New National Swim Program at Four Milwaukee Pools Focuses on Affordability and Access to Life-Saving Skills

American Red Cross and Milwaukee Recreation Aquatics partner to create ‘ecosystem of water safety’ for children and adults with Centennial Campaign

[MILWAUKEE, Wisc., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019] – In an expansion of a national multi-year campaign to reduce drownings and increase access to water safety skills, the Milwaukee Recreation Aquatics program through Milwaukee Public Schools has joined the American Red Cross Aquatics Centennial Campaign.

A student swims in Milwaukee pools during a summer safety lesson.

“We’re partnering with Red Cross aquatics training providers like Milwaukee Recreation Aquatics to create an ecosystem of water safety in communities where there are high numbers of drownings or drowning rates that are higher than the national average,” said Mark Thomas, Regional CEO and Southeast Wisconsin Chapter Executive, American Red Cross. “To families, this means having access to affordable life-saving swim lessons and water safety training in and near their communities.”

The Centennial Campaign will bring $5 swim lessons to resident and non-resident children and adults at four select Milwaukee Recreation school pools in the city:

• James Madison Academic Campus (8135 W. Florist Ave.)
• North Division High School (1011 W. Center St.)
• Milwaukee High School of the Arts (2300 W. Highland Ave.)
• Vincent High School (7501 W. Granville Road)

“Milwaukee Recreation is proud to be a part of the Centennial Campaign. The partnership will allow the Milwaukee community access to learn-to-swim programs at locations that have historically struggled with both poverty and drowning rates. We are excited to offer affordable, quality swim lessons, water safety education and lifeguard training to more students than we ever have before,” said Nicole Jacobson, Aquatics Supervisor with Milwaukee Recreation.

Registration is open starting Tuesday, Dec. 10 and available through the Milwaukee Recreation website [click here] and by-mail program.

Aquatics Centennial Campaign by the Numbers

The Red Cross campaign began in 2014 in recognition of 100 years of Red Cross swimming safety education. Due to the positive response, the campaign is expanding beyond the initial 50 programs.

Through the end of 2018, national campaign milestones include:

• 81,288 sets of swim lessons in 93 communities and 197 aquatic facilities in 23 states
• 839 lifeguards certified and 1,896 junior lifeguards trained
• 768 Water Safety and Basic Swim instructors certified
• 12,388 parents and caregivers armed with lifesaving water-safety knowledge and skills

Media contact on Centennial Swim program: Justin Kern (414) 242-6806 Justin.Kern@redcross.org

American Red Cross Featured on CW 14 Focus

Click HERE for video of program.

Sunday, May 19 on CW 14 Focus host Robert Hornacek was joined by two guests from the American Red Cross.

Bob Mayer, health and safety logistics coordinator, and Jody Weyers, regional director of volunteers and communications, both from the American Red Cross, appeared on the program.

Mayer and Weyers spoke about the mission and work or the American Red Cross, including the group’s disaster relief services, blood donations program and community education programs.

• Click here for more on the American Red Cross including ways you can help

They also spoke about the need for volunteers and about the many different types of work volunteers can do with the Red Cross.

CW 14 Focus is a weekly, half-hour interview program that focuses on the issues important to people in northeast Wisconsin. Each week, Robert Hornacek will sit down with a different guest and go beyond the sound bites. The program will highlight the people making a difference in the community and give viewers an opportunity to get in depth perspective. CW 14 airs Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Special New Year Offers on American Red Cross Courses and Products

Each year, nearly 4 million people learn how to save a life in American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training classes. To get a jump start on your New Year’s resolutions you can take advantage of special offers now through January 31, 2013.

First Aid and CPR/AED Training
People can save 20 percent on the price of a First Aid and CPR/AED course. Participants learn how to perform CPR and use an AED, what to do if someone is choking, and how to prevent and respond to other emergencies. How to control bleeding as well as how to care for seizures and other sudden illnesses are also covered.

Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training helps meet OSHA standards and professional licensure requirements. Courses are offered in traditional classroom and blended learning formats. Blending learning is a combination of online learning and a shorter in-person skills session. The course fee includes a 2-year certification with online skill refreshers and digital materials.

People can call 1-800-REDCROSS or go to redcross.org/takeaclass for course schedules and to register. Use HOLIDAY0113 as the coupon code to receive the 20 percent discount.

Lifesaving training courses can make a great gift for new parents, caregivers and those who need to refresh their skills. People can register loved ones by calling 1-800-REDCROSS and selecting Health and Safety training from the menu options.

