Learn CPR at Aces Stadium
REMSA and the Reno Aces will honor National CPR and AED Awareness week on Sunday June 6, 2010 by offering free Hands Only CPR Awareness classes. Hands only classes will begin at 11:30 on the lawn in front of the Aces Ballpark.
Special tickets for the game are available for purchase at www.renoaces.com by using “remsa” as the promotion code for single game ticket purchase.
Learn to save a life, stay for the game!
Playground Safety
Each year, more than 200,000 children go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms with injuries associated with playground equipment, this equates to one child being injured every two and a half minutes. Most injuries occur when a child falls from the equipment onto the ground. Many backyard play-sets are placed on dirt or grass–surfaces that do not adequately protect children when they fall. REMSA would like to remind parents of some important safety tips regarding playgrounds and their children.
Quick Checklist for Parents:
Place this list in a prominent area of your home for quick reference. Then, before your children head out the door for the playground, check that:
Supervision is present, but strings and ropes aren’t.
- Adult presence is needed to watch for potential hazards, observe, intercede and facilitate play when necessary. Strings on clothing or ropes used for play can cause accidental strangulation if caught on equipment.
All children play on age-appropriate equipment.
- Preschoolers, ages 2 – 5, and children, ages 5 – 12, are developmentally different and need different equipment located in separate areas to keep the playground safe and fun for all.
Falls to surface are cushioned.
- Nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries are related to falls to the surface. Acceptable surfaces include hardwood fiber/mulch, pea gravel, sand and synthetic materials such as poured-in-place, rubber mats or tiles. Playground surfaces should not be concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.
Equipment is safe.
- Check to make sure the equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed, bolts are not protruding, there are no exposed footings, etc.
Occurrence and Consequences:
- About 45% of playground-related injuries are severe—fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations.
- About 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds. Most occur at schools and daycare centers.
- Between 1990 and 2000, 147 children ages 14 and younger died from playground-related injuries. Of them, 82 (56%) died from strangulation and 31 (20%) died from falls to the playground surface. Most of these deaths (70%) occurred on home playgrounds.
- In 1995, playground-related injuries among children ages 14 and younger cost an estimated $1.2 billion (Office of Technology Assessment 1995).
- While all children who use playgrounds are at risk for injury, girls sustain injuries (55%) slightly more often than boys (45%) (Tinsworth 2001).
- Children ages 5 to 9 have higher rates of emergency department visits for playground injuries than any other age group. Most of these injuries occur at school (Phelan 2001).
Red Light? Move RIGHT
As the area’s leading paramedic ambulance provider, REMSA, along with local fire and law enforcement officials need your help. A few minutes, even a few seconds, can mean the difference between life and death. So when you hear a siren or see emergency lights, remember to do your part to help make sure emergency vehicles can get to those who need help. With bad weather this winter, it is important to obey the rules when seeing emergency flashing lights. REMSA would like to share the following information to keep the roads safe:
Remember, the R-I-G-H-T thing to do:
React
Respond quickly but calmly. Scan all directions for more than one emergency vehicle. Plan your next move.
Initiate
Begin your move to the right. Use your turn signal. Try not to slam on your brakes or pull over suddenly and never run a red light to move to the right.
Gauge
Remember to safely gauge the distance between your car and the cars around you, and pull over as far right as possible. Never stop at a place that doesn’t have enough room for you to pull over safely.
Halt
Stay completely stopped to the right of the road until the emergency vehicle has safely passed. Remember there may be more than one vehicle responding, so scan around before you merge back into traffic.
Tolerate
Emergency personnel only use their lights and sirens when they are needed to offer critical care and assistance. So please, pull over. It only takes a few seconds of your time. Someday you may be the one calling for help — for you, a loved one, friend, or neighbor.
Other Helpful Reminders from REMSA:
Crosswalks and Roadsides
Be alert for pedestrians who may be in the crosswalk, or the edge of the road. They may be looking for the emergency vehicles too.
Highways
Gradually brake to avoid losing control in loose gravel on the shoulder.
Pedestrians
Never cross in front of an emergency vehicle that may be stopped at a busy intersection waiting for another vehicle to pass.
Bicyclists
Pull as far to the right as possible to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
Remember, when you see red and blue lights or hear sirens, MOVE TO THE RIGHT…you are making a difference in the life of someone in your community.
Family Safety Preparedness
Safety is always a top priority for families. However, families often do not have a safety plan and are ill prepared for possible emergencies. REMSA would like to remind families about what can be done to be better prepared.
Four Steps to Safety
1. Find Out What Could Happen to You
• Contact your local emergency management office, such as Red Cross, before a disaster occurs–be prepared to take notes.
• Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request information on how to prepare for each.
• Learn about your community’s warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them.
• Ask about animal care after a disaster. Animals are not allowed inside emergency shelters because of health regulations.
• Find out how to help elderly or disabled persons, if needed.
