New Canadians Given a “Smart Start” to First Aid and Injury Prevention
SMARTSTART Program Helps Immigrants Prevent and Respond to Injuries
(Brandon, MB – March 5th, 2009) In cooperation with several partners, the Canadian Red Cross, Manitoba Region is pleased to announce the launch of a program designed to orient Brandon and area immigrants, refugees, and new Canadians to first aid basics and avoid preventable injuries.
SMARTSTART: Community Access to First Aid and Injury Prevention for New Canadians will instruct immigrants on the use of 9-1-1, basic home safety, recognizing the signs of heart attack and stroke, best practices in infant and child safety, as well as thin ice, water and road safety, with a particular focus on extreme weather risks. SMARTSTART will also give participants an introductory primer on CPR, and responding to choking emergencies.
Wendy Petersen is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Brandon/Westman. She says new Canadians are particularly vulnerable to injury. “Immigrants have to deal with a new geography, sometimes drastically different weather, language challenges, and customs they don’t always understand, and that’s in additional to financial barriers. This presents a huge challenge in terms of educating new Canadians about CPR and safety considerations. SMARTSTART tackles that challenge by catering specifically to this group, in a way they will understand and take home to their families,” she explains.
SMARTSTART is being delivered in two formats. The first incorporates safety lessons into English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction for those with moderate English language skills. The second is an Instructor/Interpreter assisted format, for those with less English language skills.
SMARTSTART is funded by the United Way of Brandon & District, and will be delivered through partnerships with the Brandon Regional Health Authority, Westman Immigration Services, Transition and Community Support (a project of Family Services and Housing) among others. SMARTSTART is part of Red Cross Manitoba’s Injury Prevention and First Aid and Water Safety Programs. Injury Prevention focuses on educating Manitobans on CPR, First Aid, and Injury Prevention. First Aid and Water Safety delivers swimming and water safety, as well as First Aid and CPR training to Manitobans.
The Canadian Red Cross is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that includes 186 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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For more information, contact:
Wendy Petersen, Community Outreach Coordinator, Brandon/Westman
Canadian Red Cross, Manitoba Region
Tel: (204) 729-4975; Cell: (204) 573-6240
Rob Wozny, Public Affairs & Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Red Cross - Manitoba Region
rob.wozny@redcross.ca
(204) 982-7315
