Have you noticed that something seems to be going around Santa Cruz County? 2 of my neighbors are sick, at least 2 of our regular volunteers, and this very AM, I woke up with that particular sensation in the back of my throat that says, “You’re gonna wish you were in bed ALL DAY.”
There’s been some pretty big talk about the flu this year. So much so, that you’re probably reading this blog post and thinking, “Not AGAIN!”
Still, it’s always a good idea to follow a few simple rules to keep yourself healthy… and if you aren’t healthy, to keep others around you from picking up what you’re putting down (if you know what I mean). You can check out some tips here: Red Cross Flu Checklist (PDF).
Or, you can take the hint from an old Red Cross friend, Scrubby Bear. We still offer this program, but thankfully, since this video… there have been some updates.
Did you know there was a Tornado Warning in Orange County today? The storm passing through California has not only the ability to cause Mudslides and flooding, but may be powerful enough to produce a tornado…even in Santa Cruz County. Knowing what to do in a tornado can be the difference between life and death. So, because we care, here’s a quick cram on what to do during a tornado, in the unlikely event of a Watch or Warning here in Santa Cruz County.
Tornado Preparedness
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornado intensities are classified on the Fujita Scale with ratings between F0 (weakest) to F5 (strongest). They are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Although severe tornadoes are more common in the Plains States, tornadoes have been reported in every state.
Know the Difference
Tornado Watch
Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your emergency plans, and check supplies and your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching. Acting early helps to save lives!
Tornado Warning
A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Tornado warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property. Go immediately under ground to a basement, storm cellar or an interior room (closet, hallway or bathroom) and Duck and Cover (just like you would in an Earthquake).
What should I do to prepare for a tornado?
During any storm, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about watches and warnings.
Know your community’s warning system. Communities have different ways of warning residents about tornados, with many having sirens intended for outdoor warning purposes.
Pick a safe room in your home where household members and pets may gather during a tornado. This should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
Practice periodic tornado drills so that everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.
Consider having your safe room reinforced. Plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection can be found on the FEMA Web site athttp://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/rms/rmsp453.shtm.
Prepare for high winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.
Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
Watch for tornado danger signs:
Dark, often greenish clouds-a phenomenon caused by hail
Wall cloud-an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm
Cloud of debris
Large hail
Funnel cloud-a visible rotating extension of the cloud base
Roaring noise
What should I do if a tornado is threatening?
The safest place to be is an underground shelter, basement or safe room.
If no underground shelter or safe room is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative.
Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes or other severe winds.
Do not seek shelter in a hallway or bathroom of a mobile home.
If you have access to a sturdy shelter or a vehicle, abandon your mobile home immediately.
Go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter immediately, using your seat belt if driving.
Do not wait until you see the tornado.
If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter:
Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have the following options as a last resort:
Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible.
If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
Your choice should be driven by your specific circumstances.
What do I do after a tornado?
Continue listening to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions.
If you are away from home, return only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
Wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt and sturdy shoes when examining your walls, doors, staircases and windows for damage.
Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
Stay out of damaged buildings.
Use battery powered flashlights when examining buildings—do NOT use candles.
If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly and call the gas company or fire department.
Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance claims.
Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
Keep all of your animals under your direct control.
Clean up spilled medications, bleaches, gasoline or other flammable liquids that could become a fire hazard.
Check for injuries. If you are trained, provide first aid to persons in need until emergency responders arrive.
Back in my day (and place), every town had sponsored firework displays on the 4th of July. Not so in Santa Cruz County. Scotts Valley has a show which is a big hit for families – and it was canceled last year, so you can bet it will be packed with onlookers this year. But, lets be frank… there are those that aren’t down with the SV crowd. You know who you are… you’re going down to the beach, aren’t ya? Don’t lie. You picked up some fireworks on a trip to Montana or some such place, and you’re going to set those suckers off.
I know. I can hear your thoughts.
I suppose I don’t have to remind you that setting off fireworks is illegal here in Santa Cruz County… or that we’re in wildfire prone area… or that setting off fireworks can be really dangerous to your person. What I can do is give you some tips from my neck of the woods that can help keep you a bit safer. Of course, we recommend that you find an alternative to this dangerous and illegal activity, which takes a huge amount of resources away from our law enforcement and fire officials every year to contain. Check out this PDF from the Denver Red Cross chapter for more facts about the amazing amount of injuries that fireworks cause every year [PDF] (There are nearly 9,000 emergency room-treated injuries associated with fireworks a year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission).
You could have a bonfire… you can’t roast marshmallows on a firework!
Never:
Make your own fireworks.
Re-light an ineffective firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
Have any part of your body over fireworks.
Carry fireworks in your pocket.
Shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
Light fireworks indoors.
Never give fireworks to small children
Never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.
Always:
Have an adult present
Wear eye protection
Use earplugs if you have sensitive ears
Properly dispose of fireworks by soaking them in water and then depositing them in a trashcan.
always follow the instructions on the packaging.
Keep a supply of water close-by as a precaution.
Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection and is an adult.
Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight “a dud.”
Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
Leave any area immediately where untrained amateurs are using fireworks.
Stay at least 500 feet away from professional fireworks displays.
Just in case you didn’t get my drift the first time, here’s an article reinforcing firework laws in the County care of the Mid-County Post: http://www.mcpost.com/article.php?id=1998
I wasn’t here in 1989. In fact, I was 2200 miles away from here. I was also far too preoccupied with My Little Ponies to watch the national news or the World Series (I was 8). Hence, I didn’t even know that it had happened. But in October of 1989, this town that I’ve come to call home was shaken to its very core.