• Find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children’s school or day care center, and other places where your family spends time.
2. Create a Disaster Plan
• Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
• Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen. Explain what to do in each case.
• Pick two places to meet:
1. Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire.
2. Outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Everyone must know the address and phone number.
• Ask an out-of-state friend to be your “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Other family members should call this person and tell them where they are. Everyone must know your contact’s phone number.
• Discuss what to do in an evacuation. Plan how to take care of your pets.
3. Complete This Checklist
Home Hazard Hunt
• In a disaster, ordinary items in the home can cause injury and damage. Anything that can move, fall, break, or cause a fire is a potential hazard.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections.
• Fasten shelves securely.
• Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Hang pictures and mirrors away from beds.
• Brace overhead light fixtures.
• Secure water heater. Strap to wall studs.
• Repair cracks in ceilings or foundations.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products away from heat sources.
• Place oily polishing rags or waste in covered metal cans.
• Clean and repair chimneys, flue pipes, vent connectors, and gas vents.
• Post emergency telephone numbers by phones (fire, police, ambulance, etc.).
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1 or your local Emergency Medical Services number for emergency help.
• Show each family member how and when to turn off the utilities (water, gas, and electricity) at the main switches.
• Check if you have adequate insurance coverage.
• Get training from the fire department for each family member on how to use the fire extinguisher (ABC type), and show them where it’s kept.
• Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms.
• Stock emergency supplies and assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit.
• Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
• Determine the best escape routes from your home. Find two ways out of each room.
• Find the safe places in your home for each type of disaster.
4. Practice and Maintain Your Plan
• Quiz your kids every six months or so.
• Conduct fire and emergency evacuations.
• Replace stored water and stored food every six months.
• Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
OTHER WAYS TO REMAIN SAFE:
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Working with neighbors can save lives and property. Meet with your neighbors to plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster until help arrives. If you’re a member of a neighborhood organization, such as a home association or crime watch group, introduce disaster preparedness as a new activity. Know your neighbors’ special skills (e.g., medical, technical) and consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as disabled and elderly persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can’t get home.
If Disaster Strikes
Remain calm and patient. Put your plan into action.
Check for Injuries
Give first aid and get help for seriously injured people.
Listen to Your Battery-Powered Radio for News and Instructions
Check for Damage in Your Home…
• Use flashlights. Do not light matches or turn on electrical switches, if you suspect damage.
• Sniff for gas leaks, starting at the water heater. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open windows, and get everyone outside quickly.
• Shut off any other damaged utilities. (You will need a professional to turn gas back on.)
• Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasoline, and other flammable liquids immediately.
Remember to…
• Confine or secure your pets.
• Call your family contact–do not use the telephone again unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
• Check on your neighbors, especially elderly or disabled persons.
• Make sure you have an adequate water supply in case service is cut off.
• Stay away from downed power lines.
To set up a media interview with a REMSA representative, please call Scott Walquist at 775.686.2116.
REMSA is a private, not-for-profit emergency medical services system serving northern Nevada. REMSA’s state-of-the-art 9-1-1 dispatch communications center is fully accredited, as are all emergency medical transport services of the company. REMSA provides quality patient care with no taxpayer support or other subsidies.
Water Skiing Safety
Water-skiing is an exciting and challenging sport. However, it can also be a dangerous sport if all safety precautions are not obeyed and followed. REMSA would like to remind water skiers of some safety tips to follow while enjoying the summer months while water skiing:
The Ski Area
The size of the water area in which you intend to ski determines the number of boats and skiers that can operate within it at the same time. Each boat should be able to maintain a 200-foot wide “ski corridor” (100 feet on either side of the boat). The entire “skiing course” should be at least 2,000 – 3,000 feet long to avoid constant turning and risky maneuvering.
A minimum depth of five to six feet of obstacle-free water is suggested for safe skiing to:
* Keep the skis from dragging bottom during starts.
* Allow for a margin of safety against hitting bottom or submerged obstacles during a fall.
Serious injuries can result from hitting fixed objects such as docks, pilings or stumps. While many areas with obstacles are marked by warning buoys or signs, it is up to the boat operator, observer and skier to be alert to any potential hazards in the skiing area.
Avoid solid objects when landing. Many serious injuries occur when skiers attempt to stop near docks or pilings. Ski only in areas you are familiar with. Consult charts of the area, ask other skiers who possess “local knowledge,” and personally drive through the course before you actually ski it.
Weather
As a rule, avoid skiing when the water is rough due to high winds. Choppy water demands a greater skill level and causes the skier to fatigue more quickly, often because the tow boat cannot maintain a constant sped. Skiing in the rain is not recommended because of the loss of visibility experienced by the boat operator.
When skiing in cooler weather, be aware of the effects of hypothermia. Loss of body heat leads to a reduction in coordination and judgment. The use of wet suits is an effective way to ward off the chilling effects of wind and cold water.
