Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter

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Source: CDC

Winter storms and cold temperatures can be hazardous. Stay safe and healthy by planning ahead.

girl with hat in mittens catching snowflakes
Photo: CDC

Prepare your home and cars. Prepare for power outages and outdoor activity. Check on older adults.

Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.

Take These Steps for Your Home

Many people prefer to remain indoors in the winter, but staying inside is no guarantee of safety. Take these steps to keep your home safe and warm during the winter months.

  • Winterize your home.
    • Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.
    • Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.
    • Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
  • Check your heating systems.
    • Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly, and ventilated to the outside.
    • Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys.
    • Install a smoke detector. Test batteries monthly and replace them twice a year.
    • Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available.
    • Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies.
      • Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check batteries when you change your clocks in the fall and spring.
      • Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

Read more…

Sticker Shock on Cost of Flood Insurance

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Published by The Day September 23. 2017 6:18PM | Updated September 24. 2017 7:15PM

By Martha Shanahan   Day staff writer

Owning a home in coastal Connecticut can be expensive.

So ever-increasing premiums for flood insurance through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program are making the policies a hard sell, despite more heavy storms hitting homeowners in areas at risk of flooding, according to data compiled by the Associated Press.

Connecticut is one of 43 states where the number of people paying for flood insurance has gone down in the last five years.

According to the Associated Press analysis, 6 percent fewer people have flood insurance policies in New London County this year than were insured in 2012, and the number of policies is down in all Connecticut counties but Middlesex County.

Diane Ifkovic, Connecticut’s flood insurance coordinator, said the drop in policies can be attributed to two pieces of legislation: the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014.

Read more…

Enhancing the Resilience of Seniors In Your Community

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Enhancing the Resilience of Seniors in Your Community 
Wednesday, October 18th, 2017 – 12:00 -1:15 PM EDT
1.25 AICP CM credits pending 

This webinar will focus on the safety and well-being of seniors within the context of climate change. Using a collaborative adaptation project in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a case study, the presentation will describe seniors’ unique vulnerability to climate change and will share specific recommendations to enhance their resilience. 

Additionally, the presentation will discuss the participatory process itself to illustrate an approach for engaging seniors and other vulnerable groups directly in adaptation planning. As part of the presentation, these issues will be considered through a municipal lens with an eye toward safeguarding seniors and other vulnerable groups within the context of city wide emergency preparedness efforts. Throughout, the presentation will balance site-specific insights with broadly applicable frameworks and will illustrate how considerations and techniques may be adapted to differing contexts.
 
Participants will leave the webinar with:
 
  • An understanding of the key factors contributing to seniors’ vulnerability;
  • Specific recommendations for enhancing seniors’ resilience;
  • A structured process for engaging seniors and other vulnerable groups in participatory adaptation planning;
  • An awareness of considerations when integrating efforts aimed at safeguarding seniors within the context of broader municipal emergency preparedness efforts;
  • Insight into how and why to develop municipality-university collaborations to protect seniors and other vulnerable groups.

Register here.

Guide to Emergency Preparedness

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By Katy Davis

guideDid you know that September is National Preparedness Month? The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health has issued the Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness, with tons of information so you can prepared during an emergency.

Also, The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness has come out in ten different languages! Those languages are English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Vietnamese. Inside the guide is a lot of useful information for any case of an emergency. There are different areas of emergencies such as natural disasters, pandemic flu, nuclear emergencies and even drinking water emergencies. There is also a chapter on what to do if you are in an emergency situation. The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness (in all ten languages) can be found at this link: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3115&q=482616

AHA CPR Classes at UConn Storrs Campus

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Sherry Gray
Sherry Gray providing effective infant rescue breaths

9/18 AHA CPR Classes This Semester – Register Now

UConn Rescue is hosting American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) classes this semester!  This is the standard CPR/AED course for many employers, especially those interested in the healthcare or public service fields. The class itself is approximately 4 hours long and involves a large amount of video instruction, and hands-on practice.  The course culminates in a written multiple choice test and practical skills testing to obtain certification.  It is strongly recommended that anyone interested should sign up for one of the course dates listed below at the following registration link.  The class costs $35 a person ($40 if credit card) and includes the training workbook, a one-way valve for training, and your certification card.

