Flu preparation #3

Today's Assignment

Check your supply of over the counter flu medications for outdates. Discard and replace those that have expired. Among your personal preferences please remember to include:

1. ibuprofen or acetominophen ( Advil or Tylenol)
2. antidiarrheal ( Kaopectate or Immodium)

Ensure that you have at least a 2 week supply of these medications.

Pandemic Flu Planning #2

Today's Assignment

Check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home

Emergency Communications

Emergency Communications

In the event of emergency, information is broadcast on local television stations, KTAR 92.3 FM or KEC94, Phoenix VHF Frequency 162.550 for Emergency Alert System announcements

After a large scale disaster in our area, the existing communications systems may not be available either due to physical damage or system overload. Wires to telephones may be damaged and cellular phone towers and antennas may fail or lose power.

If your family is not together when disaster strikes, you need to have a plan in place to reunite your family. Consider preparing a contact card for each family member. Have family members keep these cards handy in a wallet, purse, backpack, etc. You may want to send one to school with each child to keep on file. Pick a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe.

Consider including the following items in your diaster kit or have them readily available:
1. whistle: if you are trapped, blowing the whistle can alert rescuers to your location.
2. radio: not just any radio - one designed for emergency situations and preferably, one manufactured to operate independently from electricity or batteries.
3. Hand-held walkie talkies with additional batteries These usually have a 2-5 mile communication area but, can be useful between family members if you must separate temporarily during the disaster.
4. cell phone: sometimes cell phone service remains intact during a disaster or emergency situation. Remember to keep your cell phones charged completely. Many emergency hand-crank radios available also have cell-phone charging abilities.
5. short-wave ham radios- this option requires purchasing special equipment and obtaining a license. For more information, visit www.hfradio.org.

For more information on communicating during emergencies, please call the FCC's Consumer Center toll-free at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322).

Pandemic Flu Planning

Next month officially begins flu season. Although we have not had a pandemic flu incident for nearly a century, most officials agree that it is not a matter of IF it will happen it is a matter of WHEN it will happen. Take steps NOW to prepare your family . If the pandemic flu does not happen this year, you will be at very least prepared if your family is victim to a nasty flu virus that confines you to your home for a few weeks.

Today's Assignment:

Assess your water supply storage. Ensure that you have AT LEAST a 2 week supply of water for your family. Purchase whatever storage containers will work best for your family and housing situation and fill them.

New Blog Feature

Check out our new feature on the side bar. Each week we will post a grocery item offered at one of our local grocery stores at a GREAT PRICE so that you can start building your 3 month supply.

Please be aware that the time for preparing is closing in on us. The financial crisis our country is entering is being compared to the great depression. YOU CAN NOT BE TOO PREPARED!!!

Today's Assignment

Stock up on this week's featured item ( see side bar)

Darn Mosquitos!

Did you know mosquitos are responsible for some pretty nasty diseases- the most prevelant in our area are:

St. Louis encephalitis (SLE)
Associated with mostly Culex species.
Incubation time in humans 5 – 15 days
Symptoms: Mild infections occur without apparent symptoms other than fever with headache. More severe infection is marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions (especially in infants) and spastic (but rarely flaccid) paralysis.Case fatality 3% to 30 % (especially in the aged).

West Nile virus (WNV)
Associated with: Culex species
Incubation time in humans 3-15 days
Symptoms: fever, headache, body aches, skin rash (occasionally), swollen lymph nodes (occasionally) More severe: stiff neck, disorientation, stupor, tremors/convulsions, muscle weakness or paralysis.

It is everyone's responsibility to help control the mosquito population in our neighborhoods and cities!

Today's Assignment

1. Change water in animal watering troughs, bird baths, pet watering dishes, etc.

2. Repair water leaks, sprinkler systems or coolers that cause water to pond.

3. Remove vegetation and floating debris in and around ponds and stagnant swimming pools to limit breeding potential.

4. Fill in low spots, control the irrigation in your yard or pastures, and drain standing water from buckets and other containers that can collect water on your property.

Bee Prepared

Bee stings can result in serious injury to human or domestic animals. Arizona Department of Agriculture officials offer the following tips to prevent a bee attack.

These suggestions are true for both Africanized and European bees, although Africanized bees are more easily provoked and will attack more aggressively when provoked. It is impossible to differentiate between Africanized and European bees with the naked eye, although their behaviors are noticeably different.
· Stop, Look, and Listen; before opening any container at all, listen to it. If there is any buzzing, hum, or vibration in it, back away slowly. This includes storage sheds, boxes and bins in your yard.
· Check any area each and every time before you let your dogs or kids out to play, or before performing any landscape work in that area, especially mowing.
· If you are in an area that you suspect may be infested with bees, never get more than a 30 second sprint from an enclosed vehicle, unless you have protective gear.
· Like many of us, bees love peace and quiet, and will often attack vibration sources such as generators, lawnmowers, weed eaters, ATV's, and those operating them.
· Bees are especially attracted to attack objects with a chemical smell, it could be anything as small as the permanent marker in your pocket.
· When attacking bees will target dark colors, such as a shirt or your dog.
Bees will not attack unless given a reason, such as the ones given above.

If you are attacked by bees:
Cover your face with your hands and run as quickly as possible away from the hive or swarm.
If you can, get indoors or to an enclosed vehicle do so as soon as possible.
If you are in the open, try to run through bushes or shrubbery, the moving leaves will distract many of the bees from following you.
Do NOT jump in a lake, pool, or other body of water. Bees will wait for you to resurface, then will resume their attack.

Today's Assignment

Read the above information and educate your family! Check your property CAREFULLY for possible hives or infestations. Alert a bee removal specialist immediately if necessary.