Safety Tips For Water-Skiers
Don’t take unnecessary risks while water-skiing. The following tips will help you safely enjoy this thrilling sport:
* ALWAYS have an observer in the boat. This is a legal requirement in many states. The boat driver cannot watch the skier and operate the boat safely at the same time.
* ALWAYS wear a Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) designed for water skiing. Ski belts are NOT recommended. Your approved PFD will help keep you afloat.
* NEVER ski in rough water. High waves or a choppy sea will prevent the tow boat from maintaining a steady course and speed.
* Stay well clear of congested areas and obstructions. Water-skiing requires a lot of open area.
* Don’t spray or “buzz” swimmers, boats, or other skiers. Such stunts are dangerous, discourteous, and could cause an unintentional collision.
* NEVER ski after dark. It is hazardous AND illegal. Any boat traveling fast enough to tow a skier is traveling too fast to navigate safely at night.
* NEVER water-ski while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such activity is extremely dangerous because of the impairment to your judgment and ability to respond. A recent study conducted with expert skiers who were deliberately intoxicated indicated that even their ability to ski was dramatically reduced.
* Use hand signals between the skier and observer. Agree before you start what each signal means so there is no confusion at a critical moment.
Retrieving a Skier
Falling down in the water while water-skiing is a common occurrence, especially for beginners. If a skier has fallen or made a water landing, pick them up as soon as possible, since floating skiers are difficult for other boats to see. While waiting to be picked up, the skier should hold up a ski to increase their chances of being recognized in the water.
The boat operator reduces speed immediately while the observer maintains visual contact with the skier and directs the operator. Return to pick up the fallen skier with the boat at reduced speed and headed into the wind or current, whichever is stronger. Always turn off engine when approaching the skier.
The observer is to watch for the skier’s signal to indicate the skier is alright. If the signal is not seen, the operator must assume the skier is injured and needs immediate assistance. If the skier is injured but is able to grasp and hold a line, maneuver the boat upwind and close to the injured person. Turn off the engine, throw the injured skier a line and gently haul them in.
If they cannot grasp and hold a line, follow the same procedure, but let the boat drift towards them without power. Always keep the operator’s side toward the victim and NEVER retrieve anyone from the water with the engine running. Put a swimmer in the water to retrieve a skier only as a last resort.
Workplace Eye Safety Month
A significant number of eye injuries causing visual loss, disability and blindness occur in the workplace each year. REMSA would like you to know that 90 percent of them can be prevented with appropriate protective eyewear. The following are tools that can help prevent eye related injuries in the workplace.
1. The workplace is one of the most common sites of eye injury.
* The workplace is a leading cause of ocular trauma, visual loss, disability and blindness.
* Work site injuries often involve automobile and construction repair-related workers.
* Each working day in the United States, more than 2,000 employees sustain job-related eye injuries.
* Of these, 10 percent to 20 percent will be disabled due to temporary or permanent vision loss.
2. The best way to protect workers is through an aggressive safety program.
* The number of job-related eye injuries can be reduced with the implementation of an effective eye care program that includes the use of safety eyewear.
* The critical components of an occupational eye care program include: 1) determining potential threats to vision on the job; 2) determining eye hazards present; 3) performing vision testing; and 4) requiring appropriate protective and corrective eyewear.
* Day-to-day enforcement of safety rules is imperative with appropriate disciplinary measures carried out as necessary.
3. Appropriate eyewear is essential to protect the eyes in the workplace. Talk to an Eye M.D. or eye care professional to learn about the eyewear appropriate for your occupation.
* Ninety percent of all job-related eye injuries can be prevented with proper protective eyewear.
* Many of those injured didn’t think they needed to wear eye protection or were wearing eyewear inappropriate for the job.
* To keep eyes protected from dangers, such as flying fragment and chemical splashes, safety eyewear must have “ANSI Z87.1″ (designating it as impact resistant for the workplace) marked on the frame or lens.
* All who enter a work site where eye hazards are present must wear adequate protection.Safety eyewear should be worn whenever there is a chance that machines or activities present a hazard of flying objects, chemical splashes, harmful radiation or a combination of these or other hazards.
Medication Misuse
The correct medication at the correct dosage has the ability to make a sick person healthy. However, the wrong medication, or the wrong dosage also has the ability to make a healthy person sick or the sick even sicker. REMSA would like to share the importance of carefully reading and reviewing medication instructions to avoid any misuses that can cause harm to an individual.
Medication Safety
Pharmacists in hospitals and health systems play an important role in preventing medication errors. To make sure you use medicines safely and effectively, REMSA recommends that you:
* Keep a list of all medications that you take (prescribed drugs, nonprescription medicines, herbal supplements, home remedies, and medical foods) and medicines that you cannot take due to allergic reactions, and share those with your doctor or pharmacist.
* Tell your health care provider how you actually take your medication, especially if this is different from the originally prescribed directions.
