Which one

This week in my #weekend-engagement topics week 89 I posed a few reasonably challenging topics for people to select from with one in particular seeming a rather difficult one to address or answer...but I don't think so. The question is below and in this post I give my response.

If you could save only one child from a burning house who would you choose to save and why? They are six-year-old twins, a boy and girl and the one you do not save will die. What is the logic behind your choice and possible implications moving forward.

If you've had any experience with burning houses you'll know there is very little time to think and act. With so many highly flammable things inside the home a house ignites quickly and fire takes hold in a very short time.

One doesn't have a lot of time to make decisions...and this is why I have a fire evacuation plan (which is discussed and practiced monthly) in my household, fire extinguishers, fire blankets and a go-bag with a few essential items within which can be grabbed and taken if rapid evacuation is required. (Documents, money, credit cards, car keys, contact details and so on.)

A modern house is full of plastics and other flammable items: Paints and lacquers, fabrics, flooring, bench tops, furniture, utensils and so on. These things ignite and burn very rapidly. The intense heat, choking smoke and fumes means one can't see well or breathe safely meaning time is of the essence and so...there's not much time to think.

If you leave your thinking and planning to the moment this emergency situation occurs it's almost certainly not going to end well. So, be prepared...You know, like the first responders are prepared for when they arrive at the scene of an incident so they can approach the situation calmly and with professional efficiency...and save lives.

But back to the hypothetical situation.

The scenario

The house across the street is burning and the mother of two kids is out the front screaming that her twin boy and girl, just six years old and sleeping in different rooms, are still inside. The fire service has been called but they are not there yet however the fire has firmly taken hold and flames are shooting through the roof.

For the purpose of this post I'm eliminating any practical precautions and actions I'd take to mitigate the risk to myself as I enter the house and am just focusing on the save the children part.

So, here's who I save and the thought process behind the decision.

My decision and action

Which one do I save? Well, for me the decision is very easy...Which ever child I came across first.

Keep in mind I'm not working around a known situation here but let's just assume I enter and come across child one, cowering in fear within the bedroom. I pick the child up, shield them the best I can, and exit the house carrying the child to safety.

At that point a secondary decision needs to be made based on the assessment of the fire-conditions I've just experienced inside the house, what I learned about the layout and condition of the house itself and how likely it is I would be able to make it back in and out again safely. Of course, in this case I would almost certainly go back in and make an attempt...but that's a different post. For this post...well, the job's done as such.

The first one I came across

For me this isn't a decision about saving the boy or girl as both are equally valuable; To think otherwise is ludicrous. It's not a gender-decision, it's a logical one.

It's not a decision on who would live the best life if they survive, who was the best or smartest and certainly their gender isn't a factor...It's a practical decision based on saving as many lives as one can. Situations like this are hostile, extremely hot and it's impossible to breathe as the fire consumes the available oxygen and the burning plastics release toxins, fumes and smoke. Seconds count and scooping up one child then looking for the other is likely to cost all three lives. Scooping up one child and removing them to safety delivers a result.

The other consideration is that there is no assurances that the second child is still alive, or reachable in the conditions the house is in. If I had a live child in my arms then that one deserves to exfil to safety and to have a chance at life.

Moving forward

I believe, in the scenario I describe above, I'd face a lifelong battle with my decision. I'd replay the moment, the thought-process and decision to go back in or not and I'd blame myself for not saving the other child of course.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a terrible weight to carry and almost impossible to eradicate. It sits within a person and claws at their mind from the inside, it tears a person apart internally, changes behaviours and is so deeply ingrained it becomes a part of the afflicted individual. It can be tempered somewhat, the symptoms alleviated, however there is no known cure. I believe a situation like this would leave a mark upon a person; Guilt and shame? Probably.

People do difficult things like this every day; first responders, medical staff, soldiers and civilians alike are faced with choices that could result in potential loss of life.

The sad thing is the latter group above, civilians, are largely unprepared to make those choices and that exacerbates the potential for disaster.

These decisions are rarely easy to make however must be made because being slow to act decreases the percentage of a successful rescue or result. The sad part is, being a little prepared doesn't cost much, if anything, and is quite easily undertaken...but people are lazy, ignorant, arrogant, falsely hopeful or whatever nutbaggery they use to justify their lack of preparedness. I just call them irresponsible and lazy.

So, that's about it for me in respect of this topic; It's a rather simple decision. Sure, I'd approach it with the expectation and hope of saving both children however I also understand scenarios like this one, and the tough decisions that often need to be made, reasonably well. Taking one child to safety saves one child and, for me, that one would be the first one I came across. I'd deal with the second if and when I could.

If you have some different thoughts feel free to click the link above to the announcement post and follow the guidelines for entry and do a post about it. Alternatively, comment here if you like. Your opinion may differ from mine, but you're still entitled to share it.