Health and Safety Products

The Red Cross is also offering 20 percent off the price of First Aid Kits and other emergency preparedness items available at redcrossstore.org. Use the HOLIDAY0113 coupon code to receive the 20 percent discount.

These special offers on training and products cannot be combined with other discounts.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

 

Special Holiday Offers on American Red Cross Courses and Products

Each year, nearly 4 million people learn how to save a life in American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training classes. People in North Central Wisconsin can take advantage of special offers now through January 31, 2013.

“Emergencies occur every day, but with travel, extra stress and large gatherings, people are even more susceptible to accidents and illnesses during the holidays,” said Sara Weier, Wisconsin Service Delivery Manager,“Make sure your family and household members have the skills and confidence to act in an emergency until help arrives.”

First Aid and CPR/AED Training

People can save 20 percent on the price of a First Aid and CPR/AED course. Participants learn how to perform CPR and use an AED, what to do if someone is choking, and how to prevent and respond to other emergencies. How to control bleeding as well as how to care for seizures and other sudden illnesses are also covered.

Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training helps meet OSHA standards and professional licensure requirements. Courses are offered in traditional classroom and blended learning formats. Blending learning is a combination of online learning and a shorter in-person skills session. The course fee includes a 2-year certification with online skill refreshers and digital materials.

People can call 1-800-REDCROSS or go to redcross.org/takeaclass for course schedules and to register. Use HOLIDAY0113 as the coupon code to receive the 20 percent discount.

Lifesaving training courses can make a great gift for new parents, caregivers and those who need to refresh their skills. People can register loved ones by calling 1-800-REDCROSS and selecting Health and Safety training from the menu options.

Health and Safety Products

The Red Cross is also offering 20 percent off the price of First Aid Kits and other emergency preparedness items available at redcrossstore.org. Use the HOLIDAY0113 coupon code to receive the 20 percent discount.

These special offers on training and products cannot be combined with other discounts.

Course Name	Date	Start Time	End Time	Price	Location
Adult First Aid/CPR/AED	12/12/2012	8:30 a.m.	2:45 p.m.	90	ARC Racine Office
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers	12/12/2012 and 12/13/2012	6:00 p.m.	9:15 p.m. both nights	110	ARC Oshkosh Office
Adult/Pediatric CPR/AED	12/13/2012	5:30 p.m.	9:45 p.m.	90	ARC Green Bay Office
Adult/Pediatric CPR/AED	12/13/2012	8:30 a.m.	12:45 p.m.	90	ARC Waukesha Office
First Aid Review	12/13/2012	8:30 a.m.	10:00 a.m.	55	ARC Appleton Office
Babysitter’s Training	12/15/2012	8:30 a.m.	4:00 p.m.	85	ARC Green Bay Office
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers	12/15/2012	8:30 a.m.	3:15 p.m.	110	ARC Racine Office
Adult CPR/AED	12/17/2012	8:30 a.m.	11:45 a.m.	70	ARC Milwaukee Office
Adult First Aid/CPR/AED	12/17/2012 and 12/18/2012	5:30 p.m.	8:45 p.m. both nights	90	ARC West Bend Office
First Aid	12/17/2012	8:30 a.m.	11:45 a.m.	70	ARC Sheboygan Office
Adult First Aid/CPR/AED	12/18/2012	8:30 a.m.	2:45 p.m.	90	ARC Green Bay Office
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers	12/18/2012 and 12/19/2012	6:00 p.m.	9:15 p/. both nights	110	ARC Waukesha Office
Adult First Aid/CPR/AED	12/19/2012 and 12/20/2012	6:00 p.m.	9:15 p.m.	90	ARC Appleton Office
Adult First Aid/CPR/AED	12/19/2012	8:30 a.m.	2:45 p.m.	90	ARC Manitowoc Office
Adult CPR/AED	12/27/2012	8:30 a.m.	11:45 a.m.	70	ARC Green Bay Office
Adult/Pediatric CPR/AED Review	12/27/2012	6:00 p.m.	9:15 p.m.	70	ARC Milwaukee Office
Babysitter’s Training	12/27/2012	8:30 a.m.	4:00 p.m.	85	ARC Appleton Office
Babysitter’s Training	12/27/2012	8:30 a.m.	4:00 p.m.	85	ARC Waukesha Office
Babysitter’s Training	12/28/2012	8:30 a.m.	4:00 p.m.	85	ARC Oshkosh Office

 

 

  

More than One Million Download Red Cross Mobile Safety Apps

The American Red Cross today announced that over the past three months, more than one million smart phone users have downloaded the recently released First Aid and Hurricane Apps.

