EDITH - Exit Drills In The Home

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is very true, especially in the context of fire safety. When a fire occurs, there is no time for planning so sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire.

Draw a floor plan of your home and discuss escape routes with every member of your family.
Agree on a meeting place outside. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside.
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked and practice using alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and the room is filled with smoke.

Teaching Children to use 9-1-1

Teach your children HOW and WHEN to use 9-1-1. Some of these tips may help:

Never refer to 911 as "nine-eleven". There is no such number as "eleven" on the telephone and a child may easily be confused in the process of dialing. Always refer to 9-1-1 as "nine-one-one".
Teach your children to trust the 9-1-1 operator. Explain to them that 9-1-1 is their friend and a source of help during an emergency.
Carefully explain to your children that 9-1-1 is for an emergency and that an emergency is when they need to get police, fire department or paramedics in a hurry.
Also explain that 9-1-1 is not a toy and should not be played with unless it is actually needed. Possibly use the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" story and relate it to 9-1-1.
At the same time you must avoid discouraging a child from calling 9-1-1. Any time they think they need to call, encourage them to use 9-1-1, even if they are in doubt.

Cardiac Chain of Survival

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States. Ninety percent of all sudden cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital setting. Learning how and being prepared to use CPR is an excellent beginning however, it is only one link in what is known as the Cardiac Chain of Life. The links include:

Early Access. The sooner 9-1-1 is called, the sooner advanced life support arrives.
Early CPR. Early CPR helps circulate blood that contains oxygen to vital organs until an Automated External Defibrilator (AED) is ready for use or advanced medical personnel arrive.
Early Defibrillation. Most victims of sudden cardiac arrest need an electric shock called defibrillation to restore the heart to a regular rhythm. Each minute that defibrillation is delayed reduces a victim's chance of survival by about 10 percent.
Early Advanced Life Support. This is given by trained medical personnel who provide further care and transport to hospital facilities.