When disaster strikes, bystanders are on the scene helping the injured before emergency responders arrive. In the first few minutes after a disaster, the actions that bystanders take to help others can make all the difference. Bystanders, even those with little or no medical training, can become heroic lifesavers during disasters.

As we witnessed during events over the past year like the winter superstorm Jonas, the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting, or the Houston floods, bystanders’ efforts can save a person’s life or give emergency responders the time they need to reach the injured person and provide care.

Make it your New Year’s resolution to lend a hand when someone around you is hurt and needs your help, and empower others to get involved. It not only saves lives but it also builds community health resilience and national health security.

Health security is all about making sure people are protected and resilient in the face of events that can harm their health and the health of those around them. By being a more educated, informed, and active bystander, you can be an incredibly important part of health security!

In a disaster situation when emergency management and medical personnel are addressing the most critical patients, there are many opportunities for others to assist with other needs, like applying basic first aid, stopping the bleeding or comforting survivors.

Here are three things you can do to help protect health and maybe even save someone’s life when disaster strikes:

Be Willing to Help

Training is an important part of it, but also being willing to take care of someone who may desperately need it in that moment is just as important.   You don’t have to be a doctor to help.  Carrying someone who is hurt or injured to safety, providing comfort to an injured person, or helping someone find medical care are all things that most of us can do. A bystander who is prepared is one who is aware of potential risks, knows where they can go for help, and most importantly, wants to assist others.

Become a Better Bystander

Many people want to help their friends, families and communities when disasters strike, but they aren’t sure how. Being willing to help in an emergency, taking a first aid and CPR class, and having risk awareness are critical steps to becoming a better bystander. Complete a bystander preparedness training or just take a few minutes to learn to apply a tourniquet. The American Red Cross is a great organization to start with for finding trainings available in your area.

Support Bystander Response

By promoting bystander response to other residents and organizations, you can strengthen community health resilience and national health security. Become an advocate in your local community.  Encourage organizations that you are involved in to support training and certification programs like first aid, family care, AED (automated external defibrillator), CPR, and emergency care—all of which create stronger bystanders.

So remember, bystanders don’t just stand by! They can save lives. Start the New Year off right by becoming a better prepared bystander and encouraging others to do the same. Doing so will create a community that is better prepared overall.

To learn more about national health security, visit www.PHE.gov/NHSS.