Learn To Swim And Where

By Shannon Randol, intern contributor, American Red Cross

Did you know Texas is ranked number one in the country for pool drownings? Tarrant County is ranked number two in the state. And the statistics haven’t changed for the past few years according to the Fort Worth Drowning Coalition.

The leading cause of death for children under the age of 4 is drowning, and it’s the second leading accidental death for children 14-years-old and younger according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  

For every child that drowns, another five receive medical attention for water-related injuries. 

Swim lessons can be expensive especially if you have more than one child, but we have a solution for you. The Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition offers swim lessons at a number of locations for only $5!

  

Safe Swim Schedule: 

• June 16-19, June 23-26 2015 at Westside YMCA 6:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.  
• July 28-31, Aug 4-7 2015 at Southwest YMCA 6:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.  
• Aug 25-28, Sept 1-4 2015 at Marine Park Pool 6:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. 

Cost: 

• $5 for 8 swim lessons 

You can register for classes here. Take advantage quick as slots will fill up!  

The YMCA’s in both Dallas and Fort Worth also offer special scholarships to those who qualify for swim and fun summer programs.  Here are the links for both applications: 

THE YMCA CAMP GRADY SPRUCE, DALLAS TEXAS APPLICATION 

THE YMCA METROPOLITIAN FORT WORTH SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION 

The Red Cross team has also put together a number of resources and tips to help keep your family safe over the summer. Here are the some quick tips to stay safe: 

Water Safety 

• Never leave children unattended near water 
• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards 
• Never assume someone else is watching your children 
• Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses.  
• Stay off of cell phones, give your attention 100 percent to supervising your children 
• Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and first aid kit 
• Enroll in Red Cross first aid and CPR/AED courses to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies  

Boating Safety from SafeKids.org: 

In 2011, 70 percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those who drowned, 84 percent were not wearing a life jacket.  

• Have children wear a life jacket approved by the U.S. Coast Guard while on boats. Make sure life jackets sit snugly. Have the child make a “touchdown” signal by raising both arms straight up; if the life jacket hits the child’s chin or ears, it may be too big or the straps may be too loose. 
• Don’t drink alcohol while operating a boat. A huge number of boating accidents each year involve alcohol consumption. 
• Infants and young kids are at a higher risk for hypothermia, so if you bring a baby on a boat take extra steps to keep them warm.  

Swimming is great exercise and the perfect way to tire out the kiddies during the summer. Take the necessary precautions to insure the safety of your children this summer and each summer to come.  

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Be Scareful Out There! Tips for a Safe and Happy Halloween

Written by Katherine Golden, intern staff contributor

The start of the fall semester is, for students, one of the slowest parts of the year. The only break afforded to students is the Labor Day weekend, so Halloween is a holiday that is greatly anticipated. As a day of excitement, a day to pretend to be someone or something you’re not, and a day to get candy, one can see why it has such a high appeal for students. Adults get to return to being kids for a day as they go trick-or-treating with their own children, or attend Halloween-themed parties. While this is a holiday of fun and excitement, it’s important to remember that fall is also notoriously flu and cold season so the American Red Cross offers special safety tips for your night of celebration:

·         If your child is already sick, keep them at home. While it’s disappointing for your child, keeping your sick children at home prevents others from contracting illnesses and stops the viruses from spreading. 

·         Remind kids to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs away.  Carry hand sanitizer with you or have it near your candy dispensing area for people trick-or-treating at your house!

·         If you are giving out candy, hand it out or scoop it. Instead of a bowl of candy, consider handing out small, individually wrapped bags of treats.

·         Constantly wash your hands, and make sure your children are constantly washing theirs as well!

·         Throw away any unwrapped candy and inspect the rest for choking hazards and tampering. 

To help prevent other dangers, take the following steps for a safer Halloween:  

·         Use flame-resistant costumes.

·         Plan your route and make sure adults know where children are going. A parent or responsible adult should accompany young children as they make their way around the neighborhood.

·         Make sure the trick-or-treaters have a flashlight. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags so drivers can see where people are. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing  in order to be seen.

·         Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door – never go inside.

·         Instead of masks, which can cover your eyes and make it hard to see, use face makeup.

·         Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner. Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.

·         Be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

·         If you are welcoming ghosts and goblins, make sure your outdoor lights are on.

·         Sweep leaves from your sidewalks and steps.

·         Clear your porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.

·         Restrain your pets.

·         Use a glow stick instead of a candle in your jack-o-lantern to avoid a fire hazard.

If you feel confident in your abilities to celebrate Halloween safely, test yourself by clicking here and taking our fun Halloween Safety Quiz! Also, visit RedCross.org for more information on how to have a safe and happy Halloween!

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Lucky 13 Tips for a Safe Halloween

Trick or treat! Happy Halloween. Ghouls and goblins will take over the night. But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right. Tonight's greatest hazards aren't vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions.

So, take these 13 spooktacular tips to have a safe and fun Halloween:

1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!

2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!

3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don't go inside.

4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use fact paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.

5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, and brooms and the edges of your cape!)

6. Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.

7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick or treaters to cross no matter their pace.)

8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!

9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn't a safety gamble!

10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (Between parked cars is no place to hide, be sure that you're seen whether you're a clown or a bride.)

11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!

12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

13. Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you're done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

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CBS11 and TX21 Keep the Red Cross Ready With $5,000 Donation

This past spring we announced that CBS 11 and TX21 were going to promote NOAA weather radios sales at area Walgreens stores to benefit the D/FW Red Cross chapters.

