Red Cross Offers Lightning Safety Tips

Newton, NJ July 28, 2009 — Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors. However, it's also the peak season for thunderstorms and lightning. According to the National Weather Service, each year many people are injured or lose their lives after being hit by lightning. The American Red Cross has some steps your family can take to remain safe during a lightning storm:

• Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind. Listen for the sound of thunder.

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. If thunder roars, go indoors.

If a storm is approaching:

• Find shelter in a building or car. Keep car windows closed and avoid convertibles. Get out of mobile homes that can blow over in high winds.

• Unplug appliances. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. Use battery-powered TVs and radios instead.

• Avoid taking a bath or shower, or running water for any other purpose.

• Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from lightning can overload the compressor, resulting in a costly repair job!

• Draw blinds and shades over windows. If windows break due to objects blown by the wind, the shades will prevent glass from shattering into your home.

If you are caught outside during a storm:

• Try to reach a safe building.

• Avoid high ground; water; tall, isolated trees; and metal objects such as fences or bleachers.

• Picnic shelters, dugouts and sheds are NOT safe.

• If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately!

• Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding.

When the storm is over:

• Never drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, don’t drown!

• Stay away from storm-damaged areas.

• Listen to the radio for information and instructions.

If someone is struck by lightning:

• Call for help. Get someone to dial 9-1-1 or your local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) number.

• The injured person has received an electrical shock and may be burned or have other injuries. People who have been struck by lightning do not retain an electrical charge and can be handled safely.

• Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained person should give Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). If the person has a pulse and is breathing, look and care for other possible injuries.

Upcoming Red Cross training classes include:

On Tuesday, August 11th an Adult CPR/AED course will be offered from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm. This course is also being offered on Wednesday, September 9th from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm and Saturday, September 26th from 8:30 am to 1:00 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 August 15th, and again on Saturday, September 19th a Babysitter’s Training course is being offered 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 Monday, August 17th, and Thursday, September 10th 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.

On Saturday, August 22nd from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, an Infant and Child CPR class will be offered. This class is also offered on Tuesday, September 15th from 6:00 pm to 10:30 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

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 non-profit organization, not a government agency, and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.