The Rensselaer County · Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds in open areas....
Transcript of The Rensselaer County · Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds in open areas....
Summer Weather Safety and Survival While thunderstorms usually get the most atten-
tion when it comes to dangerous weather in our
area, summertime heat and humidity are also
threats that we need to be aware of. Your Nation-
al Weather Service wants you to know about the
dangers of excessive heat and humidity, and
things you can do to stay safe. As with any
hazardous weather safety plan, the first step is
staying informed. Pay attention to forecasts and
statements from your local National Weather
Service Forecast Office, and information from
local agencies. Here are the top 3 dangers:
The Dangers of Heat and Humidity Because men sweat more than women, men are
more susceptible to heat illness because they
become more quickly dehydrated.
Lightning Safety Rules Avoid contact with corded phones and devices
including those plugged into electric for recharg-
ing. Wireless phones not connected are OK.
Unplug appliances and turn off air conditioners.
Avoid contact with plumbing.
Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porch-
es.
Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against
concrete walls.
Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree
in an open area.
Avoid hilltops, open fields, beach or a boat on the wa-
ter.
Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds
in open areas.
Avoid contact with anything metal.
If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and
park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency
flashers.
Beat the Heat, Check The Back Seat! The temperature inside a vehicle can rise 50 degrees
in an hour- even when outside air temperatures are in
the 70's. This can cause heat stroke in only minutes,
particularly in children and pets, whose body tempera-
tures warm at a rate 3 - 5x times faster than an adult
and "cracking the windows" provides little, if any, relief.
Learn more at www.weather.gov/oun/safety-summer-heathumidity
A Note from Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin Summer is here, and a great time
to showcase the beauty and the
attractions of Rensselaer County.
Summer is also a time for safety
and increased attention to the
health, safety and comfort of you
and your loved ones.
In this publication, you will find
helpful information on staying
safe when enjoying the outdoors
and the water, and during chal-
lenging summer weather, includ-
ing the heat and lightning. A re-
cent stint of temperatures ap-
proaching triple digits showed
how summer can put some of our
residents and pets at risk.
This guide also includes helpful
tips on healthy and safe prepa-
ration of food on outdoor grills,
and ideas on beating back bugs
and insects during the warm
months. Ideas on caring for
your pets are included, as are
tips on disaster preparedness.
For the little ones, there are
ideas on ensuring safe sleep for
babies.
Thanks go out to our Health
Department and the depart-
ment’s Preparedness Division
for their work to ensure the
safety and quality of life of our
residents.
Thanks also to our team at
Health for putting together this
helpful guide to help all of us
enjoy summer safe and healthy.
Summer 2018
The Rensselaer County Preparedness Initiative
NY Alert New Version Launch
A new & improved NY-Alert program
became available June 2018. It’s
FREE & users can customize alerts,
including:
Missing person alerts, including
Amber alerts
Traffic alerts, highway closures,
Haz-Mat spills
Severe weather warnings, watch-
es and marine surf advisories
To sign up or for a seamless transi-
tion go to www.nyalert.gov
Inside this issue:
Prep those Pets! 2
EPA’s Guide: Find the Repellent
that is Right for You
2
Proper Picnic Prep for Thrilling
Grilling
3
New App: USDA 'FoodKeeper'
App: A Tool for Smart Food Safety
3
Community Member Spotlight:
Safe Sleep for Your Baby
4
Disaster Safety for People with
Disabilities
4
In Rensselaer County and
across the United States, peo-
ple with pets and companion
animals are encouraged to be
ready for emergencies and dis-
asters. Summer brings unpre-
dictable weather and scary fireworks - so make sure that
pets have an emergency plan,
an emergency kit, and a Go-
Bag, just like families.
One of the worst things first
responders see during an emer-
gency is people who leave their
pets behind in their homes, and
the only thing worse is people
who won’t leave their homes
during an emergency because
they won’t leave their pets be-
hind. That can be dangerous
for everyone - homeowners,
pets and rescue workers.
There are some simple things to do so that you and your pets are ready for emer-
gencies:
Make sure your pet has an
identification tag on its
collar
Microchip your pets
Have copies handy of medi-
cal and immunization rec-
ords
Know which local hotels
will take pets in case you
have to relocate for a time
Make a temporary care plan for a
pet with relatives, friends or neigh-
bors. Offer to do the same for them
Have laminated photos of you with
your pets. Leave your contact info on
back of the photos
Assemble a pet emergency kit that
includes the following items:
Food, including any special food if
your pet has unusual dietary require-
ments
Collapsible bowls for food and water
Pet medications
Crate, carrier or cage
Sturdy leash/harness for your pet
Blankets and bedding
Toys and other comfort items
Litterbox, litter and scoop
Laminated copies of vaccinations
Trash bags, paper towels & other
cleanup supplies
Written care & feeding instructions
More information about pet prepared-
ness and pet kits is available at
www.ready.gov/pets
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has created a very
useful on-line search tool to help
you figure out just what repellent
to use by brand name, not just
the repellant ingredient.
