Do you know what to put in your emergency stockpile? Get tips in our new podcast

Daylight saving time is here, which means you probably set your clocks ahead an hour this weekend. But did you remember to check your emergency supplies as well? It can be hard to remember to update your stockpile, which is why APHA’s Get Ready campaign uses the clock change as a reminder.

 

Creating and updating your emergency stockpile is important, says Cheryl Kravitz, director of communication at the American Red Cross, National Capital Region, in our latest Get Ready Report podcast.

 

It’s important to have emergency supplies — including food, water, batteries, flashlights and a first-aid kit — ready to use in the event of an emergency. Kravitz offers tips on other items to keep in your stockpile, such as cash, a manual can opener and prescription medications.

 

When you think about making a stockpile, keep in mind that you never know when and where an emergency can happen, Kravitz says, noting she personally has three stockpiles — “one in the front closet by my front door, one in my office and one in my car.”

  

Wait, an emergency stockpile in the car? Yes, it’s important to have one there as well.

 

“If there’s a snowstorm and you get stranded on the road, it would be really awful to be stranded on the road without having a blanket, food, the necessary items to survive in your car for eight or 10 hours,” says Kravitz.

 

Here are some tips to create or update your emergency stockpile:

• Keep at least three days worth of food and water in your emergency stockpile. Download this checklist from the Get Ready campaign to build or update your stockpile.
• Make sure to include items for children or other family members with special dietary restrictions.
• Rotate your stockpile. Get tips from Get Ready’s Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign on when and how to do so.
• Don’t forget about your pets! Make sure you have at least three days worth of food and water for them as well.
• Be sure to keep your emergency stockpile in an accessible, cool, dark place.

The key to staying safe during any type of emergency is planning and preparation, says Kravitz.
 
“The American Red Cross really encourages everyone with the phrase of, ‘get a kit, make a plan and be informed,’” she says.
 
Listen to the podcast now or read the transcript. Check out our Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks page for information to download and share, including fact sheets, e-cards and games for kids.

Spread the word: It’s almost time to set your clocks and check your stocks!

Set your clocks, check your stocks

Daylight saving begins March 9.

How often should you refresh your emergency supplies? At least every six months, experts say. But with everything else that’s going on in life, remembering to do so can be hard.

 

That’s why APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks  campaign uses the twice-a-year clock change as a reminder. The campaign advises people to refresh their stockpile, such as their emergency food, water and batteries, when they adjust their clocks for daylight saving time.

 

And guess what? The next clock change is just around the corner. Daylight saving time starts Sunday, March 9.

 

Every American should have at least a three-day supply of food and water in case of an emergency, including one gallon of water per person per day, according to preparedness experts. Other supplies that should be on hand include a first-aid kit, a can opener, flashlight, battery-operated radio and batteries.

 

Now that you know to check your stockpile, you can help your friends, family and community be prepared for disasters, too. Here are just some ways you can remind people to check their stockpiles:

• Check out our free materials for info on building and updating an emergency stockpile, including a list of what should be included, information on rotating stored food and water and games for kids. Add a link to your website!
• Share one of our free e-cards to remind people to check their stocks.
• Tell your Twitter followers or Facebook friends. Use our sample tweets and the #clocksstocks hashtag.
• Share our Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks video.

Thanks for spreading the word and helping your friends, family and community get ready!

Washing your hands with cooler water can be better for the environment

Have you ever been told that it’s better to wash your hands with hot water? According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University, using clean running water at a cooler temperature can be just as effective — and it can be better for the environment, too.
 
While it’s true that heat kills bacteria, the temperature needed to kill germs on your hands could burn you. That means that there may be no real benefit to washing your hands with hot water. In fact, using a really high temperature can irritate your skin, which can make bacteria stay on your hands.
 
So why do folks use hot water if it’s not killing germs? One reason is that many hand soaps tend to work better with warmer water. Another reason may be that they’ve always done it that way and just don’t know any better!