* Learn the names of the drug products that are prescribed and given to you, as well as their dosage strength and schedules.
* Ask if you should avoid certain foods, beverages, other medicines, or activities while you are taking the drug.
* Ask for any written information available on the drug product.
* Question anything you don’t understand or that doesn’t seem right. Be especially alert to unexpected changes, such as receiving a prescription refill that seems to have a different strength or appearance from your original prescription.
* Show that you understand how to use your medication by repeating information about your prescription back to your doctor or pharmacist.
* If you’re too ill to follow these suggestions, ask a friend or relative to help.
* Remember that when you’re in a hospital or health system, you can always ask to speak to the pharmacist if you have questions about your treatment or medications.
Emergency Preparedness and Medications
REMSA recommends that consumers be aware of their medication needs as they prepare for any emergency. Following the tips below can help you be ready:
* Keep a list of all your medications in your wallet (include lists for your immediate family members, and drug name, strength, dosage form, and regimen).
Wear your medical-alert bracelet or necklace.
Store 3-5 days of medications that are important to your health.
* Include any medications used to stabilize an existing medical condition or keep a condition from worsening or resulting in hospitalization, such as medications for asthma, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, psychiatric conditions, HIV, and thyroid disorders. Carry these with you, if possible, in a purse or briefcase in labeled containers.
* Don’t store your medications in areas that are susceptible to extremes in heat, cold, and humidity (e.g., car or bathroom). This could decrease the effectiveness of the medication.
* Use child-resistant containers and keep your purse or briefcase secure.
* Rotate these medications whenever you get your prescriptions refilled to make sure they are used before their expiration date.
* Refill your prescriptions while you still have at least a 5-7 day supply of medications left. Keep in mind that some sources, such as mail-order pharmacies, have a longer lead time to refill.
* If your child takes medications, talk to your school system to find out their emergency preparedness plans.
* If you are being treated with a complex medication regimen, talk to your physician or pharmacist to create appropriate emergency preparation plans.
Medication for Children — Taking Medicine Correctly
Research shows that up to half of children who take medications do not take them properly. For your child’s prescription or OTC to work the way that it should, it is important to follow exact guidelines for its use.
Stick With the Schedule:
Prescription medications need to be given consistently, and at the right times, to help your child get better. Do not skip a dose of your child’s medication. When you first get the medication, ask your pediatrician or pharmacist what to do if a dose is not given on time.
Give the Right Amount:
Measure carefully. Do not be tempted to increase the amount of medication you give your child in an attempt to speed up recovery. Giving your child more medication than is directed may harm him. With both prescription medications and OTCs, follow the directions exactly.
Know Your Child’s Weight:
With OTCs, it is best to determine how much medicine to give by checking the label to see how much is recommended for your child’s weight. Age is not always an accurate measure of how much medicine your child should receive.
Do Not Stop too Soon:
Your child should continue to take his prescription medication for its full course, even if he begins to feel better. The same goes for instances where he does not like the taste of the medication or protests.
Take Medications Safely:
You can help prevent overdose or poisoning by following these tips:
* Always use good light. Giving medicine in the dark increases the risk that you will give the wrong medication or the wrong dose.
* Read the label before you open the bottle, after you remove a dose, and again before you give it. This routine can ensure your child’s safety.
* Always use child-resistant caps and lock all medications away from your child.
* Give the correct dose. Children are not just small adults. Never guess how much to give your child based on her size.
* Do not increase the dose just because your child seems sicker than last time.
* Always follow the weight and age recommendations on the label. If you have questions, ask your pediatrician.
* Do not confuse the abbreviations for tablespoon (TBSP or T) and teaspoon (tsp or t).
* Avoid making conversions. If the label calls for 2 teaspoons and you have a dosing cup labeled only with ounces, do not use it. Use an appropriate measuring device.
* Be sure your pediatrician knows if your child is taking more than one medication at a time.
* Supervise your children when they take any medications. Never let young children take medication by themselves.
* Before using any medication, always check for signs of tampering. Do not use any medication from a package that shows cuts, tears or other imperfections.
* Let your pediatrician know if your child is taking any herbal products, supplements or home remedies. These substances can interact with many prescription medications and OTCs.
* Store your medications in a locked, childproof cabinet that is not located in the bathroom. Medications stored in a bathroom medicine cabinet can be affected by humidity.
It is not always easy to give medication to a child. You may find your infant or toddler hates the taste and spits out the medication or refuses to swallow it. Try adding a little sugar or juice (not honey) to the dosing device to make it taste better. However, do not combine medications with milk or try to mix them into a bowl of cereal. These may effect the medication’s active ingredient and limit its absorption. Your child also may only eat part, or it may settle to the bottom and never get into her mouth.
Older children may be more willing to take chewable tablets than liquid medicines. Although most children’s medications are flavored to make them taste better, avoid calling them candy. It might make your toddler decide to take them on his own.
