"In order for citizens to play an optimum role in responding to a mass casualty event, it is important to develop a "culture of preparedness". Spreading basic knowledge such as who to inform when an incident occurs can speed up responses and result in lives being saved. Similarly, increasing basic search and rescue and first aid skills can avoid the onset of complications for those injured in a mass casualty incident. In addition to knowledge, attitudes need to be changed. The passive expectation that responding to emergencies is someone else's responsibility (typically someone in authority) can be changed to an active willingness to get involved in the activities necessary to a planned response. While efforts to inculcate such a culture can be sponsored (i.e. funded and conceived) at national level, programming is likely to be most effective if delivered by local government authorities and based in a planning process. Such activities may include: (1) preparedness training to teach communities how to survive without outside help for a given period (48 or 72 hours) (2) Basic search and rescue and first aid training for community members and for emergency services staff (publications such as Capacity Building for Search & Rescue in Local Communities (Jeannet 1999) and International harmonization of First Aid: First recommendations on life-saving techniques (IFRC 2004) provide useful advice on this) (3) presentations at public gatherings such as clubs, religious centres (e.g. those connected with churches, mosques and temples), and community service organizations (4) Advertising or public information through the press and electronic media, or using posters, leaflets and public displays in markets and shopping areas. The education system has an important role to play in preparedness. Schools can incorporate some elements of the community's emergency preparedness plans in curricula for children and teen-agers, in order to increase the awareness of what to do during a mass casualty incident". (World Health Organization, Mass Casualty Management Systems, April 2007, p. 23)