You specify:
mosquitoes, ticks or both;
protection time; (based on ac-
tivity and amount of time you
need protection)
active ingredient; or
other product-specific infor-
mation.
Consider these factors when
choosing a repellent:
Do you need protection from
mosquitoes, ticks or both?
How long will you be exposed to
them?
Be sure to use a product with a
protection time that fits your
activity. Google search: “Finding a
repellent that is right for you”
Or go to: https://www.epa.gov/
insect-repellents/find-repellent-
right-you#search tool
Prep those Pets!
Find the Repellent that is Right for You
Your pets can't make
their own plans for severe
weather but you can.
Include your pet in your
emergency preparedness
plans. Learn how to
plan ahead at
www.ready.gov/animals
#PetPreparedness
Page 2 The Rensselaer County Preparedness Initiative
Working in the backyard? Camping this weekend? Going on
vacation? Warding off ticks, mosquitoes or both? Choosing the
right repellant can be so confusing. This handy interactive data
base by the EPA not only helps you choose the right repellant
but also what brand name you’ll find it by.
Tips For Safe Trips
“Summerize” your vehicle! Be
sure tires have enough tread and
are inflated properly. Check
coolant and other fluid levels,
especially before a long trip.
Have a mechanic check engine
belts, hose and clamps. Keep an
emergency Go Bag with water,
cash, emergency numbers (in
case you loose your phone) bug
repellant and sunscreen in your
car at all times.
Food safety begins with proper hand cleaning —
including in outdoor settings. Before you begin set-
ting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and
surfaces are clean.
Outdoor Hand Cleaning: If you don’t have access to
running water, use a water jug, some soap, and
paper towels. Or, consider using moist disposable
towelettes for cleaning your hands.
Utensils and Serving Dishes: Take care to keep all
utensils and platters clean when preparing food.
Follow Safe Grilling Tips
Grilling and picnicking often go hand-in-hand. And
just as with cooking indoors, there are important
guidelines that should be followed to ensure that
your grilled food reaches the table safely.
Marinate safely. Marinate foods in the refrigera-
tor — never on the kitchen counter or outdoors. In
addition, if you plan to use some of the marinade
as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion
separately before adding the raw meat, poultry, or
seafood. Don’t reuse marinade.
Cook immediately after “partial cooking.” Partial cooking before grilling is only safe when the
partially cooked food can go on the hot grill imme-
diately, for example at a home with a grill on the
patio or deck.
Cook food thoroughly. When it’s time to cook
the food, have your food thermometer ready. Al-
ways use it to be sure your food is cooked thor-
oughly. (See Safe Food Temperature Chart)
Keep “ready” food hot. Grilled food can be kept
hot until served by moving it to the side of the grill
rack, just away from the coals. This keeps it hot but
prevents overcooking.
Don’t reuse platters or utensils. Using the
same platter or utensils that previously held raw
meat, poultry, or seafood allows bacteria from the
raw food’s juices to spread to the cooked food.
Instead, have a clean platter and utensils ready at
grill-side to serve your food.
Check for foreign objects in food. If you clean
your grill using a bristle brush, check to make sure
that no detached bristles have made their way into
grilled food.
Prevent “Cross-Contamination” When Serving Never reuse a plate or utensils that previously held
raw meat, poultry, or seafood for serving — unless
they’ve been washed first in hot, soapy water. Oth-
erwise, you can spread bacteria from the raw juic-
es to your cooked or ready-to-eat food. This is par-
ticularly important to remember when serving
cooked foods from the grill.
How
many times have you gone into your pantry or
refrigerator, only to find that what you were go-
ing to use in your meal was spoiled? The USDA,
Cornell University and the Food Marketing Insti-
tute would like to help you avoid that problem in
the future with our new application, the Food-
Keeper.
Our new application will help you understand how
different storing methods affect a product’s shelf
life. This should help you maximize the storage life
of foods and beverages in your home. In addition,
the application can remind you to use items be-
fore they are likely to spoil.
This is a great resource for food preparation and
storage. The Internet is full of varying opinions on
the temperature of pork or how long an egg dish
can be refrigerated. This app is a great resource
to find the answers to those questions from the
experts, the USDA.
Proper Picnic Prep for Thrilling Grilling
Keep your food safe: from the refrigerator/freezer — all the way to the picnic table!
July is the peak month
for grill fires (17%),
including both structure,
outdoor or unclassified
fires, followed by May
(14%), June (14%) and
August (13%) ~ nfpa.org
Page 3
Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm
Get recall notifications specifically for
items that you have recently viewed.
These notifications will be sent to you
shortly after a recall notification is
published. Storage times listed are
intended as useful guidelines and are
not hard-and-fast rules. Some foods
may deteriorate more quickly while
others may last longer than the times
suggested. The app is available for
Android and Apple devices.
