How to Fashion Your Own Emergency Whistle

The whistle has its origins dating back to ancient China, where night watchmen would blow into the tops of acorns to alert the towns against invading Mongolians. In ancient Egypt, two blades of the papyrus plant found along the Nile River were held together in between the palms. By blowing into the palms the papyrus leaves would make a loud vibrating sound.

Whistles are used for various purposes. They are used by English policemen to call for help and back-up. Industrial whistles are used for signaling and timekeeping on the railroad, on ships and in factories. Whistles are used by referees to preside over sporting matches. Due to their high pitch and their loud sounds, whistles are even used as musical instruments.

An emergency whistle kit is one of the most common and most useful tools to be included in a preparedness kit. These kits provide communication in times of emergency and rescue operations. Emergency whistles are easy to carry any time and anywhere. Thus, during emergency, you have to make sure that all the members of the family have an emergency whistle. However, if you do not have emergency whistles at home, you may use the following strategies to fashion your own emergency whistles:

Strategy One: Look for anything that can create sound and that can attract attention. An alarm clock will do; however, make sure that you have the batteries with you. Make sure that the clock produces a loud, high-pitched sound. Alarm clocks are good substitute emergency whistles. Just be careful because you still need to adjust the hands of the clock so as the clock will produce sound.

Strategy Two: Aside from the alarm clock, you may also use your hands as emergency whistles. Talk to the family members about the "clap sign". Devise a clap that means emergency. Make sure that all the members of the family or the members of the group understand the "clap sign". For instance, you decide to use a three continuous clap to signal emergency. Once the family members hear this signal, they know what you are trying to say. This strategy should be practiced so that the family members could determine if the loudness of the clap is enough or insufficient. Aside from the "clap sign" you may also use the "voice sign". It is not required that you shout; you just have to modulate your voice to produce louder sounds. Make sure that the voice comes from the diaphragm. Vocalization techniques can help family members with this strategy.

Strategy Three: Your kitchen tools could be used as emergency whistle. Since emergency whistles are used to catch attention because of the sound that they produce, you may also get a pan (aluminum is preferred because it produces louder sound) and a wooden spoon or anything that you may use to beat the pan. It is like you are creating a devised drum. This tool is applicable to emergency situations, especially if you are trapped inside the house. This "devised drum" will help you attract the attention of other people.

Strategy Four: Most of us own a cell phone. These cell phones could be used as emergency whistles. Just use any ring tone. Adjust the volume to the highest level and use it as an emergency tool to call for help. The use of cell phones will not only attract rescuers but also lessen the anxiety of the situation because of the tone that it produces. To be effective, however, the batteries of your cell phone must be fully charged. Tip: During a calamity or an emergency do not use your phone for unnecessary tasks (e.g. games). Conserve the energy of the battery for future use. For a faster use of the phone, you may adjust the setting beforehand and name it as "emergency" profile so that your "emergency whistle" will be one click away.

Listed above are the simplest ways to fashion your own whistle. You do not need to spend more, just be creative and confident of your emergency tool.
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