Back to School Preparations: Know Your Location

As students prepare to return for the new school year, now is a good time to remind them how important it is to always know your location. Many students carry cell phones now and can assume that when they call 9-1-1, the dispatcher will know their location and can send help immediately. Unfortunately, that is not the case and dispatchers need citizens to know where they are calling from in the event of an emergency. This way, they can dispatch help to the correct location.

Here are a few tips to remember when teaching your kids about knowing your location when calling 9-1-1:

·         Make sure they have their home address memorized. Even if they just learn the street name, it can help!

 

·         If your children are somewhere besides their own home, teach them how to look for identifying landmarks such as schools, stores, or office buildings that can help pinpoint their location.

·         Teach your children how to read street signs so they can tell 9-1-1 the names of cross streets where they are located. Tell them to be aware of their surroundings so they can explain if they are near a busy intersection or in a more secluded area. (Telling a 9-1-1 dispatcher a mile marker location helps too!)

Students will have a lot on their minds when they head back to school. But if you can help assist them in reminding them of these key tips to help in an event of an emergency, then it could end up saving their lives or someone else. It is extremely important to be aware of your surroundings and to stay alert. Let’s help keep our children safe and remember to Know Your Location. If you or someone you know is ever in an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.

 

Here is a great video created by Washington State on Knowing Your Location:

 

Public Education: Be Creative on a Budget

Many public educators have had to deal with budget cuts or constraints to their public education program recently, but that doesn’t mean public education efforts have to suffer. It just means public educators must work harder to be creative and focus on avenues that are cost-effective, reach the most amounts of people and create a positive impact on the community.

Even Cell Phone Sally has had to come up with her own ways to provide public education services to public educators and the public alike. Hopefully, by sharing some of our cost-saving measure ideas, it can give you thoughts or inspiration for how to maximize your very own public education program.

Activity Sheets

Through the www.csec.texas.gov website, Cell Phone Sally provides free activity sheets that anyone can use for their public education program. Not only is there 10 different activity sheets in English, but there are also 3 activity sheets in Spanish. Many of these activity sheets come from the Cell Phone Sally classroom kit. Why not download some of these today and use them for your classroom visits or conference booths. Kids love to color and learn at the same time so this is a great resource. Click here to find a list of all the available activity sheets: http://bit.ly/CPSactivitysheets.

PSAs

Public Service Announcements don’t have to cost a lot of money nor do they have to be created on a fancy video camera anymore. If you have an iPhone or Android phone, you could easily record a PSA on your phone and download it online and share with your community. CSEC recently partnered with the Student Television Network and had middle school and high school students create PSAs on 9-1-1 topics. Six of those PSAs have been posted on the Cell Phone Sally YouTube site. Feel free to share or just view for inspiration! More PSAs will be posted throughout the year, so come back regularly to check them out. Here is a link to the most recently posted PSAs: http://bit.ly/911PSASeries3

Cell Phone Sally Videos and Songs

Why not utilize videos and songs created by Cell Phone Sally for your public education program? CSEC recently made the CPS video 9-1-1: Getting Help is Easy available for free online in both Spanish and English. The Cell Phone Sally songs are also available in both English and Spanish. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/CPSVideo-Song.  Also, if you go to the CPS YouTube site, you can also find the videos there and embed them onto your own site. (https://www.youtube.com/user/CellPhoneSally911)

Social Media

Social media is the quickest and easiest way to get your public education message out to the public. Whether you choose to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, a blog site or Google+, there are multiple avenues for getting your message out and making a difference in 9-1-1 public education. Need some inspiration or ideas on what you can do with your social media sites? Check out links to Cell Phone Sally’s social media sites as well as the National Public Educator Forum social media sites.

Cell Phone Sally Social Media Site Links Found Here: http://bit.ly/CPSSocialMedia

NPEF Social Media Sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/911NPEF

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/911NPEF

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Public education is a vital part of making sure our society runs successfully. Why don’t you start making a difference today? For more information or any questions on 9-1-1 public education, please contact melinda.crockom@csec.texas.gov.

