How your New Year's resolutions could keep you safe

The Canadian Red Cross is hopingIslanders will keep safety in mindin setting their New Year's resolutions.

In a news release on Tuesday, the Canadian Red Cross shareda list of safety-related resolutions with Islanders.

"A lot of people make New Year's resolutions that they end up neverkeeping because they weren't practical or just not achievable," said Dan Bedell, the Atlantic communications director for the organization.

"And something like committing to taking a first aid training course is something that anybody can do."

Emergency kit

Making a family emergency plan and kit made it to the top of the organization'slist.Bedell said it's a key way toensure safety in the year ahead.

"The one thing that almost all cases have in common is that people didn't think this would happen to them," he said

"People don't often think for example that they know there could be an evacuation order issued in their area because of something that's happened on the road, a transportation incident or a chemical leak," Bedell said.

These are skills you'll have for life.Dan Bedell

He said when it comes to packing your kit, selecting the items that will be most useful to you in an emergency situation depends on who your household is comprised of and what their specific needs are.

Bedell noted that additional tips on how to put together an emergency plan or kit are available at the organization's website and app.

Education

Another safety-related resolution suggested by the Canadian Red Cross is for people to make more of a concerted effort to educate themselves on safety.

Some of the easiest ways to become more educated on safety, Bedell said, is to sign up for afirst aid course or swimming lessons.

"These are all basic lifesaving skills you never know when you may be confronted with a situation where you need first aid skills for a member of your own family or for someone at work or for a complete stranger, it does happen," he said.

"Just a bit of proper training, it only takes a day or two to go through a standard or basic first aid course and these are skills you'll have for life."

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