{"id":43040,"date":"2019-05-22T09:58:38","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T13:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/?p=43040"},"modified":"2019-05-22T09:58:47","modified_gmt":"2019-05-22T13:58:47","slug":"red-cross-offers-15-summer-safety-tips-for-swimming-grilling-and-attending-crowded-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/2019\/05\/red-cross-offers-15-summer-safety-tips-for-swimming-grilling-and-attending-crowded-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Cross Offers 15 Summer Safety Tips for Swimming, Grilling and Attending Crowded Events"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Memorial Day weekend <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> the unofficial start of summer <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> will be here soon, signaling the time for outdoor summer fun. The American Red Cross wants everyone to enjoy the season and offers safety tips you can follow all summer long.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want the community to stay safe as they spend time with family and friends over the long holiday weekend,\u201d said Jill Palmer, executive director for Florida\u2019s Southern Gulf Chapter. \u201cAs you head out to the beach, a crowded event or decide to grill at home, keep in mind these important safety steps so you are prepared and know what to do in case of an emergency.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WATER SAFETY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before going in, on or around the water, <\/strong>every family member should become \u201cwater smart.\u201d This starts with learning to be safe, making good choices, and learning to swim to at least achieve the skills of water competency. Everyone should be able to enter the water, get a breath, stay afloat, change position, swim a distance and then get out of the water safely. A variety of water safety courses and resources are available at<\/strong>redcross.org\/watersafety<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Prevent unsupervised access to water. Fence pools and spas with adequate barriers, keep a constant eye for any water dangers such as portable splash pools\/slides, buckets, and bathtubs.<\/li>
  2. Adults- actively supervise children and stay within arm\u2019s reach of young children and new swimmers. Kids-follow the rules.<\/li>
  3. Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when on a boat and if in a situation beyond someone\u2019s skill level.<\/li>
  4. Swim as a pair near a lifeguard\u2019s chair \u2013<\/strong> everyone, including experienced swimmers, should swim with a buddy in areas protected by lifeguards. Designate a \u2018Water Watcher\u2019 to keep a close eye and constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in and around the water until the next Water Watcher takes over.<\/li>
  5. Download the Red Cross Swim App for kid-friendly games and activities and water safety information for parents and caregivers of young people learning how to swim. Download the app for free by searching for \u2018American Red Cross\u2019 in your app store or at redcross.org\/apps<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    GRILLING SAFETY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A recent Red Cross survey<\/strong><\/a> showed three in five adults have walked away from a grill while cooking, one of the leading causes of grilling fires which cause more than 9,000 home fires on average each year. To avoid this, the Red Cross offers these grilling safety tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Don\u2019t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.<\/li>
    2. Never grill indoors \u2013 not in the house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.<\/li>
    3. Make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill.<\/li>
    4. Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, deck, tree branches, or anything that could catch fire. <\/li>
    5. Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to help keep the chef safe.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      BE SAFE IN A CROWD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If summer plans include places where crowds may gather, such as at an amusement park or concert, people can expect to wait in lines and possibly face extra security measures, along with getting separated from their group. The Red Cross has safety steps to follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Have a few different methods to communicate \u2013 cell phone, tablet, calling card for a landline phone. Stay with the group \u2013 don\u2019t go off alone. All adults should have a cell phone and exchange numbers with the others in the group. Plan where to meet should someone become separated.<\/li>
      2. Find out what is allowed when it comes to items such as coolers, backpacks, etc. to avoid having to throw them away.<\/li>
      3. Dress appropriately and in layers to be ready for any change in the weather. Stay hydrated. Apply sunscreen regularly.<\/li>
      4. Watch the weather and seek shelter if any severe weather warnings are issued. Know where the exits and shelters are.<\/li>
      5. Be on the lookout for suspicious activity and don\u2019t be afraid to report suspicious people or packages.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Accidents and Emergencies Happen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Red Cross has several resources to help people learn how to treat bee stings, burns and heat emergencies including training courses (redcross.org\/takeaclass<\/a><\/strong>), a free First Aid App and a First Aid Skill for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        About the American Red Cross:
        The American Red Cross shelters feed<\/em> and provide emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit\u00a0<\/em>        redcross.org\/southflorida<\/a>\u00a0or visit us on\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or Twitter at\u00a0<\/em>@SFLRedCross<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Memorial Day weekend \u2013 the unofficial start of summer \u2013 will be here soon, signaling the time for outdoor summer fun. The American Red Cross wants everyone to enjoy the season and offers safety… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":43041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43040"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}