Emergency Information

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Emergency Supplies

Do you have the supplies your family would need in case of emergency? Are those supplies in good working order and in a place where you could find them quickly? Or are they scattered all around your home? When emergency supplies are in a central place, your family will be better able to handle emergency situations. This activity will help your family gather and organize the emergency supplies that can make your family more secure.

Activity

Recall together some emergencies that have happened in your home or area: a blackout in the city, someone's falling and bumping his head, someone's cutting his finger on a knife, or a fire in the kitchen. When these things happened, where did you find the supplies you needed? Did you have to search for candles or antiseptic or bandages? Perhaps you could not find or did not have what you needed. Talk about how important it is to have emergency and safety supplies stored near the place where the emergency is most likely to happen and where everyone could find them quickly.

First decide where in your home you can put a central store of supplies. Then assign several family members to find the safety and emergency items that are scattered throughout your house. You likely have many of the items you need already. Look over the following suggested list of items. You may want to buy those on the list you do not have, as well as others you feel you might need.

1. A flashlight in good working condition.
2. Extra batteries for radio and flashlight. Do not keep batteries in the flashlight or radio. Keep them in an airtight container.
3. Portable battery-powered radio. Use for receiving emergency instructions.
4. Candles (bowl type). Keep in case of power failure. Bowl will help prevent fire in case candle is overturned. (You can make these inexpensively out of paraffin wax.)
5. Wooden matches. Use for lighting candles and relighting pilots on gas appliances. Be sure matches are kept in a metal container out of the reach of small children.
6. Fire extinguisher (ABC or dry chemical type for all classes of fires). Be sure you know how to handle and use it. Check it regularly.
7. Fuses (if your home has a fuse box). Numbers on the end of the fuse indicate size. When replacing blown fuses, be sure the number on the end of the new fuse is the same as the number on the old fuse.
8. First-aid instruction book.
9. First-aid supplies.

The following list suggests minimum items to be included in your first-aid kit.

Place all these items in a waterproof container (metal, heavy plastic, or wooden). Also store blankets, sheets, and at least four thin board splints 30 inches (about 76 cm) long.

You may wish to add items to the kit as you need them. For example, if you have small children, you may wish to add liquid acetaminophen. If someone in the family needs special medication, add this to your kit.

Label your supplies, and date all medicines. Check supplies periodically, replacing them as they are used and throwing away old or contaminated supplies. Do not throw old medicines into trash cans around the house, where small children could find and eat them. Instead, flush them down the toilet or dispose of them in some other safe way. Perishable items should be rotated regularly to reduce spoilage.

After you have gathered your safety supplies and decided what you need to buy, divide up assignments. Assign some family members to buy items you need, and others to label the items. Buy things as you can afford them. It may take a while to get all the supplies you would like to have.

After you have gathered and stored your supplies, you may want to have a series of family home evenings where you discuss how to use them.

Additional Activities

• Hold a family home evening and invite neighbors and extended family members. Learn together what to do in emergency situations.
• Take a first-aid course from a school or organization in your community.
• Assign a family member to periodically inspect your supplies to make sure they are kept current.
• Take your first-aid kit along on a trip or camp-out.
• Put together a kit of emergency supplies to keep in your car.

You could include the following:

Sing this song together to the tune of "Yankee Doodle."

Emergency Telephone Numbers

In case of emergency, can you immediately find telephone numbers that could bring help to you and your family? In a crisis, just a few minutes of time can make a lot of difference. In this activity, your family will post all emergency numbers and learn how to use them.

Activity

With help from all family members, look up in the telephone directory the following numbers:

• Fire department
• Police, sheriff, or constable
• Department of Public Safety
• Ambulance rescue

(In some areas, the numbers listed above can be reached by dialing a special number for emergencies. Check and see if there is such a number in your area.)

• Doctor — home and office
• Hospital
• Home teachers
• Bishop
• Poison Control center
• Highway assistance
• Visiting teachers
• Relative or close friend

List these numbers on a piece of paper to post by each telephone in your home. At the bottom of the list, write the words who, what, and where.

Make sure all family members know how to report an emergency. Explain that, when the person they are calling answers, they should always first say, "This is an emergency." Then they should tell:

Who (give their name). What (tell what is the matter — whether anyone is trapped or injured). Where (give address and directions).

Then they should answer questions about what first aid has been given and listen for instructions about what to do until help arrives. If for some reason they cannot stay by the telephone until the call goes through, they can give the necessary information to the operator. If the number they call is busy, they should dial "0" to get faster action.

