Staying fit can boost both health and preparedness

Photo: Patrick Benko

The benefits of physical activity in everyday life are well known. But physical fitness can also play a big difference in how resilient you are when faced with a disaster.

Consider what happens after a large storm, for example. Your ability to move around can be hindered by fallen trees, snow or standing water. That means slippery conditions, trip hazards and major detours.

At some point, you’ll have to start cleaning up all of that storm-related mess. Trees and debris are heavy, and there will probably be a lot of it. Heat, cold, dust or mold can make what would normally be easy a herculean task. And on top of all that, you’ll have the stress and mental exhaustion that comes with coping with a disaster.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how physically prepared you are for a disaster. Can you walk long distances or stand for an extended amount of time? Are you able to fill sand bags or shovel snow? What if you had to carry large items or children?

Like any other preparedness activity, the time to start is now. Begin by assessing your current physical fitness. Talk to a doctor and be honest about your starting point. Then choose an activity that you’ll want to continue.

You can even turn your physical fitness activity into a preparedness one. For example, you can:

• garden to increase food supplies or wildfire prevention,
• walk with neighbors to boost community ties and resiliency,
• bicycle to have an alternative transportation option, or
• volunteer with a local preparedness organization or Community Emergency Response Team.

No matter how you choose to physically prepare, you’ll see benefits in both your overall health and your ability to cope with disasters.

If you’re looking for a fun way to boost your fitness, APHA’s 1 Billion Steps Challenge is happening now through May 31. As you work to become healthier, you can also make a difference toward making the U.S. the healthiest nation. We’re even offering prizes! Sign up now.

Give it a shot: Share our e-card for National Immunization Awareness Month

We can’t believe it’s August already, but we’re ready for National Immunization Awareness Month.  You probably know something about vaccines, but we all need to make sure we’re up to date. So remind the people you care about with our new e-card, just in time for flu season.

To stay safe and to help keep our communities healthy, it’s important for all of us to be vaccinated. Check out this blog post about how you getting a vaccine can help keep everyone else healthy, too.

For more information, check out our Get Ready vaccination fact sheets for kids, teens and adults. To help promote immunizations in your community, check out this great toolkit.

We’ve all got a part to play in the health of our communities. So roll up your sleeve and send out our new e-card to remind your friends of the importance of vaccinations!

Guest blog: There’s no “I” in team: Helping prepare your community for a disaster with CERT training

Today’s guest blog is by Mighty Fine, MPH, deputy director of APHA’s Center for Professional Development, Public Health Systems and Partnerships.

Photo credit: Toby Amodeo

As a member of APHA’s Get Ready team, I’m well aware of the importance of emergency preparedness. I’m not wishing for a disaster, but if one came, I’d be ready.

However, I haven’t paid close attention to the preparedness needs of my local Washington, D.C., community. So I decided to get more involved by participating in a free Community Emergency Response Team training.

Participating in this 20-hour course was a great way for me to learn basic disaster response skills and relief. The course consisted of eight units, addressing topics such as fire safety, terrorism, preparedness and psychology.

We watched informative videos, interacted with first responders, reviewed case studies and participated in demonstrations. All of our activities were done in small teams, which highlighted the importance of working together during a disaster.

The training was truly a hands-on learning experience. I rolled up my sleeves and really got into it. We learned how to make a splint to support an injured limb, which is a critical skill during an emergency, especially if supplies are limited.

We were also taught how to extinguish a fire. We learned the acronym PASS, which stands for “Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Spray.” By remembering these steps I’ll always know the proper way to use a fire extinguisher.

After taking this course I feel better positioned to help my community respond effectively to an emergency. CERT trainings are offered in communities around the U.S.  Once you’ve completed a training, you can even join a local CERT program to assist first responders in relief efforts.

Check out a training near you so you can help your community be more prepared, too!

Bring preparedness to the dinner table this Thanksgiving

It’s almost here: that moment when the turkey is stuffed and roasted, the potatoes are mashed and the cranberry sauce is plated. And then it’s quiet, as family and friends take the first bite of the meal they’ve looked forward to all year. But, if you’re like most families, that silence won’t last long. Before the football game and sales at the mall, Thanksgiving is a time for catching up, connecting and talking with those you love over a great meal.

