Take a CPR or Emergency First Aid Course at Pointe Claire Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Photography: Emergency Response
November is CPR Month.
You may question the value of taking a CPR course. After all, you’re young. Your family is young. What are the chances?
If you or a member of your family is not trained in CPR and basic emergency first aid, consider these points:
- Cardiac arrest is not something that is restricted to the elderly.
- A poisoning incident can lead to cardiac arrest.
- Choking, if not handled will result in heart stoppage.
- Electric shock can stop your heart.
- Once you stop breathing, brain damage can begin to occur in as little as 4 minutes. It takes an emergency team an average of 8-12 minutes to respond to an incident.
Be prepared when faced with a medical emergency. Every minute is crucial.
If you want to take a CPR or First Aid course on the West island, Pointe Claire offers a series of short, inexpensive accredited courses. The website provides full information on what will be covered, pricing, schedules and registration forms. You can also reach them at (514) 630-1226.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Use CPR month as the catalyst to get this critical life skill under your belt.
Proper Use of Child Car Seats
Photography: Seat Belt
Most parents kow that children are required to be in government approved child car safety seat when travelling in a car. However, studies have shown that just over half of all car seats are not properly installed and can result in injury to the child in case of an accident. Apart from proper installation, parents also aren’t certain as to the appropriate time to switch to the next car seat type.
Essentially there are 4 distinct car seat stages:
- Stage 1: Using a Rear Facing Infant Seat
- Stage 2: Using a Forward Facing Car Seat
- Stage 3: Using a Booster Seat
- Stage 4: Regular Seat Belt Use
To clarify when it is safe to switch to the next car seat phase Transport Canada has put together an excellent guide on Appropriate Car Seat Use For Children.
The information is available in a downloadable pdf brochure entitled Keep Kids Safe: Car Time 1-2-3-4. A French version is available. The Quebec government also publishes a Child Safety Seat Brochure available in pdf format for download. The pdf file is also available in French.
Quebec Child Car Seat Inspection Network
CAA Quebec and the SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) have gotten together to create and manage a permanent network of Child Car Seat Inspection Centers throughout the province of Quebec. In the past this service was available at select times of the year in designated locations which made it difficult for parents to get their child’s car seat inspected when needed.
To find a center simply go to the Child Car Seat page of CAA Quebec and select a region. A list of centers with their addresses and phone numbers will be provided. You must make an appointment before going to the center.
On the West Island, car seat inspection centers are available in Dollard des Ormeaux, Dorval, Kirkland, Lachine, Pierrefonds and Pointe-Claire.
Child Car Seat Recalls
While your at it, make sure to take a look at the Child Restraint and Booster Cushion Recall Notices page from Health Canada to see if there are any safety issues related to the car seat model you are using. The most recent notices are at the top of the page but also scroll down to the bottom of the page to check out past recall bulletins, especially if you are using an older car seat.
Photography: Swimming Safety
Most kids love to play in the water. Seeing their children have so much fun, parents sometimes fail to appreciate the dangers involved. Tragically, every year we see a number of children involved in drowning accidents. With some care and attention these tragedies can be prevented.
Here are 11 simple water safety tips provided by KidsHealth.org:
- Never Swim alone
- Get some life saving and CPR training
- Know Your Limits
- Swim in Safe Areas
- Be careful when Diving
- Avoid Excess Sun Exposure
- Drink Plenty of Fluids
- Know when it’s time to get out
- Don’t drink and Swim
- Use a Personal Flotation Device when on a Boat
- Let someone know your plan
On the West Island most pools offer swimming and water safety courses as well as First Aid and CPR. Check out an indoor or outdoor pool in your area for a schedule of lessons.
Additional Resources: Child Water Safety
Red Cross Water Safety
The Red Cross offers a collection of water safety tips for the beach, boating, home pools, lakes, rivers and oceans. It even has specific recommendations for Water Parks.
Red Cross Tips
Recreational Water Illness
The Center for Disease Control has a number of topics on Recreational Water Illness. This includes infections, rashes, hot tub issues and preventive measures. If you’ve ever been concerned about health issues that come from Swimming or water activities you will find this site invaluable.
Prevent Recreational Water Illnesses
Pool Safety Document
This docment provides some simple guidelines for home pool owners. Even if you don’t own your own pool, the information is still useful if you or your children use a neighbor’s pool.
Pool Safety Tips
Pool Safety
If you have a home pool or are visiting someone with a pool make sure you take a look at this information on Children and Pool Safety.
Children and Pool Safety
Water Safety
Safe Kids Canada prepared this short two page summary of water safety rules for both pool usage and swimming in open water.
Water Safety Rules
