The holidays are almost here and we couldn’t be more excited. December means spending time with family, travelling to and from holiday destinations, lounging by the pool and indulging in as many delicious meals as possible.
Even though we’re all keen to relax and unwind at the end of the year, it’s also prime time for medical and crime-related emergencies. To help you have a safer summer, here are four common holiday emergencies to look out for and what you can do to prevent them.
By the water
December always comes with tragic drownings, and vigilance is the only way to prevent them from happening. Never leave children unattended around water and ensure there’s no way for kids to access water without you watching.
Always be on the lookout for signs of drowning, and if an incident does occur, the 911 Response24 app instantly connects you to the closest medical response team, so you can get help as fast as possible.
On the road
Road trips are tons of fun, but there’s also a lot that can go wrong while driving. A thorough car check before your journey, taking regular breaks and practising cautious driving will go a long way towards keeping you and your family safe.
For extra peace of mind, download an emergency response app like 911 Response24. That way you know that if you have a medical emergency or you want to feel safe after a breakdown, the right help will get to you at the touch of a button.
At the table
It’s something we tend to forget about, but with all the eating and drinking around the festive season, choking incidents can happen in an instant.
Encourage kids to sit when they eat (always under the eye of a watchful adult) and don’t give small, round food like grapes to children younger than five. Make sure small items and plastic bags are safely out of reach of babies’ and toddlers’ hands, especially with all the toys that are unwrapped at Christmas time.
A first aid course is invaluable when it comes to learning the right way to react in a choking emergency.
Wherever you are
Many types of crime increase over the festive period, but no one wants to spend their holiday worrying about whether they’ll be next.
Instead of letting crime stats ruin your holiday, let 911 Response24 take care of you. Wherever you are in South Africa, whatever you’re doing, when you trigger an emergency, the app notifies the closest emergency services. It automatically shares your GPS co-ordinates with its huge network of armed response and medical emergency service providers, making sure that response teams reach you quickly.
