Practice a Safe Holiday Season

It’s a time for giving, for remembering, and for being grateful for all your blessings as you gather round with loved ones. It can also be a time when predators prey on the unsuspecting. Compiled below is a list of safety concerns that will help you get through the holidays a little more safely.

Holiday Shopping Safety

·         Keep all doors locked and windows closed when you are away from your vehicle. This will help prevent thieves from easy access to your valuables.

·         Never leave your car unoccupied while it is running. (And as a reminder, don’t leave children unattended in the car either for their safety too)

·         When leaving your vehicle, make sure all valuables are out of sight. If you must leave something in your car, put it in the trunk where it is out of sight.

·         Always stay alert when walking to and from your car in parking lots and garages. Thieves will prey on those that are least expecting it or aware of it.

Fire Safety

·         Keep candles, matches and lighters out of reach of children.

·         Never leave burning candles unattended. Better yet, use battery-operated candles instead!

·         Do not burn candles near flammable items, especially near Christmas trees.

·         Check and clean the chimney at least once a year. That way when you use it for burning wood, the chimney will work properly.  

·         Do not overload electrical outlets as this can cause fires. Only plug in one high-wattage appliance into each outlet at a time.

Tree Safety

·         Decorate the tree with kids in mind; move ornaments that are breakable or have metal hooks toward the top of the tree.

·         Always use a proper step ladder when putting decorations up high.

·         When putting up lights, make sure there are no exposed wires, loose connections or broken sockets.

·         If you have a real tree, keep it fresh by watering it daily. Dry trees are a fire hazard.

·         Turn off all lights and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.

Poison Safety

·         Decorating the home with festive plants around this time of year is very popular. But some of these plants have berries that can be poisonous if enough are ingested. The most common are mistletoe berries, holly berries, poinsettias, and Jerusalem cherry. Please keep these out of reach of children.

·         Did you know if you swallowed a button battery, it could potentially explode in your stomach? If swallowed and undetected, the batteries can do serious damage to the gastrointestinal system. Keep these batteries out of reach of children. And if a child does ingest it, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate help. 

·         Food poisoning can be the pits! Check out the www.foodsafety.gov website for holiday food safety tips.

Travel Safety

·         Make sure all your doors and windows are locked in the home before leaving.

·         If you have an alarm, make sure to turn it on while you are out of town.

·         Have a neighbor or family member watch your house, pick up your mail and even park in your driveway periodically, if possible.

·         Leave a radio or television on so the house sounds occupied.

·         Make sure expensive items or gifts in your home are not visible through windows or doors.

·         If you have a Christmas tree, make sure it is placed in water or wet sand to keep it fresh.

·         Always remember to wear your seat-belt and practice cautious driving, especially if road conditions are bad.

·         Never drink and drive.

·         If you are involved in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1 for help.

·         For winter driving safety tips, please visit the National Safety Council link here.

Whether you travel this holiday season or stay at home, please have a safe and cheerful time. If you ever find yourself in an emergency, please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1 for help.

Have a Safe Thanksgiving Holiday

As we get closer to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones, we would like to remind everyone to practice safety first. It is also an excellent time of year to remind children what to do in case of an emergency. Check out some tips we have compiled for you to make your holiday a little safer and more prepared.

Traveling

Many families will be on the road traveling to visit friends and relatives for Thanksgiving. Please remember not to use your cell phone when you are driving. This includes no texting and driving either. Many cities have made it illegal to hold a hand-held device while driving. Keep yourself safe from a ticket and any dangers that come from not keeping your eyes on the road. It is best to always pull over if you need to talk or text on the phone. Distracted drivers and any harsh weather conditions can be a recipe for disaster. Remember to keep alert and dial 9-1-1 if you ever find yourself in an emergency. And always know your location. Install the FEMA app for Weather Alerts, safety tips, emergency checklists and more. Here is the link: FEMA APP

Cooking

People especially enjoy Thanksgiving because of all the wonderful food you get to eat and share with friends and family. When preparing any dishes, please remember to be smart and safe. Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning and while it’s normally not fatal, it is widespread. It is typically found in raw meats, poultry, eggs, milk, fish and their bi-products. Salmonella can only be destroyed by cooking food thoroughly and with temperatures above 140 degrees.