USDA 'FoodKeeper' App: A Tool for Smart Food Safety
Rensselaer County Early Intervention wants you to know…
team that can help you prepare for
a disaster. They can help you iden-
tify and get the resources you
need to cope effectively. Network
members can also assist you after
a disaster.
Make an emergency plan by com-
pleting a personal assessment.
Share your answers with your net-
work, and base your plan on your
lowest anticipated level of func-
tioning.
Water: What will you do if water
service is cut off for several days
or if you are unable to heat water?
Electricity-Dependent Equipment: How
will you continue to use equipment
that runs on electricity, such as
dialysis, electrical lifts, etc.? Do
you have a back-up?
Disaster Debris: How will you cope
with the debris in your home or
along your planned exit route fol-
lowing the disaster?
Errands: If your caregiver cannot
reach you when roads are blocked
Create an emergency plan that
addresses your needs
Rensselaer County wants you to “Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Stay In-
formed” during an emergency.
Mobility, hearing, cognitive, or
seeing disabilities can create
specific needs that individuals
must address in order to be able
to respond to emergencies
successfully.
Also, people with new disabili-
ties and their caregivers, may
benefit from the following tips:
Create a personal support network
A personal support network– a
or the disaster has affected
them as well? Will you need help
to get groceries, medications
and supplies?
Building Evacuation: Will you be
able to evacuate independently
without relying on auditory cues
that may be absent if the elec-
tricity is off or alarms are sound-
ing?
Service Animals/Pets: Do you have
the proper licenses for your ser-
vice animal so you will be per-
mitted to keep it with you in a
emergency public shelter?
Meet with Your Family/Personal
Care Attendants/Building Manager:
Review the information you gath-
ered about community hazards
and emergency plans.
Escape Routes and Drills: Be sure
to include family and/or your
caregiver in the drills.
Prepare for Different Hazards: Most
people shelter in a basement
when there is a severe weather
Disaster Safety for People with Disabilities warning, but most basements are
not wheelchair-accessible. Plan in
advance what your shelter will be
and how you will get there.
Don’t Forget a Back-Up Plan
If you use an electric wheelchair
or scooter, have a manual wheel-
chair for back-up
Label equipment & attach lami-
nated instructions for use.
Arrange for more than one person
from your personal support net-
work to check on you in an emer-
gency, and at least one more for
back-up
If you use a personal care at-
tendant obtained from an agency,
check to see if the agency has
special provisions for emergen-
cies
Keep the numbers you may need
to call with you in case 9-1-1 is
overloaded
Contact Jennifer for free brochures at
[email protected] or 518-270-2797
Preparedness Division
Ned Pattison Government Building
1600 Seventh Ave
2nd Floor
Troy, NY 12180
Rensselaer County Department of Health
Phone: 518-270-2797
Fax: 518-270-2638
E-mail: [email protected]
Any questions or suggestions please
send me an email! [email protected]
or give me a call at 518-270-2797.
Thank you,
Visit us at
www.rensco.com/publichealth.asp
Are You Ready, Rensselaer County?
Get a kit, Make a plan, Stay informed.
SAFE SLEEP
FOR YOUR BABY
Do put your baby to sleep on
their back.
Do put your baby in a crib
sleep for nap & bed time.
Do use a firm crib mattress
covered by a fitted sheet.
Do put baby’s crib in the
same room as your bed.
Do breastfeed your baby.
Do use a pacifier for sleep.
Do keep your baby’s
immunizations current.
Don’t put baby to sleep on
their side or stomach
Don’t use car seat, swing,
bouncy seat, stroller,
infant carrier or sling for
routine sleep.
Don’t use blankets, pillows, or
bumper pads in the crib.
Don’t sleep in same bed as baby
Don’t use sleep positioners
Don’t hang pacifier around
baby’s neck
Don’t smoke around your baby
Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS) is
the sudden,
unexplained death
of a baby younger
than 1 year of age
that doesn’t have a
known cause even
after a complete investigation. Most SIDS deaths occur when in babies
between 1 month and 4 months of age and the majority (90%) of SIDS
deaths occur before a baby reaches 6 months of age. However SIDS
deaths can occur anytime during a baby's first year. SIDS rates for the
United States have dropped steadily since 1994 in all racial and ethnic
groups, and thousands of
infant lives have been
saved by education
and outreach such
as the
Safe to Sleep campaigns.
For more information
contact Safe to Sleep
1-800-505-2742
http://safetosleep.
nichd.nih.gov
Co-authored by the American Red Cross and Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. Download “Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs”
“It’s up to us to be each others angels here on
earth and to look out for opportunities to help a
stranger. Remember you can be someone’s angel
today. Get to know your neighbors - you never
know who’s in line in front of you at the grocery
store or what’s been going on with them.”
~ Catherine Burns