So what will you talk about with your family at the dinner table this year? At Get Ready, we think there’s no better time to chat about preparedness. Here are some preparedness Thanksgiving questions and topics to get your family talking:

• This year, were there times that you needed to be prepared? How did it go?
• What are you thankful you knew about preparedness this year?
• Where do you and your family feel the least ready for an emergency? How can you better prepare yourself for those times?
• Did you get a flu shot?

You can also spend some time this holiday on preparedness activities. A few suggestions:

• Get Ready trivia: Make preparedness fun. Grab some of the Get Ready fact sheets and quiz your family on what to do in case of an emergency. Check out our info on winter storms, and Ebola.
• Check your stocks: You’ve already got the canned goods out from preparing a tasty meal. Take this time as a family to add any extra preparedness supplies to your emergency stockpile kit.
• Keep the kids busy with our Get Ready games and puzzles.

Get the conversation going and share with us what you learn. How will you make preparedness a part of your Thanksgiving?

Study: Most older adults aren’t prepared for disasters

Disasters can happen to anyone, anytime. But some people are more in danger of being harmed by disasters. According to a recent study, our older family and friends may be the most at risk.

 

The study, published in APHA’s American Journal of Public Health, finds that more than two-thirds of older Americans don’t have an emergency plan for natural disasters. It also finds that more than one-third do not have a basic supply of food, water and medical supplies stored for an emergency.

 

APHA’s news blog, Public Health Newswire, spoke with researcher Tala Al-rousan recently about the study. Al-rousan says that older adults are more likely to live alone, which can be dangerous during disasters. Disasters can make it hard for seniors to reach working phones, electricity, transportation or friends or family that can help them.

 

“Some use mobility devices that need electricity,” Al-rousan says. “Others cannot hear warning sirens. Older adults are more prone to suffer the consequences of extreme temperatures or noisy crowded shelters. Their chronic conditions are worsened by these weather changes more than younger people.”

 

So what can we do for older adults around us that might need more help? The community is a great place to start.

 

“Trained local leaders, health coaches, “block captains” and other residents from the community who are able to identify, reach older adults and help them prepare and respond to emergencies are examples that proved valuable,” Al-rousan says.

 

The American Red Cross encourages seniors to take steps to ensure their own safety, recommending that they develop a personal support network. According to the organization, seniors should:

• Determine before a disaster who you can rely on for help. Give them spare keys and show them where you keep your emergency supplies and records.
• Agree on how you’ll contact each other in an emergency, especially if phones aren’t working.
• Notify each other when you’re going out of town and when you will return.

Check out this fact sheet from APHA’s Get Ready campaign for preparedness tips for older adults and their caregivers for more information.

Help stamp out hunger in your community on May 11

When your postal carrier drops by this Saturday, she or he will be ready to pick up more than just mail. Saturday, May 11, is the national Stamp Out Hunger food drive, during which postal carriers pick up food donations that are set out next to U.S. mailboxes.
 
Now in its 21st year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive collected 70.5 million pounds of food in 2012. The event is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, with support from the U.S. Postal Service, Feeding America and other sponsors.

To take part, just leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable, non-expired foods, such as canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to your mailbox before your mail comes on Saturday. Carriers will bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters. If you’re not sure whether your postal carrier will be taking part in the food drive Saturday, contact your local post office.

Studies show that your donation will matter: As of 2009, more than 50 million Americans live in “food-insecure” homes, meaning that they don’t have enough food for themselves and their families. But making a donation to Stamp Out Hunger can do more than fill empty stomachs in your community. Food banks play an important role in community preparedness, because they are often where people turn to for assistance after a disaster or emergency.

If you can’t take part in Saturday’s food drive, you can hold your own event at another time of the year. APHA’s Get Ready campaign has a free how-to toolkit for making your community food drive a success.

For more information on the food drive, visit the Stamp Out Hunger event website or follow the food drive on Facebook or Twitter.