Make sure that each family member knows which numbers to call for which kind of emergency and can relate all important information. It is also a good idea to have small children memorize their names, ages, addresses, and parents' names.

If your family does not have a telephone, find out the location of the nearest telephone or source of help. Because you may need to use a pay telephone in an emergency, it is a good idea to carry change with you. Since you probably will not have emergency numbers with you at a pay telephone, dial "0" for the operator. As soon as the operator answers, say, "This is an emergency." Give the number of the telephone from which you are calling. Then tell who, what, and where and wait for confirmation.

After you have posted your emergency numbers and taught the proper reporting procedure, have everyone practice making an emergency telephone call. Leave one or two members of the family home to role-play the operator, fireman, doctor, or other person you might call. Have other family members go to another phone and call their home telephone number. Sample emergency phone number card:

Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation

Smoke inhalation, heart attack, drowning, choking—all of these can stop a person's breathing. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may well be a gift of life to one of your own family members. You never know when an emergency will arise that requires you to use it. All family members should know how to perform this lifesaving technique.

Preparation

Have a family member become familiar enough with the following instructions that he can teach them to the rest of the family:

When you encounter someone who is not breathing, start mouth-to-mouth breathing right away. Do not wait to call for a doctor or aid. Don't try to move the person or give secondary first aid before giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The following chart explains the procedures in giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

For more information about these and other lifesaving techniques, contact your Red Cross chapter for training.

Treating Choking

A series of simple techniques could save the life of someone who is choking on food or other objects. This activity will teach your family how to use these techniques.

Preparation

Have a family member become familiar enough with the following material to present it to the rest of the family:

If the victim can cough, speak, or breathe, do not interfere.

When someone is seriously choking, he will become pale and turn a bluish color. He may perspire and collapse. The signs of choking are often confused with those of a heart attack. But you can tell when someone is choking because he will be unable to speak. Time is a critical factor when someone is choking. Breathing must be restored within four minutes, or else brain damage may result. The person will die within eight minutes. So there is no time to call for a doctor or rescue vehicle.

Here are several lifesaving techniques:

1. The abdominal thrust, or Heimlich maneuver, is the preferred method. With the victim standing or sitting, stand behind the victim and wrap your arms around the waist (see Fig. 1). Place the thumb side of your fist against the victim's abdomen, slightly above the navel and below the tip of the breastbone. Grasp your fist with your other hand and press it into the victim's abdomen with four quick upward thrusts.

 

2. If the abdominal thrust method does not work or is impractical, use the back blows method. With the victim standing or sitting, stand at his side and slightly behind him (see Fig. 2).

3. If you are choking and there is no one around to help you, perform the abdomen thrust on yourself. Press your own fist into your upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust, as described for the victim standing. Or you can lean forward and press your abdomen quickly over any firm object, such as the back of a chair, the edge of a sink, or a porch railing.

4. The chest thrust technique is an alternate technique that can be used for women in advanced pregnancy or people who are so overweight that your arms cannot encircle the victim's abdomen.

If the victim is standing or sitting (see Fig. 7), stand behind him, place your arms under his armpits, and encircle his chest. Place the thumb side of your fist on the breastbone, but not on either the lower tip of the breastbone or the lower edge of the ribs. Grab your fist with your other hand and make four quick inward thrusts.

If the victim is lying down, place him on his back and kneel at the side of his body (see Fig. 8). Locate the tip of the breastbone, at the upper abdomen. Measure two to three finger widths — 1 to 1 ½ inches (about 2.5 to 4 cm) up from this point. Place the heel of your other hand toward the victim's head, on the lower half of the breastbone, next to the two fingers used to locate the tip of the breastbone. Put your other hand on top of the first and lean forward to bring your shoulders over the victim's breastbone. Make four quick downward thrusts with your arms, which will compress the chest cavity.

If you use any of the above procedures properly, the food or other blocking object should pop from the patient's mouth.

Have the assigned family member explain the above procedures to the family. Have everyone get a partner and practice; the children could practice on dolls. Spending a few minutes now may prepare you to save a life.

Treating Shock

At least one of your family members may well experience shock during his or her lifetime. Shock is extremely dangerous, and, unless it is recognized and treated, it can kill. This activity will help your family learn to recognize and treat shock.

