Fall Back ~ Spring Forward

Care Wagon Medical Transport & The Red Cross

would like to remind everyone to

Turn Back Those Clocks 

and Check Your Smoke Alarms 

Please also think of your elderly relatives, friends and neighbors that may need help completing these tasks!

We are asking every household to check their smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home.

This NOVEMBER 1st WEEKEND we all get an extra hour of sleep as we turn the clocks back one hour to mark the end of Daylight Saving Time. The American Red Cross recommends changing your smoke alarm batteries and testing the alarms at the same time.

LIFE-SAVING CAMPAIGN The Red Cross has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of people killed or injured in home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. Teaming up with local fire departments and community groups, the Red Cross is installing smoke alarms and teaching people how to prevent fires in places where a high number of fires have occurred.
The Red Cross is also asking every household in America to take two simple steps that can save lives: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home.
Smoke alarms save lives. You should:

·  Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.

·  Check monthly that smoke alarms are working properly by pushing the test button.

·  Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year.

·  Replace smoke alarms every ten years.

PRACTICE HOME FIRE DRILLS Make sure all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home, and set up a meeting place outside in case of fire. Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Teach household members to stop, drop and roll if their clothing should catch on fire.
Other steps you can take to get prepared include:

·  Updating the emergency contact information in your family communications plan. Choose an out-of-area emergency contact that each person in your family can call if he/she becomes separated during a disaster situation.

·  Making sure your emergency preparedness kit still includes at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food items and water (one gallon per person per day), a flashlight, a battery-powered or crank radio, can opener, first aid kit, copies of important documents, and special items such as medications, diapers, and infant formula.

·  Checking your emergency preparedness kit for expired food items; refresh staples such as water, food and batteries. If there have been changes in prescriptions or dietary needs, add new foods and medications as needed.

Taking simple actions like these can help you be better prepared for a disaster or emergency situation. So, when you turn back the clock this weekend, take a few extra minutes to ensure that you and your family are better prepared for the unexpected.