Welcome to the Jerauld County Ambulance newsletter. Each month we will make an effort to present information you might find useful and fill you in with what’s happening with our service.
The second Saturday in September is designated as “World First Aid Day.” This was introduced in 2000 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent to bring global awareness to the public about the benefits and needs of first aid. While our crew strives to bring you excellent service in an emergency, we often rely on the public to be the true first responders in most situations.
Each household should have at least one well-stocked first aid kit in your home, office, garage, car, boat, camper, tractor or other location where it is easily accessible. Kits should be kept in designated safe places where everyone knows to find them. You can buy a basic first aid kit or make one yourself, but be sure it has all the items you might need in an emergency. If you choose to personalize your kits, you may want to include a list of emergency phone numbers including your next of kin, personal physician, and poison control (1-800-222-1222); current medications, medical history and consent forms for each family member; and instructions on how to use the items included in your kits. Remember to check your kits periodically for contents that may be expired or need to be replaced, and update your kits as your family’s needs change. FYI – First Aid Kits are an excellent wedding, house-warming, or graduation gift idea. You may also want to consider taking a first-aid course through the American Red Cross or other community class. In the months ahead, we will be offering community classes and will post availability when we schedule them.
Remember to keep your kits out of the reach of young children if they contain any medications, over-the-counter or prescribed. Teach children what is in the kits and how to use them age-appropriately. Let them become familiar with items in the kits and introduce them to our team when you can, so they may be less confused or anxious if an emergency may occur.
Along with your first aid kits, you may want to build a more specialized emergency preparedness kit in a tote. In the event of a large-scale emergency, you may want to stock extra food, water, and other supplies such as a flashlight, weather radio, extra batteries, basic tools such as a wrench or pliers, local maps and a way to charge your cell phone if electricity is not available. If you have an infant in your home, you may want to pack a special kit for them including powdered formula and water, bottles, diapers, wipes, etc. Pets are considered family members, and you can arrange a first aid kit for them including their veterinarian’s contact information. Whether we like to admit it or not, winter is around the corner and vehicles should be stocked with warm blankets, water, MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) or canned food with a manual can opener and utensils, reflective triangles or flares, personal hygiene items, shovels, flashlights, and books or other activities for children that may be in the vehicle.
While we can’t always avoid emergencies, we can be prepared if and when they do occur. Never hesitate to call 911 if you think you might need help. We would much rather be on the way and you call us and tell us you don’t need us, than for you to need us and not have us on the way.
While we don’t have much to share with you about the Jerauld County Ambulance service this month, we do have a few announcements to make.
Deb Fastnacht has been employed as our new Service Director. She has lived in Jerauld County for over 25 years and is excited to be involved in the community with this position. She would like to thank Brenda Mann and Dick and Ellen Powell for their service as Directors in the past, and hopes she can make a difference like they have with their dedication to the JCA Association.
We sincerely hope you find the information we share with you useful and would like to thank everyone for their support, with a special shout out to the Jerauld County Sheriff’s office and the Wessington Springs Fire Department. They assist us on almost every call and we couldn’t do our job without them. It truly is appreciated, and we look forward to serving our community with excellence.