March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross wants to encourage everyone to learn the important skills of CPR, first aid and AED usage.
Red Cross instructor Angele Cassiday teaching CPR
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere. According to the American Heart Association, more than 357,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital setting each year in the United States, and nearly 90% of those arrests are fatal.
Despite this, survival rates can double or triple for victims of cardiac arrest if CPR is started immediately. That’s why training is vitally important so that prompt medical attention can be given before emergency responders arrive.
What should you do if you see a person suddenly collapse? Assess the scene for safety and check the victim’s pulse and breathing. Call 911. Start CPR. Use an AED.
How do you check a pulse? The easiest way is to place your fingers on the victim’s throat and slide your fingers laterally down into the groove on either side of the esophagus. The wrist can also be used; the pulse is located just below the thumb joint, also in the groove.
CPR, or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, is the application of chest compressions to keep blood pumping through the body. The Hands-Only CPR method is recommended for bystanders in public settings, meaning the focus is solely on delivering chest compressions, without breaths, until emergency responders arrive.
AED stands for automated external defibrillator. It is an important, lifesaving tool used in sudden cardiac arrest when the heart stops beating or is beating ineffectively. The machine is easy to use and talks you through the steps to deliver effective medical care until help arrives. Anyone can learn to use an AED.
More and more communities are placing AEDs in public areas, such as parks, town centers, grocery stores and workplaces, so lifesaving measures can be started even earlier. The next time you are out and about, note the locations of AED machines in your community. This knowledge may help save someone’s life one day.
Did you know that the Red Cross offers training in CPR, first aid and AED? While CPR and AED training is common among health care workers, child care workers and lifeguards, it is a skill that anyone can and should learn. Be prepared for any situation by visiting https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class and signing up to take an online or in-person class.
Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer
Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer
Several local community members who performed brave acts of heroism were recently honored at the annual Acts of Courage Awards, presented by the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.
The annual dinner and award ceremony took place last Thursday at the NEW Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in Rootstown. As a special feature of the awards, the Red Cross also presented the H. Peter Burg Community Leader Award to Rick Burke for his lifetime of community leadership and dedication to the Red Cross mission.
Read on to learn more about this year’s winners as well as their heroic acts. View more photos here and watch this special story on the event from Cleveland’s Fox 8 News.
Acts of Courage Award Winners:
Audrey Jokovich, Keenan Orr & Marissa Tyger While in Wooster, Ohio completing an assignment for their nursing class at Kent State University, students Audrey Jokovich, Keenan Orr and Marissa Tyger noticed a man lying in the middle of roadway. As they rushed to help, they realized he was unconscious, aggressively shaking and slamming his head against the ground. While another bystander called 911 the students protected his head and airway and placed him on his side. Finding the man’s cell phone, the students heard his father on the line and he provided much needed medical history and other health information about the individual. Emergency services arrived and transported the man to a local hospital.
Jenna Omar
Seventh graders Jenna Omar and Luciana Kolat, friends since they were four, were sitting at lunch when Luciana began choking on a piece of breaded shrimp. She tried to reach down and pull it out herself but only pushed it down further. Unable to breathe, she started gagging and put her hands to her throat to show she was in distress. Jenna realized the emergency, jumped up and patted her friend on the back. When that didn’t work, she ran behind Luciana and gave her a strong abdominal thrust. Everything came out and Luciana’s airway was cleared.
Deputy Brian Gorham and Don Sedlock
Portage Lakes resident Don Sedlock was driving to the boat dock near his home when he saw that a fire had broken out at his neighbor’s. Stopping at the scene, Don discovered someone trapped inside and rushed in to get him out. Deputy Brian Gorham arrived shortly after and found the side of the house engulfed in flames. He also ran inside where he discovered Don trying to help his neighbor. Brian and Don worked together to carry out the 92-year-old man who was unable to walk and had been trapped in his bedroom. Four other adults and the family dog were able to follow Don and Deputy Gorham to safety while firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Hannah Stein
While running with her dog Boltan on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Towpath, Hannah Stein heard a cry coming from the river. She ran toward the cries and found a young woman waist deep in the river. The woman had lost her footing, fallen in and was trapped waist-deep in the water, unable to get out. Hannah immediately rushed to the riverbank to help, with Boltan right behind. Removing Boltan’s harness and leash, Hannah passed them to the girl to grab onto. After a couple of strong pulls from Hannah, the young woman was able to lift herself onto the riverbank. The Valley Fire Department was called to check on the young woman.