Activity

Before you begin, write down on slips of paper a few situations that could cause shock and could actually happen in your family (see list below for ideas). Put the papers in a jar.

Shock may be caused by any of the following:

• Loss of blood through internal or external bleeding
• Loss of plasma (the liquid part of the blood) through burns
• Loss of body fluids from vomiting, dysentery, or dehydration
• Allergic reactions
• Infections
• Heart trouble, heart attack, or stroke
• Poisoning by chemicals, gases, alcohol, or drugs
• Snake and animal bites
• Respiratory problems
• Lack of oxygen
• Chest wounds
• Broken ribs
• Obstructions in the throat that cause the victim to choke
• Injuries to the respiratory system
• Damage to the spine that paralyzes muscles
• Water-related accidents
• Injuries of all types, both severe and minor
• Occasionally, fear, bad news, or the sight of blood

Explain to your family that tonight you are going to discuss something that could happen to any one of you sitting in this room — shock. Shock is the severe condition that depresses body functions and can keep the heart, lungs, and other organs from working normally. Many different things can cause it, and almost all medical emergencies involve some form of shock. Unless it is treated, shock can kill a person, even if his injuries are not serious.

1. Causes of shock. Discuss the causes of shock as outlined above. Stress that if any of these things happen, you should always treat for shock as a precautionary measure.
2. Recognizing shock. Discuss the following signs:

• One common form of minor shock is fainting or faintness.
• The skin may be pale or bluish and cold to the touch. If the victim has dark skin, look at the color of the inside of the mouth or of the skin under the eyelids or nails.
• The skin may be moist and clammy.
• The pupils of the eyes may be dilated. The eyes may be dull and lackluster, a sign of poor circulation.
• The victim is weak.
• Breathing may be shallow, panting, labored, or irregular.
• The pulse is usually fast (over 100 beats a minute).
• There may be nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and thirst. The victim may collapse.

As shock grows worse, look for these signs:

• The victim may become apathetic and not respond. This is because he is not getting enough oxygen.

• The eyes may become sunken. The victim may have a vacant expression.

• The victim's skin may become spotty because of very low blood pressure and congested or collapsed blood vessels.

Unless the victim is treated, he will eventually pass out. His body temperature will fall, and he may even die.

3. Treating shock. Tell family members that you treat for shock as soon as you have dealt with stopped breathing and severe bleeding.

A first-aid care giver cannot give complete medical care for shock; only a medical facility can do this. However, a first-aid care giver can give care that will help prevent shock.

• For minor shock, such as faintness, have the victim sit down and put his head between his knees. As blood flows to the brain, the body's normal functions will usually resume.

• Have the victim lie down. Do your best to comfort, quiet, and soothe the victim. Keep him comfortable, and keep the body temperature normal. If it is hot, provide shade; if it is cold, put blankets or other protective coverings both under and over the victim.

• Choose the best position for the victim according to the nature of the injury. The following illustrations will help you make a decision.

A trained medical person can help prevent shock by giving intravenous fluids to replace body fluids lost through an injury or illness. If you cannot get medical help within one hour and the victim is likely to die, giving fluid by mouth may help prevent shock.

Do not give the victim fluid to drink if he or she is unconscious or semiconscious, vomits or may vomit, or appears so severely injured that surgery or a general anesthetic may be needed.

Make a salt and soda solution. Mix 1 level teaspoonful of salt (about 5 ml) and 1/2 level teaspoonful (about 2.5 ml) of baking soda in a quart (or liter) of water that is neither hot nor cold. If you mix this solution in an ordinary drinking glass or cup (250 ml or 8 ounces), use about 2 pinches of salt and 1 pinch of soda.

Never give alcoholic beverages. If you do not have salt and soda, give plain water in the amounts listed below:

Adults who are conscious and not vomiting: Give half a cup (about 120 milliliters) or glass of salt and soda solution over a period of fifteen minutes. Have the victim sip it slowly. Give the same amount during the next fifteen minutes, and the next, if the person is still conscious and not vomiting.

Infants and children who are conscious and not vomiting: Give the same salt and soda solution in smaller amounts. To a child, give about 1/4 cup or glass over each fifteen-minute period. To an infant, give about 1/8 of a normal glass over each fifteen minutes. You may need to use a nursing bottle.

If someone has not already left for help, take all necessary precautions and be fairly sure the victim is stable. Then go for help yourself. Return as fast as you can.

After you feel your family understands what shock is and how to treat it, take turns drawing from the jar the situations that could cause shock.