Recent Outbreak of Cyclosporiasis in the United States

There has been a recent outbreak of a cyclosporiasis infection in the United States that consumers should be aware of to protect their health. The Center for Disease Control currently knows of 466 cases reported throughout the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York (including New York City), Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Cyclosporiasis infections have been linked to pre-packaged salad mixes. While this infection has not caused any deaths, it has caused 27 hospitalizations.  The CDC says it is not yet clear whether all the cases in various states came from the same outbreak. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The time between becoming infected and becoming sick is usually one week. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue.  It should be noted that some individuals who become infected might not have any symptoms at all.

If the infection is not treated, symptoms could last anywhere from a few days to a month or more. It is also very common to feel tired. If you think you might have been infected with cyclosporiasis, please contact your physician for treatment. If you are infected, your physician will be able to treat the infection with antibiotics. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids if infected as well, because this will help flush out your system.

For more information on this outbreak, please visit the CDC website here: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/investigation-2013-qa.html. Remember to always take care of your health.

Catchy 9-1-1 Jingles Boost Public Education Outreach

Catchy 9-1-1 songs have shown in the past that they can make an impact on the public by helping them learn the proper use of 9-1-1 as well as making learning about 9-1-1 services fun. Kids love them and parents and educators enjoy sharing them. Songs are a great way to educate the public because who doesn’t love a fun catchy tune that gets stuck in your head and makes you want to move about? Some examples of previous 9-1-1 songs include Everyday Heroes by Dave Carroll and 9-1-1 Getting Help is Easy by Trish Murphy.

The Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) recently reached out to two different song writers/producers and provided them with a list of 9-1-1 topics. These 9-1-1 topics are issues that public educators in emergency services address everyday including pocket dials, texting to 9-1-1, knowing your location and when to call 9-1-1. Both song writers took these topics and each created their own songs. The only direction CSEC provided was the 9-1-1 topics and guidance on the type of song it be such as whether it was a reggae, jazzy or rock version.  

“This is the first time I was aware of how great the need to improve people’s understanding of the use of emergency communications, so once I caught the vision of that, the song seemed to come pretty naturally,” song-writer Barry Bynum said. “I have always held that music is a great vehicle for teaching and imparting wisdom.”  

Both songwriters were pumped and intrigued to provide CSEC with 9-1-1 tunes and the results were impressive, catchy and fun! After some public educators heard the end results of each song, they had the tunes stuck in their heads all day. This just goes to show how these songs can make an impact and can help teach children and adults alike the proper use of 9-1-1 services. Two music genres were created, one reggae  and the other an upbeat rock tone. They both can be utilized in classrooms, conferences and wherever public education is needed. They are great for posting on your public education websites too!

Below we have provided links to the 30 second versions of each song. Check them out and get inspired. You can easily create 9-1-1 songs too that can make an impact in your area. For more information on creating 9-1-1 songs, please contact Melinda Crockom at melinda.crockom@csec.texas.gov. Please share with us your favorite 9-1-1 jingle!

Click here to view the songs!

NPEF Conference in Austin a Huge Success!

For those of you who were lucky enough to attend the National Public Educator Forum Conference in Austin, Texas this past week, you know how beneficial it was for public educators across the country to take part in this conference. Not only did educators get the opportunity to network and share a plethora of ideas, but they were also able to see numerous sessions from keynote speakers that helped to encourage, invigorate and motivate them to go back home and make their public education programs great!

One of the best parts of the conference was when educators broke into groups and had to come up with a skit regarding issues 9-1-1 public educators have to address with the public. There were nine different groups who worked together over the conference to polish their skits and then presented them in front of everyone on the second to last day. The skits not only had everyone laughing, but all attendees were thoroughly impressed with the ideas conveyed on 9-1-1 issues such as pocket-dialing and knowing your location.

