Youth, 12 to 16 years old, learned how to stop bleeding, address with heat-related injury and recognize signs of stroke during Drexel Heights fire’s first babysitter training of the summer, held June 7 and 8.
“We had a great day, they had a public health nurse out there, they were diapering and it was pretty cute. We did poison prevention and fire safety, it’s a lot of information packed into two days,” said Tracy Koslowski, spokesperson for Drexel Heights Fire District.
In 12 hours spread over two days, youth learn ways to keep kids engaged and safe including poison prevention, fire and kitchen safety and training in infant, child and adult CPR and First Aid. They also get hands-on experience with potentially life-saving devices like fire extinguishers and automated external defibrillators (AED’s).
The program also includes a focus on responsibility. Koslowski said that means encouraging budding babysitters not to take on too many kids, and learning professional skills like building a resume.
There are 18 spots in each two-day class, and openings remain in the upcoming June and July sessions.
