Is your family prepared for an emergency? Grey County and first responders from around the County are hosting free Family First Aid information sessions this spring to help families prepare for and react to emergencies. Participants will visit interactive stations where first responders and emergency staff will give lessons about specific life-saving skills including CPR and AED use, controlling bleeding, choking and overall emergency and disaster preparedness. These two-hour sessions are targeted at families with school-aged children. Younger children are welcome but must stay with parents.

“Emergencies can happen to anyone. The better prepared your family is for a crisis, the better the outcome will be. Family First Aid will teach parents and children what to do in different kinds of emergencies, how to call for help and what to expect when first responders arrive,” said Marlene McLevy, Emergency Systems Coordinator with Grey County.

Three sessions are planned. Each session will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with doors opening at 9:00 a.m. Sessions include:

- Saturday, May 11 at Spruce Ridge Community School in Durham;
- Saturday, May 25 at the Beaver Valley Community School in Thornbury; and
- Saturday, June 8 at East Ridge Community School in Owen Sound.

Sessions will only move forward if enough families register. Registration can be completed online through Eventbrite, through www.Grey.ca or by calling 519-372-0219 ext.1257.

“We want to give families across the County the opportunity to learn these potentially life-saving skills, but we can only go ahead with the events if there is enough interest in the community,” explained McLevy. “If your family is interested in attending, be sure to register early to avoid disappointment.”

Family First Aid is a great introduction to home safety for children and their parents, but it’s not meant to replace formal first aid training. Each family that participates will take home information packages with emergency preparedness tips, and details about how they can become formally trained and certified in first aid.

Family First Aid information sessions are made possible thanks to the support of Grey County, local municipalities and first responders.

For more information about these sessions you can call Grey County at 519-372-0219 ext. 1257 or email [email protected]

source: media release, Grey County