Paul Szmal: FLX Morning continues at 8.15, we're at 66, and I'm happy to be joined by Michael Tedesco from the American Red Cross. Michael, good morning, how are you today?
Michael Tedesco: I'm good Paul, how are you doing?
Paul Szmal: Doing well, and normally we talk a lot about disaster preparation and disaster relief and things of that nature, but we wanted to shift gears this morning because we're coming to that time of year when the school buses will be back on the road and kids will be going back to school.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, absolutely, again, the Red Cross is all about prevention and safety and that applies to almost any situation, including back to school safety.
Paul Szmal: Yes, so we wanted to go over some simple just reminders for those of you that have kids or grandkids that are going to be heading off to school here in just a couple of weeks or so, and we might as well just go ahead and start going down the list here, Michael. If your student is younger or going to the school for the first time, what are some of the important things they need to know?
Michael Tedesco: Again, this is going to be common sense to everybody, but just in case you're just getting back from the beach and your brain is not back to regular scheduling, again, a young child should be able to recite their phone number, their address, how they get in touch with their parents at work. They should know a trusted emergency contact, an aunt or an uncle, something like that, or a grandparent that can be reachable in the event that their parents are not easily reachable. And, of course, you know how to dial 911 in an emergency. And then, of course, this goes back years and years, don't talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don't know.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. Now, for students that are riding the bus to school or walking to school, there are a couple of different things that they need to pay attention to. We'll start with kids that walk to school.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, absolutely. Whenever a sidewalk is available, that's what they should be using. If there are no sidewalks and they're forced to walk in the roadway or on the side of the roadway, encourage them to always walk facing traffic so that they're in a position to see traffic coming towards them and react as needed. When they're coming to a corner or crossing, stop and look left, right, and then left again to make sure no cars are coming in their direction. Whenever possible, cross the street at a corner using available traffic signals and stay in the crosswalk. And, of course, never ever run out into the roadway or walk into the roadway from a position between parked cars. It just gives drivers way too little time to see and notice someone crossing the road. And also, if there happens to be a crossing guard at an intersection, the crossing guard will help you and assist you in getting across the street safely.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. That becomes the point of focus. Just pay attention to what the directions that the crossing guard is giving. We're talking with Michael Tedesco from the American Red Cross. A little prevention and reminder for students and for drivers as we get into the back to school season. We'll get into drivers in a little bit here in the conversation. Now, if your student is taking the bus to school, there are a couple of different things that they need to pay attention to.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, buses run on a schedule. That can be a little hectic the first week or so of school as drivers adjust to the routes. So, good idea to always get to your bus stop early. Don't stand too close to the curb. Stand a safe distance away until the bus arrives. Attempt to board the bus only after it's come to a complete stop and the driver has opened the doors and indicated it's safe to board. Always stay in clear view of the bus driver and never walk behind the bus.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, that's a very important one there. Big rule of thumb to teach your kids, if they can't see the driver, the driver is not able to see them. So, always keep a safe distance and follow the direction of the bus driver. And there are still some students that get to school a different way. Some will bike to school, some will ride to school, and some will actually drive to school. We want to cover those spaces as well. So, what are some tips for students to ride their bike to school?
Michael Tedesco: They should follow the safety protocols that they do when they're riding recreationally. You know, we encourage our kids to wear helmets to protect their heads in the event of a fall and always ride in the same direction as the traffic is traveling in. And if you're driving your kids to school, make sure they're wearing their seatbelt. Some kids should use the car seats or booster seats until they meet the safety standards for not having to use those. And parents should check and make sure that the lap and shoulder belts fit as they should. And when a child is still relatively young, under the age of 13, not a teenager yet, their safest spot in the car is still in the back seat. So, we encourage them to use that space. And some teenagers drive to school. I remember doing that late in my senior year of school. Any important tips to offer those drivers?
Paul Szmal: Yeah, and I'm sure that's a scary moment for parents when it's the first time.
