Make it an "ember" to remember

In Nigeria, we often call the last four months of each year the "Ember" months, a play on the endings of September, October (sort of), November & December. For many, it's a time of great celebration. Families fly in from all over the world to see their loved ones, weddings are booked, and industry events, religious gatherings, and concerts are happening every day. The change from torrential rains and flooding to the dryer, less humid harmattan season also means fewer disruptions to plans. It can be an amazing time to create memories.

At the same time, there is a sense of dread or foreboding that accompanies this season. News headlines begin warning citizens to "prepare" for ember months and beware. I distinctly remember from childhood the increase in prayers against unexpected death as the end of the year got closer. It was almost as if the goal became to just make it across the finish line, or December 31st, alive. If you do, be thankful. And traditionally, we celebrate the end of this period and the ushering in of a new year than with more prayer. In an environment where safety and security are far from guaranteed, being thankful for life is important. Yet, is there really something about the end of year that increases risk? Or are these fears unfounded?

Some of the most common incidents during this season include:

1. Road accidents
2. Armed robbery and other criminal incidents
3. Fire
4. Sudden medical conditions

It makes sense that there would be an increase in these incidents. There are more people traveling on the roads within and between states, and bad road and vehicle conditions plus bad driving make crashes more likely. People are partying more - driving under the influence is far more common. People are also more liberal with their spending and criminals looking to make quick money will take advantage. And of course, there's a lot more smokey jollof rice to be made; the risk of fire increases.

Even though good data is often hard to come by, data from the Federal Road Safety Corps Medical and Rescue Office suggests that although there has been a increase in road accidents and medical incidents over the years, the last quarter of the year may not actually be that special.

To be fair, we know that as little as 3% of medical emergencies are reported to emergency authorities and there are still gaps in road accident data collection. So even though the data suggests that the ember months may be more myth than reality, it's no reason to throw caution to the wind. If anyone has more compelling data on this, please share below!

In the meantime, what can we do?

As you plan for the rest of the year, think about what steps you can take to enhance your safety and be ready for any emergency. At Emergency Response Africa we have been actively training people from all walks of life with lifesaving first aid skills and promoting our emergency request mobile app, Signal. This season, we'll be doing a lot more to help you and your loved ones be ready for the ember months. After all, statistics won't mean anything if you are one of the numbers! Stay tuned.

Please share your thoughts below: Do you have any fear around ember months? How do you 'prepare'? Or is this even on your mind?

And while you're at it,

??Download “Signal by ERA” on the Play store, click here?https://lnkd.in/dwB39Zcd

??Download “Signal by ERA” on App store, click here?https://lnkd.in/d28kjVbC

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