These free apps are part of a series created by the American Red Cross for both iPhone and Android platforms. The apps provide users with real time information on what to do before, during and after emergencies.

 “The advances in smart phone technology have allowed the Red Cross to revolutionize how the public gets its safety and preparedness information,” said Jack McMaster, president of Preparedness and Health and Safety Services for the Red Cross. “We’ve moved from having volumes of general information sitting on shelves to putting emergency-specific information right in people’s hands.”

Early evidence suggests that this is making a difference in emergency situations. In online reviews of the app, people have reported using the First Aid App to respond to everything from cuts and sprains, to choking, seizures and strokes. According to one user, “I was in my friend’s car with two others when suddenly my friend started having a seizure. I immediately looked at this app for help while calling 9-1-1 on another phone. I told the police about it and they said that there’s a good chance the information in this app saved my friend’s life. Thank you, American Red Cross.”

 “As Hurricane Isaac approached the Gulf Coast, our Hurricane App was put to the test,” McMaster added. “Hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the app and spent an average of 30 minutes using the app – demonstrating its value to consumers.”

Nearly 2 million weather alerts were issued and usage of the Shelter Finder feature doubled during and after Isaac. People also used the app to send “I’m Safe” messages to their loved ones.

National Red Cross experts in health, safety and preparedness have thoroughly reviewed and field tested the information and advice provided in Red Cross apps.

Apps can help prepare people for emergencies, but they are not a substitute for training. Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training empowers people to know how to respond to emergencies in case advanced medical help is delayed. People can go to redcross.org/takeaclass for course information and to register.

The Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters each year and we help people get ready to respond to emergencies by providing these apps for free. The Red Cross needs the help of the public to continue this lifesaving effort. People can make a donation to the Red Cross by going to redcross.org, texting REDCROSS to 90999 or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.

 About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

Staying Safe When Lightning Strikes; Lightning Safety Awareness Week June 24-30, 2012

Information provided by: Wisconsin Emergency Managment

Each year more than 400 people are struck by lightning in the United States. An average of 54 people are killed and hundreds of others suffer lifelong pain and permanent neurological disabilities. In Wisconsin we have had 23 lightning deaths since 1982 (see map).

You can protect yourself and your family by knowing these simple lightning safety facts and tips:

If you hear thunder, you are in danger. Don’t be fooled by blue skies. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to pose an immediate threat. Remember: When Thunder Roars…Go Indoors!

• A fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing offers the best protection. Sheds, picnic shelters and covered porches DO NOT protect you from lightning.
• If a building is not available get into a hard-topped metal vehicle and close all the windows.
• Stay inside a safe building or vehicle for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.
• Don’t use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless and cell phones are safe to use.
• Keep away from electrical equipment and wiring.
• Because water pipes conduct electricity, don’t take a bath or shower or use other plumbing during a storm.
• Stay away from isolated tall trees, towers or utility poles. Lightning tends to strike taller object in an area.

Get an Emergency Weather Radio. It will broadcast the latest forecast for thunderstorms. Remember, any thunderstorm, whether it is severe or not, can produce deadly lightning.

Act fast if someone is struck by lightning:

Lightning victims don’t carry an electric charge and are safe to touch and need urgent medical attention. Cardiac arrest is the immediate cause of death.

• Call 911 immediately.
• Give CPR if the person is unresponsive or not breathing. Use an Automatic External Defibrillator if one is available.

If possible, move the victim to a safer place. Lightning can strike twice. Don’t be a victim.

Lightning Facts:

• Lightning occurs in all thunderstorms; each year lightning strikes the United States 25 million times.
• Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially tall isolated objects.
• Most lightning victims are in open areas or near a tree.
• The energy from one lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 3 months.
• The air near a lightning strike is heated to 50,000°F-five times hotter than the surface of the sun!
• The rapid heating and cooling of the air near the lightning channel causes a shock wave which results in thunder.

Lightning Myths:

Myth: Rubber tires on a car protect you from lightning by insulating you from the ground.

Fact: The metal roof and sides protect you, NOT the rubber tires. When lightning strikes a vehicle it goes through the metal frame into the ground. Don’t lean on the vehicle doors during a thunderstorm.

Myth: If trapped outside and lightning is about to strike you should lie flat on the ground.

