This is caused by some part of the body coming in contact with a live electric wire. The seriousness of the shock depends on how heavy a charge of electricity the wire is carrying at the time. The patient is usually unable to release himself from the wire. The first thing to be done, if possible, is to turn off the current by means of the switch, but if this cannot be done _at once_, the patient must be rescued by pulling him away from the wire. Remember his body will easily carry the charge to yours while he is against the wire. Therefore you must "insulate" yourself--that is, put on your hands something that will not let the electricity into your body--or stand on something that will "insulate" you; for instance, rubber gloves or rubber tobacco pouches, dry silk handkerchiefs, other silk garments or newspapers used in place of gloves if necessary. Stand on a rubber mat or on _dry boards_, or glass, or in dire necessity _dry_ clothes can be used to stand on. They must not be wet as then they will carry the electric current through your body and you must also be rescued instead of rescuing. Prevention: 1. Do not touch the "third rail" of electric railways. 2. Do not catch hold of swinging wires, they may be "live wires." 3. Report broken wires to the right authorities. Treatment: 1. Get patient loose from the current. 2. Send for the doctor. 3. Lay the patient flat on his back. 4. Loosen the clothing, and perform artificial respiration according to the Schaefer method if necessary. 5. Give first aid treatment to the burns. FIRE ACCIDENTS The first thought about a fire is to get it put out before it spreads any further. There are methods which will do this work effectually and Girl Scouts should learn these methods beforehand thoroughly, in order that when the emergency arises they may act quickly, coolly and effectively. FIRE IN CLOTHING If this happens in your own clothing, do not run for help, as the draft made by the motion of your body will only fan the flames to burn fiercely. Grab the nearest thing that will cover you; overcoat, blanket, rug, wrap it tightly around you at the neck first to prevent flames from burning the face and lie down and roll over and over. This will smother the flames quickly. If you can get nothing to wrap around you, lie down and roll slowly over and beat the fire with your hands covered by some part of your clothing not on fire. If the fire is in the clothing of another, wrap him in the nearest thing available, lay him on the floor and roll him over, smothering the flames as described before. Woolen material will not catch fire as easily as cotton, therefore, if you have a chance to choose, take woolen material for smothering the flames. RESULTS Results of fire in the clothing are sure to be more or less serious burns.