Food poisoning usually happens because of poor food handling practices. Symptoms can include fever, headache, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and vomiting. To keep bacteria from entering your body, wash hands, dishes, utensils, kitchen equipment and work surfaces before and after handling. If you think you might have been poisoned, please do not hesitate to contact poison control for help at 1-800-222-1222.

Another great tip is to replace batteries in your smoke detectors and ensure they are working properly in case of a fire emergency. You should also keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it. And if you are frying a turkey, please keep the fryer outside. This will eliminate the chance of anything catching fire.

Home Safety

Be smart if you plan to travel away from your home for the holidays. Do not post that you are going to be out of town on any social media sites. Secure all windows and doors so there is no easy entry into your home and set an alarm system if you have one. If you can, have a friend move your car occasionally while you are gone so it looks like someone is home. If you ever find yourself in an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1 for help.

Check out the tips below from the National Fire Academy on what ages are appropriate for helping out in the kitchen. 

October Marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is not only a time to celebrate Fall festivities, but also a time to ensure your cyber security is working well and keeping you safe from cyber criminals. No matter what type of technology you might use to access sensitive data, it’s important to know what tools you can use to help keep you safe.

First off, remember that while it is very important to have technology and programs that help assist in keeping your information secure, your information cannot stay secure without YOU. Attackers have found that the easiest way to get what they want is to target you instead of your computer or other devices. Thieves are after your credit card information, passwords to various websites you use, and sometimes, control of your computer. But how do they get a hold of this information? Simply by tricking you into giving it to them usually under a false sense of urgency. A good example is the cyber criminals would call you pretending to be tech support and claim that your computer is infected. In reality, they are just trying to gain access to your computer. They also might send an email pretending to be a co-worker who needs access to something on your computer and requesting for you to click on a link to confirm your information. This email is not really from a coworker and is deceiving you into visiting a malicious website that will then hack into your computer. Remember- the greatest defense against hackers will always be YOU.

Second, always make sure you have a very strong password that is different for every site you have log in credentials for.  Passwords that are eight characters or shorter are not very well protected and are vulnerable to cyber criminals. Always create a strong and unique passphrase for a password. For example, cow milk bananas apples. The longer the passphrase is, the more protected your personal information will be. When you have a lot of log on credentials to remember, you can utilize a password manager, which is a specialized program that securely stores all your passphrases in a format that is encrypted. It is also a great idea to set up a two step verification process. This usually means you will enter your password and then also enter a code sent to your smartphone or from an app that generates the code for you. This is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your private information.

Third, ensure that all your devices and programs are always running on the latest version of the software. Cyber criminals are always looking for loopholes and cracks of vulnerability in the systems you use. Then they use special programs to exploit these vulnerabilities. When companies come across these vulnerabilities, they fix them as quickly as possible in the form of updates, which is why it is so important to keep your programs and devices up-to-date. If you are able, it is best to set up automatic updates, so you do not have to worry about if you have the latest version or not. This includes smartphones, computers, inter-connected TVs, security cameras, baby monitors, gaming consoles and even your car.

Finally, no matter how careful you are, you can still potentially be hacked. If this happens to you, the only way to restore all your personal information is from backing it up. Ensure you make regular backups of all important information and confirm that you can restore your data from them. Many operating systems and mobile devices provide automatic backups to either external drives or to a cloud environment. Taking these important steps will help to secure your private information and protect your identity.

Check out these tips from the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect-toolkit 

Be Prepared, Not Scared for Disasters

It’s hurricane season and a great time of year to practice being prepared for an emergency or disaster in your area. September marks National Preparedness Month and the theme this year is “Be Prepared, Not Scared”. It’s important to have disaster preparedness plans in place whether you are at home, work or traveling when an event occurs. You never know what type of emergency could affect you. Follow these guidelines to help you and your loved ones be prepared for any situation and help give your family peace of mind with a plan in place.

