American Red Cross Offers Family Protection Program

DANBURY — The American Red Cross of Western Connection will be presenting a program, “First Aid and Preparedness” for children 6–11 years of age and families with young children at various locations on Saturday, September 18.

First Aid and Preparedness supports Together We Prepare, a nationwide initiative launched by the Red Cross to help communities prepare for emergencies and disasters. Through this initiative, each person in challenged to take five steps to help make their families, work place, schools, and neighborhoods safer. These steps include make a plan; built a kit; get trained; volunteer; give blood.

The program is a two-hour presentation designed to teach children and families the basics of the five preparedness steps, with an emphasis on first aid training. This interactive class provides safety messages and emergency response skills and stresses the importance of recognizing an emergency and calling the emergency 911 number. The course also provides information on how to help an adult or child who is choking, and provides an orientation to CPR and other first aid skills.

The flexible design of the presentation includes age-appropriate activities so that it may be taught to children with their parents or guardians. Each adult participant is given an American Red Cross First Aid and Preparedness booklet for easy reference.

Any person who is interested in leading or sponsoring a class should contact Natalie Dos Santos, director of health and safety for the American Red Cross Western Connecticut chapter, or Rocky Tomlinson, director of emergency and community services, by calling 792-8200 or 800-277-6121.

The price to attend the presentation is $15.