A Word From Chief Matt Sproul: Here are some new year's resolutions to keep
Happy New Year!
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful and safe holiday season with family and friends. I personally took a little time during the hustle and bustle of December to reflect on 2021, but also to look ahead to 2022. I wanted to share a few things that came to mind, in hopes that you'll adopt a resolution to help make our community and homes safer.
Check on elderly loved ones
Month after month, falls are the most common cause for calls that our team takes. Especially as we enter the colder winter months in the region, it’s important to talk to elderly loved ones about how they feel physically and how comfortable they are getting around their homes.
There are safety measures you can take to limit falls and the danger they present, but you have to start by having that conversation. Make a plan with your whole family to help keep your elderly loved ones safe by routinely checking in.
It makes a big difference.
Don’t drive drunk
This is not a resolution. And it does not wait until tomorrow.
Thousands of people every year are killed in accidents involving drunk drivers, either because they got behind the wheel after having too much to drink or they were the victim of someone who did.
We live in a world where technology has changed the way we can get a ride if we’ve had over the legal limit of alcohol. Use a ride-sharing service, call a cab, choose a designated driver, be the designated driver — whatever it takes to make the smart, safe decision for you and for this community.
Ask any EMT, first responder, police officer or emergency room provider and they will tell you just how real it is. Don’t drink and drive.
Community education and training
Learning how to perform CPR and use an AED machine could be the difference between life and death, whether it’s for a loved one or a complete stranger.
Various community resources are out there — including Canandaigua Emergency Squad — that can train you to be ready should the situation arise. Training gives you the confidence to act when you might otherwise freeze up.
With more people ready and able to respond in the moment, our whole community becomes a safer place.
CES facilitates small and large groups or one-on-one training for AHA Heartsaver CPR, AED, First Aid, basic life support, Stop the Bleed, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and more. Our community education and training programs are currently paused due to the construction of our new state-of-the-art headquarters, and we will announce to the public when they will resume at our new facility.
Get involved
One last resolution — a personal request.
Come volunteer and be part of the CES family. Even if you’re not looking to be on the ambulance, there are many other ways you can help us. From office work to building maintenance to support at community events, we would love to have you on our team.
We’ve got exciting things happening in 2022, including the opening of a brand new headquarters. It’s never been a better — or more important — time to volunteer with CES.
About this series
Matt Sproul is chief of Canandaigua Emergency Squad (CES), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit unit that receives no tax-based support. CES responds to more than 6,000 calls per year serving the towns of Canandaigua, Bristol, Hopewell, Gorham and East Bloomfield and the village of Bloomfield. East Bloomfield Volunteer Ambulance is a division of CES. For more information, go to canandaiguaes.org. If you have questions or want to get involved, send emails to info@canandaigues.org.
This article originally appeared on MPNnow: A Word From Chief Matt Sproul: New year, new resolutions from CES
