Get Ready Day is almost here!

 

Mark your calendars! This year, Get Ready Day is Tuesday, Sept. 19. 

What's Get Ready Day? It's a celebration and a reminder to take small steps to be a little more prepared for disasters and emergencies. Help your community, campus or workplace become prepared for emergencies or disasters by holding a Get Ready Day event!

Held each year on the third Tuesday in September, APHA's Get Ready Day is timed to coincide with National Preparedness Month. There are lots of ways to get involved:

• Sponsor a preparedness talk at your local senior center or hold a town hall.
• Set up a booth on campus, or pass out materials at your health department or workplace.
• Insert preparedness planning materials into your religious organization's bulletin, or post information on a bulletin board.
• Work with a local grocery store to promote preparedness and stockpiling to shoppers through displays or flyers.
• Offer a flu shot and/or COVID-19 vaccination clinic for your work, school or neighborhood. 

Want even easier ways to make a difference? You can share Get Ready fact sheets or infographics in print or online. 

Emergencies can be overwhelming, but preparing for them doesn't have to be. Whatever you do for Get Ready Day, spread the word and use the hashtag #GetReadyDay so we can see how you celebrate!

Get Ready for wildfire smoke: New resources to stay safe!

Canada has been experiencing some of its worst wildfires in modern history, but we’re not safe either! Whether you saw it on the news or experienced it firsthand, you may know what we’re talking about — wildfire smoke. To keep you, your family, friends and even pets safe, the Get Ready team has provided a new infographic and fact sheet. Be sure to check them both out to know what to do before, during and after wildfire smoke impacts you! 

Here are a few quick tips. 

Stay inside 

Our first tip is to stay inside! This is especially important for: 

• People with asthma 
• People with heart or lung disease 
• Children
• Pregnant women 
• Older adults 
• First responders 

Staying home with all windows and doors closed can be one of the best ways to stay safe. It’s a great way to protect your health, but not all houses are airtight enough to keep the smoke out. Maybe you notice a smoky smell inside your home, or perhaps your eyes start to sting. This could mean that your house is not providing enough protection. You may want to stay with family, friends, neighbors or at a public building. If you’re staying inside an airtight building with proper air conditioning and filtration, you can keep smoke inhalation to a minimum. Most buildings’ air conditioners are built with air filters, but the best way to make sure your indoor air is clean will differ based on the type of air conditioning unit. See the Environmental Protection Agency’s fact sheet for information about proper air filtration and the different options. 

Wear an N95 Mask 

If you must be outside for any reason or are at high risk for health problems, wear an N95 mask. They’ve been easier to find since the coronavirus pandemic, and you can often purchase them in hardware stores or drugstores. You may even have one lying around already! To fully protect your health, you’ll want the correct size where the mask fits over your nose and under your chin. Keep in mind that cloth and dust masks as well as bandanas do not filter out wildfire smoke. So go grab your N95! N95 masks do not come in suitable sizes for children. For more information about how to keep your child safe from wildfire smoke, the CDC provides some great guidance. 

Keep the air quality clean 

The last thing you want to do is make the indoor air pollution worse! Wildfire smoke doesn’t smell great, but don’t light a candle even if it smells nice! You should also avoid using gas or propane, smoking tobacco and vacuuming. Even if you’re craving a warm home-cooked meal or feel like cleaning around your house, avoid all of these activities as they can make the air quality inside worse.  

Wildfire smoke can quickly affect just about anyone, so share these tips with your friends, family, co-workers and anyone that you feel needs this information to protect their health!    

The Get Ready calendar photo contest is now open!

Photo courtesy of Olivia Marcino

It’s Get Ready calendar contest time! Every year, we put together a calendar of cute pictures and preparedness tips and share it with all APHA members. We also share it online. But we can’t do it alone! We need your help!

