– compiled courtesy of N.C. Dept. of Insurance and American Red Cross

As the weather heats up this summer, folks around here may head out to enjoy Kerr Lake or area swimming pools. It’s fun to cool off with water activities like swimming and boating, but it’s important to keep safety in mind.

According to information from the Red Cross, an average of 11 people die each day in the U.S. from unintentional drowning – and one in five of those are children 14 or younger.

The Red Cross Swim app, sponsored by The ZAC Foundation, has safety tips as well as kid-friendly videos and activities. There’s a free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course in English or in Spanish to provide additional information about water safety and handling water emergencies.

Other tips include:

• Swim in a lifeguarded area. Always designate a “water watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep a close eye and constant attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over.
• Drowning behavior is typically fast and silent. Unless rescued, a drowning person will last only 20 to 60 seconds before submerging. Reach or throw, don’t go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble. Don’t go in! You could become a victim yourself.
• Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning.
• Classes to learn how to swim are available for both children and adults. Check the map for Learn-to-Swim providers in your community. Everyone should learn first aid and CPR too, so they know what to do in an emergency.

It’s important to keep in mind that safety hazards lurk on dry land, too. And N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and the Safe Kids North Carolina program are reminding people of the dangers of leaving children and pets in cars as summer temperatures climb.

Causey, who also serves as the Chair of Safe Kids NC, observed how quickly a vehicle can heat to dangerous – and sometimes deadly – temperatures.

“Summers are great in North Carolina, but the warmer temperatures also mean the very real danger of heatstroke,” Causey said in a written statement. “It only takes 10 minutes for the temperature inside a car to rise to unsafe levels.”

Across the country each year, 35 to 40 children die because of heat exposure in cars. In fact, 53% of child heatstroke deaths occur because a caregiver has forgotten a child in the car. Since 1998, 32 children have died in North Carolina from a being left in a hot vehicle. July is the deadliest month for cases of vehicular hyperthermia in children, but the danger spreads from March through November in our area due to the subtropical North Carolina climate.

Pets are also susceptible to even mildly hot temperatures in vehicles, where an animal in a car on an 80-degree day can experience temperatures close to 100 degrees after 10 minutes and close to 115 degrees after 30 minutes.

Symptoms of overheating in pets can include:

• Excessive panting or difficulty breathing
• Increased heart and respiratory rate
• Drooling
• Mild weakness or stupor
• Collapse

“Even the best of parents and pet owners can make the deadly mistake of leaving their child or animal unattended, and that’s why we’re trying to educate people before a tragedy can occur,” Causey said. “These statistics demand the increased education of all parents and caregivers that it is never safe to leave a child or animal unattended in a vehicle.”

For more tips on how to avoid heat-related incidents, visit https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/safe-kids/heatstroke-never-leave-your-child-alone.

Heat Safety Tips:

1. Hot cars can be deadly. Never leave children or pets in your vehicle. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees.
2. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
3. Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.
4. If you don’t have air conditioning, seek relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day in places like schools, libraries, theaters, malls, etc.
5. Avoid extreme temperature changes.
6. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
7. Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.
8. Postpone outdoor games and activities.
9. Take frequent breaks and use a buddy system when working outdoors.
10. Check on animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat. Make sure they have plenty of cool water and shade.

Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If someone is experiencing heat cramps in the legs or abdomen, get them to a cooler place, have them rest, lightly stretch the affected muscle, and replenish their fluids with a half a glass (about 4 ounces) of cool water every 15 minutes.

If someone is exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion (cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness and exhaustion), move them to a cooler place, remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin. Fan the person. If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Watch for changes in condition. If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 911.

HEAT STROKE LIFE-THREATENING Heat stroke usually occurs by ignoring the signals of heat exhaustion. Heat stroke develops when the body systems are overwhelmed by heat and begin to stop functioning. Signs include hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting and high body temperature. Call 911 immediately if someone shows signs of heat stroke. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the person’s body by immersing them up to their neck in cold water if possible. Otherwise, douse or spray the person with cold water, or cover the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

PET SAFETY

• Animals can suffer heat stroke, a common problem for pets in the warmer weather. Dogs with short noses or snouts, like boxers or bulldogs, are especially prone to heat stroke, along with overweight pets, those with extremely thick fur coat or any pet with upper respiratory problems such as laryngeal paralysis or collapsing trachea.
• Some of the signs of heat stroke in your pet are heavy panting and being unable to calm down, even when lying down, brick red gum color, fast pulse rate and being unable to get up.
• If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees, cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees.
• Bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage. Download the Red Cross Pet First Aid appfor instant access on how to treat heat stroke, other emergencies and general care for cats and dogs and take the Cat and Dog First Aid Online Training.

The Red Cross app “Emergency” can help keep you and your loved ones safe by putting vital information in your hand with more than 35 customizable severe weather and emergency alerts. The Red Cross First Aid app puts instant access to information on handling the most common first aid scenarios, including heat emergencies, at your fingertips. Download these apps for free by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or at redcross.org/apps. Learn First Aid and CPR/AED skills (redcross.org/takeaclass) so you can help save a life.

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