“Taste”ful Ways to be Safe at the World’s Largest Food Festival

The long-awaited Taste of Chicago officially starts today at 11 a.m. and will run through July 3 in Grant Park. The “Taste”, as many refer to it, offers its’ guests a wide array of delicious cuisine from Chicago’s many dining establishments.

Countless people will make the venture to Grant Park to check out what this year’s Taste has in store. With various foods from hot chicken wings to zesty pizza bites, it will be near impossible to leave without your stomach bursting at the seams. It may be hard to imagine anything other than good times and great eats, but it is important to keep in mind that emergencies can still happen.

Here are a few situations to consider as you enjoy the Taste this year:

- Choking: Food or small objects can cause choking if they get caught in your throat and block your airway while you’re walking around and eating. Knowing how to perform CPR on adults, infants, and children under 12 can help you dislodge any foreign object if needed. Sign up for a Red Cross CPR class.

- Heat Exhaustion: Drink plenty of fluids! Avoid alcohol and caffeine, if possible, which can dehydrate the body. Be prepared for heat exhaustion by knowing how to prevent and treat the symptoms. Also, don’t forget to read our do’s and don’ts of heat wave safety.

- Commuter travel: Whether you are traveling via car, bus or train it is essential to be ready for an unexpected emergency. Planning is a crucial first step toward a calm and effective response. Read our commuter safety tips and plan ahead.

As you enjoy various musical acts and unlimited fare at the Taste of Chicago this week, remember to be informed and ready in case you experience a sudden crisis. The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago offers a variety of First Aid/CPR/AED courses for adults, children and infants and safety tips that can help you prepare for any emergency this summer. Please visit http://www.chicagoredcross.org/ for more information.


Written by Hannah Segall, Marketing and Communications Intern

Photo by FreeFlighto46/Flickr

CPR Can Save Lives: Be Prepared at All Times

With temperatures rising and summer season around the corner more people are having heated-related illnesses. If you saw someone pass out at your workplace, in the mall, at dinner, or in a parking lot, would you come to their rescue? The better question is would you know what to do in a situation like this? It’s not just a matter of caring or having a heart to serve others, but the important part is being confident in knowing what you’re doing.

That’s why Tanya Corona-Garza, Rebecca Christy, and Courtney Shimenetto took a CPR/AED Adult and Child Plus class last week at the Chicago Red Cross Chapter. They wanted to walk out of the classroom confident they could save a person’s life if the emergency occurred. A majority of the people who attend these classes go because they need certification or recertification for their jobs, but they all have different professions: nanny, stay at home mother, consultant, student, etc. No matter what profession you hold, knowing how to be prepared for emergencies is important, especially when it involves learning how to save a life.

A quarter of a million people in Chicago take a CPR class that’s administered by the Red Cross. But only 5% of emergencies that occur are reported. The people who come to this CPR class, take it, so that they do not fall into the 5% category.

The Red Cross instructor stated that most people who get their training in this CPR class usually walk out confidently knowing they can save someone’s life. Those who are prepared have a better outcome in an emergency situation.

Upon completing the class, you’re certified for two years. I believe what helps so many people retain the information that they learn is through the interactive and hands-on assignments the instructors walk them through.

A brief overview of what is covered:
•Participants go through booklets and pamphlets
•Watch video series on the importance of CPR and demonstrations on what to do in different scenarios
•Go over the steps of having a kit, making a plan, and being informed when in the house and on the go
•Learned techniques of how to be protected when coming in contact with someone who’s bleeding
•Using a breathing barrier and plastic gloves to prevent disease transmission
•Recognizing and caring for cardiac emergencies
•Practice on mannequins for a child and adult on how to assist a conscious and unconscious person

Attending a CPR class can not only benefit you, but benefit others you encounter on a daily basis whether it’s a neighbor, relative, parent, or child. More than 300,000 deaths are caused by cardiac arrest in the U.S. So knowing what to do in case of an emergency can reduce the number of deaths. Emergency care is now coming to you at the palm of your hands through an American Red Cross app that we have designed with Dr. OZ.

To listen to the audio story along with photos, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8kP8ouQky4

The letter for today is C.

