The weather is still cool in much of the country, and warm springs have not yet given way to hot summers. Oppressive heat is just around the corner, though, so now is the perfect time to brush up on sun safety. Many first responders focus solely on the effects the sun can have on patients. EMS professionals are just as vulnerable, especially in hot regions where they must spend long days in the sun. Here are five things you need to know to keep yourself safe while tending to patients.

As the cold begins to thaw across the country, many families begin planning their spring and summer vacations. With students out of school and families taking road trips, more people are on the road in the summer, which unfortunately means that car accidents increase during the summer months. Now is the time for your agency to begin preparing for the inevitable uptick in summer auto accidents. Here’s what you can do to save lives:

A rapid response team (RRT) is a group of specially-trained individuals who are brought together as a team and respond immediately when activated for various patient situations within the hospital. The RRT model was initially implemented as part of the 100,000 Lives Campaign by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in response to flaws in the existing healthcare system. Since then, deployment of an RRT at the first sign of patient decline has been established by IHI as a new standard of care within hospital systems nationwide to reduce patient harm and deaths.

With 30 states now reporting widespread flu activity, January is prime time to revisit flu prevention strategies and sharpen respiratory management skills. More than 7 million people have gotten the flu so far this year, with as many as 83,000 hospitalized because of respiratory complications. Sixteen children have already died. This is in spite of a flu vaccine that appears to be mostly effective this season.

It may still be frigid in your region of the country, but warmer weather is on the way, and soon frozen ground will give way to daffodils and crocuses. Families across the country are already planning spring vacations. Those vacations bring new experiences, new foods, and new exposure to allergens. For some people, these new allergen exposures can trigger a potentially lethal anaphylactic reaction. Now is the time to brush up on allergy management skills so your team can be prepared.

Pumpkin patches are open, mums are on display on porches across the nation, and kids everywhere are planning their Halloween costumes. Halloween is an exciting time. Not only does it give families a chance to binge on candy and make-believe; it also marks the start of the holiday season. Many kids already have well-developed holiday wish lists by the end of October.

The weather may still be hot throughout most of the country, but walk into any grocery or home improvement store and you’ll see signs of fall: pumpkins, mums, apple cider, and straw bales. Cooler weather and the holiday season it brings will be here before you know it. Now is the time for emergency management agencies to begin preparing for holiday emergencies. Public outreach can save lives, so consider planning a public education seminar about common holiday emergencies before the temperature begins dropping.