Dec. 12, 2011
Contact: Daphne Hart, (714) 481-5375
Red Cross Offers 12 Days of Holiday Safety
Tips to help keep season merry and bright
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The American Red Cross is offering holiday safety tips to help ensure that 12 drummers, 11 pipers, 10 lords and all your loved ones enjoy a happy and safe season.
1. Prepare vehicle for travel to grandmother’s house. Have an emergency kit that contains items such as blankets, jumper cables, compass and road maps, shovel, extra clothing and a flashlight.
2. Drive the sleigh and reindeer safely. Avoid driving in storms. If travel is a must, let others know the destination, the route being taken, and how long it should take to arrive.
3. Help prevent the spread of the flu. Stay home if sick. Wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer frequently. Cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, which should be done into elbows, not hands.
4. Follow Santa’s fashion lead – dress in layers. Layered lightweight clothing will keep people warmer than a single heavy coat. Gloves and a hat will also help prevent the loss of body heat.
5. Use a Red Cross-trained babysitter when attending holiday parties. Red Cross-certified babysitters learn basic first aid, how to properly hold and feed children, and many other important skills.
6. Avoid danger while roasting chestnuts on open fires. Unattended cooking causes nearly 90 percent of all kitchen fires, so please stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food.
7. Be a lifesaver during the holidays. The Red Cross recommends that at least one person in each household take first aid and CPR/AED training. Visit www.redcross.org/training for details or to register for classes.
8. Designate a driver or skip the holiday cheer. Buckle up, slow down and stay sober or include a designated driver in holiday plans.
9. When the weather outside is frightful, heat the home safely. Never use stoves or ovens to heat the home and never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended.
10. Cut down on heating bills without being a Scrooge. Make sure the furnace is cleaned and the filters changed. Also, ensure you home has carbon monoxide detectors in living areas.
11. Home for the holidays? Travel safely. Check the tire pressure and make sure windshield fluid is full. Give full attention to the road and avoid distractions such as cell phones.
12. Resolve to Be Red Cross Ready in the New Year. Get ready now in case someone in your household faces an emergency in 2012.
For additional safety tips, please visit oc-redcross.org or call (714) 481-5300.
Help people affected by disasters by donating to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of all disasters. Call (714) 481-5300 or 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Contributions may be sent to the American Red Cross, 601 North Golden Circle Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting oc-redcross.org. For more updates on the American Red Cross in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ocredcross.
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