Fact: Lying flat increases your chance of being hit by a ground current. If you are caught outside in a thunderstorm keep moving toward a safe shelter.

Myth: If thunderstorms threaten while you are outside playing a game it is OK to finish before seeking shelter.

Fact: Many lighting casualties occur because people do not seek shelter soon enough. No game is worth death or lifelong injuries. Seek shelter immediately if you hear thunder. Adults are responsible for the safety of children.

For additional information about lightning safety and awareness go to http: readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also contact your local public health department, county emergency management director or the National Weather Service.

For more safety tips please review:

Thunderstorm Safety Checklist

Power Outage Checklist

A New Year and a New Resolution for Your Business

Guest Blog Post, Kim Apfelbeck, Sales Representative

After ringing in the New Year, many people resolve to live healthier lifestyles and lose a few extra pounds.  As a business, you too can choose to better the health and safety of your employees and overall business.  By having a safety plan in place, you can lose some of the weight off your shoulders by having informed and ready-to-act employees.  Here are a few ways the Red Cross can help you to get started on your 2012 resolution to a healthy and safe work environment.

1.  Get trained by joining the Next Generation of Red Cross Training

More Value

□       Two-year certification with free digital refreshers for participants

□       A choice of free digital or affordable print course materials for participants (redcross.org/previewkits)

Highest Quality

□       Concise learner-centered course design emphasizes hands-on skills and learning application

□       Updated user-friendly course materials including exciting new video

Greater Convenience

□       Standardized delivery, pricing and single point-of-contact support for businesses spanning multiple geographic locations

□       Online training management system provides student certificates quickly and efficiently

 More Training Options

□       Flexible course options to meet your organization’s needs

□       Web-based learning options for First Aid/CPR/AED and Bloodborne Pathogens Training

□       Wide selection of courses and combinations to meet your needs

 To set up group training at your facility or to learn more, please contact Kim Apfelbeck at apfelbeckk@usa.redcross.org or 920-227-4294.

 2.  Get prepared by having easily-accessible emergency supplies

 First Aid Kits

4 x 4 First Aid Kit – $5.00

 

 

 

101-Piece First Aid Kit – $10.00

 

 

 

 

Large All Purpose First Aid Kit – $20.00

 

 

 

 

Breathing Barriers

Mini-Key CPR Key Chain – $2.00

 

 

CPR Key Chain w/gloves – $3.00

 

 

CPR Res-Cue Mask (Soft or Hard Case) – $10.00

 

 

 

 

Products may be purchased at your local chapter or by visiting www.redcrossstore.org

3.  Get an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for your facility

The chance of survival drops by 10% for every minute that passes after sudden cardiac arrest.  With CPR training and access to an AED, your employee or fellow coworker has a much greater chance of survival. 

To help meet its mission of saving lives, the Red Cross has formed relationships with three AED manufacturers (Cardiac Science, Philips Health Care Group and ZOLL Medical Corporation) to facilitate the purchase of AED devices for customers.

The Red Cross can work with you to find the device that best fits your facility.  By purchasing through the Red Cross, a portion of the purchase price goes back to your local chapter to support services and activities in your community.

For further information please contact Kim Apfelbeck at apfelbeckk@usa.redcross.org or 920-227-4294.

 

Girls use CPR, help save Sheboygan mom

Would you know what to do in an emergency situation? Taking a Red Cross CPR class can help you learn how to care for a person having a heart attack and how to perform CPR for a person in cardiac arrest .   Often, cardiac emergencies happen at home or the workplace, so the life you may have to save could be that of a friend or loved one.

Click HERE to sign up for a training class in your area.

Fox 11 —- Laura Smith, FOX 11 News   Published : Friday, 02 Dec 2011, 11:47 AM CST

Click on photo for video

SHEBOYGAN – It was a life threatening situation for a Sheboygan mom when she suffered a severe asthma attack. “It makes you not want to take life for granted that’s for sure,” said Kandace Seyferth of Sheboygan. Seyferth found herself in trouble last week.

“I started wheezing and my chest was real tight and I told my daughter to get my inhaler,” said Seyferth. She said she felt better after a couple puffs, but then a severe asthma attack set in. “Me and Katie heard her wheezing,” said Seyferth’s 10-year-old daughter Maddie Kestell.

Kestell and her friend 12-year-old Katie Vreeke helped Seyferth downstairs.

“Then we got right to the point where the doors are, she collapsed,” said Kestell. As Seyferth lay on the living room floor, the two girls immediately took action.