 

So how does using cooler water help the environment, you may ask? The fact is that heating water takes energy. Creating energy — such as through burning fossil fuels like such as coal, natural gas and oil — can lead to the release of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases raise global temperatures leading to climate change.

 

So does that mean you should only use really, really cold water to wash your hands? That might not be a good idea either. It takes awhile to wash your hands properly, and that’s hard to do when the water is freezing cold. Your best bet is to pick a temperature somewhere in the middle that feels comfortable to you.

 

The key thing is to make sure that you’re washing your hands properly. This means that you are scrubbing, rinsing and drying your hands several times a day, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom. Here are some tips, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Wet your hands with running water. Remember to immediately turn off the tap to make sure you’re not wasting water.
• Apply soap and rub your hands together. Make sure to clean the back of your hands, under your nails and between your fingers, and continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

For more tips, check out our Get Ready hand-washing page, which features fact sheets in both English and Spanish.

What to know and do about flu

Today’s guest blog is by Michael Jhung, MD, MPH, MS, a medical officer for the Surveillance and Outbreak Response Team in the Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Feb. 20, CDC announced that the current flu season has been hard on young and middle-aged adults, with people ages 18-64 accounting for 61 percent of flu hospitalizations. CDC noted that the season is still ongoing and it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

Winter is in full swing and flu activity is elevated nationwide. Getting a flu vaccination now may still help protect you from becoming sick this winter and spring. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that flu vaccination continue into February and beyond, as long as flu viruses are circulating.

Should you get the flu vaccine if you’ve already been sick with the flu this season? Yes. Even if you’ve had the flu, it is possible to get it again. Many different types of flu viruses circulate each winter and spring, and getting vaccinated now may protect you from one of the other flu viruses to which you may be exposed.

Even healthy people can benefit from a flu vaccine. Getting vaccinated protects you and those around you, especially people who are at high risk for flu complications, such as people with chronic disease, seniors, pregnant women and young children. Babies under 6 months are too young to get vaccinated, so the best way to protect them is for everyone around them to get vaccinated.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions to help reduce the spread of germs. Try to avoid contact with people who are sick. If you or your child gets sick, stay home from work or school. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer to keep from spreading flu to others.

Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and include some or all of these: fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. It’s also important to remember that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

If you get the flu, prescription antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Many people can benefit from taking antiviral drugs like Tamiflu that can shorten the time you are sick and lessen the severity of symptoms. Antiviral medicines work best when started soon after symptoms develop, so people — especially high risk groups — should seek medical care ASAP.

Flu can be a very serious disease. Do your part to protect against the flu and encourage others to do the same.

Find a flu vaccine provider at http://vaccine.healthmap.org/. Join @CDCFlu and APHA’s @GetReady on social media to share the news of your vaccination by posting a message using #vaxwithme. In doing so, you will help remind and encourage others to get vaccinated.

Get Ready Scholarship now open for entries

APHA is once again offering its Get Ready Scholarship. Now in its sixth year, the competition is open to students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels.

In the United States, 2013 was a year filled with disasters: Extreme temperatures, devastating tornadoes and flooding were just some of the events that took lives, damaged communities and tested readiness. This year’s flu season has also underscored the importance of being prepared for infectious diseases.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign is challenging students to help Americans become more prepared via its scholarship. High school students are asked to write a blog entry, undergraduate college students are tasked with creating a preparedness plan and graduate students are challenged to create an infographic. Full details are on the scholarship site now.

We’ll award one $400 scholarship in each category — that’s a total of three winners! Each winner will also receive a free one-year APHA membership.

Submissions are now being accepted and the deadline closes April 8 — or until 300 submissions are accepted in each category. That means the deadline could close early, so be sure to prepare your submission soon.

Check out the details for this year’s contest on our Get Ready Scholarship page, and then get ready to enter!

To see a list of previous winners, and read parts of their essays, check out our scholarship winners page.

Good luck!

Not a student? Share this blog entry with someone who is!