EMS Week

EMS Week is May 21 to 27, 2023

It's National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week! Please join the City of Ankeny in thanking and recognizing the full and part-time professional staff, who are all EMS certified, at the Ankeny Fire Department.

The Ankeny Fire Department will be sharing EMS Week safety information all week long, check the City of Ankeny Facebook page for daily safety tips on the following topics:

Helmet Safety

Did you know that wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85%? Helmets should be worn during every ride, no matter how short since many accidents happen close to home. Check out this safety video demonstrating the difference a helmet can make!

Window Safety

Screens are designed to keep bugs out, not to keep people in. Annually, more than 5,000 children go to emergency rooms after falling from windows and on average, eight children die from their injuries. Window falls are preventable if parents are armed with the right information. Check out the following safety tips:

  • Never leave young children unattended near open windows.
  • Keep furniture or anything that a child can climb on away from windows.
  • Do not depend on screens to prevent falls, they are not designed for this purpose.
  • Repair broken windows as soon as possible.
  • Open windows from the top, not the bottom.
  • Install child safety devices on windows, be sure to install window guards on all second and third story windows.

Learn more about window safety from the Hannah Geneser Foundation.

CPR

Performing CPR in the first few minutes after someone collapses due to cardiac arrest doubles the person's chances of survival. Most people who experience cardiac arrest at home, work or in a public location die because they don't receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of any tune that is 100 to 120 beats per minute, such as the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive". Learn the two simple steps to save a life by watching this video from the American Heart Association:

Stroke Recognition

By learning and sharing the F.A.S.T. warning signs, you just might save a life from stroke. Think FAST to recognize stroke symptoms and call 911!

  • Face Drooping
  • Arm Weakness
  • Speech Difficulty
  • Time to Call 911

Learn more about stroke recognition.

Securing Furniture

Get on top of it before they do! We can't stop our toddlers from climbing. We can stabilize the things they climb on.

  • All TVs should be firmly mounted to a wall or a piece of furniture.
  • Dressers, bookcases, mirrors, and other pieces of furniture should be secured to the wall, preferably with dry-wall screws into a stud.
  • Avoid storing tempting electronics such as iPads, DVDs, and TVs / remotes on or above furniture you don't want your kids to climb on.

Learn more from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Poisoning Prevention

Many common medications and vitamins look like candy to children. Take a quiz from the Missouri Poison Center to see if you can identify which are medications and which are candy.

Drowning Prevention

Drowning is the leading cause of injury death in U.S. children 1 to 4 years of age and the third leading cause of unintentional injury death among U.S. children and adolescents 5 to 19 years of age. Drowning can happen in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, bathtubs, natural bodies of water such as ponds, and standing water in homes. Tips to prevent drowning:

  • Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted.
  • Empty tubs, buckets, containers, and kids' pools immediately after use. Close lids and doors.
  • Install fences around home pools.
  • Learn CPR and basic water rescue skills.

Learn more about drowning prevention from the American Academy of Pediatrics.