Here’s the best steps to take to be prepared:

Be Informed: When it comes to being prepared for a disaster, there is no such thing as being too prepared. For example, this can involve making sure you have proper insurance coverage if you live in a potential flood area. Most homeowners’ and renters’ insurance do not cover flood damage which means you would need to obtain additional insurance to cover possible flooding. There are many other ways to plan financially for disasters and you can find out more information from clicking this link. Other ways to keep yourself informed include learning about potential hazards that may strike your community and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation when these events do occur. Awareness is truly the first key to being prepared. Want to know more? Visit https://www.ready.gov/be-informed to see an entire list of potential disasters and how to be prepared for each of these events.

Make an Emergency Plan: Put a plan in place with your family and loved ones simply over a conversation at dinner. You always want to be prepared for the “what ifs” so that when the emergency occurs, you feel more confident in contacting and locating your loved ones. Keep in mind how you will get in touch with each other to check in and know you are safe or if you need help. You also need to know where you plan on meeting to get back together when a disaster occurs. For more information on making a plan, visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

Build a Kit: Use building a kit as an opportunity to bond with your family and loved ones. Involve children in the process too so that they feel they are contributing to ways they can help their family in an emergency. Things to include in a supply kit include food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days which is why you want to have plenty of food and water to survive on. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. To find a complete checklist of the supplies your household may need in the event of an emergency, visit http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.

Get Involved: Now is a great time to get involved in your community’s preparedness initiatives. Did you know that Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) train volunteers to prepare for the types of disasters that their community may face? Find your local CERT: https://community.fema.gov/Register/Register_Search_Programs.

Cell Phone Sally wants to remind you that 9-1-1 is a valuable resource and way to get or find help in any emergency. And remember to never use 9-1-1 for fun as it can clog up the phone lines for real emergencies.

Back to School Safety Tips from Cell Phone Sally

Can you believe the summer is over and it is time to head back to school? As you start sending your children back to school, it is important to keep a few emergency safety tips in mind to help create a successful school year!

Here are a few back to school tips:

1.    Know Personal Info: Make sure your kids know your name, your phone number and their address. If they were to get lost or were in an emergency, knowing this information can help children get help quicker if they need it!

2.    Emergency Kit: Create a portable first aid/emergency kit for children to carry in their backpacks. That way, if something happens your children are prepared. Items could include: small flashlight, emergency whistle, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, Chapstick, a small snack, antibacterial hand cleaner, and wipes are just a few items you could include. Parents- also include an ID card for children to have on them. Here is a free one to fill out: https://momwithaprep.com/emergency-id-cards-free/ and it shares all ways that these come in handy.

3.    Traveling to/from school: Make sure you have a walking route to school or the bus stop. Walk the route with your children the first few times so they know which way to go. And if they are too young to walk alone, then make sure to walk with them or have a friend/classmate walk with them and stay on sidewalks if possible. Make sure your child knows to never talk to strangers and to obey all traffic signs.

4.    Have a Family Password: Make sure your family has a secret password that only the family knows. Parents- only share this special password with trusted family and friends who might pick your child up. This way if a stranger approaches your child for a ride or anything, your child should ask the person for the password and if they do not know it, then the child knows it is a bad person. Read more about why family passwords are important here: https://momwithaprep.com/do-you-have-a-family-password/

5.    Escape Plans: Schools have protocols on how to get kids out of the school in an emergency, but it is still good to talk to your children about when they are allowed to walk away and go home or call to get a ride home from you or a trusted adult. Parents or guardians, ask the teacher or administrative staff for a copy of their plan.

6.    Communicate with Your Children: Ask them how their day was and make sure to keep the lines of communication open in case something bad happens at school. This way your child will be more comfortable talking about issues that could be dangerous to them or others.

For additional tips on back to school smarts visit this website link. You can learn more about healthy snacks, bus stop safety, bullying, and food allergies, to name a few. Remember, if you or a loved one finds themselves in an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1. We are here to help and wish all children a great 2020-2021 school year!

NPEF 2019 Conference Wrap Up

It was an exciting time July 14^th through the 17^th in Virginia Beach, Virginia as 125 9-1-1 and emergency service educators from 23 different states came together to learn and participate in the 9^th Annual National Public Safety Educator Forum Conference. The theme for this year’s conference had to do with water and ocean life since the conference was so close to the beach and conference staff had a lot of fun decorating the room prior to the conference beginning.