Tim Graichen
Tim Graichen and a co-worker were traveling home from a business trip in Tennessee when they witnessed a car lose control, flip and roll multiple times, finally landing in the median in front of them. Tim yelled for someone to call 911 as he jumped from the car to help. Tim saw the car engine was on fire and immediately began to work on pulling the driver from the vehicle. Finally freeing him, Tim saw the victim was unresponsive, and he was unable to find a pulse. Tim began performing CPR and worked alone for several minutes until a nurse stopped at the scene and offered to take over chest compressions. The paramedics arrived and transported the man to the hospital, where he arrived breathing and with a pulse.
Terra White
Terra White, a veteran firefighter, was in an ambulance working her first shift with a new partner. As they traveled through Akron, her partner, who was driving, suffered a medical emergency. The ambulance began to swerve, and Terra saw her partner slumped in his seat with his foot on the accelerator. Knowing she had to act quickly, Terra reached over a large computer between them and grabbed the steering wheel. She then maneuvered her way into the driver’s side, removed her partner’s foot from the gas and slammed on the brakes. The vehicle skidded and finally came to a stop in a vacant lot. Terra later discovered the ambulance stopped just a few feet shy of 50 ft. embankment, a drop that would have been fatal had the ambulance not stopped.
Congratulations to all the winners! Do you know someone who acted in an emergency to help save a life? Share their story with us for possible recognition at upcoming Acts of Courage and Hero awards events across the Northern Ohio Region. And make sure you’re prepared to help save a life like these heroes by signing up for a Red Cross training course near you.
Those of us who live in northern Ohio are never very far from water: Lake Erie, swimming pools, ponds, reservoirs and rivers. Even water parks, hot tubs and spas.
All that water offers lots of opportunities for fun, but it also poses a very real – sometimes tragic – hazard.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 4,000 people die of drowning every year in the United States. To put a finer point on it, drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death of children age 1 to 4.
The Bennett family of University Heights came harrowingly close to those statistics earlier this year. While on vacation, their four-year-old found her way into a backyard pool and was discovered unconscious at the bottom.
Fortunately, her 15-year-old sister, Ayala, had completed an American Red Cross lifeguarding, first aid and CPR course just two weeks earlier. She was able to perform CPR until medical help arrived and the little girl recovered.
Ayala Bennett, flanked by her father Josh and mother Raizel
For her lifesaving action, Ayala received the Red Cross Certificate of Merit, the highest award given by the Red Cross to people who save or sustain a life using skills learned in a Red Cross course. The Red Cross also recognized Shira Goldsmith of Goldsmith Swim School, who taught Ayala’s lifesaving class. “It made me feel so good, that she was able to save her sister,” Shira said. “It made me think, this is why I do what I do.”
Shira was just a teenager herself when she realized there weren’t enough lifeguards to safely supervise children in backyard pools in her neighborhood, so she got trained. “I did my first rescue at 15,” she recalled. She’ll never forget the rush of adrenaline and the overwhelming relief of success.
Shira Goldsmith, Goldsmith Swim School
Passionate about water safety, Shira teaches swimming as well as lifeguarding, first aid and CPR as a high school elective. She also has many students with special needs, African Americans and members of her Jewish faith.
“Even if you don’t know how to swim, learn CPR,” she emphasized. “You never know.”
The Red Cross certifies trainers like Shira as part of its mission to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
As we mark International Water Safety Day, the Red Cross offers these reminders: Learn to swim competently and be sure your children do too! Go to RedCross.org/TakeAClass Swim as a pair near a lifeguard’s chair. Never swim alone. Reach or throw, don’t go. Don’t enter the water to rescue someone unless you’re trained. Look before you leap. Be sure it’s a safe place and time to swim. Follow the rules. Listen to the lifeguards. Don’t just pack it. Wear that life jacket. Think so you don’t sink. Floating or treading water can help you make good decisions. Don’t fool with a pool or spa: Fence it with self-latching gates. Download the American Red Cross Swim app for more tips and tools for water safety for the whole family.
The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer
Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer
One of the first things we teach a new pet is the meaning of the word “NO”. There are a lot of things they should learn that are not acceptable. And there is much that pet owners should realize are a “NO” as well. Here are 10 must-know NOs:
Household decorations: Holiday ornaments, especially those that look like candy, can be hard to resist if you’re a hungry pet.
