American Red Cross announces an online Safety Training Course
Home Pool Safety Program

Newton, NJ, July 2, 2009 - The American Red Cross is pleased to announce another tool to help Sussex County families stay safe while enjoying the summer! The American Red Cross and the National Swimming Pool Foundation collaborated on the development of the program, Home Pool Essentials™: Maintenance and Safety, which continues the Red Cross tradition of teaching people to be safer in, on and around water.

The new course is especially important in light of the latest statistics for drowning of children less than 5 years of age. Last year, nearly 300 children died as a result of drowning last year, and of that number, nearly 79 percent occurred in residential pools

For only $19.95, participants in the online course will receive six months of access to the online content, a printable user guide to compliment the online course and a record of completion. The online course includes maintenance topics like: How a Pool Works, Common Water Problems, Water Testing, Water Clarity, Adding Chemicals, and How a Filter Works

Participants will also learn basic skills needed to respond to an emergency while in, on or around water, including: Preventing Accidents, Knowing How to Respond, Preventing Unsupervised Access, Watching Children Around Water, and Preventing Pool and Hot Tub Entrapment Hazards.

To access the course, participants may visit http://www.homepoolessentials.org. Be sure that your home pool is safe for the summer with a 2-hour online course from the most trusted name in aquatics - the American Red Cross.

In addition to completing the online course, the American Red Cross recommends taking at least one of the following courses to be better prepared for an emergency around water:

• Standard First Aid with CPR/AED - Adult, Child and Infant

• CPR/AED - Adult, Child and Infant

• Basic Water Rescue

• Lifeguarding

Upcoming Red Cross classes include:

A Dog First Aid training course is being offered on Wednesday, July 8th at the local Red Cross Headquarters in Newton from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Participants will learn what to do in the event their dog is ever injured or has a medical emergency; including breathing emergencies. The fee for this training is $40.

On Monday, July 13th, an Adult CPR/AED course will be offered from from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm. This course is also being offered on, Saturday, July 25th from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm and Tuesday, August 11th from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm. The course imparts the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care for breathing emergencies, perform CPR, and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to save victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The fee is $50.00.

On Saturday July 18th a Babysitter’s Training course is being offered from 9:00am to 3:30pm. This course is also being offered on Saturday, August 15th from 9:00am to 3:30pm. The Babysitter’s Training course has a unique interactive, educational format that tasks youth, ages 11 – 15 years of age, with activities such as identifying safety problems around the house and yard and selecting age-appropriate toys and games for children in their care. The fee for this course is $65.00

On Tuesday, July 21st, an Infant and Child CPR class will be offered from 6:00 -10:30 p.m. This course will also be offered on Saturday, August 22nd from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Attendees will learn the skills needed to provide care for infants and children in the case of breathing emergencies, and perform CPR. The fee is $55.00

On Thursday, July 23rd, and Monday, August 17th, a First Aid course will be offered from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. This course is intended to teach lay responders the knowledge and skills necessary to give care in an emergency, help sustain life and minimize the consequences of injury or sudden illness until medical help arrives. The fee is $45.00.

Classes will be held at the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross located at 93 Spring Street in Newton. Contact the Health and Safety Department at (973) 579-1600, or you can register and pay online at www.sussexredcross.org . Visit this site for directions and information on these and other upcoming Red Cross courses. The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization that shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The American Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.