For example:

• Janie is allergic to many foods. She has just eaten one of these foods.
• Grandpa has heart trouble.
• Grandma is a diabetic. She has to be very careful of what she eats and what she does.
• Bobby loves to swim and spends a lot of time at the pool. As energetic as he is, he could very easily have a water accident.
• We all camp out a lot. We have been bitten many times by insects.
• Aunt Joan went into shock when she heard about Uncle Bill's accident.

Have the person who draws the slip read the situation to the rest of the family and then pretend to be the victim. Have the rest of the family take the necessary steps to treat him. Continue until all the slips have been drawn.

better?" Most of us could handle that emergency. But what if you came upon a really serious accident where someone was bleeding — perhaps a car accident or a more serious household accident? This activity will teach your family how to handle bleeding.

Materials Needed

• Cotton
• Handkerchief
• Cloth
• Strips of cloth

Preparation

Have a family member learn these steps to control bleeding. Have him present them to the rest of the family.

• The best way to control bleeding is to hold a thick pad of clean cloth over the wound with your hand and apply direct pressure. A folded handkerchief will do, but it is best to use a sterile cloth if possible. If you cannot get a pad right away, use your hand until you can get a pad. Put your hand, palm flat, directly over the wound. Press firmly and evenly as necessary to stop the bleeding. Pressing will make the flow of blood slow down and clot.
• Keep the original covering on the wound. Changing the covering will disturb the blood clot that has formed. If the pad becomes saturated, add other layer of material to the top as needed and keep pressing. Keep these pads in place until the blood has clotted and bleeding subsides.
• Unless you think a bone may be broken, raise the victim's bleeding limb above the level of his heart as you continue to apply pressure. Gravity helps to reduce blood flow in the injured area, which slows down the loss of blood through the wound.
• After the bleeding is under control, apply a pressure bandage to the wound. Steady the victim's limb. Keep the original covering on the wounded area and place the center of a strip of material or gauze over the middle of the covering. Wrap this strip around the middle of the covering, around the limb, and back to the starting point. Repeat until the strip is used up. Tie it in a knot directly over the center of the covering. Keep the bandage tight enough to prevent bleeding, but loose enough to allow blood to circulate.
• If direct pressure doesn't stop the bleeding, you may need to use the pressure point technique. With this technique, you press the main artery above the wound in order to stop bleeding. You can identify the artery by feeling a strong pulse beat. Fig. 9 shows the locations of major pressure points.

Lay the victim on his back. Press with the flat of your hand directly over the pressure point. If the bleeding does not stop, use the flat of your fingers to apply more direct force. Place the fingers of one hand over the artery and use the other hand over those fingers to add greater pressure.

To apply pressure on the pressure point in the wrist, for example, hold the victim's arm in the air. Place your fingers on the inside of the wrist and your thumb on the outside. Press your fingers firmly toward your thumb.

The pressure-point technique stops circulation within the limb. Use it in addition to the other methods already in progress. As a rule, do no use the pressure-point technique alone to stop bleeding. If bleeding should start up again, however, be ready to reapply pressure at the pressure point.

• Using a tourniquet can be very dangerous. It can cause the victim to lose a limb. But, if you cannot stop serious bleeding any other way, you may need to use a tourniquet as a last resort to save a person's life.

Wrap a band of cloth about two inches wide twice around the limb between the wound and the heart. Do not use wire or cord. On the arm, place the tourniquet no less than a hand's width below the armpit. On the leg, place it no less than a hand's width below the groin. In either case, place it as close to the wound as practical, but there must be unbroken skin between the tourniquet and the wound. Tie the ends of the tourniquet into a half knot; place a stick across the knot; then tie the ends above the stick in a tight knot. Twist the stick to apply just enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Use a second bandage to tie the end of the stick in place so it will not untwist.

Do not loosen the tourniquet. This will only allow more bleeding, which may be fatal. A tourniquet can safely remain in place for 30 to 45 minutes. Get medical help immediately. Make sure the tourniquet is visible and that everyone concerned knows that it is there.

For nosebleed take these steps:

• Tilt the head forward.
• Pinch the nose just below the bone in the bridge of the nose and hold for five minutes.
• If the bleeding does not stop, blow the nose to clear the nasal passage on the bleeding side.
• Pinch the nose again in the same spot.
• Do not blow the nose to clear the clotted blood once the flow of blood has stopped.
• Do not remove the blood clots from the nose for several hours.
• Ice held on the bridge of the nose can also help stop the bleeding.

