St. John Ambulance Wants Families to Plan around Safety
March 8, 2010 (Toronto, ON) – With the approach of March Break families are getting ready to go on a well-deserved vacation. But before you hit the road towards destination fun, St. John Ambulance wants to encourage everyone to incorporate safety in to their travel plans.
- Give Yourself Lots of Time: Getting someplace on time can be stressful enough on an average day, but March Break marks one of the busiest travel points on the calendar. Expect delays and give yourself lots of extra time to deal with them. This should reduce your stress and help you avoid speeding.
- Drive Safe: Pay attention. If you’re staying in town there may be a lot more pedestrian traffic during March Break so keep an eye out. If you’re heading out of town, take your time and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Respect the rules of the road.
- Stay Sober: Don’t drink and drive. Should you suspect that someone you are sharing the road with is driving their vehicle impaired, please call 9-1-1 using your hands free device.
- Check the Weather: March is an unpredictable month when it comes to weather. It can usher in an early feeling of spring or blast with the frosty vengeance of winter. Keep a cold weather kit with items such as an ice scraper, shovel, windshield wiper fluid and warm clothes, in your car just incase.
- Be Prepared: Get trained in first aid and take a first aid kit with you on your travels. Being trained will help you take control of an emergency; and the first aid kit will ensure you have all the material you need to help.
- Don’t Forget to Pack Your Medication: You don’t get to take a vacation from your medication. Make sure to take it with you as well as a prescription, incase you run out or lose it. If you suffer from a severe allergic reaction, make sure to calculate your distance to medical help (from your destination and on route).
- Create an Emergency Plan: Whether on a vacation or ‘stay-cation’ it is important for families to come up with an emergency plan. Exchange cell phone numbers with everyone in your group, choose a meeting point should you become separated, etc. Think of anything that can go wrong and how you would cope if it did. Make sure everyone knows the plan and if possible, practice it.
If you are interested in learning more about first aid or would like to order a first aid kit, visit www.sja.ca/on. St. John Ambulance would like to wish everyone a happy and safe March Break!
For 125 years, St. John Ambulance has been training over 140,000 Ontarians annually in first aid and other health care related courses and remains dedicated to saving lives at work, home and play. With over 4,000 volunteers contributing over half a million hours of community service a year, St. John Ambulance is an integral part of the community offering such unique and innovative programs as: medical first response, disaster response, car seat clinics, health and safety related youth programs and therapy dog services. As a charitable, non-denominational, humanitarian organization, proceeds from St. John Ambulance’s first aid training and first aid product sales directly support these vital community services programs. For more information on St. John Ambulance training courses and volunteer opportunities or to contact your local branch, visit www.sja.ca/on