Getting your family safety training can prevent unnecessary trips to the doctor or emergency room. Training should focus on three key areas: preparing for emergency situations, driving and water safety.
- Become trained in first aid and CPR with AED. Ideally, at least one person in each household should have these lifesaving skills. Research shows 75 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home and 25 percent of hospital emergency room visits could be eliminated if someone knew first aid. NSC offers both online and classroom trainings.
- Get “hands on” experience in using a fire extinguisher and learn how to put out small fires in your home. Every adult in your household should be able to operate a fire extinguisher. Your workplace may offer this training. If not, many local fire departments provide demonstrations and training at community events or in presentations to church groups, community organizations or home owner associations.
- Join your local Community Emergency Response Team. CERT educates you about disasters and hazards that may impact your community. It provides training in basic disaster response, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and your community's emergency response plans.
- Refresh your driving skills. Adults seldom receive any additional driver training after high school. A defensive driving course, either online or in a classroom, provides information on how to prevent collisions, recognize potential hazards and drive defensively in unpredictable conditions.
- Help teens become safe drivers, too. Learn about Graduated Driver Licensing and what puts teen drivers at greater risk for motor vehicle injury and death. The Alive@25 program can prepare your teen driver to recognize risky situations giving your teen important decision-making skills on how to respond to friends when these situations occur.
- Learn to swim. All adults and children should learn to swim. It is never too late for an adult to learn to swim or too early for children to begin developing water skills. Swimming lessons are offered locally by many park districts, YMCA’s and other community locations.
Annually, more than 2, 282,000 people are injured while engaging in outdoor recreational activities. Take advantage of safety courses for outdoor activities that you and your family enjoy. Be aware that your state may require mandatory training if you hunt, own or use firearms or operate boats and recreational vehicles such as All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles. Safety Courses are available from your State's Department of Natural Resources.