the medical supplies in the world won’t make any difference if it is impossible to see what is going on to assess the situation. When darkness compromises the assessment of injuries the ability to apply emergency medical procedures is also compromised.
The same is true for search and rescue operations. It is almost impossible to conduct emergency rescue procedures in the dark. Many times dealing with the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster means looking for survivors at night or in the darkness caused by searching underground or through rubble piles. Being able to see what you are dealing with increases the degree of safety for the rescuers and victims.
Emergency action plans are an excellent way to plan for the unknown and to be prepared to respond efficiently as soon as possible. An emergency plan includes putting together lists of supplies and tools that will help in the event of a disaster. When the list is final, the items should be collected or purchased and stored in an accessible place. Appropriate emergency lighting should be on everyone’s emergency planning list. To be able to determine the suitability of emergency lanterns, decisions need to be made after learning about and comprehending the pros and cons of the variety of emergency lanterns on the market as there are many emergency lantern options to consider.
Emergency lanterns come in a variety of models and types including: 12 LED light battery, 20 LED lantern battery, Windup LED, lantern and radio combinations, lantern, radio and television combinations, kerosene lanterns, and solar powered lantern etc. Each of these types of emergency lanterns has individual strengths, benefits and limitations such as:
LED emergency lanterns are super bright and provide intense light for close-up work as well as useful for distributing light into the distance.
Battery powered emergency lanterns can be bought with rechargeable batteries.
Windup or crank emergency lanterns can be used when any source of power is unavailable.
Solar emergency lanterns can be powered up by the sun without the use of batteries. Most come with an adaptor for a car or home.
An emergency lantern can be used at times other than emergencies making them a more flexible resource to have around. If using an emergency light for something other than and emergency, ensure when you put it back after use that you have recharged batters, solar panels and/or replaced low batteries.
~Ben Anton, 2007
