Playing With Fire: A "What Would You Do?" Scenario
What would you do?
A raging fire, a hectic scene, and a smartphone notification
You're walking along one day when ahead of you in the distance you see smoke.
Probably just a chimney in the distance, you think to yourself. You continue on your way.
A little farther along, you realize that the smoke looks more like a spark.
I wonder if there's a fire, you ask yourself. But fires happen all the time, you think. It's probably nothing.
You keep walking.
As you get closer, you see flames. You can tell that people are gathering. Curious, you keep walking to see what's going on.
As you approach the scene, you realize that in front of you is not a chimney, but a giant fire, raging out of control.
You pause.
Taking a look around, you observe the following scene:
In front of you, there are firefighters—some responding to the fire, others sharing instructions to the growing crowds. Some folks immediately turn away, returning to the safety of their own homes. They want nothing to do with the fire or getting anywhere near it.
Still, the crowds grow as people continue to approach. They've never seen a fire of this magnitude before.
To one side, you see a group of firefighters directing people to various locations away from the fire.
"The locations over there have fire-resistant suits," they say. "Before you continue on your way, we recommend you buy one and put it on. These suits will help keep you safe."
Some are upset by this inconvenience. "This sucks, but I'm not going to get burnt." They turn around and return home grumbling.
Others disperse, going to purchase themselves a fire-resistant suit. They've already planned out their day, but feel that this slight change of course is worth the minor inconvenience that will allow them to continue with their plans.
"We'll go grab a suit, put it on, and then finish running our errands," you overhear parents telling their children. "We'll be home soon."
Others, though, begin shouting at the firefighters. "Why should I have to wear a ridiculous fire suit?!" one man yells. "I'll wear whatever clothes I want!"
A woman returning from the store wearing a newly purchased, ridiculous-looking fire-resistant suit passes by. Hearing the man's yelling, she stops to offer some kind words.
"You're right," she says, "these suits do look ridiculous. I mean look at this thing. It’s ugly, and a little bit uncomfortable, too. I'm not thrilled about it, but that fire is out of control, and if you get too close to the fire without this suit to protect you, you could die. I don’t wish that on you, or anybody else."
Outside of another store, you see more people in plain clothing yelling at a group of people wearing fire suits. Among them is a little boy. The boy, who is wearing a fire-resistant suit, starts crying.
"Please, stop yelling at me! I'm not bothering you, I'm just scared of the fire and want to stay safe."
Over near some firefighters, you see a magician, shouting to the masses.
"Come to my show!" he says. It's just on the other side of that fire!
A little girl turns to her father and quietly asks, "Won't we get burned if we go to the show?"
The father repeats his daughter’s question to the magician. "What happens if we get burned at your show? And aren't you afraid of being burnt, too?"
"That's not my fault!" the magician bellows. "Besides, I'll be just fine.” He holds up a bottle. “I’m taking this magic potion!"
The father looks at the firefighters, who shake their heads.
"We don't know for sure that this magic potion works," says one firefighter. "It's probably best to go back home, but, if you really want to see the show, it's probably best to wear a fire-resistant suit."
Caught up in the spectacle, you hadn't noticed a woman stopped beside you, also observing the scene. You turn your attention to her. She's on her way to a friend's birthday party.
After watching the scene unfold for a moment, she pulls out her phone. She calls her friend to wish them a happy birthday and apologizes for missing the party.
"I'm really sorry, but this fire looks really bad. I'd love to be there but I promise, once they put this fire out, we'll to get together another day to celebrate." She hangs up.
Thinking she sees some ash on her phone from the fire, she wipes off her phone before turning to the store to buy a fire-resistant suit.
What happens next, you hear before actually seeing it.
Mixed with the voices of those talking calmly like the woman on her phone, the people arguing with the firefighters, the cries of the boy being yelled at, the magician's promotion, the father's projection of his daughter's question, and the magician trying to draw an audience to his next show, you hear screams.
You look in the direction of the screams to see people in plain street clothes, walking away from the firefighters and directly into the fire.
A notification on your phone buzzes: It's time for that appointment. It's on the other side of the fire, and you're now running late...
What would you do?
Let's consider a few things:
Firefighters are specially trained to respond to fires, and hopefully, extinguish the fires. They are also trained to keep people at risk of burning or dying in a fire safe. What they see when they arrive at the scene may be different from what they encounter once they go into the burning building, but they do the best they can to assess the situation from the exterior and adjust their approach as they learn more about the fire.
When a firefighter arrives at the scene of a fire and instructs people to keep their distance, people oblige. When they enter the building and find people still inside, they instruct them to stay below the smoke line and exit the burning building, people oblige. They may ask the firefighter to save a family member or a pet, but they then lower themselves as much as they can and make their way to the exit, without question, to seek safety. They may not be able to save everybody, but those who listen to the firefighters' instructions are more likely to survive.
Fire-resistant suits are not 100% proven to prevent burns, but they're far more successful in preventing burns than not wearing one at all. If you decide you need to be near a fire, it's best to protect yourself. You never know when your clothes might catch fire and set other things, or those around you, on fire as well.
Now, let's consider a few more things:
COVID-19 is the "raging fire."
The "magic show" is, let's just say, anything you might want to go do for entertainment. It could be going to the beach, going out to dinner, hitting the gym, or anything other social, public activity that requires you to be around other people.
The "fire-resistant suits" are the precautions, the masks, social distancing, disinfecting things you touch and thoroughly washing your hands, and the quarantining guidelines that we've been instructed to follow. Like a fire-resistant suit, they may not be fun, comfortable, or what you want to do. But at the end of the day, they're not hard to follow, and they're simply designed to keep you, and everyone around you healthy and safe.
And of course, the "firefighters" are the health experts—infectious disease doctors, epidemiologists and scientists among others, leading research and instructing the public on how to stay healthy, safe, and avoid spreading and contracting COVID-19. These instructions are the equivalent of the metaphorical "firefighters" giving us instructions to stay below the smoke line and stay away from the burning building. They don't yet know everything about COVID-19, but their warnings are not without some backing in research, science, and medicine.
The rest, that's for you to deduce. The point here is that if the firefighters are telling you it's safest not to go to a show, it's probably best not to go, even if you think you have a magic potion. But, of course, if you must go, it’s best to wear a fire-resistant suit.
Now halfway through 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading like a raging fire, some have turned around and laid low at home while they wait for the virus to be contained. You're being extra cautious, and hopefully, you have the means to maintain this caution until it’s truly safe to go out again.
Some put on a mask because they have to in order to do their jobs— doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, among many others working around the clock to help those who need it most. Thank you you for your service to the public, may you have continued safety and health.
Some wash their hands, put on a mask, and keep a safe social distance while continuing to go wherever they need to go. They’re understandably feeling stir-crazy because it's summer now and they miss their family, friends, and whatever activities make them feel able to live their “normal" lives. But they also understand that taking these precautions will help to prevent not only them but those around them from a rapidly-spreading, deadly virus during this pandemic. Thank you to you as well— no, this isn’t always easy, but it’s the socially responsible thing to do.
And some remain in their regular street clothes, mocking and antagonizing others for wearing their fire-resistant suits. And despite all that is going on, the constant reminders of the risks and precautions, those some still decide to remain in their street clothes, endanger others, and walk directly into the flames.
And so, the question remains…
What would you do?
© Whatismyhealth
For more information about COVID-19 go to:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019