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Hug a Tree
We know that your children are the most
important thing in the world to you. So keeping our Hometown Kids safe is a number
one priority for us! That is why we plan our Emergency
Preparedness Fairs, which includes working with our friends at West Coast Search Dogs to promote the
"Hug a Tree" program.
Kids! You can Hug a Tree and
SURVIVE!
There are six things to remember if you are going
to be outdoors and might get lost…
Before you leave...
Always carry a trash bag and whistle!
Make a hole in the trash bag for your face, so that you won’t suffocate. Then fold it
up really small and put it in your pocket. If you get lost, you can wear it like a
raincoat to stay warm and dry. And the whistle is really loud, so rescuers can hear you.
Wearing brightly colored clothing is a good idea, too.
| Experts recommend that you take a simple shoeprint before going
into the wilderness. Put a piece of aluminum foil on a soft surface, such as a
folded towel. Now step on it! Keep the imprinted foil at your campsite, so
that if someone gets lost, searchers will know what shoeprint that they need to follow. |
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Hug a Tree!
Make that tree your best friend. Talk to it so that you
won’t be scared. Hold on tight so that you have a friend. It makes you easier to
find, because you will be staying in one place.
Make yourself BIG!
If helicopters are looking for you, it’s hard to
see someone who is standing up. Stay near your tree, but if you hear a helicopter above,
lay down and spread out as BIG as you can so it can see you. If you can, construct a
signal like an SOS using rocks, limbs, or by dragging your foot in the dirt in a clearing.
There are no animals out there that want to
hurt you!
If you hear a noise, yell at it or blow your whistle.
If it is an animal, it will be scared and run away. If it is a rescuer, they will hear
you! Either way, you need to stay by your tree.
Your parents won’t be angry with you
Mom and Dad are going to be SOOO happy to see you!
Doing everything right so that you can be found is going to make them proud of you and be
so glad to see you home safe!
You have lots of friends looking for you
Search and Rescue volunteers are anxious to see you
returned home safely. They do this because they are your friends, so be watching for them
and make sure that they know that you are there!
Ocean Shores IGA cares, too….and we hope
that these tips will help keep you safe and healthy!
For a printable page of Hug a Tree
Tips, click here.
For more information on how to keep your children safe, and how to empower them to
participate in their own safety, visit these websites:
www.ncmec.org
Hug-a-Tree Program
West Coast Search Dogs
Dignity Memorial's Escape School
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