The conference kicked off on a Sunday afternoon and hit the ground running with all attendees being separated into groups of 10-12 people. Within these groups the attendees had to complete two projects. The first project was “Think Outside the Box” with NPEF committee member Susan Rodriguez challenging conference goers to come up with all the ins and outs of planning an event from budget, to analytics, to information to share and how many people would be expected at the event and more. The other project came from NPEF committee member Melinda Crockom who led groups in helping them coming up with a Public Service Announcement in a jingle format on different 9-1-1 topics such as text-to-911, Kari’s Law, Know You Location and Lock it in Your Pocket. All projects and PSAs were a big hit when shared at the end of the conference.

One attendee shared, “Great job to the Conference Staff. We have sent our staff to this event for 4 years now, and I have been lucky enough to attend twice” She went on to state “I think this is one of the best National Conferences that I have ever attended. You all put a lot of time and work in to these and it shows. Every single person that I have spoken with about the conference agrees that this is one of the most beloved conferences.”

The conference was jam-packed with some great speakers, including keynote speaker Ron Rosenberg, who spoke about doubling your memory and the secrets of marketing. Other speakers covered topics on collaborating with other entities, social media tips, and design principles, to name a few.

A conference attendee shared, “The speakers were well rounded, and each had a different topic. 911 Education was a hit from multiple angles, and I was able to take a lot back home!”

To see testimonials or PSAs from this year’s conference, please visit the NPEF YouTube page. Next year will be even more exciting as we embark on our 10^th Annual Conference which will take place in Austin, Texas in July 2020. You won’t want to miss this one! For more information on NPEF or to become a member for FREE, visit www.911npef.org.

Learn Safety Tips During National Safety Month

June serves as National Safety Month and provides for an opportunity to become better educated on a multitude of safety topics that can help protect you and your loved ones for various safety issues. Did you know that injuries are the third highest amount of unintentional deaths in the United States? And even more alarming, the number one killer of unintentional death is overdoses from prescription medications- specifically opioid misuse. In this blog we will tackle a few important safety tips in honor of National Safety Month. It is our hope that this blog provides useful information that helps keep you safe starting now!

Work-Related Injuries

Work safety is of the utmost importance for not only your health, but also for businesses. Because of workplace injuries, businesses incur costs in wage and productivity, medical expenses, administrative expenses, and more. As most might guess, the industry that deals with the most preventable injuries is construction, with transportation coming in second and warehousing taking the third spot. Top work-related injuries include overexertion, contact with objects or equipment, and of course slips, trips and falls.

What can you do to help ensure less injuries happen on the job? The most important thing is making sure you have a well-trained workplace. At least once a year, employees should participate in compliance training that includes safety and well being of employees. Here are some great topics to make sure employees are trained on:

·         Emergency Preparedness

·         Specialized Training for Particular Jobs

·         Slip, Trip and Fall Training

·         First Aid Training (this includes CPR and AED training)

·         OSHA Courses

 

Motor-Vehicle Injuries

Distracted driving has become a major concern in recent years, with cell phones being the main distraction causing accidents and injuries even with many states making hands-free cell phone use laws. A distracted brain makes for a distracted driver. The little thing can cause unexpected situations which is why it is so important that when driving you are not only being present but paying attention to all your surroundings too. More than 90 percent of car crashes involve human error, so focus on the roads, put your phones away and practice safety first!

The other major cause of death in motor-vehicles is children dying in hot car deaths. On average, 38 children die a year from heatstroke after being left alone in a hot car. If takes a mere few minutes for a car sitting in the hot sun to heat up and make the inside of a car extremely suffocating. For additional information on heat strokes, visit www.noheatstroke.org.  

Poison-Related Injuries

Sadly, drug poisoning is now the number one cause of unintentional deaths with a staggering 100 people dying daily from opioids alone. Roughly seventy percent of people who have taken prescription painkillers have received them from a friend or family member, but did you know that sharing opiate prescription medication is a felony?

