Tips for a Safe Texas Summer

Written by Natalie Horn, volunteer contributor

For many Texans, summer conjures up images of backyard barbeques, pool parties and days spent at one of the many beautiful lakes in Texas. However, summer fun also comes with some inherent safety risks. 

Good news is you can prevent illness, injuries and trips to the emergency room this summer by following these simple, yet important safety tips.

1. Stay Hydrated. Drink plenty of cold fluids and water on hot days, especially when exercising. Avoid drinks with sugar and alcohol as they will cause your body to dehydrate more quickly.

2. Always wear sunscreen when spending time outdoors and re-apply every two hours. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urges consumers to look for a sunscreen with an SPF level of at least 30 and “broad spectrum” protection to fight against all forms of cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.

3. Wear a helmet and safety gear when riding a bike, skateboard, scooter, horse or all-terrain vehicle. Studies have shown that the use of bicycle helmets is effective in preventing head injuries.

4. Never leave a child unattended by water. If a child is missing, check the water first because seconds can make a difference in saving a life. Always use the buddy system while swimming- even at a public pool or lifeguarded beach.

5. Wear a life jacket when boating. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the majority of drowning fatalities occur because the victim was not wearing a life jacket. Also, never consume alcohol while operating a boat or any motor-vehicle as it can impair your judgment and coordination.

6. Only use charcoal and propane grills when outdoors and make sure to place them far away from the home, deck railings or any overhanging branches. According to the U.S. Fire Department, the majority of home fires involving grills started on a courtyard, terrace, patio or balcony.

7. Lastly, prepare yourself by enrolling in a Red Cross home pool safety, water safety, first aid, or CPR/AED course and learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.

Make this summer one to remember- for all the right reasons. For more information on how to stay safe this summer or to enroll in a safety course, visit http://www.redcross.org./

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When Lightning Hits the Same Place Twice: Preparing Your Family for a Second Round of Storm Clouds

By Lilly Watson

Tuesday’s forecast of thunderstorms quickly turned into devastation for many families in our area. Looking at this weekend’s forecast and seeing storm clouds on Sunday’s horizon is a nerve-wracking feeling for all of us, most especially those families still dealing with the destruction of Tuesday’s tornadoes. 

“To be completely honest, the absolute first feeling for many of these families is sheer terror,” Richard said. “There is a real concern about it all happening again. The second reaction is usually, ‘What can we do to prepare?”

Richard’s biggest advice to families asking this question is to remember their family safety plan. If families do not have a safety plan, the time between storms is when one should be put in place. 

“Parents will be very concerned about their children,” Richard explained. “and it is extremely important that we help them feel safe.” 

Richard went on to explain the ways that Red Cross mental health workers prepare families, especially those with children, on how to stay safe and feel secure at the onset of a second series of storms. 

• Make a family safety plan. Involve children at every age level in these preparations, with their tasks and involvement depending on their age. Keep an open dialogue about what is expected and what you are doing to stay safe. 
• Red Cross mental health workers do not recommend that adults tell children that it will not happen again, since there is no way of knowing what will or will not happen. Letting children know that parents are doing everything possible to stay safe is honest and also comforting. 
• Put things in the safety kit that are nostalgic and/or important to children, such as a favorite stuffed animal or photo. These can be just as important to children as medications or financial documents can be for adults.
• Children tend to worry about other people. Try to keep contact with family, friends and neighbors as you prepare for storms and after they hit. This can be difficult, but it thankfully becomes easier through mobile phones, email and Skype. 
• Include family religion and/or spirituality in your conversations if that is an important part of your family’s dynamic. 
• Nothing can shatter a routine faster than a tragic disaster. Routine, however, is a powerful coping skill and important to children. Attempting to maintain any semblance of a routine can be immensely comforting to a child. 
• Many children want to be physically close to their family or adults after a disaster. Being open to this closeness instead of punishing a child for being “clingy” can be a very comforting feeling for a child. 

I asked Richard what last piece of advice he would give to every parent in a disaster situation if he was able to. His response was simple: never be shy about asking for help, especially in a situation such as this. 

“When a child sees a parent asking for help and not being afraid to get assistance, they will learn to be equally open with their parents.”

We cannot control where the weather goes, but the Red Cross does work to prepare families for disasters in all areas – including mental health and well being. To learn more about Red Cross mental health services, click here.

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Kids and cars feeling the heat

This time of year as the sun starts peeking out from behind the clouds and the temperatures start to rise, another trend also goes on the rise. While families should be creating memories of summer, all too often it is interrupted by news stories of children being left in vehicles, usually with very tragic endings. With summer officially right around the corner and the temperatures outside already beginning to soar, you need to plan now to make sure your children stay safe.

When a child is left in a hot car it is almost always an accident resulting from several different scenarios. Summer arrives, schools get out and routines change. Perhaps you took your child to daycare that day when your spouse usually does. Along the way, the child fell asleep and you headed to the office and started your day like you do every other day without a second thought. Perhaps it’s the weekend and your kids are engaged in a playful round of hide and seek. One of the kids climbs into an unlocked vehicle parked in the neighbor’s driveway thinking it’s a good hiding place and end up locked in a trunk without anyone knowing.

It is very easy for little mistakes to be made as everyone switches from school mode to summer mode and it takes just minutes for that “little” mistake to turn into tragedy. It only takes 10 minutes for the temperature inside an enclosed vehicle to rise 20 degrees. Even in temperatures as low as 60 degrees, the interior can raise the temperature inside the car up to 110 degrees.

Rolling down or cracking a window does not make it safe. When the outside temperature is in the mid 80’s, the interior can still reach deadly levels in minutes. Add the fact that children’s body temperatures can rise three to five times faster than an adult means they don’t have a fighting chance.

Remember to always keep all doors and trunks to your vehicle locked even if you are at home. If the car is accessible in an open garage, parked in a driveway or on the curb, it can be an attractive hiding place or fort for playing children without you ever knowing.

Then National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also recommends the following tips to help you and others ensure your child never gets left behind in a vehicle.

• Teach your children that a vehicle is not a play area.
• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle - front and back - before locking the door and walking away.
• If you are dropping your child off at childcare, and normally it's your spouse who drops them off, have your spouse call you to make sure the drop went according to plan.
• Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare.
• Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as writing yourself a note and putting it where you will see it before you leave the vehicle; placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat forcing your to check when you leave the vehicle; or keeping an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy. When the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle.

You can take the steps to prevent tragedy during these hot Texas summer months. Take the word and pass it along – never leave a child unattended in a vehicle and if you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly and call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Get prepared with the NHTSA’s “Keeping Kids Safe Inside & Out” with all of their heat safety tips!

Learn about the dangers of heat related injury and illness from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety

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Southwest Airlines Shows LUV to Kids

One of the most traumatic events a person can go through in life is a disaster. They often happen with little or no warning, leave a path of destruction that resembles your former life and emotionally drains the strongest of people. Now imagine going through all of that as a child.

Sadly, kids suffer from disasters every single day. But true to their nature, employees at Southwest Airlines wanted to bring smiles so they assembled "Comfort Kits", made just for kids, and donated them to the Red Cross Chapters in all areas serviced by the airline.

Kids Comfort Kits include the things all kids need...toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo...and they contain fun things like crayons, coloring books, teddy bears, small games or other similar items so that a child's attention can be focused on something other than the disaster that they are experiencing.

The American Red Cross sends our "LUV" to all of the wonderful people at Southwest Airlines for going out of your way to take care of our littlest disaster victims.

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