Talk with your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about giving your child medications. Keep your pediatrician informed about any changes in how your child is feeling or if your child has any reactions to the medication.
Child Passenger Safety Week
February 7, 2006
The importance of child safety while transporting children will be reinforced during Child Passenger Safety week on Feb. 12-18. REMSA would like to remind people that motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children ages 1 to 14. But children ages 4 to 8 who use booster seats and safety belts are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children who are restrained only by a safety belt.
Children need to be in the appropriate restraint for their size and age. One study showed that children ages 2 to 5 who are moved to safety belts too early are four times more likely to sustain a serious head injury than those restrained in booster seats. In an accident, the shoulder strap of a safety belt will hit a child shorter than 4’ 9”across the neck or face rather than the chest, and there is also a greater risk of internal injury because an adult belt hits across the child’s stomach rather than his/her lap. Booster seats protect children in the event of a crash because it raises them up and positions them so that adult safety belts fit over their chests and hips properly.
As children grow, how they sit in your car, truck, van or SUV should also change. For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers simply need to remember and follow the 4 Steps for Kids:
1. Use rear-facing infant seats in the back seat from birth to at least one year of age and at least 20 pounds.
2. Use forward-facing toddler seats in the back seat from age one and 20 pounds to about age four and 40 pounds.
3. Use booster seats in the back seat from about age four to at least age eight – unless the child is 4 ft. 9 inches or taller.
4. Use safety belts in the back seat at age eight or older or taller than 4 ft. 9 inches. All children age 12 or younger should ride in the back seat and should never ride in front of an air bag, if it can be avoided. Nevada and California law requires that children must be in a booster seat until they are age six and at least 60 pounds.
Many parents are under the false impression that children who have outgrown child safety seats can move right into safety belts, but nothing could be further from the truth. Safety belts, which are designed to fit adults, won’t fully restrain a child in a crash.
So, this year, during National Child Passenger Safety Week, REMSA is working hard to remind all parents, grandparents, child care providers and other adults in charge of children, to always remember that if their kids are less than 4’9’ tall, they need a booster seat.
Some parents or caregivers may regard booster seats as a hassle to use or a pain to convince their children to use. But we want to remind them this year at Valentine’s that truly protecting the ones they love means getting past the temporary complaints and perceived hassles because their children’s lives are really at risk.
Avalanche Safety
January 31, 2006
Mountains attract climbers, skiers and tourists who scramble up and down the slopes, hoping to conquer peaks, each in their own way. Yet, to do this they must enter the timeless haunt of avalanches. Each year, avalanches claim more than 150 lives worldwide, a number that has been increasing over the past few decades. Thousands more are caught in avalanches, partly buried or injured. REMSA would like to remind individuals to be safe around snowy areas.
Avalanche gear
Ideally, avoiding avalanches in the first place is much easier than trying to survive one. Avalanche safety begins even before you begin your travel. In addition to keeping an eye out for weather and terrain conditions, there are steps you can take ahead of time to help you or other members of your party if you are caught in an avalanche.
Proper equipment can be a critical factor in rescue efforts. Avalanches kill in two ways. A victim will either endure fatal trauma (collisions with rocks or trees) during an avalanche, or will suffocate after they are buried by snow. While trauma deaths occur before rescue can take place, the more common suffocation deaths are often tragic because with the proper equipment and expertise, they can be avoided.
Portable shovels made of plastic and aluminum are lightweight and compact enough that they can be carried in a pack. Digging with a shovel, as opposed to using hands or ski poles, can dramatically decrease the time it takes to dig out a victim. Digging by hand takes an average of 45 minutes to dig out one square meter of snow. Using a shovel to dig out the same amount of snow takes less than ten minutes.
Collapsible probes or ski-pole probes are also easy to carry along. Collapsible probes usually consist of two-foot lengths of tubular steel that join together to make a probe ten to twelve feet long. Ski-pole probes are made so that grips and baskets can be removed. The two poles can then be joined together to form a probe. Probing is essential to finding a buried victim if there are no visible clues on the surface.
Avalanche beacons (transceivers) are the most commonly used rescue device, and are standard equipment for ski-area patrollers and heli-ski operators. When properly used, they provide the fastest way of locating a victim. When a victim is buried, the transceiver will emit a frequency that other transceivers can home in on. However, it is critical to have the transceiver set to “transmit” during your outing. When trying to locate a buried victim, rescuers will then switch their transceivers to “receive” to locate the signal. Unfortunately, avalanche deaths have occurred due to the fact that the victims had their transceiver switched to “receive” rather than “transmit.” Consequently, rescuers could not locate them in time.
Remember that more than one transceiver unit is required. A transceiver will not help locate a victim who is not also wearing one. Likewise, a victim with a transmitting beacon may not be found unless someone else has a transceiver to pick up that signal.
