| 2009-12-15 - Twelve Days of Holiday Safety from the American Red Cross Central Valley Region |
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In the spirit of the season, the American Red Cross offers 12 holiday safety tips.
Fresno, CA, December 15 —With last-minute gifts to buy, social events to attend and family
and friends to visit while the weather outside is frightful, the American Red Cross has 12 days of
health and safety tips to make the holiday season safe, happy and bright.
1. Prepare your vehicle for traveling to grandmother’s house. Make an emergency kit and
include items such as blankets or sleeping bags, jumper cables, fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C
type), compass and road maps, shovel, tire repair kit and pump, extra clothing, flares, tow rope.
2. Drive your sleigh and reindeer safely. Avoid driving in a storm, but if you must, keep your
gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing. Let someone know your
destination, route and when you expect to arrive.
3. Help prevent the spread of the flu. Wash hands with soap and water as often as possible, or
use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Use sanitizing wipes to disinfect hard surfaces
such as airplane tray tables, luggage handles, cell phones, door handles and seat armrests.
4. Prevent hypothermia by following Santa’s lead. Dress in several layers of lightweight
clothing, which will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Wear a hat, preferably one that
covers your ears. Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of hypothermia,
including confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering.
5. Use a Red Cross-trained babysitter when attending holiday festivities. Red Crosscertified
babysitters learn to administer basic first aid; properly hold and feed a child; take
emergency action when needed; monitor safe play and actively engage your child; and some may
be certified in Infant and Child CPR.
6. Avoid danger while roasting chestnuts over an open fire. Stay in the kitchen while you
are cooking and be alert. Keep anything flammable—such as potholders, towels or curtains—
away from your stove top. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas
where hot food or drinks are prepared or carried.
7. Be a lifesaver during the holidays and always. The Red Cross recommends at least one
person in every household should be trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED. Your local
Red Cross chapter has conveniently scheduled courses and can have you trained and certified in
a few hours.
8. Designate a driver or skip the holiday cheer. When you designate a driver who won’t be
drinking, you help make sure a good party doesn’t turn into a tragedy. A good host ensures there
are non-alcoholic beverages available for drivers. The designated driver should not drink any
alcoholic beverages, not even one.
9. When the weather outside is frightful, heat your home safely. Never use your stove or
oven to heat your home. Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Install smoke
alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them once a month.
10. Cut down on your heating bills without being a Grinch. Get your furnace cleaned by a
professional; change the filters regularly. Make sure heat vents aren’t blocked by furniture. Close
off any rooms you aren’t using and close heat vents or turn off radiators in those rooms. Use
either insulating tape or caulking strips to surround your windows and door moldings. Put up
storm windows or storm doors to keep the cold out.
11. Don’t move a muscle, until they buckle. Each person in your vehicle should have their
seatbelts securely fastened before driving off. Ensure children are buckled up and their car seats
are installed appropriately based on their age and size. Children 12 and under should always sit
in the backseat.
12. Resolve to Be Red Cross Ready in the New Year. You can take one or more actions to
prepare now, should you or your family face an emergency in 2010. Get a kit. Make a plan. Be
informed.
Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday from the American Red Cross Central Valley
Region.
Visit www.FresnoMaderaRedCross.org to learn more about the American Red Cross Central
Valley Region and the services they provide to our community.
-END
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies
nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and
supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a
government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform
its mission. For more information, please visit "http://www.redcross.org" or join our blog at
"http://blog.redcross.org/" .
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