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Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is an annual event that takes place each year during the first full week of May. This national event is coordinated by Public Safety Canada, in close collaboration with the provinces and territories and partners. By taking an active role in your community, you are helping to build a culture of preparedness in Canada. While governments at all levels are working hard to keep Canada safe, everyone has a role to play in being prepared for an emergency.

Building awareness is a great first step. With your help, together we can communicate the importance of emergency preparedness to all Canadians.

Make an emergency plan

By definition, emergencies happen when we don't expect them, and often when families are not together. Suddenly, you need to think about your kids at school or elderly parents across town. If phones don't work, or some neighbourhoods aren't accessible, what will you do?

Having a family emergency plan will save time and make real situations less stressful.

To get started, view our short video "Make an Emergency Plan."

Have you ever thought about how to prepare for an emergency?

How would you:

· Look after your family for 72 hours?

· Cope without power or tap water?

· Contact your family and receive information?

Fast Fact

Although the majority of Canadians believe that having an emergency plan and emergency kit are important, only a small minority have actually created them

Common Misconceptions

· Most emergencies are short-lived

· I won’t ever have to deal with an emergency where I live

· There are a lot of emergencies I just can’t prepare for

· Preparing takes too much time

Learn the three steps to getting prepared:

1. Know the risks - The consequences of emergencies can be similar, but knowing the risks in your region can help you better prepare.

2. Make a plan a) Use your Emergency Preparedness Guide as an outline (find a copy on www.getprepared.ca) b) Photocopy your plan. c) Keep copies of your plan in safe and memorable places.

3. Get a kit – You can find a list of contents on www.getprepared.ca or purchase a ready to go kit right here at First Aid for Life!

Staying Warm and Safe in Canadian Winters

www.redcross.ca safety information and tips

Winter does not just bring snow and cold temperatures; it also brings enjoyable winter activities such as skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, sledding, ice fishing, and snowshoeing. While these activities create lasting winter memories, they also have the potential to cause injury. It is important for everyone enjoying the outdoors to know how to recognize when someone has been exposed to cold for too long, prevent cold-related emergencies, and be able to provide help when needed.

Prevention

• Cover your head and trunk by wearing a hat and layers of tightly woven fabrics such as wool or synthetics.

• Cover up exposed areas such as your fingers, cheeks, ears, and nose.

• If your clothes get wet when you are in the cold, change into dry clothes as soon as possible.

• Drink plenty of warm fluids to help your body stay warm, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Recognizing when someone is suffering from a cold-related emergency

When a person is exposed to cold temperatures it may result in a decrease in body temperature, which is called a cold-related emergency. Hypothermia, one type of emergency, can happen to anyone who is exposed to cold temperatures for too long, and it can be life threatening.

Mild hypothermia – Shivering and complaining of cold, numbness in fingers and toes, body temperature slightly below normal.

Moderate hypothermia– Shivering, numbness in fingers and toes, lack of coordination and/or speech, confused or unusual behaviour, impaired judgment.

Severe hypothermia – Person has stopped shivering and complaining of cold, lack of coordination and/or speech, confused or unusual behaviour, impaired judgment, glassy stare, body temperature below 30°C, breathing has slowed down or stopped, possible unconsciousness.

Frostbite

Frostbite is a serious condition in which body tissues freeze. It happens most often in the fingers, toes, ears, and nose. It often starts as skin that is paler than usual and then progresses to a white waxy appearance.

How to help

• Call EMS/9-1-1 for severe hypothermia.

• Treat the person gently and monitor breathing carefully.

• Get the person away from the cold and into shelter.

• Remove any wet clothing and gently dry the person.

• Warm the person by wrapping him or her in blankets or putting on dry clothing. Cover the head and neck. Warm

the person slowly.

• If hot water bottles or heating pads are available put them under armpits, around the groin and back of the

neck being careful not to burn these areas.

• Do not rub areas that appear to be affected by frostbite.

• If the person is alert, give him or her sips of warm liquids to drink.

• Active re-warming such as hot baths should be used only when the person is far from a medical facility.

Bike Safety

Three out of four children in Canada have a bicycle. The Red Cross says cycling is great exercise and a way for children to learn responsibility, so parents and caregivers should encourage biking while stressing safety, including mandatory use of properly fitted and secured helmets.

Speed, inexperience and not wearing protective gear are among leading causes of cycling injuries for children. About a third of hospital emergency visits for children with cycling injuries involve broken bones, and one in 10 cycling deaths or serious injuries result from collisions with vehicles.

"Kids under age 10 do not yet have the combination of judgment, coordination and motor skills to fully understand – or react – to the risks from obstacles and the dangers of vehicle traffic," said Rick Caissie, national director of injury prevention with the Canadian Red Cross. "Close supervision, keeping away from busy streets and parking lots, and having adults lead by example on helmet use as well as knowing - and obeying - traffic rules will prevent injuries."

Caissie said parents and caregivers should have first aid training that gives them the skills and confidence to provide emergency treatment for common cycling injuries like falls, fractures or bleeding.

The Red Cross says parents should also be aware that studies show children between ages 10 and 14 are the group least likely to wear a helmet. Reflective stripes on clothing and bicycles, and the use of flickering lights - including during daylight hours - also make cyclists much more visible to motorists.

"And as with any other outing, if children or youth are cycling any distance without parental supervision, bike with a buddy, agree in advance on a return time and stick to a route that's familiar, illuminated and avoids secluded areas," Caissie added.

Article from www.redcross.ca, May 11, 2011, Schools Out, Bike Safety is in: Red Cross

November is CPR Month 2010

This November, be the somebody who saves a life

Seventy per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home, yet only one in seven people know how to perform CPR. Could you perform CPR right now if needed? Knowing these simple techniques could mean the difference between life and death for someone you love.

Permanent brain damage can occur four to six minutes after breathing stops, but the average ambulance response time is nine minutes in large urban centres. Performing CPR immediately following cardiac arrest can double a victim’s chance of survival.

Make sure you know what to do when an emergency situation occurs. Red Cross CPR courses provide the skills needed to recognize and respond to cardiovascular emergencies and choking, and also include training on the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The above information was found at www.redcross.ca