Michael Tedesco: But again, enforce the same kind of safety measures that you tell them to employ whenever they're using a car. Limit distractions. Don't play loud, the music so loud. Don't have too many kids in the car with them. And always pay attention to what's going on ahead of them. Of course, big no-no, don't use the cell phone. And avoid eating and drinking. But a big thing here that can save lives, and it's so simple, make sure they're always wearing their seatbelts.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. And this is going to be a different world now this year with the cell phone restrictions that students are going to have as far as use in school. But a lot of students do have smart devices and cell phones. There's an important app that parents should make sure is downloaded on that phone.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, and kids are getting cell phones at younger ages, so these apps can be helpful for all of them. There's a free Red Cross first aid app and emergency app that provides access to first aid tips for common emergencies or even weather alerts. So those can be found in the smartphone app stores or by searching our website to download the app.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, and you can go to redcross.org backslash apps to be able to find that. And if a student is joining a sports team and equipment is not necessarily provided, a couple of important things to note here.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, wear protective gear such as helmets, pads, whatever is necessary for that particular sport. Make sure they're well-versed, and coaches should know this as well, in warming up and cooling down. I've often thought about, you know, I hope high school athletes who have already returned to the playing fields for preseason practices are staying really hydrated with all of the warm weather we're having. So that, and know the location of the closest first aid kit in AED. And unfortunately, I've already read about a couple of instances across the country where young athletes have very sadly passed away from, you know, practice conditions that are extremely tough. So make sure your child knows where all the safety devices are, and is just aware of some of the hazards that are out there at this particular time.
Paul Szmal: And some of the final tips that we have here for back-to-school season involve those of you that are driving on the road, because there's things you need to remember when the school buses are back on the streets.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, and I know sometimes it can be aggravating. We're always in a hurry to get to our next destination, and when the big yellow buses hit the roads again, there are often some delays. So the biggest thing is to slow down a little bit and just be aware of your surroundings. And know what the rules are for the different colored lights. Yellow flashing lights do not mean an immediate stop, but it means the bus is about to come to a stop. So you should be slowing down in anticipation of that. And then, of course, when the red lights come out and that little extender stop sign arm from the side of the bus is extended, that means you're not to proceed any further, no matter what direction you're approaching the bus from. And that's a signal that kids are either going to be boarding or leaving the bus and possibly into the roadway. So just be aware of what those mean. You know, in some situations, if it's a median separating two roads and you're approaching from an opposite direction, that doesn't apply at that point. So if you're traveling west and you see an eastbound bus across the median or across a guardrail, slow down and stop. You do not have to, but when there are no safety and separation barriers like that, it's your responsibility to keep kids safe.
Paul Szmal: All right. And as we wrap up the conversation here, I always know that there is a need for blood donations and you've got a couple of incentives that are going on for blood donations right now with the American Red Cross.
Michael Tedesco: Yeah, absolutely. In summer, you're right. You hit the nail on the head because summer when everyone's busy and, you know, we're in the waning days of summer vacation now, so people are cramming a lot of activities in and blood donation can be pushed off. And as we've talked about several times before, the need never stops. So we need people, we need a steady flow of donors. So we do have some really nice incentives out there right now for people who are kind enough to donate blood almost for the rest of the entirety of August, up until August 28th. If you come in and give blood or at least show up to give blood, you're going to get a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. Plus, if you are successfully able to donate blood, we are providing free A1C testing, which is a test that can determine pre-diabetic or diabetic conditions. It's a test that measures not the current level of blood sugar, but, you know, blood sugar levels over an extended period of time. So that can be a real health benefit to folks. And then, back by popular demand, last year we did a Snoopy slash Peanuts t-shirt giveaway, became almost an instant collector item. And we're working with the Peanuts team again, and we're going to be giving away from August 29th to September 21st, a mystery Peanuts t-shirt. There are four unique designs. They're sealed in a plastic bag that you can't see through, so you won't know exactly what you're getting other than knowing what size you're receiving. The cool thing is, there are some golden tickets mixed in with those t-shirts, and if you're lucky enough to get a bag that contains the golden ticket, you can reach back to the Red Cross through an online form, and you'll actually get the entire collection of four t-shirts. So, yeah, it's kind of a nice way to wrap up the summer months. And glide into fall with Peanuts.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. Michael, thank you, as always, for the information, and if people want to find out about the nearest blood drives or places that they can donate blood near them, how do they do that?
Michael Tedesco: Sure. Easiest way to find it is go to redcrossblood.org, or you can call 1-800-RED-CROSS. All you have to do is type in your location via zip code, and you'll find blood drives that are right in your backyard.
Paul Szmal: All right. Michael Tedesco from the American Red Cross joining us on FLX Morning. It's 829.
