AED Refresher
With the recent distribution of updated AED Pads to all IDL offices and engines, it seems like a good time to recommend refresher training for AED usage.
All IDL employees are required to be First Aid/CPR/AED trained, and many have recently participated in this training. But if your certification is over a year old, it's a good time to refamiliarize yourself with the operation of an AED.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you know when to use an AED?
- Do you feel that you are prepared to operate an AED?
- Are you prepared to lead a medical emergency under your watch?
Below are links to quick refresher videos to remind you of the appropriate actions to take and how to use an AED. Each one is slightly different with pertinent information.
Action First Aid CPR/AED Emergency Response Refresher
Using an AED by American Red Cross
Zoll AED Plus | CPR/AED Training
Drowsy Driving
As we move into summer, many of you will be on the roads more, traveling to meetings and trainings, fire assignments, and generally getting out more.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that every year about 100,000 police-reported, drowsy-driving crashes result in nearly 800 fatalities and about 50,000 injuries.
Drowsy driving kills....but it is preventable. Sleepiness can result in crashes any time of the day or night, but three factors are most commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes.
Drowsy-driving crashes:
- Occur most frequently between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late afternoon. At both times of the day, people experience dips in their circadian rhythm—the human body’s internal clock that regulates sleep.
- Often involve only a single driver (and no passengers) running off the road at a high rate of speed with no evidence of braking.
- Frequently occur on rural roads and highways.
According to the Sleep Foundation:
- Drowsy driving is dangerous even if a person doesn’t actually fall asleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation leads to mental impairment that is similar to drunkenness.
-
This impairment makes a person less attentive to their surroundings and more easily distracted. It slows their reaction time, making it harder to avoid dangers in the roadway.
-
Insufficient sleep is also tied to worsened decision-making, which can lead to risk-taking behind the wheel.
Learn the warning signs of drowsy driving:
- Yawning or blinking frequently.
- Trouble remembering the past few miles driven.
- Missing your exit.
- Drifting from your lane.
- Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road.
Information located on the US Department of Transportation website has additional information including Tips to Drive Alert.
Everyone be safe out there!
|