“Katie’s like call 9-11, call 9-11 and I was like okay, okay. So I called them,” Kestell said. The girls say the 9-11 operator asked them if they knew how to perform CPR. Thanks to weekly watching of a medical TV drama, both said they did.

“Grey’s Anatomy,” said Kestell. While frightened and scared, both girls kept their cool working on Kestell’s mom until paramedics arrived.

“I did the chest compression, she like plugged her nose and breathed into her, and we just kept doing that until they came,” said Vreeke.

Paramedics say the girls’ quick thinking was essential as this was a life or death situation. “The CPR wasn’t ultimately necessary but the 9-11 call, had they not called 9-11, there’s a good chance their mother would not have survived,” said Sheboygan Firefighter and Paramedic Justin Langdon.

Seyferth says the girls are heroes in her book. “I’m so proud of my daughter, and her friend Katie, that I couldn’t even tell you how I feel about it, I’m grateful and happy to be here,” Seyferth said.

The Red Vest: A Sign of Hope

Written by: Andy Duchow, Red Cross Volunteer

Hope Koestner, Green Bay, was recently deployed to Richmond VA to serve as part of a Red Cross condolence team in response to Hurricane Irene.  Some of her duties included providing emotional support to families who have lost loved ones, and delivering financial assistance for memorial services.  Hope describes it best:

“The positive impact the American Red Cross Disaster Response Teams have on our clients during deployment is endless.  Providing shelter and a bed to someone who would otherwise sleep on the floor of their destroyed home or giving a meal to someone who hasn’t eaten in three days because their power is out and all of the food has spoiled are just the tip of the iceberg.  People affected by disasters look for the Emergency Response Vehicles, the volunteers in their red vests, and I have been told by clients that as soon as they see these things they are instantly relieved, knowing help has arrived and they will be OK.”

Her primary responsibilities lie with the Health Service Staff who try to anticipate and prepare for the immediate medical needs of disaster victims by providing basic first aid, medication, medical equipment, and even eyeglass replacement.  They interact with local community organizations to arrange for the medical needs of their clients, and to make arrangements with doctors and pharmacies to find replacements for necessary medicines and equipment.

They also work with families who have lost loved ones during the disaster.  They remain with the families through the end of the funeral service, providing help and support.

“While being part of a the Red Cross Disaster Response Team is both an honor and a privilege, it also comes with a lot of responsibility.”  Disaster volunteers are always ready to go where they are needed.  When disaster strikes they are on their way within 24 hours of receiving their call to action.

Often the teams work 8-12 hour shifts every day, going to neighborhood shelters, and even door to door, offering assistance in whatever way they can.

The Red Cross emergency response teams are a close group, united by their commitment to serve the needs of those in crisis.  “Although you may travel there alone, once you get there you are surrounded by other volunteers from all over the country and it’s like you have an instant family.”

Hope began volunteering with the American Red Cross in 1991 when her husband was deployed to Saudi Arabia.  He had worked in a military hospital, and his deployment left them shorthanded.  So Hope volunteered to help.

She spent 40 hours a week at the hospital for 8 months until the regular hospital staff returned.

In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Hope began going on Red Cross deployments.

“At that time we were not in a position to help financially and I wanted to give something.  So I gave myself.”

Red Cross CPR Training Saves Lives

Have you called to schedule your CPR/AED Training? If not, what are you waiting for? You could save someone’s life!

Story by Andy Duchow, American Red Cross volunteer

June 1-7, 2011 is CPR/AED Awareness week.  It is a time where the Red Cross focuses on increasing awareness of the importance of CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training for saving lives in our communities. 

The importance of CPR training recently hit home for Holly Bauer, a Red Cross CPR instructor and School Nurse for the Weyawega – Fremont School District.  She recently held a class for district staff.  One of the people in attendance was the school secretary, who went home and told her sister some of the things she had learned. 

That Sunday, the secretary’s sister was in church when her 3 year old grandson started choking.  She remembered how her sister had demonstrated the use of back blows and was able to dislodge the candy her grandson was choking on. 

Each year more than 300,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest.  Having someone nearby trained in hands-only CPR could mean the difference between life and death for every one of them.

Hands-only CPR is a potentially life saving technique that uses no mouth to mouth contact.  For more information, please download a quick reference sheet for hands-only CPR here or visit the Red Cross site for training opportunities.

Only 30 minutes of time at one of the Citizen CPR classes offered through your local Red Cross chapter will prepare you with the knowledge and confidence to save lives.