• A fall or an automobile accident may cause dangerous bleeding inside the body. Watch to see if the victim coughs up blood or if there are traces of blood in the bowels. Do not give the person anything to drink; move him as little as possible; and go for help immediately.
• For bleeding from the ear, get a doctor quickly.
• Stay calm. Seeing lots of blood can be very alarming. But realizing that you know what to do to stop it can help you be calm.

Activity

Have the assigned family member present the material he has prepared. Using the cotton and strips of material, have family members practice on each other the steps in treating bleeding in different situations. The small children could use dolls or stuffed animals. Use the situations below or make up some of your own. Divide into teams if you wish.

Remind the family that the instructions to be calm and apply pressure to the wound apply to all bleeding problems, large or small.

• Barbara cut her finger on a kitchen knife. What should we do?
• We are hiking and John falls off a ledge and injures his left leg. He is in pain and is bleeding. Now what?
• We are driving down the road and hear the screeching of tires. In the road is a small boy who has just been hit by an automobile. He is injured and is bleeding from the mouth. What should we do?
• Greg was playing with a stick, and he fell and punctured his arm. It is bleeding. What should we do?
• The boys have been mowing the lawn. Jenny comes running in and announces that the lawn mower has just cut Mike's toe. It is bleeding and he is in a panic. What now?

Make sure that family members understand the basic steps in treating bleeding. You may need to review these skills periodically.

Additional Activities

1. Talk over some safety rules that might prevent accidents which cause bleeding. For example, teach your children how to use knives properly. Show the proper way to carry scissors. Discuss how to use hand tools and power tools.
   
2. Support your local and ward blood drives.

Protecting Your Home Against Fire

Every year thousands of people lose their homes or their lives by fire. But many fatal fires could be prevented by basic knowledge and practical precautions. Every family should have a fire safety program to teach family members how to prevent fires and how to react in case one occurs. This activity teaches your family basic steps to prevent and deal with fires.

Activity

Study the checklist "Fire Safety All around Your House." Discuss it with your family. Then with the checklist, a black pencil, and a red pencil, walk together through each room in your home. As you do, discuss whether your family takes all the safety precautions listed. With a black pencil check off the precautions you are already taking. If you need to improve in an area, make an X with a red pencil. If you have red Xs, your home is not as safe from fire as it could be. Assign family members to correct each problem. As they do, erase the red marks.

1. Kitchen

• Never fight a grease fire with water. Have a lid available for every pan in which a grease fire could start.
• Keep towels available for drying hands before using any electrical appliance.
• Turn pot handles inward on stove.
• Wear close-fitting sleeves when you cook.
• Keep stove and exhaust fan clean and grease-free.
• Don't hang clothes, dishtowels, or decorative objects, that could catch fire over the stove.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Know how to use it.

2. Laundry and Furnace Room

• Keep the lint trap around the dryer free of lint after every load of drying.
• Replace furnace filters regularly. Clean dust and lint from around the furnace motor and burners.
• Service fan motor and check fan belt regularly.

3. Bedrooms

• Be sure windows open easily.
• Always sleep with bedroom doors closed if you don't have a fire detector.
• Plan two escapes from each bedroom.

4. Storage

• Never leave greasy or oily rags lying about.
• Store gasoline and other flammable substances in tightly closed metal or plastic containers.
• Keep the basement, attic, and other storage areas clean. Do not store old clothes, cardboard boxes, magazines, newspapers, or other items that catch fire easily.

5. Electrical Outlets

• Don't over load circuits. Avoid plugging more than two appliances into one outlet.
• If a fuse blows or circuit breaker trips, find the cause.
• Don't use extension cords under rugs, over hooks, or through door openings. They can become worn and cause short circuits.

6. Care of Children

• Never leave a young child unattended.
• Do not let children play around stoves, open fires, or electric heaters.
• Keep matches and combustible fluids out of reach.
• Instruct baby sitters on what to do in case of fire.

7. General Fire Safety Practices

• Keep a garden hose with a nozzle attached to a water outlet at all times in case of fire. Be sure the hose is long enough to reach all areas of the home.
• Make sure each family member has a whistle for warning others. Have the family keep their whistles by their beds.
• Turn off or unplug appliances when you finish using them.