We’re working with our fellow area chapters including the Monterey-San Benito Chapter, Carmel Chapter, Silicon Valley Chapter, Sonoma & Mendocino Chapter, and the Bay Area Chapter (SF) to plan some preparedness activities for our region… but I personally feel behind the curve. While most people here remember the Loma Prieta Earthquake well, I have no recollection of it. So, as so many of us do nowadays, I’ve turned to the inter-tubes to help me.
If you happened to be playing with your G.I. Joes or My Little Ponies (respectively) and missed the Loma Prieta earthquake, and now you live on the Central Coast, maybe this video will convince you to prepare. I encourage you to check out other Loma Prieta videos on YouTube. Remember, the Loma Prieta Earthquake’s epicenter was in Santa Cruz County, despite the fact that the earthquake is sometimes referred to as the San Francisco Earthquake. The destructive force was felt far away… this particular news clip comes from a channel in Sacramento.
Remember that preparing personally for the next earthquake as well as encouraging your workplace and community centers to prepare can help keep you safe. If you need help putting a plan together, let us know (it’s free)!
I’m sure that the day will come when people look back on our primitive blogging and say, “I can’t believe people used to talk that way!” Of course, they’ll say it in a crazy futuristic language.
Anyway, I was looking for some information on water safety for summer, when the PDX chapter (Portland, OR) beat me to the punch again with their seemingly endless energy for Google searching. Here’s their latest find, a Learn to Swim article circa 1921 – I can’t believe people used to talk that way.
Did you know that this week is Wildfire Awareness Week? After a rainy start, its hard to imagine that we’re heading straight into another Wildfire season, and that CAL FIRE is already ramping up their training.
As we say with most potential emergencies, “Don’t be Scared – Be Prepared!” If you’re prepared, evacuating for a wildfire can be a little bit easier on you and your family. A little piece of mind can go a long way. Check out our Wildfire Preparedness Guide.
I caught a bit of the news yesterday afternoon, and a firefighter was talking about the importance of clearing a 30-50 foot safety zone around your home if you live in a fire prone area. He said that in most cases, if houses don’t have this clearance they are impossible to protect… so make sure you have a safe clearance! It can really make a difference.
Everyone at the Red Cross knows that the best way to keep your anxiety in check about emergencies is to be prepared for an emergency. And with all of the media-hype surrounding the outbreak of Swine Flu, you might need something to bring your nerves back to ground level. This morning, I actually saw a blog that said, “If there’s a Swine Flu case near you, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!”
Don’t do that. That’s lame. Just take the steps to be prepared and protect your family.
Here are some tips from the American Red Cross on preparing for an epidemic, should the Swine Flu spread. Local information can be found at the Santa Cruz County Public Health Website.
The Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are offering the following tips to ensure you stay healthy.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
This is a good reminder to prepare for life’s emergencies. The Red Cross recommends you take this opportunity to prepare your family for any disaster by getting a kit, making a plan and being informed. More information is available on the kits are available at your red cross chapter, or on this website.
Up to the minute updates on the swine flu can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. People seeking information on human swine flu should visit the CDC web site or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
When I was younger, I remember going to take the American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training class at the Baypark Square Mall in Green Bay. Oh, my gravy I can remember the day I got that certificate. I was the happiest girl in Happy Town.
Well, since I was 13, the Red Cross Babysitting class has changed somewhat – and like every new kid’s toy I wish I could have had back in the day- it is so much COOLER!
Our chapter’s Babysitter’s Training class now includes infant and child CPR in addition to rescue breathing and alleviating choking (the Heimlich maneuver). Plus kids get a first aid kit with the class, a book with a DVD including resume templates and emergency contact lists, a pocket version of the Babysitter’s training book to take with on the job, PLUS the super awesome certification card at the end – sure to impress friends and possible clients.
The skills gained from the course go way beyond CPR and First Aid. Kids will learn how to interview for the job, responsibility and safety skills, and basic care such as diapering and feeding. They even learn how to use a cloth diaper. What can we say? We’re teaching preparedness, here!
We’re scheduling at least two classes a month here at our chapter, you can check out www.sccredcross.org for dates and times. There is a link to the babysitting courses on the bottom left-hand side of the page. The babysitting course is for 11-15 year olds Only!
Please help us honor our local heroes! Each year the Santa Cruz County Chapter calls for the community to nominate their heroes for our Annual Heroes Breakfast Awards. We are currently accepting nominations (ONLINE! :D) and the deadline for nominations is April 10. Please share your hero’s story with us (capes and masks are, as always, optional)!
Categories Include:
Animal Rescue
Education
Good Samaritan
Law Enforcement
Lifetime Achievement
Medical Professional
Military
Rescue Professional
Workplace
Youth (under 21) Criteria for Nominations:
Nominees must live or work in Santa Cruz County
The heroic act does not need to have occurred in Santa Cruz County
The heroic act must have occurred after January 1, 2007
If you have submitted a nomination form within the last two years and your hero has not been ed to receive an award, he or she is still eligible. Please re-submit your nomination for consideration.
To get you in the mood to nominate a hero, I have totally and without remorse stolen the following ad from the Greater Chicago Chapter. Oh, how I love their sense of humor. Also, before I came to Santa Cruz I worked at the RC Chapter directly to their north… so i feel as if they should let me use this ad (Remember, visit www.sccredcross.org to nominate your hero).
This kitty has it half right.
American Red Cross of Santa Cruz County 