We’re looking for your most fashionable animal photos for this year’s theme, “Get Ready Runway.” We want to see bold bandanas, dapper bowties, fun hats, crazy costumes, anything that shows off your pet’s best sense of style! Winning photos will be featured in our 2024 Get Ready Calendar that’s sent to APHA members! Snap a runway worthy picture and send it our way!

Check out our full rules and FAQs at APHAGetReady.org.

But hurry! Submissions close Wednesday, Aug. 2. 

Emergency food stockpiling!

Happy National Public Health Week! This year, the Get Ready Campaign has put together an infographic to help you build your emergency food stockpile! These stockpiles are crucial during times of disaster. Large disasters in the past have completely cut off entire communities from access to their local grocery stores or restaurants, so making an emergency food stockpile now can save you and your loved ones’ lives. Below is a list of what we think are affordable and tasty options you might want to consider!

Canned food

One of the most universal items when it comes to emergency stockpiling is canned food. Canned food can last for years when stored at room-temperature. Another perk of this option is its variety. You can buy canned fruits, vegetables, or meats, leaving opportunity for you to pick out something that you would like to eat! 

Peanut butter

Peanut butter is another important food item to add in your stockpiling checklist. It contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy when times are desperate. You can eat it just by using a spoon, or you could pair it with jelly and bread or crackers to make a delicious sandwich!

Whole-wheat crackers

Despite whole-wheat crackers being delicious on their own, they make a great alternative for bread! Bread has a much shorter shelf-life and may not last long enough for you during a disaster. Whole-wheat crackers are relatively inexpensive and can make any meal taste great!

Cultural foods

During a disaster, it is important to stay true to your identity. Just because food options are limited does not mean that there aren’t options available to you. For example, you can find a variety of non-perishable kosher foods such as pastries, pasta, or beans. Make sure to ask your local grocery store for non-perishable options that align with your culture or religion. 

Emergency Numbers You Should Know!

Who you gonna call? The Get Ready team has developed a new infographic with a list of emergency numbers that are important to know. Take a look at our list below for more information and tips!

911

The first on our list is 911! Although you may think this number is just for crime reporting, it offers many more services! You can call this number for assistance in both fire and medical emergencies. If you have a time-sensitive emergency in regard to your safety, 911 is the best number to call!

311

Next up is 311! This number contacts your city or county services. It’s not for emergencies. Instead, your city or county may offer services like recycling and trash pickup, animal control or connections to your local public safety or health department. Calling 311 can help residents report flooding in their neighborhood, or a traffic light that’s not working. During the winter, some cities offer snow or ice removal. Every city or county is different, so look up your city or county’s services online before you call!

988

Our next number is 988, a free and confidential line for people to call if they’re in extreme emotional distress or considering suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing extreme emotional distress, 988 is the best number you can call. It is also important to reach out to people you know with emotional distress to show your support for them. Simply saying “how are you” could mean more to a person than you may think. You can also check out the 988 website for more information. 

800-222-1222

This is the number that connects you directly with poison control. You may need poison control if you come in contact with dangerous household items like cleaning products. Some medications can also be harmful if not taken according to instructions. Small children are especially at risk. The World Health Organization describes poisoning as a “time-dependent emergency.” You will need help from a health care provider, so call even if you are unsure if something is poisonous! You can also visit the official poison control website for more safety around household products, medications and other chemicals.   

Your local hospital

Hospitals are one of the most important places within our cities/counties. They provide treatment for both emergency and long-term health issues. You can call them if you have questions about medical advice, health insurance or specialized services offered. These services can include anything from heart surgery and cancer chemotherapy to mental health resources and support groups for new illnesses or new parents. If you or a loved one needs health support, call your local hospital and see if they offer it!  You can also call if you have any questions relating to a medical emergency, such as asking if you need to see a doctor for a small cut or if you are feeling a little sick. You can find this number by Googling the name of the hospital closest to you!

Writing these numbers down or putting them in your phone can go a long way. You may be able to save someone’s life with this information!