Another part of the conference that had everyone in stitches was when the conference attendees created their very own Harlem Shake video! We had some of the educators dress up as Cell Phone Sally, Kid Friendly Keith and Josh. We had others dressed in the cost-effective Cell Phone Sally sandwich costumes and we even brought out our very first 9-1-1 mascot called Super Telly! We incorporated all the costumes into the video and it turned out great. Check out the video below to see the public educators in action!

The NPEF conference was quite the success and many are already looking forward to next year’s conference near Chicago, Illinois! Below you can find a link to the flyer with more information.  Windy city bound, the only blues you will find is if you are unable to attend!

Remember, the NPEF group is here to help public educators work together to make their programs impactful and successful. For more information on NPEF or if you would like to become a member (it is free!), please visit their website at www.911npef.org.

Information on the NPEF 2014 Conference: http://www.911npef.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/NPEF_Conference_Flyer_2014.pdf

NPEF Conference Harlem Shake!

NPEF Conference in Action!

Cell Phone Sally Sandwich Costumes! "We do what we want!"

The Conference Share and Freebie Table

The NPEF Skit Winners! (Their skit addressed pocket-dials)

NPEF Conference Starts Sunday in Austin!

The National Public Educator Forum Conference, dedicated to public safety professionals, is coming to Austin, Texas this Sunday through Wednesday (July 21st-24^th). Over a 100 educators will join together from all over the United States and Mexico to share public education ideas, cost-effective measures and foster relationships within the public safety community.

This will be the third annual conference for NPEF, a group that has over 400 members and is FREE to join! (For more information on becoming a part of NPEF, please visit their website at www.911npef.org) Throughout the conference, attendees will learn invaluable information regarding the ever-evolving 9-1-1 industry as well as learn practical training with innovative ideas on making public education more successful and more efficient than ever.

One of the great things about this conference is that every attendee has the opportunity to attend every session, which means you don’t miss out on anything! With 15 sessions over a four-day period, educators learn hands-on training while meeting and working with other educators throughout the U.S. One thing you can distinguish in the public education industry is that educators learn more and make the best of their programs when they work together and share ideas.

Educators, administrators and others involved in the public safety industry will leave this conference feeling energized, motivated and reignited about their public education program. NPEF conference coordinators cannot wait to show attendees what they have in store for them this year! For more information on the conference sessions, please visit http://www.911npef.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Session_Schedule_2013.pdf. NPEF is on Facebook too so check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/911NPEF.

 

July Marks Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month

The popularity of herbal and dietary medications taken in the United States has increased in recent years due to consumers looking for way to maintain their health through other means than regular pharmaceutical products. The problem with these herbal medications also known as dietary supplements is that they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Not only are they not regulated before they are marketed to consumers, but they also have no consistencies on the dosage amounts. While pharmaceutical companies are held to standards where they are required to perform studies on effectiveness, dosage and safety, those who produce herbal supplements do not have these same requirements.

Popular supplements that consumers take regularly include vitamins, fish oil, ginseng, flaxseed and glucosamine, to name a few. While these supplements are generally safe, other supplements can be potentially harmful and can cause adverse reactions when mixed with other medications. Consumers can be thrown off by the idea of the product being natural, that they assume it is safe. But since these supplements are not regulated, the dosages can vary from batch to batch and differing brands. There could also be exposure to dangerous pesticides.

So remember, before taking any type of herbal or natural supplement; make sure to do your research! Locate dependable, well-known brands that have a reputation for providing healthy products. You can also discuss with your doctor any supplement you plan on taking especially if you are looking to add it to help treat a health condition or improve your wellness.

Do not hesitate to discuss any supplement use with your health care provider if you are:

·         Planning on replacing regular medication taken with a supplement

·         Taking any medication and plan on adding a supplement (you want to make sure they do not have bad interactions)

·         Planning on having surgery. Some supplements can increase bleeding or affect anesthesia

·         Pregnant or nursing a baby. Most supplements have not been tested on pregnant women and therefore it is not know whether these supplements are safe.

If you take a supplement and are having any unusual reactions or are not sure about a medication taken, please contact a poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If you are having life threatening reactions to a supplement taken, please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.