STB-JU89
  We are deeply grateful to the American Red Cross
for preparing information on what to do in case of
First Aid Emergency. With many of our lodges located
on second or third floors, usually with no elevator ser-
vice, we really need to be aware of what to do should
an emergency anse.
  Not only should we have First Aid assistance
available in the lodge rooms, but many Masons are
interested in another aspect of our Masonic outreach
"community service."
  We hope this Short Talk will help point out the
seriousness of the problem when First Aid assistance
is required--it's needed now!
                    --Editor





THE IMPORTANCE OF RED CROSS
     FIRST AID AND CPR


  You're seated at a banquet, dinner is winding down and the
evening's speaker advances to the podium. But he doesn't make it.
Reaching for the microphone, he clutches his chest and collapses
to the floor. He is having a heart attack. Would you know what to
do? Would anyone in the room know what to do?

  Since the turn of the century, the American Red Cross has been
committed to teaching Red Cross first aid to the public. The
organization has always believed that a citizenry educated in
first aid is better able to prevent the thousands of needless
deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, choking and other
common health diseases and accidents. About 1,500 people die
every day from heart attacks alone. When Red Cross CPR is
combined, within minutes, with quick delivery of the right
medical care, it has been shown that about 40 percent of heart
attack victims can be resuscitated.

  Thus, there is no better way to learn how to prevent a needless
death in your home, your office, your lodge, or your civic
group's banquet hall than by taking a Red Cross first aid and CPR
course. Virtually every community in the country has access to
Red Cross-certified courses which, when successfully completed,
allow one to help save the life of one's spouse, one's child,
one's best friend or a complete stranger.

  The key to saving the life of your banquet speaker, in this
instance, is knowing how to evaluate the situation, provide
appropriate Red Cross first aid immediately and at the same time
access a fully equipped emergency medical services (EMS) team
(i.e., an ambulance). Normally this means going yourself or
sending someone else to a phone, and dialing 911. The caller
should be prepared to tell the EMS dispatcher--

 The exact location of the emergency (address, nearby
intersections or landmarks, name of building, room number).

 The telephone number of the phone being

 The caller's name.

 What happened.

 The victim's condition.

 The help being given.

  Do not hang up. The dispatcher may have more questions.

  In general, there are several steps that should be followed in
any kind of emergency from the time that one recognizes the
problem to the time when help arrives.

  Before you intervene in an emergency make sure that you have
taken steps to survey the scene.

  Step one: Find out if the scene is safe. You can't help someone
else if you become a victim yourself. This applies to such things
as toxic accidents, traffic accidents and some natural
disasters such as a flood where there is fastrunning water.

  Step two: Find out what happened. If the victim is conscious,
ask some specific questions to find out what's wrong and how bad
it is. Often the scene itself will reveal the nature and extent
of the problem. If the victim is unconscious, look for a medical
alert tag, which may tell you how to provide medical care to the
victim. This can be done while you check breathing and pulse.

  Step three: Find out if there is more than one victim. In an
auto accident, people may have been thrown from the car or walked
away in a daze.

  Step four: Find out if there are bystanders who can help. Shout
for "HELP." A bystander may be able to seek help while you are
assessing the victim's condition. If a bystander is a family
member, he or she may be able to provide more medical information
and offer emotional support while waiting for the EMS team to
arrive.

  Step five: Tell the victim and the bystanders that you are
trained in Red Cross first aid. This will help to reassure the
victim and let others know that a trained person is in charge.
Before giving Red Cross first aid to a conscious victim, it is
important that you obtain his or her consent. Simply say, "Hi,
my name is (blank). I know Red Cross first aid and I can help you
until an ambulance arrives; is that OK?"

A Primary Survey of the Victim

  When you come upon an accident victim, he or she may not be
moving. To determine whether a victim is responsive, gently tap
on the shoulder and ask, "Are you OK?" If assistance is needed,
you may need to shout to get help while you proceed with the
primary survey by checking for an open airway, breathing and
circulation (the ABCs) .

  Airway: Does the victim have an open airway (the passage that
allows the victim to breathe)? The most important action for
successful resuscitation is to immediately open an unconscious
victim's airway using the head-tilt/ chin-lift method. This lifts
the tongue away from the back of the throat and opens the airway.

  Breathing: Check for breathlessness. Look for the chest to rise
and fall, listen for breathing and feel for air coming out of the
victim's nose and mouth.

  Circulation: Is the person's heart beating? (Does the person
have a pulse?) To check to see if the victim's heart is beating,
feel for a pulse at the side of the neck. This is called the
carotid pulse. Is the person bleeding severely? Feel and look
over the victim's body to determine if bleeding is present. If
there is severe bleeding (arterial bleeding), it must be
controlled immediately. Complete the ABCs before beginning any
urgent Red Cross first aid treatment, as there may be more than
one life-threatening problem occurring at the same time.
Life-threatening conditions must be given first aid before less
serious conditions. It is more important, for example, to give
breathing to someone who is not breathing than to splint a broken
arm or bandage a minor cut. In an emergency, remember to shout
for help and find a way so that you or a bystander can
immediately phone for EMS assistance. The above outlines the
foundation of Red Cross first aid. However, anyone who is serious
about learning first aid so that he or she is prepared to save a
life, must take a Red Cross first aid and CPR course. Call your
Red Cross chapter for information about when the course is
offered. A Red Cross instructor can come to your lodge to teach
the course. And remember, the life you save may be your wife's,
your child's or your best friend's. Emergencies only happen to
other people-until it is too late. So call your local Red Cross
chapter now.

Courses Offered by Red Cross Chapters

   Adult CPR
Infant and Child CPR
Community CPR
CPR:Basic Life Support for the
    Professional Rescuer
Standard First Aid

     EMERGENCY ACTION
         PRINCIPLES

      Survey the Scene
        Is It Safe?

    Do A Primary Survey
 Check for Unresponsiveness

           (ABCs)
Airway Breathing Circulation

  Phone EMS

Do a Secondary Survey
 Interview
 Vital Signs
 Head-to-Toe Exam