Well we're pleased to report that yesterday CBS 11 Chief Meteorologist Larry Mowry(middle), presented Jessica Dunn, Dallas Area Chapter (left), and Patricia Thomson, Chisholm Trail Chapter (right) with a check for $5,000. We are so excited and so grateful for their support!

We're also proud of the CBS 11 and TX 21 viewers that purchased weather radios.

September is National Preparedness Month, a time set aside for the last seven years to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities.

The American Red Cross-Dallas Area Chapter urges North Texas residents to make a renewed effort this month to prepare for emergencies such as fires, floods or storms. Our free online education program, Be Red Cross Ready, can walk you through the three key preparedness steps: getting an emergency kit, making an emergency plan and being informed.

You can start by purchasing a weather radio for your home, if you have not already done so.

Learn more about being prepared by visiting www.redcrossdallas.org/.

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Simulated Drowning. Never Let it be a Reality.

Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of death among America's children. Don't let this reality happen to you. Take the following tips to heart and have a safe and fun summer season!
4 LIFESAVING STEPS:

Step 1: Wear a Lifejacket: Never go out on a boat, river, stream or other body of water without a US Coast Guard approved lifejacket. Never! For young children, even in a backyard pool, a lifejacket should be used. “Floaties” or “Water Wings” are not good enough. Look for a US Coast Guard approved personal flotation device which will be noted on the product tags.

Step 2: Watch your Children: Never take your eyes off of children in the water, even if it’s only for a minute. Unlike images from the movies or television, children don’t flail and yell for help when they’re in trouble. They fall in the pool and silently sink to the bottom. If your child is suddenly missing from your home, check the pool first.

Step 3: Know CPR: If your children are going to be around water, ensure that you know how to perform CPR in case of an emergency. If a relative or friend is watching your child, be sure they know CPR too.

Step 4: Know how to swim: Enroll your child in a Learn to Swim class today. Contact the city where your family lives and ask for a course schedule, or contact your local American Red Cross office for assistance. Infants to Adults can enroll in Learn to Swim classes.

On top of these 4 Tips, follow Blair's Best Advice to stay safe in and around the water!

For more information, go to www.redcrossdallas.org or contact the Red Cross office nearest you.

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11th Day of Hanuchristmakwanzakah: American Red Cross

Oh my gosh... it's snowing! And the best part, it isn't freezing to the ground. As of now, driving is safe. There is nothing like a white Christmas... I'm having a personal "White Christmas" movie marathon here with my family. I'll admit it... it's my all time favorite holiday movie. Who can resist the musical stylings of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

For now, I am taking a break and drinking some hot cocoa well I get ready to sing our holiday spectacular, "12 Days of Hanuchristmakwanzakah."

Mistro, please start the band.

On the eleventh day of Hanuchristmakwanzakah, the American Red Cross advised me

Buckle up your seat-belt
Lower heating bills

Heat your home safely

Designate a drive

Save a life

Avoid danger while cooking

Red Cross train your babysitterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Prevent hypothermia

Don't spread the flu

Please drive safely

And prepare my vehicle for traveling!

Before you head out on the snowy road, my preparedness friends, please make sure everyone's safety-belt is buckled. Each person in your vehicle should have their seat-belts securely fastened before driving off in your car, sleigh, or whatever you are driving these days.. 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.

Have a happy holiday and get ready for our last tip of the day!

For the dog lovers out there...

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Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble!

It's Halloween! It's Halloween! The moon is full and bright.
And we shall see what can't be seen on any other night.
Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls, grinning goblins fighting duels
Werewolves rising from their tombs, witches on their magic brooms
In masks and gown we haunt the street
And knock on doors for trick or treat
Tonight we are the kind and queen, For oh tonight it's Halloween!
- Jack Prelutsky


Last Halloween, I upgraded from apartment-living to house-living - complete with lots of kiddos in my neighborhood. I was ecstatic that I would be able to pass out candy for Halloween. That night, I was outside sitting on my front driveway with buckets of candy.


A few minutes went by... then a few more... then an hour... I looked at my watch... 7:15... no kiddos.


To my horror, all the kids left our neighborhood to trick-or-treat elsewhere. So, I left the candy at my house (which my husband devoured in the following weeks) and went to my sister-in-laws.


I figure they gave up our bite-sized candy neighborhood for a whole candy bar neighborhood. I don't blame them. I did it too. Hopefully, this year will be more eventful.


Before you grab your costume and a few empty buckets, the American Red Cross has some spooky great tips to keep your kids safe:

• Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult go with you.
• Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cards, trucks and low-flying brooms.
• Cross the street only at corners, not in the middle of the block and stay together in a group before crossing.
• Never hide or cross the street between parked cars.
• Wear light-colored or reflective clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards and brooms, too!)
• Use face paint rather than masks or big floppy hats that will cover your eyes.
• Don’t wear long, baggy, or loose costumes or extra-large shoes—you could trip and fall!
• Carry a flashlight to light your way.
• Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.) If a costume catches fire, remember to STOP, DROP and ROLL.
• Only visit well-lit homes that have a front-porch light on.
• Accept treats at the door; never go into a stranger’s house or apartment.
• Be cautious of animals and strangers.
• Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating them.
• Don’t eat candy if the package has already been opened.

'Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world. - William Shakespeare

Now for a couple of clips from my all-time favorite Halloween movie...

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