Your Kids Care Club can learn and teach others tips on safety and emergency preparedness with the Kids Care Clubs Be Safe, in the Know and Ready to Go project. Make First Aid Kits for families in shelters, Emergency Preparedness Kits, or posters and flyers with safety tips on bicycling, getting to school safely, playground safety, preventing poisoning or age appropriate toys.
Kids Care Clubs Ready to Go First Aid Kit
The Consolidated School Kids Care Club in New Fairfield, CT made over 50 First Aid Kits (pictured above) for families in shelters. Your club can make First Aid Kits for families in shelters, children attending low income community centers or an elderly neighbor. You can include first aid items as well as a homemade flyer or brochure on safety tips. Include as many items as you can in each kit.
Materials Needed:
A small plastic box (like a pencil box) or a shoe box
Markers and paper
First Aid Items:
Bandaids
Soap
Bandages – all sizes
Adhesive Tape
Scissors
Wash Cloth
Digital thermometer
Bacitracin
Cotton balls
Vaseline/ A & D Ointment
Non-latext gloves
Antiseptic Wipes
Steps Involved:
Invite a person from your town’s Emergency Medical Team or Services or Red Cross, or the school nurse to talk your club about emergency preparedness and first aid. Ask them to talk to the children about calling 911 – when should they call and what information should they tell the operator.
Kids Care Clubs Ready to Go Emergency Preparedness Kits
Emergency Preparedness kits are intended to provide basic supplies for three days. The American Red Cross and the U.S. government Homeland Security websites (See Internet Resources below) will provide complete lists and information about what should be included. Your club can make a modified version of the essentials needed with the related project, Kids Care Clubs Black Out Boxes.
Emergency Preparedness Kits are expensive to assemble, but it can be done! The Project Give Kids Care Club in Harvey’s Lake, PA received a grant to assemble 150 emergency preparedness kits for local families.
An alternative to raise community awareness about being safe in case of a disaster, would be to create and circulate flyers with information about being prepared and how to keep informed about relief efforts after a disaster strikes.
The U.S. government suggests the following items for a basic kit:
Water – one gallon per person per day
Food – three day supply –non perishable and can opener
Flashlight and batteries
Battery-powered radio
First Aid Kit
Whistle
Dust mask
Baby wipes
Be Safe, in the Know and Ready to Go!
Internet Resources
Homeland Security Disaster Preparedness– Ready America at http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html
National Safety Council at www.nsc.org
National Safety Month at http://www.nsc.org/NSM
Bicycle Safety – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/KidsandBikeSafetyWeb/
Playground Safety - http://www.nfpa.org/RiskWatch/topfall.html
Poisoning Prevention for Kids - http://www.usa.safekids.org/poison/
Safe and Age Appropriate Toys for Kids - http://www.usa.safekids.org/
Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kits at www.redcross.org