There are 9 courses with 18 seats each for this semester, first come, first serve.  The date/time once full will no longer appear on the registration form.

LINK TO FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/9omg33ZAk6rg6R503

NOTE: All courses are held in Benjamin Koons Hall, 1st floor.  Room varies and is announced prior to the class.

For more information please contact the UConn Rescue Training Coordinator, Justin Pedneault, at Justin.pedneault@uconn.edu.

For more information, contact: Justin Pedneault at justin.pedneault@uconn.edu

Flood Damaged Homes and Can They Be Saved?

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Washington Post Article: Flood Damaged Homes and Can They Be Saved
The Washington Post recently published the article, “How water damages a flooded house and which parts can be saved.” The authors talk about Hurricane Harvey’s receding water in Texas and Louisiana, and the damages to houses. However, water-logged houses can be saved. “If the house was already structurally compromised by decay, insects or poor construction then the flood could be considered the last straw,” said Claudette Hanks Reichel, Professor and Extension Housing Specialist at Louisiana State University’s Agricultural Center and Cooperative Extension Service and writer of disaster recovery material for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
Other flood recovery information is available on the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture website. It includes: Storm Damage Cleanup Highlights; Wet Floodproofing; Disaster Information, and FAQs – “After Gutting Your Flooded Home.” You might also check the “Experts Available to Speak about Flood-related Topics.”

National Preparedness Month

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ready logoSeptember is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit.

In the face of disaster, Americans come together with courage, compassion and unity and ask, “How can I help?”

There are many ways to Get Involved especially before a disaster occurs.  The whole community can participate in programs and activities to make their families, homes and communities safer from risks and threats.  Community leaders agree the formula for ensuring a safer homeland consists of volunteers, a trained and informed public and increased support of emergency response agencies during disasters. Major disasters can overwhelm first responder agencies, empowering individuals to lend support.

So Get Involved before disaster strikes! Learn more…

Hurricane Season in Connecticut

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Take the necessary steps to ensure you are prepared for any weather emergency

Preparing for  emergency weather can help keep you and your loved ones safe, organized and informed this hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicating an above-normal 2017 hurricane season.   In a recent press release Governor Malloy encouraged residents to “get (an emergency) kit, make a plan and stay informed.”  guide

 

What simple steps can you take today?

United Way of Connecticut 2-1-1 is a gateway to services related to emergency/disaster response and recovery as well as a statewide resource for emergency-related information collection and dissemination. 2-1-1 also maintains several eLibrary papers that can help you get prepared and stay informed including:How to Prepare and Safely Weather a Hurricane/Tornado, How to Prepare and Safely Weather a Flood, and Tropical Storm Information & Resources.

Call 2-1-1 or visit www.211ct.org for access to services and to stay informed during any extreme weather episode.

Source: United Way 2-1-1.

Emergency Preparedness Resources Collection

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logoThe National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine offer and Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management collection of resources. “Recent events have proven that even prepared communities can be overwhelmed in a state of state of emergency. This collection of reports provides guidelines and targeted resources for all stakeholders in a disaster response, including state and local governments, emergency medical services and health care centers. These reports also examine the improvement of emergency services in rural communities and recommends post-disaster public engagement practices.”

To browse the selection of free downloads, visit https://www.nap.edu/collection/35/emergency-preparedness-disaster-management.

Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training

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The Journal of Extension recently published an article on large animal emergency rescue training, and collaborations between Extension and industry.

Abstract
Rescuing large animals from emergency situations can be fraught with dangers not only to the animals but also to the rescuers. People involved at the scene of such an emergency are most likely to include first responders, horse owners, and veterinarians. These groups need to be aware of how they can best work together to effect a safe and efficient rescue as none typically has all the knowledge and skills that are necessary. Extension training programs that bring together such groups can be beneficial in supporting emergency and disaster preparedness in the local community.

Read more….