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Safety
checklist from 2006
As I
think back over the past year, it seems 2006 came and went far too quickly.
I accomplished many of the goals I set for myself, but there are some
that I just never found the time for. Now 2007 has arrived, and once again
it’s time for new beginnings, which leads many of us to once again start
thinking about New Year’s resolutions.
Exercising and losing weight always seem to be at the top of the list
and are very important, but I would like you to add a few New Year’s
resolutions that you likely have never thought of to your list.
Help your kids learn their address and phone number and teach them how
to call for help by dialing 911. They may be the only ones available who can
call for help if you are sick or unable to reach the phone.
Take the time to teach your kids how to escape if your house catches
on fire. Do they know what to do if the door that leads to safety is blocked?
Do they know to shut their door if they can’t escape because of heat
and smoke? It may buy them extra minutes so they can climb out a window or
for someone to rescue them.
Have you taught your kids how to open the windows in their room? Do
you have an escape ladder if they sleep on the upper floor of your house?
Where will you meet if you get separated?
Have you as a parent ever thought about taking a CPR class? In these
classes they teach you CPR as well as how to help someone who is choking.
Hopefully your kids or someone in your family will never experience
this type of emergency. You just don’t know when these types of tragedies
will occur, so wouldn’t it be much better to be prepared?
What about taking a basic first aid class? I know most people don’t
want to think about their child being seriously hurt, but ignoring the
possibility does not prevent it from happening.
Just learning such basics as how to control bleeding and opening an
airway could help save a life.
We all know the New Year’s resolutions that always seem to be at the
top of the list every year, and most of them are very worthy indeed.
I just ask that you think about adding fire safety and basic first aid
to that list for the sake of those you love.
24/7/365: You call; we respond.
Kenneth Lee Knight is a battalion chief in the High Point Fire
Department. He can be contacted at kenneth. knight@highpointnc.
gov.
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