Candles are pretty to look at, but when burning, can be a fire hazard when knocked over. Also, the fumes can be extremely dangerous to birds.
Potpourri can look like a snack plate to animals but can cause extremely upset stomachs or worse.
Cleaning solutions can be poisonous to many pets. Look for “Pet Safe” on the labels or make sure surfaces are wiped down and dry before pets come in contact with them.
Poisonous plants include azaleas, daffodils, day and Easter lilies, holly, laurels, poinsettias, and philodendrons. Keep them away from pets.
Plant foods, especially fertilizers, will give just about any animal digestive problems, even in the smallest doses.
Medications can be deadly to pets as well as little children. Shiny capsules can be tempting if left out on a table or counter.
Human foods shouldn’t be shared. Humans’ mouths contain completely different bacteria from those found in the mouths of birds and other exotic pets and can cause serious infections.
Rodent traps need to be set in areas where larger pets can’t reach them.
Leftover batteries can be punctured with an animal’s sharp teeth, exposing dangerous battery acids inside.
The American Red Cross can also be of assistance in learning pet safety with pet-specific CPR classes and handy First Aid safety apps you can carry on your phone.
Find tips for administering pet CPR. Learn how to care for your dog or cat when he or she needs you most: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/pet-cpr or register for a class here: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid/cat-dog-first-aid In this 35-minute online course, you will learn the basics of caring for cats and dogs through a variety of topics – from understanding and checking your pet’s vital signs to preventative care for cats and dogs, to caring for the most critical emergency situations – including breathing and cardiac emergencies, wounds, bleeding, and seizures.
The free Pet First Aid app puts veterinary advice for emergencies as well as everyday pet care in the palm of your hand. With videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice, it’s never been easier to know pet first aid. Available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play, or text “GETPET” to 90999. Check out this previous post for more insight into the Pet First Aid app.
By Christy Peters, Regional Communications Manager
As the mom of a 7-year-old boy, I spend a lot of time thinking about superheroes. We read lots of stories about Black Widow and Thor and Spiderman, swooping in to save the day. My son loves to ask me what my superpower would be if I had one. And more than once, I have battled an evil superhero in my living room with a Captain America shield strapped to my arm.
While superheroes are fun, I’d be thrilled if my son aspired to be like the real-life heroes I recently met instead of Spiderman. I had the privilege to attend the American Red Cross Greater Akron and Mahoning Valley Acts of Courage Awards on March 2. Nine local residents were recognized for acting courageously and selflessly in a time of emergency. The organization also honored Joe and Pam (of blessed memory) Kanfer of GOJO industries with the 2023 H. Peter Burg Community Leader Award. You couldn’t help but be inspired after hearing the stories these everyday heroes. Their stories are shared below.
2023 Acts of Courage Award Winners:
Easton Spann, 5-year-old hero Michelle Barlow awoke one morning, her body racked by seizure-like spasms caused by a reaction to a medication she had taken. The episode passed and Michelle insisted her husband Kenny, go to work. Before he left, Kenny showed Easton, their 5-year-old grandchild how to call for help in case of an emergency. Shortly after Kenny left, Michelle had another seizure. Easton, who has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, called his grandfather and explained what had happened. Kenny called 911 and with his instruction, Easton got the house key and opened the door to watch for help. “He was so brave,” said Michelle. Watch Easton’s hero video here or here.
Darby Baumberger, Assistant Principal, Betty Jane Community Learning Center hero
After being a teacher for 26 years, Darby Baumberger began a new role as a vice principal. On the first day in her new job, she was in the cafeteria overseeing the lunch period. Suddenly, a student started coughing and stood up. Darby quickly walked over and saw the child make the universal sign for choking. Darby lifted the student’s arms above his head and smacked him on the back, to no avail. She realized she had to act quickly and began performing stomach thrusts. Finally, a piece of corn dog flew out of the child’s mouth, and he began to breathe. Emergency services arrived and, after checking the child, said he was fine. Watch Darby’s hero video here or here.
Lindsey and Nicole Bechter, Cuyahoga Falls heroes
Lindsey and Nichole Bechter are sisters and part-time volleyball referees at Clutch Lanes in Cuyahoga Falls. During a game last summer, a player collapsed on the court. Hearing people yell for someone to call 911, Nicole ran down to the court with her sister close behind. After assessing the situation, the sisters began administering CPR. They continued until emergency services arrived. Watch the Bechter hero video here.