Poison centers receive more than two million calls each year from citizens seeking medical help regarding poisons, including opiates. Some of the other most common calls include carbon monoxide, button batteries, and laundry detergent pods. Read or get more information on poison control and how you can ensure your home is prevented from poisons by visiting www.poisoncontrol.org. If you find yourself in a poison emergency call 1-800-222-1222 for help. 

Home-Related Injuries

Injuries can happen anywhere, and the most common place can be in our very own homes or even on vacation. Whether it be a poisoning, a fall, a drowning, a fire, or an environmental incident, it is important to practice awareness in order to keep you and your family safe. This means picking up items, so you do not fall on them. Or going through your medicine cabinet regularly to clean out and get rid of expired medications.

Remember, if we slow down and take the time to practice safety first, we will do ourselves and others a huge service. If you do ever find yourself in an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1. Call if you can, text if you can’t. 

Hurricane Preparedness Week: A Time to Raise Awareness

It is Hurricane Preparedness Week- a time to raise awareness regarding the dangers that come with hurricanes and a time to practice preparedness for natural disasters. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also issued a proclamation to help bring awareness to the destructive force that hurricanes bring to communities and businesses.

As many are aware from destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Texas coastline and the inland communities are at much more of a risk during the months of June through November. Hurricanes are incredibly powerful forces of nature that cause mass destruction and damage to homes, businesses and road structures. They also pose a threat to lives and property.

“At this time, I encourage all Texans to remain mindful of the dangers presented by hurricanes, to stay informed about current threats, and to take steps toward preparedness. Together, we are ready!” stated Governor Abbott.

What You Can Do to Be Prepared

Before hurricane season starts, now is the time to prepare yourself for potential disasters by first signing up for emergency alerts on you phone. Next, it is also important to build an emergency evacuation plan and an emergency kit. You can find great resources for creating a plan and building a kit at https://www.ready.gov/. There you will find links to how to be informed and how to plan ahead so your family can ensure safety when the time comes.

Other items that are important to investigate when it comes to be prepared is checking your insurance coverage, documenting your property and assets, and developing a plan to keep in touch with your loved ones. No one wants to go through the destruction a hurricane can cause, but if you can better prepare yourself for the massive destruction it can bring, you will ultimately provide more safety and security to you and your loved ones. If you ever find yourself in an emergency caused by a natural disaster and need help, please call 9-1-1. In some areas, you can also text 9-1-1 if you are unable to call.

May Marks Mental Health Awareness Month

We tend to be quick to go to the doctor if we have a cold or pain in our body. But when it comes to our mental health, many of us do not take care of it like we should. Remember- your health matters- including mental health! National Mental Health Month raises awareness about various mental health illnesses and related issues.

Luckily, as time evolves, so has the mindset of many and the stigma associated with mental health has gone down. There has been a wave of acceptance towards these issues and more support is being provided to those who suffer from them. Did you know 1 in 5 people will be affected by mental illness in this country?

The campaign shared this month is the Why Care? campaign. This provides for an opportunity to share the importance of taking care of our mental health. It is also a time to support those who live with a mental illness every day and a time to educate how many people are affected by mental illness from families, caregivers and loved ones. By caring about mental illness and working to get help for those with mental health issues, we have the power to make a life-changing impact.

WhyCare?

Care is a 4-letter word, but a powerful way to change lives for those dealing with mental health issues. People feel loved when someone cares. People also feel heard when someone cares. And people recover when someone cares. You can participate by sharing your personal stories on social media using the hashtag #WhyCare. You can also look for awareness events to participate in.

May 6^th marks National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day and is a day to focus on youth mental health. For more information on this please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/childrens-awareness-day. On that day you can also participate in a webcast on Suicide Prevention: Strategies That Work. The event will focus on how suicide impacts children, youth, adults, families, and communities.

Then on May 20^th you can view a webinar on Older Mental Health Awareness Day 2019 which focuses on the mental health and substance use of seniors.

Each year, more than 41,000 individuals die by suicide. It is important we take notice and care for the people in our lives. Check up on your friends and family. If you or a loved one is in crises or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If anyone is in any immediate danger, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1 for help.