American Red Cross Lifesaving Water Safety Advice
August 30th, 2008American Red Cross
Greenwich, CT
203-869-8444
General Interest
Summer is a wonderful time of year with children and parents looking forward to outdoor activities at pools, lakes and beaches. Yet accidents can happen if families take a vacation from safety. The good news is that most water tragedies can be prevented, if everyone remembers the basic rules of water safety. The Greenwich Chapter reminds everyone to have fun this summer without taking a vacation from safety. These tips will help keep everyone healthy and safe in or around the water:
- Learn to swim and swim well. One of the best things anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is learn to swim. No one, including adults, should ever swim alone. Adults should practice “reach supervision” which means to be within arm’s length of a child in case an emergency occurs.
- Outfit everyone with the proper gear. Kids – and even adults – who are not strong swimmers or who appear to rely on inflatable toys for safety should use U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) whenever they are in or around the water. Everyone, including strong swimmers, should use an approved PFD when boating. Each person should have the appropriate personal flotation device for his or her weight and size, which is found clearly marked inside the label near the Coast Guard stamp. A great idea is to make a family day out of learning the rules of water safety and shopping for durable safety equipment together at a local pool supply store or mass distributor.
- Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the residential pool and know how to use it. A first aid kit, cordless phone, phone list with emergency contact information, a reaching pole and a ring buoy with a nylon line attached are recommended. First aid kits are available for purchase at the Greenwich Chapter. Cordless phones allow you to make that 9-1-1 call and to receive calls without leaving the area. These items coupled with a pool emergency action plan—similar to a fire drill—help the whole family breathe a little easier. In addition, the Red Cross recommends that pools be surrounded on all sides by a fence that is at least 4 feet high. It should not provide any footholds, which would allow a child to climb over or spacing to climb through. The fence should have a self-closing, self-locking gate that is locked when the pool is not in use.
- Pack a “safety” bag for a day at the beach or lake and play safely. A properly packed safety bag will help ensure a fun day in which everyone comes home safe and sound. Water-proof sunscreen SPF 15 or higher, water shoes to keep feet safe from heat and sharp objects, a hat, sunglasses, plenty of water and a first aid kit are musts. First aid kits are available for purchase at the Greenwich Chapter. All containers should be plastic to prevent injuries from breaking glass. Do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.
- Learn Red Cross First Aid and CPR. While the above tips can help prevent emergencies, it is important to know what to do if a situation arises. All caregivers, including grandparents, older siblings, and babysitters should have these lifesaving skills.
For more information on staying safe in and around the water visit www.greenwichredcross.org or contact the Greenwich Chapter at 203-869-8444. The Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross provides relief to victims of emergencies and disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Wednesday Night Concert Series: July 23
COMMUNITY CHANNEL
Greenwich, CT
000-000-0000
Music
Jazz banjoist and vocalist Cynthia Sayer performs in the Wednesday Night Concert Series, 7:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, July 23; Sherman Baldwin Park; Greenwichct.org.
NEW VIVAPOP RELEASE, July 22nd
VIVAPOP
Greenwich, CT
203-661-0555
General Interest
On July 22 2008, we launched new VivaPop. All news going forward will be posted on new VivaPop http://www.vivapopgreenwich.com/vivapop
We encourage you to search and post events for free on http://www.vivapopgreenwich.com/vivapop More powerful publishing features including news blogs, program & event posts , searchable calendars, and all media uploads are available if you upgrade to business member. You can see that we put some random examples of this on the new VivaPop home page under Neighborhood News.
NOTE: WE ONLY SUPPORT MOZILLA FIREFOX 3.0 AND INTERNET EXPLORER 7. HERE ARE THE LINKS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/default.mspx
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=sfx&uid=0&aid=3462589
After the new vivapopgreenwich release, we will no longer be updating the home page or calendars on vivapop.com. Please call 203-661-0555 for more information. Current VivaPop users will still be able to login to their accounts at vivapop.com. We will notify you when the new VivaPop is open to personal users.
New VivaPop is a BETA release. This means that you may experience error messages and occassional interruptions of service. We ask for your patience during beta.
