New Year’s resolutions often fail when they aren’t specific (“save more money”), or when they involve radical changes in behavior (“go to gym 5 times per week” or “eliminate all sugar from my diet”), To help make New Year’s preparedness resolutions realistic, choose simple and specific actions that you can do yourself, and you’d feel comfortable urging others to do. Some suggestions: Always carry a whistle and mini LED flashlight. Always refill your tank with gas before it reaches the 1/4 mark. Check and rotate disaster supplies on Daylight Savings Time. Devote 5 minutes a week to preparedness (see the STAT archive for suggestions.)

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As with every year, many of us benefit from making charitable donations before January 1st gets here. If you have been thinking of helping out a favorite cause, remember that it’s easy to donate the gift of safety and security. Some things can make a real and tangible difference, often at a low cost. Consider giving your favorite local charity something to improve their preparedness, or the equivalent monetary donation. Feel free to call us at CARD for more ideas about how you can help all nonprofits in your community. Great gift items include: flashlights, whistles, computer “jump” or “flash” drives, go-kits, first aid kits and radios.

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Some of the most familiar of holiday decorations – strings of lights – are also useful in emergencies. Holiday lights (or any other string of lights) can be used in emergencies to illuminate pathways, mark exits, direct pedestrian traffic flow and to literally spell out instructions. Some strings are created for both indoor and outdoor use. Strings using LED lights are a highly reliable and cost-effective version. Consider keeping strings of LED holiday lights on hand. For budget conscientious safety shoppers: remember that they often go on sale at the end of the season!

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With holidays approaching, many of us will be putting up decorations, stringing lights, hanging mistletoe or otherwise sprucing up homes and offices. Be sure to pass along the reminder to do these activities in the safest manner possible! Take care to avoid accidents and prevent fires. Ensure that the decorative additions are properly secured and do not obscure views, nor block isles or exits. While you already have out your safety ladders, thumb tacks and tape dispensers, ask your holiday helpers to post safety signage, use museum wax to secure pictures and breakables – and of course, put preparedness Potty Posters wherever you have a captive audience.

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One of the most important needs in an emergency is information, and one of the best tools to get it (for those who can hear) is a simple radio. Emergency radio stations will provide news about major events: what happened, what you can expect, where to go and information about resources. Learn your local emergency radio station – it may be an all-news station normally, or a dedicated wavelength – and mark it on your radios and in your emergency supplies. A simple sticker on your radio, or programming one of your pre-set buttons, is all it takes. If you have a dedicated emergency radio, leave it set to that station.

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This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a traditional time to express gratitude. Consider acknowledging the people who have helped bring you a little closer to safety and preparedness. Funders who support your preparedness efforts are helping you build something valuable. Staff and volunteers who take proactive roles in fulfilling safety goals make an important difference. People with a passion for preparedness and the resolve to make it happen are heroes who help us avoid emergencies, accidents and disasters.

By recognizing the people who champion your preparedness, you help us all to recognize and remember the importance of preparedness to our health, safety and well-being.

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On Veteran’s Day – November 11 – we honor the courage and sacrifices of those who have risked or given their lives in support of their country. Veterans in the past have often been thought of as seniors. But while many seniors are veterans, with our nation at war an ever-increasing number of younger veterans are becoming part of our national demographic as well. Similarly, veterans were once virtually all men, while today’s military is nearly 15% female.

In your disaster planning, remember that demographics change, and the preparedness and communication needs of a group can also change. The ways your preparedness serves – and reaches – any group will need to be updated from time to time to stay relevant.

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This flu season, learn and share the advice from your Public Health professionals. Practice these healthy behaviors, even if you don’t feel sick:

• Cough and/or sneeze into your elbow – not your hands or the air!
• Wash your hands with hot water and soap frequently.
• Keep bottles of hand sanitizer handy – especially when soap and water are not available.
• Keep tissues available everywhere, and give them to others!
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• If you do have flu symptoms – STAY HOME!

If we all practice these simple steps, we can keep each other safer and healthier. For tips from the CDC, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/flu

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Since Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act of 1966, all states except Arizona and Hawaii have observed Daylight Savings Time (DST). On October 29th, 2006, most people in the USA accordingly set their clocks back one hour. Encourage everyone to use DST as a reminder to update their preparedness twice a year – and lead by example!

Check (and, if necessary, replace) your fire extinguisher, smoke detector batteries, and emergency food, water and other perishables. Making preparedness a habit – in simple, routine ways – helps to build a culture of safety.

** Note that in 2007, the dates of DST will change, starting earlier (March) and ending later (November). **

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October 27th is etiquette maven Emily Post’s birthday (b. 1873). Etiquette can be defined as the code of conduct established for a particular community or occasion. Proper preparedness etiquette dictates that guests should be welcomed with a short explanation of your safety measures, and how they should respond in case of emergencies while visiting. For example, point out the emergency exits and the locations of first aid kits and fire extinguishers.

Work out your simple, gracious safety welcome, and share it with your staff and/or volunteers. Remind them of this preparedness etiquette rule, and lead by example. Making this a habit will protect (and impress) your guests and help ensure that safety remains part of your organizational culture.

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