Back to Public Service Did You Know House Numbering Many local municipalities have enacted legislation aimed to ensure that house numbers are prominently displayed to aid emergency services, and will help to avoid unnecessary delays in locating your home in an emergency. Check with your town to make sure you are in compliance with all local laws and recommendations. Be sure to number a curbside mailbox with at least 3 inch high reflective numbers. Use contrasting colors; don’t use black numbers on a black mailbox. Number both sides of your mailbox. Emergency personnel may approach your home from either direction. When numbering your house or other building use at least 3 inch numbers. If the building is a distance away from the street larger numbers will be needed for visibility. Curbside numbers are always preferable if buildings are difficult to see due to trees, shrubs, or are a distance from the road. It is always good to have two numbering systems. Curbside numbers in front of your home can easily be missed when covered with snow, or they can be very hard to see when its wet from the rain or if something in parked in front of them. If your house, or the house of your loved ones are not already identified, please do it today. Let’s work together in the fight against time in an emergency! If You Need to Call 911 If you have an emergency and need to call 911 Emergency, the dispatcher will ask you some very specific questions. While this may seem to take some time these questions are important in determining what type of help you need. They may give you some specific instructions; always follow those instructions! Always speak calmly and clearly and do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to hang up. Turn on your porch light or front door light, even in daylight. This will increase visibility and aid the paramedics in finding your house. If it is safe, and a extra pair of hands is available, have someone wait outside to flag down the ambulance. If you have pets, and there is time, secure them in a separate room. This will avoid delays in confronting protective or scared dogs, or prevent indoor pets from inadvertently being allowed outside when rescuers enter your home. When you can, gather up medications and any important medical information. If you use our Medic Alert Pouch, have it available for the paramedics. Pull Over Law When you are driving down the road and hear a siren, but you don’t know where it’s coming from, what should you do? According to the Vehicle and Traffic Law you should pull as far to the right as possible and safely STOP. Simply slowing , while you continue to drive along the side of the road, can be very dangerous and the driver of the emergency vehicle cannot prepare for the exact location the vehicles will meet and pass. Remember!! Pull to the right and stop. Snow Shoveling Shoveling snow can be risky business. If you have heart disease get your doctor’s permission before shoveling snow. Reduce the risk for back injury by keeping your knees together and lift with your legs, not your back. Avoid twisting motions. Instead move straight forward as you lift small amounts of snow. Dress warmly, wear sturdy shoes and gloves and take frequent breaks. If you develop back pain be sure to see your doctor right away. Snow shoveling is very hard work and is demanding on your heart. Know the signs of a heart attack. Heart attacks can be sudden, but most start slowly with mild pain and/or discomfort. Often people who are having a heart attack aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are the signs of a heart attack: Chest Pain - Most heart attacks cause discomfort or pain in the center of the chest that can last for more than a few minutes. The pain may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Nausea, light headedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, or the rapid onset of exhaustion and weakness are also signs of heart attack. If you experience any of these signs stop immediately. These and other signs may indicate a heart problem, and you should seek medical attention immediately. Childhood Drowning Among children aged one to four years, most drowning occurs in residential swimming pools. Most children who drown in pools were last seen in the home and had been out of sight less than five minutes. Drowning can be prevented, and you can help. Never leave small children near water unsupervised, even for a few seconds. For above-ground pools, ladders should be secured. Remove ladders where the pool is not in use. Never use flotation devices as a substitution for supervision. Car Safety Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death to children of all ages? What can you do to change this tragic statistic? First, always make sure both you and your children are buckled up. If you have young children, secure them in correctly installed child safety seats, and always properly restrain older children in the back seat where they can’t be injured by airbags. Remember, each year six out of ten children who die in crashes are unbelted. However when seat belts are used they increase the chance of surviving a crash by nearly 45%. Be safe and buckle up!
