I want to share this story with you courtesy of Amanda Allain with ADP. I think it is fitting coming into the winter months where we might see similar situations ourselves.

"My story happened when we were on vacation. We were traveling on the Mass Pike in torrential rain when we saw a car that spun off the road and was on its side. Many people were helping them stay dry with umbrellas; you could tell this accident did not just happen. About 10 miles up the road where there is a shortcut for the police to cut from one side of the pike to the other, we saw 2 police cars with lights blaring come in and fly past us...Then a few minutes later we saw them on the other side going back...I believe they were trying to respond to the car accident but could not find where they were. This just goes to show how important it is to know exactly where you are and give as much info as possible to save valuable time! "

This is a great example of how important is to know where you are at all times. If you do not know where you are, Emergency Medical Services probably will not know either. Currently in the State of Massachusetts, we do not track your cell signal to locate your position. Therefore, when you call 911 for assistance and they ask where you are, keep these things in mind;

What is the last mile marker you passed?

Are you traveling East,West, North or South on the road?

What exit or over-pass?

What is the name of the street signs around you?

What are the major landmarks around you?

Whether you are traveling this Holiday Season to visit family, friends or even just to work, know where you are going, where you came from and describe what is around you. 

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.

In a training that I did last night, I presented the class participants with I.C.E stickers and the handout that Safety Trainers has to go along with them.

One individual said to me "I heard about that before but I didn't believe it was real"

 Since that was not the first time something like that has been said to me it really got me thinking......

I need to let people know about this program.

The I.C.E. sticker is a way to show lay and professional rescuers that you have listed the In Case of Emergency contact in your mobile device.

 In the event that something happens to YOU how can we identify who you are and if there is medical information that we should know about to better help YOU.

If you ever got an email about this or read it in a magazine, medical professionals( EMT's, Paramedics, Police and Fire Fighters) are trained to take a look at your phone for this sticker to identify an established emergency communications protocol. This started in the UK and has now traveled into the US.

Do you travel overseas for business?

This is spreading as a world-wide campaign!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please  contact us.