Using beacons requires practice. Homing in on a buried signal involves moving in increasingly smaller circles around the area of the signal. When purchasing a unit, learn how to use it properly, and practice using it frequently. Make sure those in your party carrying transceivers understand how to use them.
Time is of the essence. Carrying this equipment may mean the difference between life and death for someone buried in an avalanche. Statistics show that most survivors are dug out within 15 to 30 minutes. For victims buried longer than 30 minutes, survival chances decrease drastically. In fact, U.S. statistics show that victims buried longer than 45 minutes rarely survive. Depth of burial is also a factor in surviving, but even if a victim is near the surface, the length of time it takes to locate them and dig them out can still be the critical factor.
If you are caught in an avalanche
Yell and let go of ski poles and get out of your pack to make yourself lighter. Use “swimming” motions, thrusting upward to try to stay near the surface of the snow. When avalanches come to a stop and debris begins to pile up, the snow can set as hard as cement. Unless you are on the surface and your hands are free, it is almost impossible to dig yourself out. If you are fortunate enough to end up near the surface (or at least know which direction it is), try to stick out an arm or a leg so that rescuers can find you quickly.
If you are in over your head (not near the surface), try to maintain an air pocket in front of your face using your hands and arms, punching into the snow. When an avalanche finally stops, you will have from one to three seconds before the snow sets. Many avalanche deaths are caused by suffocation, so creating an air space is one of the most critical things you can do. Also, take a deep breath to expand your chest and hold it; otherwise, you may not be able to breathe after the snow sets. To preserve air space, yell or make noise only when rescuers are near you. Snow is such a good insulator they probably will not hear you until they are practically on top of you.
Above all, do not panic. Keeping your breathing steady will help preserve your air space and extend your survival chances. If you remain calm, your body will be better able to conserve energy.
Rescuing a victim
Try to watch the victim as they are carried down the slope, paying particular attention to the point you last saw them. After the avalanche appears to have finished and settled, wait a minute or two and observe the slope carefully to make sure there is no further avalanche danger. If some danger does still exist, post one member of your party in a safe location away from the avalanche path to alert you if another avalanche falls.
When traveling with a large party, you may want to send someone for help immediately while the rest of you search. If you are the only survivor, do a quick visual search. If you don’t see any visual clues, and you don’t have transceivers, then go for help.
Begin looking for clues on the surface (a hand or foot, piece of clothing, ski pole, etc.), beginning with the point where they were last seen. As you move down the slope, kick over any large chunks of snow that may reveal clues. Since equipment and items of clothing may be pulled away from a victim during an avalanche, they may not indicate their exact location, but can help determine the direction the avalanche carried them. Mark these spots as you come across them. Be sure that all rescuers leave their packs, extra clothing, etc., away from the search area so as not to clutter or confuse search efforts.
Once the victim is found, it is critical to unbury them as quickly as possible. Survival chances decrease rapidly depending on how long a victim remains buried. Treat them for any injuries, shock, or hypothermia if necessary.
If you lost sight of the victim early during the avalanche, or if there are no visible clues on the surface, mark where the victim was last seen. Look at the path of the snow and try to imagine where they might have ended up. For those wearing avalanche transceivers, switch them to “receive” and try to locate a signal.
For those using probes, begin at the point the victim was last seen at. Or if you have a good idea of where they were buried, begin in that area. Stand in a straight line across the slope, standing shoulder to shoulder. Repeatedly insert the probes as you move down slope in a line. Pay particular attention to shallow depressions in the slope and the uphill sides of rocks and trees, since these are terrain traps where they may have been buried.
It may be necessary to probe certain areas more than once if you don’t locate the victim the first time around, but this takes more time and decreases the victim’s chances for survival. Similar to using transceivers, this method of rescue is much more effective if those involved have experience or have practiced finding buried victims using probes.
After searching for clues, or using transceivers and/or probes, still does not reveal the location of the victim, it may be time to rely on outside help. Nearby ski resorts will be staffed with personnel experienced to handle these situations. They will have equipment to locate the victims and dig them out (if your party did not bring shovels or probes), and they may also have avalanche dogs that can help find victims. Ski area patrollers will also have first aid equipment, but unfortunately, by the time they can usually reach out-of-bounds avalanche accidents, too much time has elapsed to save the victim.
Avalanche quick checks
Following is a list of quick checks you can make throughout the day:
* What have the weather conditions been over the past few days? Recent heavy snows?
* Can you observe any wind loading on the slopes?
* Do you have a good sense of the snowpack? Have you performed any snowpit or shear tests?
* Have you noticed many fracture lines, heard “whumping” or cracking sounds, or hollow noises in the snowpack?
* Are you keeping an eye on the orientation and steepness of the slopes as you cross them?
* Are you lingering in gullies, bowls, or valleys?
* Noticed any recent avalanche activity on other slopes similar to the one you are on?
* If a slope looks suspect, are there alternative routes?
Extra precautions to take
* If there is no alternative to crossing a suspect slope, do so one person at a time to minimize risk.