Jim Kuhn, Medina County Public Transit hero
Jim Kuhn was driving the Fixed Route Transit bus in Wadsworth and stopped to pick up one of his regular riders, named Bruce. Bruce was about to step on the bus when he passed out, falling straight back onto the pavement. Concerned Bruce had hit his head, Jim jumped off the bus to help. After finding no head injury, he saw Bruce turning blue. He began to perform chest compressions. Finally, Bruce let out some weak breaths. When first responders arrived on the scene, they were able to find a faint pulse and loaded Bruce in an ambulance. Jim continued his route, hoping he’d done enough. Weeks later, Jim was thrilled to found out Bruce was alive and recovering. Watch Jim’s hero video here or here.
Aaron Williams, Logan Stinson and Andrew Gauer, Akron Police and Fire Department heroes
On November 25, Akron police officer Aaron Williams was the first responder on the scene of a house fire. Learning there was someone inside, Williams kicked opened the front door and was unable to see clearly, due to the smoke filling the room but heard someone respond to his voice. Officer Williams ran out to catch his breath as firefighter/paramedics Logan Stinson and Andrew Gauer arrived on scene. The men ran back into the smoke-filled house to rescue a wheelchair-bound woman from the first floor. Firefighters arrived shortly after and rescued another individual from the home. Watch the first responder hero video here or here.
Jennifer Torres, 3rd grade teacher, Anne T. Case Community Learning Center hero
While teaching her third-grade class, Jennifer Torres heard a strange sound and saw one of her students stand up. The student put her hands around her neck, making the universal sign for choking. Jennifer shouted to her students to go get another adult while she rushed to the student’s aid. Jennifer gave the student a few quick stomach thrusts, and a piece of candy flew out of her mouth, and she began to breathe again. Watch Jennifer’s hero video here or here.
Congratulations to all the winners! Do you know someone who acted in an emergency to help save a life? Share their story with us for possible recognition at upcoming Acts of Courage and Hero awards events across the Northern Ohio Region. And make sure you’re prepared like to help save a life like these heroes! Find a Red Cross training course near you and sign up at RedCross.org/takeaclass.
Jamell Fetter had not yet received First Aid/CPR/AED training from the American Red Cross through his employer, Estes Express Lines. But the Toledo man had already used CPR to save a co-worker’s life.
Jamell Fetter received a certificate and pin from Rachel Hepner, executive director of the Red Cross of Western Lake Erie
“I sat in on classes with my sisters and my friends who had to do all their certifications online,” he said. “I never had any formal training. Just watching the videos.”
Jamell said he was at a company lunch event in September, 2020 when he saw coworker Mark Benschoter on the floor, lifeless.
“I wasn’t thinking about it until afterwards, and I just knew he needed help, and I was there.”
Mark is back on the job, working every day with Jamell. “He is my personal security guard,” Mark said. “Every time we have a function, people will not let him go home until I do. He has to stay until I leave.”
After learning of Jamell’s lifesaving actions, company officials asked the Red Cross to provide First Aid/CPR/AED training to all managers, supervisors and directors at its facilities across the country.
“It’s a great project,” said Tom Zahler, director of corporate training and development for Estes Express Lines, based in Richmond, Virginia. “We’re really grateful we’re partnering with the Red Cross.”
Tom visited Toledo on the day Jamell was presented with the certificate of extraordinary personal action at the headquarters of the Red Cross of Western Lake Erie in Toledo. The award is presented to individuals for selfless and humane action using lifesaving skills.
“We’re training supervisors and above to be sure that someone on every shift, every day is available, should another event like this happen.”
Although Jamell isn’t at the supervisor level, he is being included in the training being provided by Estes Express Lines.
Mark Benschoter, Jamell Fetter and Tom Zahler of Estes Express Lines
“It’s working,” Tom said. “We hear stories all the time about people who are there when something happens.”
On this blog, we have been fortunate to share the achievements and life stories of several extraordinary individuals in Northern Ohio. These include several young people who have applied life-saving skills learned from the American Red Cross, like Alexis Starnes and Travis Shrout, organized a blood drive, like Andrew Lazowski, and worked as advocates, like Makenzie Nance. There are many others who have assisted their communities, helped save lives, developed skills that will help them throughout their lives and careers, and built lasting friendships.
