Posts Tagged "water safety"

Caring for Hypothermia

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to prevent hypothermia, symptoms can present themselves anyway, especially in small children.    Remember that hypothermia is a big deal – it’s a medical emergency that requires immediate attention by a medical professional.  Once you’ve identified hypothermia symptoms, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number and follow these steps immediately.

  • Get out of the water and get to a warm place.
  • Remove wet clothing.
  • Gradually rewarm your body by wrapping yourself in blankets or putting on dry clothes.
  • Cover your head to prevent further heat loss.
    • Be careful not to rewarm yourself too quickly.  Rapid rewarming can cause dangerous heart rhythms.
  • Drink warm nonalcoholic and decaffeinated liquids.
  • If you’re caring for someone else and they are unconscious, monitor their breathing and pulse.  Be prepared to give rescue breathing or CPR.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

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Identifying Hypothermia

If you’ve been unable to prevent hypothermia, there are some telltale signs for identifying hypothermia.  Usually if a member of your group is complaining that they’re cold, be sure to check their temperature.  If their temperature is below 96° Some of the signs to look for are:

  • Confusion or sleepiness.
  • Slowed, slurred speech, or shallow breathing.
  • Weak pulse; low blood pressure.
  • A change in behavior during cold weather or a change in the way a person looks.
  • Excess shivering or no shivering; stiffness in the arms or legs.
  • Poor control over body movements or slow reactions.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

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Preventing Hypothermia

Hypothermia doesn’t just happen in the winter or in cold water.  Hypothermia can occur in water that’s 70 degrees, so you need to be aware of hypothermia even when enjoying spring and summer water activities.  Know how to protect your troop from hypothermia by:

  • Always wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating on cold water.  A life jacket not only provides flotation, but it also helps the person wearing it to conserve body heat.
  • Wearing layers of insulated clothes that keep you warm even while wet, such as clothing made from wool or containing polypropylene or capilene.
  • Wearing a wet suit or dry suit during aquatic activities.
  • Wearing a hat.  Body heat is quickly lost through the head.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

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Being Prepared for an Aquatic Emergency

It;s important to be prepared for an aquatic emergency.  Being prepared means being ready before it happens.  To be prepared for an emergency, you must first understand the aquatic environment and review general water safety guidelines.  Always:

  • Be aware of the conditions and potential hazards of the water environment, whether it’s a pool, lake, river, ocean, or other body of water.  Know its unique conditions, as well as hazards common in your geographical area, such as storms, currents, and underwater obstructions.
  • Understand the various recreational activities that are common in your area and their hazards.  Consider the age and ability of participants in those activities.
  • Learn what kind of accidents and injuries have occurred in your water environment.  This knowledge will help you prevent further injuries and prepare for similar aquatic emergencies.

You also need to have the right equipment on hand in case of a water emergency.

  1. Appropriate rescue equipment for a water emergency, such as a ring buoy, throw bag, heaving line, or reaching pole.
  2. Appropriate life jackets for every person that is in, on, or around the water.
  3. A first aid kit.
  4. A means of communication (such as a phone, cellular phone, or two-way radio).
  5. An emergency signaling device, such as an air horn, whistle, strobe light, signal mirror, flare, or chemical light stick.
  6. Extra clothing, blankets, and rain gear.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

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Developing an Emergency Action Plan

Whenever going into the great outdoors with a troop, it’s important to develop an Emergency Action Plan, or EAP.  An effective EAP must be simple, easy to remember, and in writing.  Y0u should make an EAP clear for all girls, volunteers, and event staff to understand.  A EAP should include these general features:

  • How the person who recognizes the emergency is to signal others.
  • The steps each person should take in an emergency.
  • The location of rescue and safety equipment.
  • Actions to minimize the emergency and safely rescue any victims.
  • How to call for medical assistance when needed.
  • Follow up procedures for after the emergency.

All adults should be briefed in detail what to do in case of an emergency with the troop.  Depending on the age of the girls, you can brief them at the same time if they’re older and can understand the details, or you may choose to brief younger girls separately using language they can more easily understand.

When you put your EAP into writing, consider including any of the applicable following sections:

  • Layout of facility/environment.
    • EMS personnel access and entry/exit routes.
    • Location of rescue and first aid equipment.
    • Location of telephones, with emergency telephone numbers posted.
    • Location of keys for buildings or rooms with telephones or emergency equipment.
    • Exits and evacuation routes.
  • Equipment available.
    • Rescue equipment.
    • First aid supplies.
    • Emergency equipment, such as flashlights or fire extinguishers.
  • Support personnel available.
    • Internal.
      • Staff members.
      • Troop leaders.
      • Volunteers.
      • Clerical personnel.
      • Maintenance personnel.
    • External.
      • EMS personnel.
      • Police officers.
      • Fire fighters.
      • Hazardous materials (HazMat) team.
      • Poison control center.
      • Hospitals.
      • Power and gas companies.
      • Health department.
      • Search and rescue team.
  • Staff responsibilities.
    • Assign each adult a duty:
      • Provide care.
      • Control bystanders and troop.
      • Meet EMS personnel.
      • Interview witnesses.
  • Communications.
    • How and when to call 9-1-1 (or other local emergency number), and who will make the call.
    • Chain of command.
    • Personal to contact family/parents.
    • Person to deal with media.
  • Follow up.
    • This includes items such as EAP documentation and evaluation.

Clearly, some of these sections do not need to be included for a day trip to a public, controlled area (such as a pool or water park).  They should all be included when taking an extended trip or a trip to a more remote area, like a day hike or weekend long camping trip.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

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