Red Cross Thunderstorm Safety and Upcoming Class Schedule 

Newton, NJ, June 29, 2011 — 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.

The American Red Cross also recommends that at least one person in every household be trained in CPR and First Aid to help provide emergency assistance in the event of an emergency.

Upcoming classes include:

On Wednesday, July 6th 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 $85.00.

On Thursday, July 7th an Infant/Child CPR course will be offered from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.  The course imparts the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care for breathing emergencies and perform CPR specifically for children under the age of nine.  The fee is $70.00.

On Saturday, July 16th a Standard First Aid course will be offered from 9:00am to 12:00pm.  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 $70.00.

On Wednesday, July 20th an Adult CPR/AED course will be offered from 6:00pm to 10:30pm.  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 $70.00.

On Thursday, August 4th an Adult CPR/AED course will be offered from 6:00pm to 10:30pm.  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 $70.00.

On Monday, August 15th a Standard First Aid course will be offered from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.  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 $70.00.

On Friday, August 19th an Infant/Child CPR course will be offered from 8:30am to 12:00pm.  The course imparts the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care for breathing emergencies and perform CPR specifically for children under the age of nine.  The fee is $70

On Thursday, August 25th 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 is $85.00.

To register for a class please visit www.sussexredcross.org and click Take A Class from the menu, or call 973-579-1600.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.sussexredcross.org or call our office at 973-579-1600.