Tens of thousands of yeshiva students, including Talmudic-Torah and Hayidar children, went this weekend for the “between times” vacation, which will last until Rosh Chodesh Elul. During this period, the religious and ultra-Orthodox public tend to go on field trips, spend time and use the free time to enjoy themselves with the family, and therefore Magan David Adom deems it appropriate to warn in advance of the dangers inherent in the vacation.
MDA CEO Eli Bin: “I wish the students and the students a pleasant and safe vacation and call on the public going on vacation ‘between the times’ to avoid unnecessary risks and obey the instructions, in order to return from the vacation healthy and safe. As every year, MDA’s medics and paramedics on land, in MDA-Hetzela Air helicopters and in the Hayam-Bulens boats in the Sea of Galilee and on the beaches of Eilat are ready to provide the vacationers with any medical assistance that may be required, anytime and anywhere, in order to help get through the summer vacation in the safest way.”
on trips:
· Stay away from wadis, ravines and unmarked tracks. It is possible that this is a dangerous area where you may get hurt.
· For every exposure to the sun, you should be equipped with sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.
· Do not immerse in water fountains, pools or springs that are not marked. Do not bathe at bathing beaches during hours when there is no lifeguard on the beach. Do not jump into pools of cloudy water.
· Be sure not to travel during the intense heat and take care to rest during these hours.
· For each walking route, equip yourself with the maximum amount of water possible (at least 3 liters of water per person is recommended).
· If necessary, shorten the itineraries and make sure not to travel in the hours close to dark, in order not to get stuck in remote areas during the hours of darkness.
· We updated a contact about the time of departure and the place of the trip and the estimated time of return.
· It is important to pay attention to children who are staying in an unfamiliar environment (with families, friends, B&Bs, guesthouses, etc.). For example: in a place where there is a window without bars, an exposed water reservoir, accessible electrical appliances, etc.
· Make sure you have a battery for the mobile device that will allow you to call for help if necessary.
When organizing a picnic in the great outdoors, the following precautions must be observed:
· Lighting the fire: pay attention to where you place your barbecue device, and keep it away from trees and vegetation. In addition, make sure that the coals are extinguished and collect them at coal collection facilities.
· Children should be kept away from sources of fire and heat such as burning coals, liquid or solid combustibles and frying oil.
· At this time of the year, the activity of poisonous snakes increases, such as the Israeli viper, and various reptiles that hide under stones. Avoid turning over stones and rocks, be careful when sitting on lawns and bare ground in nature, and do not walk barefoot or in sandals in these areas.
· Equip yourself with a first aid kit and make sure that the necessary treatment measures are at hand, until the arrival of the professional MDA teams if necessary.
· Allergic to food, bee stings and other factors should be equipped with appropriate medications and an epifene syringe, according to the instructions of the attending physician.
on trips:
· Do not leave children and toddlers unattended in the car, even when the windows are open. On hot days, the car heats up quickly. A child left unattended in a car is exposed to the risk of heat stroke, dehydration and even death.
· During trips, it is necessary to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of water for the passengers, since the risk of dehydration exists even when the air conditioner in the car is on.
· Care should be taken to place a fabric cover on each safety seat for toddlers, so that the high heat in the car does not cause burns to the toddler’s body.
· Make sure that the car doors in the area of the children’s seats are locked and that they cannot, God forbid, open the car door while driving. It is recommended to use ‘child lock’.
· Keep small or sharp objects away from the children’s seats, which they may put in their mouths, or be cut by during the trip.
· Do not stop and pray on the side of the road, due to the risk of being run over or hit by a passing vehicle. If the prayer time has come and you must pray, stop in a parking lot, gas station or any other regulated place – and never on the side of the roads.
· At the end of the trip, scan the vehicle and make sure that all the children have left it, and that no one is left in the closed vehicle.
· Drive with extreme caution!! Reduce your driving speed significantly during the summer vacation months. Pay special attention to the children who are near the roads, between parked cars and in the area of crosswalks.
Precautionary rules at the beach and in the pools:
· You should only bathe in declared beaches and pools that are supervised by a lifeguard and when there are lifeguard services. If you arrive after the lifeguard’s operating hours at the beach or pool – do not enter the water!
· Always stay within sight of the rescuer. Pay attention – if you don’t see the lifeguard, he probably doesn’t see you either and you may be in danger.
· Avoid dangerous games. Do not play “immersion games” in the water, do not jump on someone who is in the water and do not jump head first in shallow water, for fear of injury to the spine and head. In addition, do not run around the edge of the pool, for fear of slipping and injury.
· Know your abilities. Always swim in water that is under your control, do not reach exhaustion. If your friends swim a long distance than you are used to and are able to – don’t join! Always consider the way back when swimming. If you are tired, get out of the water, drink and rest in a shady place.
· Do not swim in the breakwater area. In this area, strong eddies may form that pull to the bottom of the sea.
Bathing in the sea under the influence of alcohol is prohibited and dangerous.
For spending time with babies and children at the sea, in the pool or near any other water source – pay attention to the following rules of caution:
· Babies and children up to the age of 5 are a population prone to drowning. Due to their body structure (their head is heavy and large relative to their body and their center of gravity is higher) they may topple with their head forward into the water of the pool, the sea, the tub, or the bath, and drown. Children also do not understand the nature of the danger and do not know how to be careful. Therefore, the importance of closely guarding them near water sources is very significant.
· Drowning happens in a few moments. A few minutes of complete inattention are enough, in which the child may drown. You must always stay within arm’s reach of the children in the water and concentrate only on them. If you entered the water with several children, please arrange for another responsible adult to stay with them.
· Buoys, sea wheels and the like give a false sense of security. Remember that these items do not provide full protection to the child against the dangers of drowning, and therefore it is important to take care to keep children safe even when they are equipped with these items.
Make sure that the children are fully protected from sun damage. Make sure to apply a suitable sunscreen to them, and it is even advisable to dress babies in a full and long swimsuit in order to protect their bodies.
· Do not leave toddlers and children near water sources without close supervision. A toddler may slip in seconds, and the injury to him will be particularly severe, since a head injury from such a fall may cause significant damage.
· In private pools, every passage towards the pool must be fenced off and closed as long as there is no adult in the area who can supervise toddlers and children.
In the event of a medical emergency, call the MDA on the emergency number 101