Chiclone, Cholera, #Crisisdata & so on...


Today at the Chicago Red Cross we’re talking about all things that begin with the letter C.

Chiclone 2010, billed as the “worst storm in 70 years” and “Great Lakes Cyclone” We’re expecting hurricane-force winds over Lake Michigan, high winds everywhere and possible tornadoes. Get prepared by familiarizing yourself with our safety tips on all things storm from how to deal with food safety issues after the power goes out to whether or not you should take a shower or bath during a rainstorm (you shouldn’t, learn why…)

Cholera. Here’s how we’re helping stem the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

#CrisisData Very cool stuff the Red Cross is working on re: integrating crisis response with social media. If you tweeted for help, would anyone be listening?

Cycling celebs. Celebrities are cycling to raise $1million for the American Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross.

Choking. Halloween is this weekend and there will be lots of hard candies, caramels and popcorn around-all serious choking hazards-be prepared, know what to do to keep your little goblins safe. Another serious danger at Halloween? Cars.

Citizen CPR. Sounds exciting and a little dangerous in a good way-right? It’s almost like CPR is getting dressed up for Halloween with a newspaper hat and megaphone. We recently announced a new initiative to train 5 million people in hands-only CPR by the end of 2011 here’s how we’re getting started (including a one page info sheet which will give you the basics)

Martha Carlos (ooh another C) is the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

A close call with death. Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth Pearlman has always been a basketball player; she started when she was in 2nd grade and when she started college joined the team at Loyola University. While running wind sprints, she began to feel fatigued. She didn’t want to appear weak so she physically pushed herself past the point of pain to keep running. The next thing she remembers “is having the floor come to my face” because she had suddenly collapsed to the ground. Here's her story in today's Southtown Star.

Terry Smith, the head athletic trainer, rushed over he saw her eyes rolling in the back of her head and that she was having difficulty breathing. Immediately realizing the magnitude of the situation he called an ambulance and started performing CPR on her. Showing no signs of response, he grabbed an AED and began to administer shocks to Elizabeth as she lay unresponsive on the gym floor. A few minutes later Elizabeth awoke unaware of her surroundings; lying on a stretcher in a moving ambulance.

While the specific cause is unclear, she soon learned that she has a genetic disorder called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), in addition to having suffered from a pulmonary embolism. While she’s now physically fine her life has been altered. She isn’t able to play basketball anymore; a sport that has defined her for years.

Still, Elizabeth remains positive, she appreciates being alive and seeks to enjoy everyday to its fullest. She looks at things from a new perspective and is now an assistant coach for the basketball team. She is coming up on the one-year anniversary of this incident and wants to be an advocate for not only for genetic testing but also the presence of AEDs in all settings. Her goal is to prevent future injuries and deaths by raising awareness. She has turned a tragedy into an inspiration.

Julie Kahn is an intern in the marketing and communications department at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago

Brenda Saves a Fellow Volunteer

When Brenda Snapp became a CPR instructor with the American Red Cross, she never thought she’d use her skills to help a fellow Red Cross volunteer. On a sweltering day in early August, however, that’s exactly what she did.

Brenda was representing the American Red Cross at the Kankakee county fair on a sweltering day in early August. Everything was going well, despite the heat. “We had just won first prize for our display,” Brenda said. Another volunteer showed up for his shift, and Brenda started chatting with him. “I noticed he was sweating a lot, and I thought he might have heat stroke,” Brenda said.

Suddenly, the man told her, “My arms don’t feel right,” and he passed out. Brenda lowered him gently to the ground and called 911. She used her training to act quickly. Monitoring the man’s breathing and pulse, Brenda placed a cold bottle of water under his neck. She stayed by his side and kept him cool with a fan until the ambulance arrived.

Brenda said her Red Cross training helped her know what to do to help her fellow volunteer. “I knew what I was doing was the right thing and that I couldn’t harm him. I did what I could to get the people there to care for him and get him to be where he needed to be, in the hospital.” The volunteer is still recovering from his illness and calls Brenda regularly to keep her updated on his progress.

