MASA Assist is here to help with information on how emergency medical transport could be affected when severe conditions hit, tips on how to elevate your emergency preparedness, and resources for travel in disaster-prone areas.
Living, working and traveling in an area prone to natural disasters can be challenging, since dangerous situations can escalate quickly. While the basics of emergency preparedness are likely second nature to residents, there’s always room to enhance your readiness and improve your ability to withstand the unexpected, whether you are facing a medical emergency during storm season or not.
Never hesitate to call for help
If you need emergency care, never hesitate to call the emergency response line for your area. If you’re dealing with a medical emergency during a hurricane or natural disaster, it may take more time for emergency medical transport to reach you, as it has to adapt to disaster conditions. However, emergency responders get extensive training for situations just like these. If your condition requires care that is unavailable locally, you can call MASA Assist, and we’ll make every effort to provide transfer coordination. Whether you need emergency air or ground transportation, we’ll work tirelessly to get you safely moved to a facility capable of the care you need. And if you are already hospitalized, a storm hits, and you need to be transferred to another facility during a hurricane evacuation, we’ll be there to coordinate your air transport and protect your out-of-pocket transport costs.
Boost your skills and kits when living in disaster-prone areas
Upgrade your emergency skills with courses
If you live in an area where you are a longer distance from access to medical care or to prepare for the possibility that there’s a delay in emergency care in the aftermath of a natural disaster — due to obstructed roads, flooding, or other obstacles — it’s wise to consider upgrading your emergency skills. You or your family may have to rely on your own emergency care skills until help arrives. Visit the Global First Aid Reference Centre’s Training Directory, to find a course in CPR and/or first aid in your area that can give you the skills you may need to stabilize yourself, or someone else, in the event of an injury.
Backup your devices and power up with helpful apps
In hurricane season, staying as up to date as possible on weather forecasts and potential hazards for your area is also critical. One way to level up your ability to monitor the situation and maintain access to important information, is to prep a charged, backup mobile device and portable power bank to add to your emergency kit. Add downloaded maps, emergency contact lists, and copies of important documents to your backup device, so you have access to important information even if cellular service is down.
Consider downloading some weather tracking apps to your primary and backup mobile device. The Clime app and the Weather Channel app (iOS and Android) are great for on-the-go access to severe weather tracking. Check your island’s government website for information about emergency planning locally and to download any disaster preparedness and weather tracking apps specific to your island. Plus, download the MASA app (iOS and Android), so you’ll have quick access to your emergency medical transport coverage and services.
Identify weaknesses through testing
You’ve taken some first aid courses, packed your emergency kit, and made an emergency plan — have you tested everything to make sure it will work when you face a medical emergency or need care when a storm hits? Many make an emergency plan and put together a kit, but few remember to actually test everything out and practice. Organize regular practice drills to test the effectiveness of your emergency plan. Try out different scenarios and use the opportunity to test out the gear in your emergency kit. You’ll be able to identify any weaknesses or areas for improvement, so you can refine your strategies accordingly.
Remember, disasters don’t just hit you at home
What if a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes while you’re away from home? What if you face a medical emergency while abroad? Have you thought about what you might do? If you’re planning travel during hurricane season or to a disaster-prone area, consider bringing along a smaller version of your emergency supply kit, as well as your power bank and backup mobile device with helpful digital tools like downloaded maps, the MASA app, and the Clime app. You can also create a temporary emergency plan and decide on a designated meeting spot for you and others you may be traveling with, in the event that a disaster occurs.
No matter where you go, having access to the MASA app is key, because it gives you quick access to your membership information and benefits. Before you leave, review your MASA Assist membership in the app or in your member portal to see what resources are available to you and where they extend. While MASA isn’t travel insurance, your membership benefits may extend worldwide. Submit your itinerary in the member portal 10 days prior to your departure. If your membership includes Repatriation to Hospital Near Home Transportation, and you need continued care after you are hospitalized for an emergency, we’ll provide coordination services and protect you from the expenses to transport you to a medical facility near your home. We also offer features like Minor Return Transportation and Pet Return Transportation, which provide coordination services and expenses for the return of your child or pet safely home, if you are hospitalized due to a medical emergency. No matter where you go, you can count on MASA Assist to protect you from unexpected medical transport costs.
We’re here for you
Here at MASA Assist, we’re in the business of helping you stay prepared for the unexpected. We hope our tips help you stay prepared to more confidently navigate emergencies, so you can increase your chances of staying safe and minimizing the impact on your life.