When the B.C. Ambulance Service asked Jana Hargreaves to come up with some Prince George specific summer safety tips, it didn't take her long to figure out where to start.
The unit chief at the Hart Highway station zeroed in on all the rivers and lakes in the region and emphasized both water and sun safety. As a former lifeguard at summer camps, she had no problem coming up with a list of ideas.
"For parents, it's important to know where the kids are going. There should always be someone who's alert," she said, adding wearing lifejackets is also key to keeping children of all ages -- as well as adults -- safe around water.
Hargreaves, who relocated to Prince George last year with her paramedic husband to take the position of unit chief, also said people need to remember to drain wading pools when they're not in use and to beware of fast-moving water.
The month of July has been filled with lots of hot weather, but Hargreaves said that means sun safety is critical. She advises that people should try to find time to get out of the sun and into the shade and drink plenty of water.
Hargreaves also has a tip that's important regardless of the season and something she said fewer than half of people follow correctly. She said motorists need better instruction on what to do when an ambulance -- or any emergency vehicle -- is approaching with its lights and sirens on. Rather than just slowing down she said drivers should pull their vehicles over to the closest curb and stop until the ambulance has gone by.
"Oftentimes we find that we're coming up behind people and either they don't get out of the way or they just slow down," Hargreaves said. "Getting to the call is a big concern for us and we don't want to drive with lights and sirens if we don't have to."
With August around the corner and fall not too far off in the future, Hargreaves also has some tips for how to keep safe once the weather changes.
"The weather is a big thing in Prince George," she said. "People need to remember conditions here can change quite quickly. In the fall you can quickly end up in a snowstorm, so make sure your vehicle has enough gas in it and you have the appropriate tires."
