Staying safe during the Fourth of July weekend, resources available in case of emergency

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - While families and communities prepare to have fun over the Fourth of July weekend, medical professionals understand that injuries and accidents often accompany these summer festivities.

Terri Dewees, director of Trauma Services at Novant Health, sat down with WECT to discuss the risks that accompany popular summer activities, and the resources available to help those who may need medical attention.

“We are very fortunate to have a level two trauma center,” Dewees says. “We are verified by the American College of Surgeons, which is the accrediting agency for trauma centers, and then designated by the state of North Carolina. So we have standards that we have to meet, types of surgeons, types of other subspecialists, orthopedic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, etc., to make sure that we have top level care for patients that experience accidents and injuries.”

According to Dewees, the Wilmington area and communities near it typically see a high influx of out-of-town visitors during the summer, especially during summer holidays. With this, the number of boating and traffic accidents tends to increase, as well as injuries that stem from recreational activities, such as watersports and shooting off fireworks.

“We all know that alcohol does not mix with water but we all, you know, we all like to indulge a little bit, so we have to be careful. Have a designated boater, or boat pilot, just like you have a designated driver,” Dewees explains. “...we do we have ambulances on standby. We have our critical care transport, so Airlink, we have three helicopters in the region: we have one up in Jacksonville, one at Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia and one stationed down the campus at Columbus Regional.”

One of the easiest ways to stay healthy over the holiday weekend is to drink lots of water, which many often forget about, replacing it with alcoholic beverages and sodas, which do a much worse job at keeping your body hydrated.

“And drink water. Iced tea doesn’t cut it, alcohol certainly doesn’t cut it. Both of those will dehydrate you. Elderly folks are not as sensitive to thirst as younger people and so you really need to be drinking your water when you’re outside.”

Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.