This next story comes to us from Linda Turgeon from Inspiring Solutions Staging & Redesign.

"A few winters ago my daughter Raelyn and I were very excited to get our tubing gear out after many, many inches of snow. We packed everything up and headed for a hill that everyone loved to sled on. On the ride there we talked about our lunch plans and what we would do for the rest of the day. When arriving at the hill it looked perfect for tubing. There were several families there that were just as thrilled about all the snow we had gotten. We bundled up and got our gear out of the car and heading for the top. I don't remember how many runs we got in going side by side, but the last one we decided to hold on to each other tube. It started out fast and continued to pick up speed. This certainly was the fastest run yet! There was no stopping us when we hit a plowed snow banking and went up and over. We were both airborne, my daughter hit the icy pavement first and I landed across her. A scream came from her that sent chills running up my spine. I got up and told her not to move until I could understand what she was screaming about. Calmly, I spoke to her and repeated that she look directly at me and tell me where she was hurt. It was her leg, one look at it; I knew by the way it was off to one side, it was broken. I took off my jacket to cover her and sweater to put under her head. I calmly told her that I was going to run to the car to get my phone. She began crying and asking me not to leave her. At this point a woman had come over to see if we were alright. I ask her to stay with Raelyn so I could run to get my phone. As it turned out she had her phone close by. I ask her to please call for help. The words that came out of her mouth next shocked me. Lady: "Who should I call?" Me: (Thinking in my head,  is she serious?) "911" Lady: "What do I say?" Me: "Tell them someone got hurt sledding and you need an ambulance." Lady: "Where are we?" Me: "PLEASE GIVE ME THE PHONE" I gave 911 the information, the ambulance came and off to the hospital we went. After a couple of operations, screws in her ankle and a cast for months, she recuperated perfectly. She only carries two small scars on her ankle! The scars that I carry, are inside me forever.

 One of the things I have learned from Safety Trainers since this accident; be a better communicator with the person who has the phone and the 911 operator. What I should have said was "call 911 explain to them what happened." "Make sure you give them your phone number in case you get cut off." "The address is.....

 We never expect to encounter situations like this, but take the time to prepare yourself, because when they happen, they happen fast and the only way to be in control is to be prepared with Safety Trainers expertise."

This story can teach us two lessons. First, the proper way to handle a situation. Linda did a great job of staying calm and keeping her daughter calm. She assessed what the problem was and knew she needed to call for help. Also, using people around you USUALLY will help the situation.

Second, The importance of making a 911 call and knowing what to say. The individual that had the phone seemed completely clueless on how make a 911 call. That is the most important thing to do in all emergences, call for help.

Thanks to Linda for sharing this with us. I hope that everyone who reads this can take something from it. I know I did.

Our next story comes from Kevin Cantwell from Expert laser Services.

"Several years ago I had a crew clearing some brush and small trees. The guy on the chain saw was not a tree expert, but he was experienced in using a chainsaw and cutting down trees. As he was cutting the tree, another guy pushed on the tree with a backhoe to make sure it fell away from a building. Just as the tree was cut through the pressure made the trunk swing around. A limb hit the tree cutter in the side of his head, causing a severe concussion and months of lost time. He was not wearing a hard hat at the time, although I am not sure if that would have helped. The standard rule of using the right tool for the job might have applied. A backhoe is not the proper method to guide a tree as it is being cut. A tree company might have cost some more money at the time, but nothing compared to what happened to my workers compensation premium!!!"

I think this is important for any homeowner or business owner. It might not be you that has an emergency, but this is a perfect example of how others can effect us. We hire companies to come into our homes to do work everyday, it doesn't take much. Sometimes these workers have deadlines to meet and as a result might rush....this can make a very big difference!

Thanks to Kevin for sharing!

The American Heart Association has released some facts and statistics that are directly related to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. I want to share some of these facts with you. For the complete list you can visit the AHA site.

About 75 to 80 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at HOME. This means having someone trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can make a substantial difference for the survival rates of a loved ones.

Approximately 310,000 of all annual adult coronary heart disease deaths in the United States are suffered outside the hospital setting and in hospital emergency departments. Of those deaths, about 166,200 are due to sudden cardiac arrest.

These are some very important reasons why we still need people to have CPR training. With response times for medical professionals, EMT's and Paramedics, taking anywhere from 6 to 20 plus minutes, depending on location and time of day, it now becomes vital for a bystander to help with CPR.

 In addition, the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) have also been playing a vital role in saving lives due to sudden cardiac arrest. This is why many companies and communitieshave introduced AED's to their safety programs.

 In closing, I ask that you ask yourself one question, and if the answer is NO than please consider going through a training course.

 If someone collapsed in front of you right now, would you know how to react?