Lightning Safety Week!

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!
Lightning Safety Week: June 22-28, 2008

Florida is the Lightning Capitol of the U.S., leading the nation in lightning deaths. Lightning kills an average of nine Floridians each year, more than any other weather hazard, and injures an additional 37 people.

Most people who are struck by lightning are not killed, but they are left badly bruised and burned. The force of being hit by lightning can literally blow off people's shoes, shred their clothes and throw them violently through the air. It not only hits you hard, but at 50,000 degrees, it also burns right through you, leaving you with disfiguring scars and internal damage.
Lightning survivors often have pain, loss of memory and other bad effects that sometimes last a lifetime.

A darkening cloud is often the first sign that lightning may strike. As soon as you see lightning or hear thunder, you are immediately at risk. By playing another inning or waiting even a few minutes to see if the storm is getting closer, you could be risking your life.

Go immediately inside a house or other enclosed structure to stay safe. No place outdoors is safe! Covered vehicles are fairly safe locations, but remember to keep your hands and feet away from the side of the car and away from the dashboard, steering wheel and windows.

People that have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge. If you and the victim are in a safe area, it is safe and recommended to perform life saving first aid. You will not “get shocked” by touching the victim.

How far away is lightning from you? Use the FLASH to BANG method:

• When you see the FLASH
• Count the number of seconds to the BANG of thunder,
• Divide this number by 5,
• And this gives you the MILES the lighting is away from you.

It is recommended that if the thunder arrives within 30 seconds or less from your location, you should seek shelter. Wait thirty minutes after the last thunder before going outside.

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

"All Hazards" now an online continuing education course

FMQAI: The Florida ESRD Network (Network 7) is pleased to present All Hazards I: Identifying and Preparing for Potential Emergencies and Disasters.

This free online continuing education course will provide 1.0 continuing education contact hour for Florida nurses, social workers, and dietitians.

This is an exciting opportunity for dialysis providers to fulfill the CMS Conditions for Coverage which outline staff training on disasters.

For more information on the course, visit http://edu.flqio.org/ and click on "ESRD Courses."

Disaster Preparedness Videos

We have received a number of requests for disaster preparedness videos. Here is a list of online and free videos covering general preparedness, special needs, pets, safety, hurricanes, and pandemics.

http://www.ready.gov/america/about/instructional.html (general)

http://www.soph.uab.edu/scphp/default.aspx?ID=724 (general)

http://www.utbtsc.edu/safety/video/welcome.html (hurricanes)

http://floridadisaster.org/index.asp and click on the "Media Center" near the top righthand corner (hurricanes)

http://wsfltv.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/wsfl-hurricane-tips,0,3896722.htmlstory?coll=wbzl-home-nav (hurricanes, general)

http://www.cepintdi.org/default.aspx?pageid=174 (Click on "Being Prepared" and then scroll to "Emergency Preparedness Video") for the deaf and hard of hearing.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/psa.asp (hurricanes, general)

http://www.sanmiguelcounty.org/portal/page?_pageid=118,148583&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL (pandemics)

http://a1881.g.akamai.net/7/1881/26640/v0001/redcross.download.akamai.com/26640/psa/movie/PandemicFlu/PF_Video1.html (pandemics)

http://readymontco.montcopa.org/readymontco/cwp/view,A,1553,Q,64828.asp (pandemics)

http://www.emd.wa.gov/publications/pub_index.shtml * There are PDF documents of a family emergency plan in English, Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, Ilocano, Korean, Laotian, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somaly, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrigna, Ukranian, and Vietnamese.

Florida Wildfires

The Florida ESRD Network is currently monitoring the wildfire situation in Florida. If you are in the impacted area, it is vital to listen and obey your local officials' emergency orders. Most importantly, evacuate if you are told to do so.

For individuals with kidney failure, remember to take your medicines, medical records, supplies, food, and insurance information. Call your dialysis clinic and tell them that you had to evacuate and tell them where you are staying.

Wildfires can also cause problems even if you are not in the impacted area. Smoke can reduce visibility on roads which can cause traffic accidents or close important roads. Make sure you know alternate routes to reach your dialysis facility, pharmacy, or family member's home.

The wildfire smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your nose/throat/lungs, and can worsen illness. If you have respiratory problems, try to stay indoors away from the smoke.

For more information, visit the Wildfire Smoke Health and Safety page from the Arkansas Division of Air Quality.

For information about wildfire safety, visit the American Red Cross site http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_594_,00.html

Tampa Bay Hurricane Expo 2008

The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County are pleased to announce the Hurricane Expo 2008: Are You Ready Tampa Bay? Know your Zone, Make a Plan on May 31, 2008 at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The purpose of the Expo is to educate our residents on the importance of knowing their evacuation zone and making an effective plan in the event of a hurricane. The Expo will be a family-friendly, multi-cultural event featuring vendors, live entertainment, educational seminars, and giveaways.

It is important that our community is educated and prepared. In the past both the City and County have hosted similar events that have attracted a wide cross-section of residents from our community. In 2006, the City’s Neighborhood Fair and Expo attracted over 5,000 visitors. It is our goal to expand on that success with this year’s expo. We hope to see you there to learn your zone and how to make a plan to be safe during this hurricane season.

For more information, visit http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/hurricaneexpo/