If you are a student, recent graduate, or parent searching for activities during the summer break, the Red Cross offers an array of classes and volunteer opportunities.
Red Cross classes are offered throughout the summer in online, in-person, and blended formats. The Red Cross encourages everyone to learn first aid, CPR, and how to use an AED. Time is critical during a cardiac arrest; chances of survival double or triple if CPR is administered or an AED is used within the first few minutes.
June 22, 2018. Washington, DC. CPR stock photos by Roy Cox for the American Red Cross.
In addition, the Red Cross offers Babysitting Training for students between 11 and 15 years of age. Advanced Child Care courses are available for students 16 years and older. The babysitting classes feature topics such as choosing age-appropriate activities, basic child care (including bottle feeding), child behavior, leadership, professionalism, safety, starting a babysitting business, and more. These courses also cover emergency and first aid skills such as bee stings, allergic reactions, asthma, burns and choking. Advanced Child Care course participants learn the most common child care routines and behavior along with safety inside and outside the home, including driving with children and water safety.
For those seeking to volunteer, opportunities are available depending on age, such as assisting or organizing blood drives, participating in Red Cross Clubs, even streaming to help support Red Cross disaster relief efforts.
Blood donors are also needed. If you are 17 or older (16 with parental/guardian consent in some cases), please consider donating. Information for teen donors is here.
My first experience with the Red Cross was assisting a blood drive at my high school and learning CPR. While that was decades ago, the experience and skills have had a positive influence ever since, helping instill a desire to assist others and leading to volunteering as an adult. I have also been fortunate to work alongside many dedicated, caring people. It began with a Red Cross sign-up sheet (I predate the internet) and a willingness to learn and help.
Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross volunteer and board member
By Ryan Lang, American Red Cross volunteer and board member
Anyone who’s received CPR and AED training through the American Red Cross will tell you they hope to never have to use it, but knowing it’s there just in case is comforting.
Michael Parks, Regional Executive of the Northeast Ohio Region of the American Red Cross, Alexis Starnes, Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley
Stow-Munroe Falls High School graduate Alexis Starnes would tell you that she’s grateful for the knowledge and training she received during her time as a Girl Scout and on December 30th, 2021 that training helped save the life of a small child.
That day, Alexis was working at the Small Steps Big Strides Childcare center in Stow as part of a real world work experience program through her school. She was feeding a 7-month-old girl baby food when the child stopped responding. “She stopped making noise and she wasn’t moving,” Alexis recalled during a recent interview with American Red Cross Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre. Thanks to her Red Cross training, Alexis immediately recognized that these were signs that the child was choking. That’s when she unstrapped the child from her chair and began administering back blows, just like she learned in training.
Alexis was able to dislodge the food that was obstructing the baby’s airway. She saved the child’s life – something Alexis says she could have never done without her CPR and AED training from the Red Cross.
On June 8th, 2022, during the Lifesaving Award Program, Alexis was honored with the Certificate of Merit – the highest honor given by the Red Cross that is signed by the President of the United States. The award is given to someone who embodies the spirit of the Red Cross by using action to help alleviate human suffering in the face of an emergency. On that day, December 30th, 2021, that is exactly what Alexis did.
Michael Parks, Regional Executive of the Northeast Ohio Region of the American Red Cross, Erin Hosek, American Red Cross Instructor for the Girl Scouts of America, Alexis Starnes, Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley
Red Cross CPR and AED instructor and Girl Scout troop leader Erin Hosek, who taught Alexis her lifesaving skills, was also awarded the Lifesaving Instructor Award. After receiving her award, Erin pointed out that of her entire graduating Girl Scout troop, Alexis was the only one who chose to renew her certification two years after she had received her initial training. “And I’m glad she did,” Erin said, adding how proud she is of Alexis for using those lifesaving skills that day.
Alexis is continuing her education at Stark State University in the fall and will pursue a career in childcare. As for the young child Alexis saved, she says the girl still regularly attends the childcare facility in Stow and is a very happy and healthy baby.
Summer: a time for family gatherings, swimming, grilling, and many more events that have become staples of the season. Whatever your plans are, the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region has some resources you can use to help you, and even your four-legged friends, have a safe summer.
