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“FEMA BUDDY” : A simple strategy for all us to stay safe during the COVID-19 crisis

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, there are four main reasons you should go out of your house during stay at home times- FOOD, EXERCISE, MEDICATIONS AND ALCOHOL. A handy acronym reminding us of these four reasons for leaving the home is “FEMA” (not to be confused with the federal agency responsible for crisis relief).

The FEMA BUDDY concept is a smart way to keep you and your loved ones safe during this terrible crisis.

Think about having a home-stay buddy to keep you safe. “The Buddy System” is widely used to ensure safety in several situations including SCUBA diving, in the military, and even at summer camp. Why not rely on a “buddy” during these trying times to avoid the novel coronavirus?

Most of us have another person we can rely on. Under the FEMA BUDDY approach, you and your buddy decide together:

• Do you really need to go out?
• When will we go out ?
• Where are we going?
• Do we have PPE (masks, gloves, hand wash, etc.)?
• What is sequence of trip?
• How long are we going to be gone?

If you decide to go out, with a plan in mind, then you and your buddy can go together and do the following:

• Travel together
• Make sure your buddy is not touching surfaces unnecessarily
• Ensure that they keep their PPE on at all times
• Keep to itinerary
• Keep to schedule

The advantages of the FEMA BUDDY system are:

• Shows unity
• Minimizes risks
• Avoids anger at the other who unintentionally makes you sick
• Avoids guilt if you unintentionally make the other sick
• Promotes bonding while you and your buddy work together to procure essentials

Why don’t you try the FEMA BUDDY system? Maybe you can team up to give that coronavirus a hard time!

By Gregory Cairns, Esq.
Cairns & Associates, P.C., Denver, Colorado
April 17, 2020
(All rights reserved)