It’s Fire Prevention Week!

In 1922, Fire Prevention Week was established in honor of the Great Chicago Fire that occurred in 1871. During the Chicago fire, hundreds of people died and over 17,000 structures were damaged. After this horrific fire, the Fire Marshals Association decided that the anniversary of the Chicago fire would be a time to remind the public about fire safety and fire prevention.

According to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. Fire prevention and safety is extremely important. Since cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, this year’s theme is focusing on preventing kitchen fires.

Here are a few ways to keep your home safe from fires:

·         Create a home fire escape plan. Here is a link to help you plan one: http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/Safety%20information/Public%20educators/Community%20tool%20kits/Escape%20planning/how_to_make_a_home_fire_escape_plan.pdf

·         Make sure there are smoke alarms in each room of your home. Check the batteries to make sure the alarm works and is properly installed.

·         Make sure you are being safe when cooking. Check out this link for a cooking safety checklist: http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/Safety%20information/Public%20educators/Community%20tool%20kits/cooking%20kit/cooking_safety_checklist.pdf

·         Never leave candles lit when you are not home.

·         Looking to help teach kids about fire safety? Check out Sparky’s website: http://www.sparky.org/

Remember if a fire is out of control; please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.

National Preparedness Month: A Good Time to Prepare Your Family

This month is National Preparedness Month which means it is a great time to make sure you and your loved ones are prepared if a disaster ever strikes your area. You can never be too prepared for an emergency, which is why following these key tips and tools will help make sure you are prepared as possible.

Some disasters that could strike your area include hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, or even a house fire in your home. A disaster plan can ensure you are ready if you and your family ever have to deal with one of these emergencies. A plan should include the following:

§  A meeting place right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire or gas leak

§  A location outside the home where family members can meet if you are unable to get to your home

§  A contact such as a family member or close friend that lives outside of the area that can help connect

The Red Cross provides a planning sheet that you can easily download and print off: http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m12140360_ARC_Family_Disaster_Plan_Template_r083012.pdf?campmedium=internal_link_download&campname=family_disaster_plan_english

It is a good idea to hold a family meeting and discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies. Each member should have a duty assigned to them so that everyone can work together when stress can usually be high due to an emergency occurring. Plan out an evacuation plan from the home and keep all important documents in one location. The documents should be secured in a safe box that is fire proof. Have a plan in place for your pets as well.

The Red Cross also has a great site set up to let your family know you are safe in the event of an emergency. Visit this site for more info: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

Remember, if you find yourself in an emergency; please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.  

September is Baby Safety Month

With summer coming to an end, now is a great time to focus on protecting babies and their health. Baby Safety Month was created as a month-long education campaign that focuses on increasing consumer awareness of safety issues regarding baby products and how to correctly use baby products to protect children from harm.

There are many ways you can keep your baby safe, but one important focus is on a baby’s sleep and making sure they are safely secure. Here are some great tips for a safe sleep environment for your baby:

Ø  When putting a baby down for a nap, always make sure to put your baby on its back.

Ø  Make sure the mattress the baby is sleeping on is firm and that the sheet is fitted so they don’t get tangled up in the sheet.

Ø  Remove soft objects like stuffed animals or blankets from the crib.

Ø  When you put a baby down to sleep, make sure they are in a onesie or sleep sack for warmth. A blanket is not needed and can cause more of a hazard to their sleep.

Ø  The room temperature for a baby should be between 68 and 72 degrees. You do not want your baby to overheat.

Ø  When your baby is sleeping, make sure to check on him or her frequently.

Ø  Always make sure the products you use around the baby or put on or in their crib meet federal safety measures.

If you make sure to follow these simple tips, your baby will have a much safer sleep environment. Another key area to focus on in protecting your baby is making sure you follow car seat safety guidelines. Here are a few tips to make sure you are providing the best safety for your child while in the car:

Ø  For the best protection, make sure you utilize a car seat that is rear-facing. (The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest utilizing a rear-facing car seat until at least two years of age.)

Ø  Make sure to read the manual for installing the baby car seat and follow it step for step to ensure the utmost safety for your baby.

Ø  To make sure you have installed the car seat correctly, you can make an appointment to have it checked out. Visit www.seatcheck.com or www.nhtsa.dot.gov for more info.

Keeping a baby safe is important. For more tips on baby safety, visit these websites:

http://jpma.org/content/parents/baby-safety-month

http://www.babycenter.com/baby-childproofing

http://www.safekids.org/

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!