July 30, 2014. City of Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation, South Carolina. Julieth Martinez, 4, enjoying her swim lesson as part of the Centennial campaign. Photo by Connie Harvey/American Red Cross
WATER SAFETY
Every day, an average of 11 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning — and one in five of those are children 14 or younger according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Red Cross wants everyone to know critical safety knowledge and skills that could save your life in and around the water. We encourage families to build confidence in the water by learning to be safe, making good choices, learning to swim and how to handle emergencies. · Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning. · Classes to learn how to swim are available for both children and adults. Check the map for Learn-to-Swim providers in your community. Everyone should learn first aid and CPR too, so they know what to do in an emergency. · Download the Red Cross Swim app (https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety/swim-safety.html), sponsored by The ZAC Foundation, for safety tips, kid-friendly videos and activities, and take the free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course in English or in Spanish. · It’s best to swim in a lifeguarded area. Always designate a “water watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep a close eye and constant attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over. · Drowning behavior is typically fast and silent. Unless rescued, a drowning person will last only 20 to 60 seconds before submerging. Reach or throw, don’t go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble. Don’t go in! You could become a victim yourself.
CAMPING SAFETY
If a camping trip is in your plans, know the level of ability of the people in your group and the environment around you. Plan accordingly. · Pack a first aid kit to handle insect stings, sprains, cuts and bruises and other injuries that could happen to someone in your group. Take a Red Cross First Aid and CPR course and download the First Aid app so that you will know what to do in case help is delayed. You’ll learn how to treat severe wounds, broken bones, bites and stings and more. · Sprains and falls are some of the most common misfortunes travelers may face. Falls are the biggest threat, many due to poor decision-making, lack of skill or not being properly prepared. Dehydration is also a danger. Plan ahead for these dangers. · Share your travel plans and locations with a family member, neighbor or friend. · Bring nutritious food items and water, light-weight clothing to layer and supplies for any pets.
GRILLING SAFETY
More than three-quarters of U.S. adults have used a grill — yet, grilling sparks more than 10,000 home fires on average each year. To avoid this, the Red Cross offers these grilling safety tips: · Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Don’t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited. · Never grill indoors — not in the house, camper, tent or any enclosed area. · Make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill. · Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, deck, tree branches or anything that could catch fire. · Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to help keep the chef safe.
PET SAFETY
Summer’s heat can be dangerous for your family pets. Follow these steps to take to help ensure your pet stays safe this summer. · Don’t leave your pet in a hot vehicle, even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees even with the windows cracked open. · Animals can suffer heat stroke, a common problem for pets in the warmer weather. Dogs with short noses or snouts, like the boxer or bulldog, are especially prone to heat stroke, along with overweight pets, those with extremely thick fur or any pet with upper respiratory problems such as laryngeal paralysis or collapsing trachea. · Some of the signs of heat stroke in your pet are heavy panting and being unable to calm down, even when lying down, brick red gum color, fast pulse rate and being unable to get up. · If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees, cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees. · Bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage. Download the Red Cross Pet First Aid app for instant access on how to treat heat stroke, other emergencies and general care for cats and dogs and take the Cat and Dog First Aid Online Training course.
FIREWORKS SAFETY
· Never give fireworks to small children, and never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials. Always follow the instructions on the packaging.
· Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
· Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
· Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight a “dud.”
· Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
Did you know that someone with a serious injury can experience life-threatening blood loss within as little as five minutes? When someone is injured and severely bleeding, it is imperative that bystanders help to quickly stop the blood loss.
The American Red Cross has some tips and information to follow if someone around you is experiencing a life-threatening loss of blood.
A half can of soda is the approximate amount of blood loss that is life threatening in an adult. For children and infants, the amount is proportionately less.
If blood is flowing continuously, squirting or pooling, take action immediately with these steps. a. Call 911. b. Ask someone to find a bleeding control kit, which should include items like gloves, gauze and a tourniquet. c. Apply the tourniquet and wait for the medical professionals to arrive. – If the injury is in on the head or torso, apply direct pressure with your hands or knee using gloves if they are available.
If you don’t have a medical tourniquet on hand, apply direct pressure with your hands or knee. Research has shown that homemade or improvised tourniquets don’t work. It is recommended to use manufactured tourniquets over homemade options.
It’s important for everyone to know how to respond in these types of emergencies should they ever be in a situation when someone needs help. The Red Cross offers classes to help teach people of all ages how to respond in an emergency. Some classes offer online instruction while other classes can be found at a location near you.
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