The Redwater VFD is accepting applications for membership and is looking for dedicated & motivated individuals from our community. Redwater VFD is very active in the community by way of responding to emergencies, community education, medical response, fundraising, etc. Applicants should be active & motivated and willing to work along with an eagerness to learn. Redwater VFD members take pride in their department and are looking for individuals who will do the same.
If you, or anyone you know, are interested in firefighting & rescue services, we encourage you to apply for membership at our next meeting (every second Tuesday of each month).
For volunteers interested in the medical field, Redwater VFD is an Emergency Medical Responder department responding to medical calls for ambulance pre-arrival care. To be a part of this program, volunteers must complete an Emergency Medical Responder class.
‘Grammy Award-winning recording artist Cee Lo Green has teamed up with Duracell to show his appreciation to the nation’s fire service.
It may sound like an odd combination at first, but the singer says he owes a lot to the volunteer firefighters who pulled his mother from a near-fatal collision when he was 16 years old.
His mother also volunteered as a firefighter.
As part of Power Those Who Protect Us campaign, Green transformed his popular song “Forget You” into “Thank You”.
The campaign is a battery donation program focused on aiding firehouses across the country with out-of-pocket power expenses.
“As entertainers in the public light, we have a unique opportunity to raise awareness for causes close to our hearts through our greatest passion: music,” Green said in a statement. “That’s why I am proud to join the Power Those Who Protect Us cause, to tell my own story and shed light on the tireless sacrifices our nation’s volunteers make each and every day to protect their communities.” ‘
Please take time to view this “How To Survive A Heart Attack When Alone“ presentation, it may well save your life or someone else’s one day. This presentation may be downloaded from our “Downloads” section of this website and is available in an Adobe PDF version and a PowerPoint version.
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is conducting a holiday safety awareness campaign to encourage families and communities across the country to Make Safety a Tradition of the holiday season. ESFI is providing a variety of FREE holiday safety resources you can use to increase awareness in your own community.
Many of these new tools were developed with funds provided by a Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant from DHS/FEMA.
Risk Factors:
*Susceptibility
*Older age
*Very young age
*Mental Impairment
*Alcohol & drug use
*Certain Medications
*Certain Medical Conditions: under active thyroid, malnutrition, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes
Symptoms:
*Shivering
*Clumsiness or lack of coordination
*Slurred speech or mumbling
*Stumbling
*Confusion or difficulty thinking
*Poor decision making
*Drowsiness or very low energy
*Apathy
*Progressive loss of consciousness
*Weak pulse
*Shallow breathing
Prevention.
Remember the acronym COLD:
COVER. Wear a hat or protective covering to keep heat from escaping from your head, face, & neck. Cover your hands with mittens or gloves.
OVEREXERTION. Avoid activities that would cause you to sweat a lot. The combination of wet clothing and cold weather can cause you to lose body heat more quickly.
LAYERS. Wear loose-fitting, layered clothing. Outer clothing made of tightly woven, water-repellant material is best for wind protection.
DRY. Stay as dry as possible. Get out of wet clothing as soon as possible. Be especially careful to keep your hands & feet dry.
Remember that extreme heat conditions most commonly affect the very young & the elderly. However, anyone working out in these conditions can become a victim of a heat-related illness. Medications and medical conditions can alter your reaction to excessive heat.
Remember that effects of heat can be cumulative – with temperatures not dropping very much during evening hours, your recovery time to heat stress will be increased.
Symptoms of heat illness include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, nausea, weak but rapid pulse, and headaches. People with these symptoms should find shade, drink water slowly and make sure there is good ventilation.
In the course of a day’s work in the heat, you may produce as much as 2 to 3 gallons of sweat. Because so many heat disorders involve excessive dehydration of the body, it is essential that water intake during the workday be about equal to the amount of sweat produced. Most workers exposed to hot conditions drink less fluids than needed because of an insufficient thirst drive. Therefore, you should not depend on thirst to signal when and how much to drink. Instead, drink 5 to 7 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes to replenish the necessary fluids in the body. Water and/or sports drinks are preferred. Avoid drinks containing caffeine (caffeine is a diuretic & will cause you to lose more fluids).
If fluids are not replaced soon enough, heat stroke can follow causing extremely high body temperature, red and dry skin, rapid pulse, confusion, brain damage, loss of consciousness and death. To help a person showing severe symptoms, get the victim into shade, call for emergency medical services and start cooling the person immediately with cool water, cool towels or by fanning.