* When descending or ascending a slope, try to stay as far to the sides of a potential avalanche chute as possible to decrease your chances of being caught if an avalanche runs.
* Be aware of the condition of those in your party. If someone is tired, hungry, or cold they may not be using their best judgement.
* Remain constantly aware of changing weather or temperature conditions, particularly if your outing will last more than a few hours.
* Consider avalanche rescue equipment, such as beacons, ski-pole probes, and collapsible shovels, as a necessary part of your backcountry gear.
Avalanche factors: what conditions cause an avalanche?
Several factors may affect the likelihood of an avalanche, including weather, temperature, slope steepness, slope orientation (whether the slope is facing north or south), wind direction, terrain, vegetation, and general snowpack conditions. Different combinations of these factors can create low, moderate or extreme avalanche conditions.
Keep in mind that some of these conditions, such as temperature and snowpack, can change on a daily or even hourly basis. This necessitates constant vigilance of your immediate surroundings while doing any wintertime backcountry travel. The route you chose may be safe when you begin, but may become dangerous if conditions change dramatically throughout the day.
While this may seem like a lot of work, once you understand factors that can cause avalanches, most of these signals require simple observation to evaluate your surroundings as they change. Simply ask yourself, when are conditions sufficient to cause a mass of snow to slide down a slope?
Hypothermia/Frost Bite Safety
January 24, 2006
During the cold winter months, hypothermia and frost bite are always possible and need to be considered serious health threats, especially with senior citizens and small children. In order to protect yourself and loved ones from these serious threats, it is important to understand them and know how to prevent them. REMSA would like to share the following information regarding hypothermia and frost bite and how to prevent this from occurring to you:
Hypothermia and its main symptoms
Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature dips below the optimal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms usually take effect in three stages. The first stage is mild hypothermia. It is characterized by bouts of shivering, grogginess and compromised thinking. The second stage is moderate hypothermia. Symptoms include violent shivering or shivering with sudden stops, inability to think and pay attention, slow, shallow breathing, or slow, weak pulse. The severe level of hypothermia has set in when shivering stops. The patient may then lose consciousness. There is little or no breathing. Pulse is weak, irregular or non-existent.
How Your Body Regulates Core Temperature
* When your outer body layer becomes cold, blood flow increases in an attempt to regulate your body heat.
* When you inner body starts to become cooler than normal, shivering may begin.
* Shivering generates heat through an increase in chemical reactions required for muscle activity. Visible shivering can maximally increase surface heat production by 500 percent. However, this is limited to a few hours because of depletion of muscle glucose and the onset of fatigue. Active exercise is much more efficient at heating than shivering.
* Increasing or decreasing activity will cause corresponding increases in heat production and decreases in heat production.
* Behavioral responses, such as putting on or taking off layers of clothing will also result in thermoregulation.
Who is at risk for hypothermia?
The elderly and small children are most at risk for hypothermia. However, people who already have something wrong with them are also at a higher risk, as they may not be aware of how severely they are exposing themselves to the cold.
The main risk groups are:
* People who have been involved in accidents;
* Mentally ill patients;
* People with heart problems;
* Hypothyroid patients;
* Patients on sedatives;
* Those who may have consumed alcoholic.
Prevention and Assessment
Be aware of the causes of hypothermia, which are usually cool to cold temperatures combined with wetness and wind. Constantly evaluate the environmental conditions and the conditions of your group. Here are some guidelines to staying warm and avoid hypothermia:
* Wear proper clothing. Choose materials that keep you warm even when wet.
* Wetness equals trouble. Have proper rain gear to keep you and your clothing dry.
* Eat small amounts of food at frequent intervals to maintain the body’s energy reserves. Carry carbohydrates to snack on, because they provide quick energy, and protein and fat to eat before bed, because they burn slowly, providing energy overnight. Try not to push yourself to your physical limits in cold weather. Always leave your body with energy in reserve.
* Stay well hydrated. Dehydration quickens hypothermia, so force yourself to drink, even if you do not feel thirsty—up to 4 quarts (liters) a day in the winter or hot Summer. Drink hot liquids. Try to avoid drinking excessive cold fluids since body heat is used to warm them to body temperature.
* Avoid caffeine. It is a vasoconstrictor that increases the chances of peripheral frostbite.
* Avoid alcohol. It is a vasodilator and increases heat loss.
* Adjust your clothing frequently so that you are neither too hot nor too cold. If you are too hot and you begin to sweat, the wet clothing will rob you of heat 25 times faster than dry clothing. Be aware of the impact of wind chill on increasing the rate of heat loss.
* Have pairs of people zip their sleeping bags together and sleep together as a preventative measure on cold nights.
* Be alert to sudden weather changes and be able to make a quick evaluation of your group’s condition. Has the temperature dropped? Do people have their hats on? Has everyone been eating? Drinking? Is everyone wearing wind or rain gear? What is the condition of the weakest member of the group?