The experience has reinforced Brenda’s love for working at the Red Cross. “You feel good when you leave here after a day of work. Like your day was actually spent doing something very good,” she said.

-Kristin Claes is the senior writer at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

Time to Perform CPR on Mad Men…

In preparation for last night’s Season 4 opener, I took some time to recap the past few seasons of Mad Men. I realized that more often than not, Red Cross training could have helped these intriguing characters as they found themselves in unusual and sometimes ridiculous situations. (BEWARE: If you aren’t caught up on Mad Men there are SPOILERS in this!)

Let’s begin with Season 1 - audiences are introduced to Helen Bishop, a divorcee with two children who is new to the Ossining neighborhood. Betty Draper, being the good neighbor that she is, kindly agrees to help Helen by babysitting her young son. Unfortunately for Betty, things went terribly wrong. I’m sure Betty wishes she would have enrolled in our Babysitter's Bootcamp before taking on this endeavor where she would have learned about the importance of leadership and professionalism; safety and safe play; and first aid.

Still looking at Season 1, Roger Sterling, a partner and known womanizer at Sterling and Cooper, is up late partying with his co-worker Don Draper and suffers a massive heart attack. Don Draper must have been kicking himself and thinking, "If only I had taken a CPR/AED training course, I would have the lifesaving skills needed to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and use an automated external defibrillator (AED)."

You don’t even want to get me started on last season, when Lois decided to take a John Deere tractor around the office for a joy ride. If Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce had provided First Aid training to their employees, they all would have been prepared to provide emergency assistance to the poor guy who lost his foot.

This really got me thinking - although accidents like these are far and few between, they may occur and I know that when they do, I have the training necessary to respond.

posted by: Rachael Garcia, Resource Development

Become a Safer Sitter this Summer!

I have been babysitting for more than ten years. I began babysitting my three younger sisters when I was about 13 years old, and I continued to babysit throughout my college years. I can still remember the first little girls I babysat, D.D., Mary and Abby. I used to have so much fun with them playing games, watching movies, and ‘vegging’ out all night before I put them to bed. They went to my grade school, and their parents were friends with mine, so it made sense to have me babysit these girls.

I loved it. I loved every minute of babysitting with them. I got older, and soon the oldest daughter could watch the younger siblings, but I began babysitting for other children. It wasn’t until I was 16 and in health class that I took a CPR/First Aid class. I learned all the skills necessary to respond in an emergency situation … three years after I had first begun babysitting.

I think to myself now- how useful these skills would have been when I was babysitting at 13. I would have felt much more comfortable as a babysitter, and I am sure the parents would have as well. It is without a doubt that they trusted me, but I am sure as parents they would have felt a lot safer if they knew I had some kind of First Aid or CPR training.

I know I would have loved to take a babysitting class when I was younger, so that I could develop skills as a babysitter. It would have given me something to do during free time in the summer, and it would have made me feel a lot safer as a sitter.

And Parents wouldn’t you love for your children to take a babysitting (and CPR/First Aid) training course so that you can feel a sense of ease when you let them watch their siblings or sit for a friend’s child?

This summer American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is offering Babysitter BootCamps that will teach children the necessary Babysitting, CPR and First Aid skills needed to respond in an emergency situation.

Offered throughout the Chicagoland area, this is a perfect course for babysitters to receive the training necessary to become the best babysitter they can be.

Babysitters Come Out and learn how to become a Safer Sitter today!

To learn more the American Red Cross and how to become a Safer Sitter visit: www.chicagoredcross.org/babysit

A Fishy Tale

I debated with myself whether or not I ought to share this tragically ironic vignette. With the encouragement of Oana and Martha, who heartily insisted that this would make a nice parable for the blog, I acquiesced.

A few weeks ago, Martha had asked me to research and write a press release on whether or not there were a higher number of choking incidents during the Lenten season due to a supposed increase in fish consumption. A veteran fish eater and a fairly sensible adult, I could not imagine choking on my food. Baffled by the request, I fished around all over the World Wide Web to find statistics on hazardous foods. Indeed, fishbones where frequently mentioned along with the top ten most common edible choking culprits in children: hot dogs, candy, popcorn, peanuts/nuts, carrots, grapes, meat, apples, cookies, and peanut butter. Often times, kids have not learned how to chew their food properly. 

Consequently, I found that this was yet another important reason why knowing CPR and basic first aid is just so important. My research showed adults are just susceptible to choking hazards as children. And should a choking incident persist, there is little time to react when the victim loses consciousness. Scary, I thought, but what were the odds of this happening to me? Little did I know that a few days AFTER Lent was over, I would be in the emergency room “choking” on irony. 

Last week, I was hungry and in quite a rush when I sampled a curious Filipino fish dish that was laying out on the table. The first few bites were fine enough, but something went terribly wrong soon thereafter. To say the least, the fishbone was not going down very smoothly. I thought that if I continued to swallow, it would eventually pass, right? WRONG. It the irritation in my throat became more persistent and acute. My mother tried giving me a banana. The banana did not work for me either, Maria! Perhaps a scoop of rice? That did not work either. Water? No. I was able to breathe and talk, but only with increasing discomfort. 

Panicky over the lessons learned in writing that press release, I feared that the rest might come true! What if it led to choking? Then, there would only be little time to respond with CPR. Was my family prepared? My sister did not know CPR, but thankfully, my mother is a nurse. We went to her hospital’s ER to get this fishy problem squared away. Luckily, it did not escalate to where I was truly choking, but it was still uncomfortable. While swearing off fish for the time being may not be the most rational idea, I am very excited to be taking a first aid/CPR/AED course with my sister next week.

Mishaps happen, but being prepared is no accident. Take a class and be aware of the common foods and household objects that may be potentially hazardous to your family.

Christina Ponsaran, Marketing and Communications Intern

CPR is In! Thank you The Office, Top Chef

Did you catch Top Chef yesterday? Thank you Tom Colicchio, again! In case you haven't heard, CPR is in vogue. It's trendy. Pop culture to blame. And we love it. Only wish there was more of it. Nope, we could not buy that kind of PR, especially because we really make a point of spending donor dollars wisely.

We spoke to our preparedness team today--our phones are rining off the hook. We've been getting at least six calls a day from people anxious to get training. Weeks ago, The Office also gave us a MAJOR plug. Soo glad these two shows stepped up to underscore how essential CPR is, especially in our work place were we spend most of our day.

Luckily, for those in the Chicago area who are still "thinking about it", you can now save lives and money. Sign up for our CPR Training Days this month. At $9 a class, you'll be telling us about your own "Office" lifesaving episode in no time. Just click on the right and go straight to registration. Go on, be pop influenced and follow Tom and Dwight's lead.

Top Chef
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/opinion/04nathan.html?_r=1&ref=dining
The Office
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtq0kWSUQH4

Should train conductors know CPR? Absolutely.

Shouldn't everyone who works with the public know it?

This question was raised by the Sun Times in an article about a man who collapsed on a Metra train last week and died.

Cardiac arrest is incredibly common, and it’s not the only condition that could require CPR—there are many others. Not only train conductors but wait staff, bank tellers, teachers, parents and anyone working in a public venue or service industry should know it, too. CPR is not a job requirement in many industries where people interact daily with the public. Shouldn’t it be?

Emergencies don’t just happen in public—they can happen at the office and occur most often in people’s homes. The article states that four hours is an impractical amount of time for some to devote to CPR certification. Is four hours really too long to become certified to save someone’s life? Is it worth the risk not to take this time? The American Red Cross offers shorter, non-certifiable courses for people who would like to learn the skill at home or do not require certification. We also offer low-cost training programs throughout the year so that training is available to more people. Take advantage of these opportunities.

Don’t believe that CPR is something other people will take care of when the time comes. You never think this will happen to you or someone you care about… but it does. Be prepared. Invest a small amount of time and acquire the skills that enable you to save a life. It may be the best investment you ever make.

Who do you think should be required to know CPR? Would you feel safer if your wait staff, teacher, coworker, spouse or train operator knew this skill? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Lisa Ardaugh is the Chief Preparedness Officer for the Greater Chicago Red Cross.