Have a Safe 4th of July

If your holiday plans include fun in the water, make sure every member of your family is water smart ─ has swimming skills and knows how to help others in an emergency.

The American Red Cross offers these tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe during the upcoming 4th of July holidaay:

FIREWORKS SAFETY The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public fireworks show put on by professionals. Many states outlaw most fireworks, so consider celebrating with glow sticks, noise makers or silly string instead. If you choose to set fireworks off at home, follow these safety steps:

• Never give fireworks to small children, and never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.
• Always follow the instructions on the packaging.
• Keep a supply of water close by.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
• Never use fireworks around pets, keep pets indoors. Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma, and many pets are also fearful of loud noises and can become lost, scared or disoriented.

WATER SAFETY If your holiday plans include fun in the water, make sure every member of your family is water smart ─ has swimming skills and knows how to help others in an emergency.

• Everyone should learn to swim. Classes are available for both children and adults.
• Prevent unsupervised access to water. Always designate a “water watcher” to keep a close, constant eye on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children. If a child is missing, check the water first. Drowning behavior is typically fast and silent. Unless rescued, a drowning person will last only 20 to 60 seconds before submerging.
• Reach or throw, don't go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object out to the person in trouble and tell them to grab on. Don’t go in! You could become a victim yourself. Without putting yourself in danger, rescue and remove the person from the water. Have someone call 911 if needed.
• Download the Red Cross Swim app for safety tips, kid-friendly videos and activities, and take the free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course.

TRIP TO THE SHORE Do your holiday plans include the beach? Swimming in the ocean takes a different set of skills. Only swim at a lifeguard-protected beach within the designated area. Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.

• Stay informed about local weather conditions throughout the day.
• Stay alert, swim sober and never swim alone. Make sure you have enough energy to swim back to shore.
• Young children and weak swimmers should wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Everyone should wear one when on a boat.
• Don’t dive in headfirst — protect your neck. Always enter feet first, unless the area is intended for diving.
• Pay close attention to children and older people at the beach. Even in shallow water, waves can cause you to lose your balance.
• Keep a lookout for aquatic life. Water plants and marine animals may be dangerous.
• Rip currents are responsible for deaths on our nation’s beaches every year and for most of the rescues performed by lifeguards. If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Then, turn and swim to shore. If you can't swim to shore, float or tread water until you are free of the rip current and then head toward shore. Draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help.

Check here for more ways to help you stay safe whatever your plans are this 4th of July.

TAKE A CLASS Emergencies can happen no matter where you are — at home, at work, at the grocery store or at your local pool. If you are trained in First Aid, you have the ability to respond when minutes matter. While it may be something as simple as caring for cuts and scrapes, it can also be a lifesaving tool that keeps someone alive until help arrives. Sign up today for Red Cross First Aid training. Find out more here.

You can also download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed. The app puts expert advice for common emergencies at your fingertips in both English or Spanish. Find all Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.