The last month of Do 1 Thing is finishing with first aid. This week’s tip is First Aid: Know what to do while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Call 911 instead of trying to take an injured or ill person to the hospital yourself. It seems like waiting for an ambulance will make it take longer to get help, but ambulance crews can start providing care as soon as they arrive. They can get the patient to hospital quickly, legally, and more safely.

• Stay on the line with 911 and follow emergency instructions.

• Stay calm and try to keep the patient calm.

• Don’t move a patient who was injured in an automobile accident or fall, or who was found unconscious.

• If the patient is cold, cover them with a blanket.

• Don’t give an injured person anything to eat or drink (unless instructed by the 911 dispatcher).

• Have someone watch for the ambulance and show the crew how to get to the patient. (This is especially important in an apartment or office building, or if your address is hard to see from the street).

Basic first aid training through local community partners is an easy way to start. Check with your local Red Cross, hospital, or fire department for any classes available to the public.

I am currently in Lansing this week as an instructor for another Teaching, Educating, and Mentoring (T.E.A.M) school.  We have 32 police officers from around the state from Paw Paw to Romulus, from Dewitt to Wakefield. We have updated the curriculum again with the most current safety and law information and these students will take this awesome information back to their schools and communities. Some of these new T.E.A.M students will be supporting other Community Service Troopers (MSP) or their fellow School Liaisons for their departments. Some of the students will be covering areas that may have been without school liaisons due to transfers, promotions, or other reasons.

The T.E.A.M curriculum has a wide variety classes. This curriculum is split into four age groups, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and high school. Each age group has comparable classes with fire, gun, and computer safety. The lesson plans conclude with homeland security and bullying information. These classes are not only used in the schools but in the community also, such as cub scout and girl scout, church groups, and community functions.

 

Any questions or comments please email me at TrooperRob53@yahoo.Com or call 269-683-4411.