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Summer
is in full swing and temperatures are heating up across the nation. According
to the National Weather
Service (NWS), heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths
in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year and even
more heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat cramps, and heat
exhaustion.
The
best line of defense against these illnesses is prevention. The Ready
Campaign offers the following tips to stay safe when the mercury rises:
- Stay indoors as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun;
- Stay on the lowest level out of the sun if air conditioning is unavailable;
- Eat well-balanced, light, and regular meals;
- Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible; and
- Avoid doing strenuous work outside during the warmest part of the day.
When
necessary, NWS issues heat-related alerts to help you prepare for extreme
weather conditions. To learn more about these alerts and how they impact you,
visit: www.nws.noaa.gov/om/heat/ww.shtml.
On
July 1, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-based &
Neighborhood Partnerships hosted the “Resources to Help Prepare Houses of
Worship for Emergencies” webinar.
The
webinar shared resources available through the Department of Justice, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security to
help houses of worship create emergency operations plans. Presenters also
discussed the importance of building relationships with first responders and how
organizations can prepare for natural disasters and active shooter situations.
Response
to the discussion was great, with more than 1,100 attendees and positive
feedback from participants. The webinar also received national publicity on the
Fortune
Magazine website, and in a local news story on CBS affiliate WLTX in Columbia,
South Carolina.
If
you were unable to attend the webinar, the recorded presentation is available
with closed captioning at: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/p6jrqxbd8gw/. Faith and
community leaders can also download resources to
assist with preparing for emergency situations.
The Southern California
Earthquake Center (SCEC) is gearing up for the 2015 Great ShakeOut
Earthquake Drill. To promote the event, SCEC will host a series of
weekly Twitter chats at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT every Wednesday from now through August
26.
Each
week the Twitter chats will highlight one of the "Seven Steps to
Earthquake Safety":
- July 15: Secure Your Space (Step One)
- July 22: Plan To Be Safe (Step Two)
- July 29: Organize Disaster Supplies (Step Three)
- August 5: Minimize Financial Hardship (Step Four)
- August 12: Drop Cover Hold On (Step Five)
- August 19: Improve Safety (Step Six)
-
August 26: Reconnect And Restore (Step Seven)
Follow
along each week to learn how to stay safe before, during, and after an
earthquake. Also, be sure to check out
the How to Prepare for
an Earthquake guide from America’s PrepareAthon! for valuable
information about this hazard.
Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the
federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster
preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events,
entities, organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events
and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included
in future newsletters by contacting citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov.
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