The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reminding everyone that September is National Preparedness Month. Throughout National Preparedness Month, which is sponsored by FEMA's Ready Campaign, FEMA is encouraging all Americans to visit Ready.gov  to learn how they can better prepare themselves and their families for the next emergency or disaster.

"Disaster can strike any time, anywhere.  By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that your family and your community are prepared before the next emergency arises," said FEMA's Acting Regional Administrator Doug Gore. "We urge everyone to take steps necessary to keep their family safe, which includes getting a kit, making a plan, being informed and getting involved."

National Preparedness Month focuses on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and helping Americans understand what it means to "Be Ready." National Preparedness Month coalition members have agreed to distribute emergency preparedness information and sponsor activities across the country that will promote emergency preparedness. Membership is open to all public and private sector organizations.

FEMA's Citizen Corps is also an important partner in this campaign. Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots strategy to bring together government and community leaders to involve citizens in all-hazards emergency preparedness and resilience.

Chasing4Life has been a pledging part of National Preparedness Month for several years.  We are presently on the road beginning a 4-state National Preparedness Month Tour featuring 36 preparedness events during September from Nebraska to Indiana.

To see a list of national, regional, tribal, state, local businesses and organizations that have pledged their support and joined the 2009 National Preparedness Month Coalition, please visit www.res. ady.gov/america/npm09/members.html.

Okay, the State Fair has moved to Grand Island, Nebraska which means it is easier for us to attend and we have a new claim to fame!  The State Fair can be exciting, but because of the new location, this year it seems like it is a bigger deal than ever before.

 

Since we try to cover safety and preparedness issues in this blog, maybe you are already wondering where I am going to go with all this…

 

A few weeks ago, one of my children strayed out of sight at the Kearney WalMart.  As we had walked in the door, there was an older gentleman that had been talking to him, telling him how cute he was and being “friendly”, so you can imagine everything that went through my mind when I turned around moments later and he was missing…

 

Let me praise Walmart for a minute here: after 3 minutes of frantic searching, I notified the lady by the paint counter and I have never seen anything so efficient in all my life.

 

That store went into immediate SEARCH MODE. Hats off to WalMart!  While one staff member stayed with me, calming me down, that store found my child in less than 1 minute!  (By the way, he had wandered away. He had not been abducted as I thought).

 

Okay, with that recent memory, I am thinking about the fair and all that could go wrong since I am taking my kids including the little wanderer…Here’s a couple of simple tips for you while attending the Fair this year:

 

Be realistic. Everyone goes to the fair for all kinds of "forbidden" foods and hours of fun, so recognize your limitations and the inevitable choices there for the taking. But also recognize there are things you and your family can do to stay in control, such as taking frequent breaks, eating a balanced and filling meal before you leave and getting a good night's sleep the night before.

Drink Water. Be sure to drink plenty of water before and during your visit. You can also take a cooler with you so water is readily available to prevent dehydration. Water can also help cut back on overeating.

Choose Wisely. With all of the food options available, choose your foods wisely. Foods such as grilled meats; corn on the cob and popcorn (with light or no butter); a cup of ice cream; and peanuts still allow you to enjoy the best of what the fair has to offer.

Dress Appropriately. Don't forget to dress for summer fitness and safety. Make sure everyone is wearing a hat, has generously applied sunscreen and is wearing comfortable walking shoes. For a nominal fee, power and manual wheelchairs are available for those in need of mobility assistance.

Practice Safety. Do your children have identification should they become separated? Remind your children about good and bad strangers - bad strangers do not always look scary. Make sure you have a meeting place in case you are separated or if the tornado sirens go off.

 

Empty your car. Don’t leave a lot of things in your vehicle just asking for trouble. Move valuables to the trunk or leave them at home. Prizes won at the fair should also be put in the trunk, or make sure you have a large trash bag in the car you can put them in to stop temptation.

 

Watch the weather.  It is Nebraska, you know, and now the Fair is out here where the weather gets fun fast!

 

Going to the State Fair should be fun, so please remember these tips to keep your family and friends healthy and safe.

 

Oh yeah, if you see my kid wandering around, please throw a rope around him and come find me.

An article I read recently said that an estimated 2.2 million children under the age of 14 are injured in school-related accidents each year.  Accidents while on the way to school, on the way home from school and while playing at school can be avoided much like other disasters; by simply making a plan.

 

With schools starting this week across Nebraska, now is the time to make those plans.

 

-Plan a walking route to school or to the bus stop. Make sure you have a direct route with the least amount of crossings your children will have to encounter.  If you are in a rural area, make sure weeds and plants are trimmed from the end of the driveway so your child will be more than visible while waiting for the bus.

 

-Walk the route with your children and make sure you teach them to stay away from areas where they will be alone and unprotected such as parks, vacant lots, etc.

 

-Set rules for accepting rides NOW. As my children get older, the number of rides available increases.  Make sure your children knows not to take rides from strangers and not to take rides from under age drivers you are not sure about.

 

-Teach your kids to obey traffic laws and rules.

 

-Don’t forget that bad weather can become a part of your child’s travel to school and teach them the severe weather safety rules.

 

-Make sure if your child is riding his/her bike to school that they wear a helmet!

 

-Be sure that your child knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies.

 

-Check the playground equipment at your child’s school. Look for hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces. Report any hazards to the school.

 

-Make sure you are familiar with the school’s disaster and safety plans.

 

 

Once again we have a very hot day to look forward to and for most of us, we are getting over yesterday. We’ve covered heat and safety a few times in this blog, but today seems like an appropriate time to revisit it once again.

With a heat index near 120 degrees possible in some places and storms forecasted for later today, we are all going to feel the pressure to get as much done as possible before later this afternoon but overworking and ignoring the heat can be a deadly choice. Revisit the recent blogs on how to keep yourself healthy in the heat!

It isn’t just about us though.  Many of us have pets and farm animals that we need to remember today. Yesterday I watched our animals panting and wandering from water bowl to water bowl which has inspired this morning's blog...we need to remember our four-legged friends today as well…


1. SHADE
Well placed shade can lower the air temperature anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees lower than in the direct sun.  All your animals need access to shade.  Place dog houses and portable chicken coops under large shady trees.  Make sure horses, cows, goats or any free-range animals have access to places with trees.  If you don’t have natural shade, a well placed portable canopy or even a tarp can help immensely.

2. Water
Animals should have open access to fresh water all day.  Water should be changed daily in high heat so it stays cool.  Consider adding some ice cubes to the dog bowl or the chicken water-er.  They will melt quickly but will keep the water cooler and make it more refreshing to your animals.  We sometimes place pans of ice chips out and our chickens will walk on them and lay in them.

Ponds, streams, sprinklers, kiddie pools, and misterhoses are also great, cooling, water options.  If you choose to provide a kiddie pool, change the water frequently as the pools can heat up fairly quickly.  Even better, place the pool in a shady area.
Mister-hoses are really affordable and use very little water and have a great cooling effect. 
Sprinklers are also an option.  Most animals however are not likely to walk through a sprinkler.  You may just use them briefly to cool down a shady spot and then turn on and off as needed.

3. Ventilation
Many people mistake structures such as chicken coops, dog houses and barns as “shady places” where animals can go to get cool.  This is only true if there is proper ventilation.  Consider investing in some fans for your animal structures.  Our horses enjoy the ceiling fan we installed in the stable!

Heat stroke is serious and potentially fatal in animals.  There are several signs of heat stroke:
- Panting
- Staring
- Anxious expression
- Refusal to obey commands (unless your dog is always like this like mine!)
-Warm, dry skin
-High fever
-Rapid heartbeat
-Vomiting
-Collapse

If your animals exhibit any of these signs it is important to start treating your animal immediately.  Move the animal to a cool area, hose it down or wrap it with cold wet towels and see a veterinarian immediately

Our tour has taken us to quite a few fair venues this year, and like most years, these events have had us meeting folks near an entry gate at the fair or expo.  This past week, the setting was a bit different as we were placed right next to the animal pens at a large 4H expo!  It was a great opportunity to meet the kids, distribute safety books and talk severe weather safety, but as we stood there on the grounds, I watched and wondered…how safe was this location?

Less than a week ago I watched a young man leave his 4H pen where he had been grooming a bucket calf.  He stopped at three other pens to briefly speak to other 4H'ers and pet their animals.  Arriving at the exit to the barn, he headed straight to the funnel cake booth. Grabbing his paper plate with his dirty hands he proceeded to the bleachers where he sat and ate. Of course as soon as he was done, he came to our display and extended his hand to introduce himself...

Summertime means camping, swimming and fairs, but along with those things cames safety issues and health issues we should not ignore.

Bringing the general public into direct contact with animals can result in the transmission of a host of pathogens that are public health hazards.  These hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and prions.  Certain segments of the population are more at-risk for contracting these pathogens:  the young, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with suppressed or compromised immune systems such as people infected with HIV/AIDS, cancer patients, and organ transplant recipients.

Public health officials have long recognized the need to maintain a sanitary environment in petting zoos and fairs, but outbreaks of E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter, and other zoonotic diseases among fair and petting zoo attendees have drawn increased public attention to the need for animal exhibitors to involve local health departments and sanitarians in planning to ensure a safe environment for exhibit attendees.

I was so impressed by the cleanliness of the last fair we were at, but there have been some that we attended that had me worried…

Even though I was pretty convinced that this fair we just attended had taken great measures to protect the public and exhibitors alike, I frequently washed my hands and made sure I knew where I was stepping, eating, hanging out.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) frequently addresses this danger.  In fact, in July 2007 CDC endorsed and published the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ report, “Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, 2007”.

Here were some of the recommendations from the report:

    * Wash hands after contact to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
    * Do not allow food, drink, or pacifiers in animal areas.
    * Include transition areas between animal areas and non-animal areas.
    * Educate visitors about disease risk and prevention procedures.
    * Properly care for and manage animals.

With the State Fair just around the corner and many more events yet to cram into the last remaining weeks of summer, remember to follow basic hygiene rules and stay aware of local and regional news concerning emerging problems and threats. Most of us never get sick of GOING to the fair and it would be a shame to get sick just because we went.