How to Determine if Someone Is Hypothermic
* Ask the person a question that requires higher reasoning in the brain (to count backward from 100 by nines). If the person is hypothermic, she won’t be able to do it. (Note: there are other conditions, such as altitude sickness, that can also cause changes in reasoning ability.)
* If shivering can be stopped voluntarily, it is mild hypothermia. If shivering cannot be stopped voluntarily, it is moderate to severe hypothermia.
* If you can’t get a radial pulse at the wrist, it indicates a core temperature below about 90° F (32° C). Check pulse and respirations carefully. Even after a full minute, you may not be able to detect a pulse or respirations and yet the person may still be alive. The body may be using a massive shell/core response to maintain basic life functions.
* A severely hypothermic person may appear dead. The person may be rigid, blue, and curled up in a fetal position. Try to open his/her arm up from the fetal position; if it curls back up, the person is alive. Dead muscles won’t contract—only live muscles.
Wind Chill Effects
Wind chill can have a major impact on heat loss through convection. As air heated by your body is replaced with cooler air pushed by the wind, the amount of heat you can lose in a given period of time increases. This increase is comparable to the amount of heat you would lose at a colder temperature with no wind.
What is the treatment for hypothermia?
The first step is to contact the emergency services since extreme hypothermia requires urgent professional attention. All cold, wet clothing should be replaced with warm, dry clothing to prevent further heat loss immediately.
If breathing has stopped and there is no pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be attempted until the emergency services arrive.
Rapid re-warming with hot water or massaging cold extremities should be avoided as, if done improperly, it could lead to serious tissue damage.
Do not give alcohol or nicotine products to someone suffering from hypothermia.
How can hypothermia be prevented?
The key rules are to wear many layers of clothing, drink plenty of fluids and hot drinks (but not alcohol) and keep well nourished. Maintaining movement to keep circulation up is also advised.
Frostbite and its symptoms
Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin or other body tissues. Although most frostbite occurs in cold weather, it can have other causes as well, including mishandling of refrigerants (dry ice, Freon), improper use of ice packs or inhalant abuse. Mechanical injury and dehydration of cells occur as ice crystals form in the tissue, and further damage to the area results from insufficient blood flow, also known as ischemia.
Frostbite requires treatment in a specialized center, frequently in a burn unit because of the similarity of some of the treatments.
Areas that have become numb should be covered in loosely fitting, warm and dry clothing and removed from the cold environment. Frostbitten limbs should be elevated, padded and splinted, and the victim should be transported to a hospital.
Care for frostbite
Rapid re-warming with water at a measured 104-108 degrees should only be done if (1) the affected part will not be subjected to cold again and (2) there is no close medical facility available. Avoid rubbing the area, as that may increase skin injury. Refrain from using heat from a campfire or tailpipe. Leave blisters intact. Avoid alcohol consumption or smoking.
Illness, alcohol or drug misuse and motor vehicle breakdowns frequently lead to civilian frostbite injury. The risk for frostbite is increased by a previous cold injury, diabetes (which may impair both circulation and sensation), use of beta-blocker drugs, hardening of the arteries, or smoking.
When frostbite is suspected, medical care should be sought immediately. Frozen tissues are susceptible to physical injury and should not be rubbed or massaged. In addition, restrictive clothing or jewelry should be removed, and if the feet are involved, the patient should be carried and not allowed to walk.
Frostbitten skin is hard, pale, cold, and has no feeling. When skin has thawed out, it becomes red and painful (early frostbite). With more severe frostbite, the skin may appear white and numb (tissue has started to freeze). Very severe frostbite may cause blister; gangrene (blackened tissue that died after blood vessels froze); or hard, frozen skin (frostbite can penetrate all the way down to blood vessels and bone).
Factors that contribute to frostbite
Extreme cold; wet clothes; high winds; and poor circulation, which can be caused by tight clothing or boots, cramped positions, fatigue, certain medication, smoking, alcohol use, or diseases that affect the blood vessels, such as diabetes.
What to do if frostbitten
Wear suitable clothing in cold temperatures and protect susceptible areas. In cold weather, wear mittens (not gloves); wind-proof, water-resistant, many-layered clothing; two pairs of socks (cotton next to skin, then wool); and a scarf and a hat that cover the ears (to avoid substantial heat loss through the scalp).
Before anticipated prolonged exposure to cold, don’t drink alcohol or smoke, and get adequate food and rest. If caught in a severe snowstorm, find shelter early or increase physical activity to maintain body warmth.
To set up a media interview with a REMSA representative, please call Scott Walquist at 775.686.2116.
REMSA is a private, not-for-profit emergency medical services system serving northern Nevada. REMSA’s state-of-the-art 9-1-1 dispatch communications center is fully accredited, as are all emergency medical transport services of the company. REMSA provides quality patient care with no taxpayer support or other subsidies.