Additional Activity

1. Memorize these four rules of fire safety:

2. Discuss the possibility of installing a smoke detector system in your home. You will need one smoke detector for each level of your home. You will also need one for each sleeping area if the bedrooms are not grouped together.

3. Develop a home emergency escape plan. With your family, find the best possible escape route from different parts of your home, giving special attention to the bedrooms. Every room needs two escape routes, one normal and one emergency exit. Consider using doors, halls, and windows.

If you choose a window for an emergency exit, make sure that it is possible to reach the ground safely. You may need an escape ladder or rope. If a bedroom window does not open, keep a hammer under the bed to break out the glass if necessary. In emergencies when no one can help you in getting down from a high window, rip up bed sheets and tie them together to form a rope.

Make a master home emergency escape plan. Draw a map of each floor, showing emergency and normal exits, as well as the location of windows, doors, stairs, and halls.

Decide on a place outside to meet after you leave the home. Mark it on your master plan map. Make sure your family knows this is where you will all meet. Post copies of the master plan in several areas of your home. You may also want to post individual plans in every room.

4. Fire drills reduce the chance that someone will be hurt in a fire. Hold family fire drills regularly — at least three times a year. Use your home emergency escape plan as the plan for your fire drill. Make sure that everyone understands the exit procedure. You can hold a drill in several ways.

To start the drill, have everyone go to their bedrooms, close the doors, and wait for a prearranged signal. When the signal is given, have them use the emergency escape from their bedrooms and meet in the assigned place outside the home. Or have someone give the prearranged signal when no one is expecting it and see how fast family members can meet outside in the assigned place. As part of each drill, have someone practice going to a phone outside the home so that family members will remember that they must call the fire department.

Review these rules each time you have a drill:

1. Post emergency telephone numbers at all telephones. See"Emergency Telephone Numbers" for instructions on how to make emergency calls.
2. Do not return to a burning building once you are outside.
3. Do not try to put out the fire, unless you see that it is confined to a very small area.
4. When you hear the alarm, get out of the house immediately. Don't stop to dress, get valuables, or call the fire department. Go to a neighbor's house to call.
5. Do not rush into a hallway. Touch the closed door with the palm of your hand. If it is hot, use your emergency exit. If it is not hot, open the door with caution. If there is fire and smoke, close the door immediately. It takes ten to fifteen minutes for fire to burn down a door.
6. If you become trapped, don't panic. There is a good chance of survival. Cover the vents with cloths, and stuff cloths in the cracks in the door. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are. Then signal from the window with a light or bed sheets. Don't jump from a high window unless someone is holding a net to catch you.
7. If your room is filled with smoke, get down on the floor and crawl. Cover your face with a cool, wet cloth if possible.
8. Always close windows and doors behind you as you leave. This will slow down the spread of the fire.

Most drownings happen because people fail to practice safety rules for water activities. This activity is designed to help each family member learn water safety and water survival skills. You will need to have access to water (ocean, lake, river, lagoon, or swimming pool) along with instruction and careful supervision.

Activity

If you live in an area where water safety classes are taught, plan to take a class as a family. If you do not, have a family member learn the following basic safety techniques and present them to the rest of the family. Have all family members practice the techniques until they feel comfortable with them.

Besides helping family members learn these safety techniques, teach them the following essential water safety rules:

1. Learn to swim.

2. Never swim alone. (You may want to use the Scout buddy system.)

3. Swim at a safe place, preferably with lifeguards present.

4. Don't swim when overheated or overtired.

5. Before diving, make certain the water is deep enough and that there are no hidden objects.

6. Don't swim further away from shore than you are able; distances in water are misleading.

7. When distance swimming, always be accompanied by someone in a boat who remains close by.

8. Learn and practice the skills of survival floating, treading water, and back floating.

9. Learn and practice the skills of removing shoes and clothing in the water. (In very cold water the clothes should not be removed.)

10. Learn and practice the skills of emergency rescue in the water.

Caution: Require each family member to pass a minimum swimming and water survival skill test before being allowed to play in deep water. Always take a rope or some floating item to throw to a person who may get into trouble.

Additional Activities

1. After drown-proofing all family members, plan a family outing or camp at a nearby beach, lake, or resort.
2. Pursue other family interests such as river running, kayaking, surfing, or snorkeling. Encourage all family members to wear flotation devices during such activities. Many LDS families have a standing rule that some flotation device must be worn whenever anyone is in the water. This significantly reduces the chances for a mishap while boating or swimming.