March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day — celebrating the Patron Saint of Ireland. Community festivities include dyeing or painting almost everything green: flowers, faces, food, drinks, and even lakes. Green is associated with Ireland, money, luck and also with safety: we use the green-yellow-red code for everything from street lights to hazard warnings and antivirus software. Having a safety-preparedness color scheme at your facility can help people of all ages, incomes and abilities. Some things to color-code: exits, rally points, locations of tool kits and first aid equipment, evacuation paths, shelter-in-place rooms, go-kits, “Drop, Cover and Hold” locations, and utility switches. Use colored dots, ribbons and markers to make a color-coding preparedness project fast, fun, easy and affordable.

Share

March 17th, 2008 | Tags: community, holidays, Preparedness | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

October 31st is Halloween, when stores are filled with items that will help you be more prepared at any time of year. Be ready to stock up at sale prices! Halloween noisemakers, voice amplifiers and gadgets can work as loudspeakers, personal alarms, or to provide advice and warning messages triggered when someone walks by. Items to keep kids safe at night – such as glowsticks, reflectors, flashlights – can do the same thing for anyone, every night of the year. Halloween is meant to be scary, but preparedness shouldn’t be! Pick up these low-cost, effective safety tools while they’re on sale, and add them to your go-kits. Consider buying in bulk for your staff and consumers, and build some new relationships with neighbors or vendors.

Share

October 15th, 2007 | Tags: holidays, Preparedness | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment

New Orleans celebrated its first Mardis Gras on February 27, 1827. This year’s Mardis Gras in New Orleans is an important and welcome step in the city’s recovery process from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As a nation, we invest heavily in the immediate response to disasters, yet it is the long-term recovery process that will determine the future of residents, businesses and the city itself. Take extra care to give voice in your local planning process to those partners who have true expertise and skillsets related to long-term recovery.

Share

February 26th, 2007 | Tags: holidays, hurricane katrina | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment

Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day to acknowledge love. On this day you can help prepare the people you love — especially those unable to embrace emergency preparedness on their own — with a simple, loving conversation. Three things you can accomplish in the conversation include: – remind your loved ones that you are there for them, in an emergency or otherwise – exchange emergency contact information — and write it down! – ask what you can do to increase their level of preparedness (such as giving them supplies; reducing hazards in their home, or storing important documents for them)

Share

February 12th, 2007 | Tags: holidays, Preparedness | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment

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.

Share

December 4th, 2006 | Tags: holidays, Potty Posters | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment

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.

Share

November 20th, 2006 | Tags: holidays, Preparedness | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment