Good afternoon, y'all!
First, I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Meg Tizzano, my Community Emergency Preparedness Corps colleague at Jersey Cares in Newark, New Jersey, for passing this super nifty tool along. Meg alerted me this morning to "Monster Guard," a game from the American Red Cross to use as an educational component for emergency preparedness with kids. I haven't gotten a chance to play it yet, although I am very much a kid at heart, so I am quite excited to sit down and see how it all works. I would certainly like to pass this along to y'all, though, and please enjoy and share with all the little rascals in your life!
Click here: Monster Guard | American Red Cross
Stay safe, y'all!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Kiss from a Rose(anne)!
Good morning, Charlotte!
I'm back! Whether you celebrate Festivus, Hanukkah, Christmas, something different entirely or nothing at all, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with whomever you chose to share your time.
For some reason, over this break from the office I decided to give in to my Netflix desires and started binge watching episodes of Roseanne when I was getting ready to go to sleep. Sometimes, like this morning, I even caught an episode with my cup (okay, three cups) of coffee. And while normally a good episode of Roseanne wouldn't have much if any relevance to my work, this particular one addresses issues of family emergency preparedness. For example, Darlene sold the contents of the family first aid kit to the baseball team and is using the case as a lunch box. In the episode, the Conner family has to react to a sudden tornado warning in Lanford, and it's a good reminder that many times, emergency strikes without much of a warning at all. Since I know not everyone has Netflix, I have the episode from YouTube below!
To help you begin your journey to tornado preparedness nirvana, here's a nifty infographic from the CDC as well:
If you are also returning to work today, welcome back, and as always, stay safe, Charlotte!
I'm back! Whether you celebrate Festivus, Hanukkah, Christmas, something different entirely or nothing at all, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with whomever you chose to share your time.
For some reason, over this break from the office I decided to give in to my Netflix desires and started binge watching episodes of Roseanne when I was getting ready to go to sleep. Sometimes, like this morning, I even caught an episode with my cup (okay, three cups) of coffee. And while normally a good episode of Roseanne wouldn't have much if any relevance to my work, this particular one addresses issues of family emergency preparedness. For example, Darlene sold the contents of the family first aid kit to the baseball team and is using the case as a lunch box. In the episode, the Conner family has to react to a sudden tornado warning in Lanford, and it's a good reminder that many times, emergency strikes without much of a warning at all. Since I know not everyone has Netflix, I have the episode from YouTube below!
To help you begin your journey to tornado preparedness nirvana, here's a nifty infographic from the CDC as well:
If you are also returning to work today, welcome back, and as always, stay safe, Charlotte!
Friday, December 19, 2014
(Don't Leave Your) Candle in the Wind!
Happy Hanukkah, y'all!
I know I'm a little behind with its being the fourth night of Hanukkah already, but I did want to make a post about preparedness and safety during the Festival of Lights. These tips, from this page of Israel Fire and Rescue Services' page, outline some ways to make sure you don't start a fire on more than just the menorah this holiday season!
I know I'm a little behind with its being the fourth night of Hanukkah already, but I did want to make a post about preparedness and safety during the Festival of Lights. These tips, from this page of Israel Fire and Rescue Services' page, outline some ways to make sure you don't start a fire on more than just the menorah this holiday season!
- Most "arts and crafts" Hanukkah lamps ("Hanukkiya") made by children are not suitable for lighting and may burn down when used.
- Place the Hanukkah lamp on a sturdy surface made of nonflammable material such as marble, glass or metal.
- Place the Hanukkah candles ONLY inside the Hanukkah lamp or candlesticks made of nonflammable material.
- Do not place the Hanukkah lamp near or under any flammable material such as curtains or books.
- Do not walk around while holding a lit candle.
- Do not place the Hanukkah lamp in a location where it can be knocked over - either by a passing person or the wind, or where something can fall on it.
- Keep matches and lit object away from children.
- Make sure your pet cannot reach the Hanukkah lamp.
- Never leave a lit Hanukkah lamp unattended!
Hanukkah Sameach, stay safe, and since I am who I am and the title contains an Elton John song, enjoy this between your Hanukkah festivities:
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Thank You for Being a Friend!
Good morning, all!
I would like to extend a grand thanks to all those in the local Charlotte community who were able to participate in our disaster response trainings this past Saturday and Wednesday, and are now becoming a part of CM-VEST, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Volunteer Emergency Support Team. I have a picture of all of us from the Wednesday training below, and I have to say I've never seen such a wonderful group of people excited to help out when an emergency may strike.
I would like to extend a grand thanks to all those in the local Charlotte community who were able to participate in our disaster response trainings this past Saturday and Wednesday, and are now becoming a part of CM-VEST, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Volunteer Emergency Support Team. I have a picture of all of us from the Wednesday training below, and I have to say I've never seen such a wonderful group of people excited to help out when an emergency may strike.
Would you like to join this beautiful wonderful happy group of people and be a part of CM-VEST later this winter? We will be hosting another training on January 24 and January 28, 2015, to add to our coalition of smiling faces, and you can sign up through the Hands On Charlotte calendar at this page. Please note, you will need to attend both the Saturday and Wednesday trainings to complete your education for CM-VEST. Please feel free to e-mail me at rob@handsoncharlotte.org or call me at 704-333-7471 during business hours with any questions you may have!
Again, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of you who have already participated, as well as those who presented if you are reading this, as you are giving a great gift, your training and service, to the Charlotte community, and your service is incredibly valuable and appreciated. Y'all are the best!
Of course, no post is complete without a cheesy song title, and this is just one of those I have to post with a video. Now go eat some cheesecake for the girls, hope we don't have any major disasters any time soon, and stay safe, Charlotte!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Ring the Alarm!
Good afternoon, Charlotte!
May I just say that today is a wonderful day. The sky is blue, my walk from my office to the grocery store for pita supplies (kale, celery, and hummus are a trio made in heaven) was absolute perfection, and for December, even in Charlotte, it is quite warm outside.
However, as many if not all of you reading this know, this could theoretically change at any second. Many of us have seen those yellow-sky days when all of a sudden a funnel cloud drops from the sky and potentially wreaks havoc on the ground below. Growing up in Gaston County (South Point Red Raiders, whoo!), I have survived a few local tornadoes, some of which came in the middle of the night and about which I did not even know until the following morning.
It is for times like these that a wonderful alert system was created for all of us here in Mecklenburg County. For those of you reading this outside of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, please look into resources in your local area. However, for those of you included in the million people who now inhabit this wonderful county, myself included, please register for CharMeck Alerts today. It takes all of about two minutes, and you will be sent alerts customized to your specific registered spot on a map. No worries, if you're in Matthews, you won't receive an alert about rising waters in Davidson. I have alerts set up for my home, and both of my jobs. You can register multiple locations, so if you work a fair distance from your home, you can receive alerts for both locations. And for those of you out there who are reading this and commute into the county every day, while you won't be able to receive alerts for your home outside of Mecklenburg County, please take a moment and consider registering your workplace. I don't know about you, but I personally spend much more time at work than I do in my home.
Click here to learn more about and register for CharMeck Alerts!
And, because I believe we all know how I feel about a fun and catchy song to go with the theme, here is some Beyonce to make your day that much better. It's beautiful outside, and if you're anything like me, a day like today with some Beyonce in my ears is pretty difficult to beat.
Enjoy this beautiful day, Charlotte, and stay safe!
May I just say that today is a wonderful day. The sky is blue, my walk from my office to the grocery store for pita supplies (kale, celery, and hummus are a trio made in heaven) was absolute perfection, and for December, even in Charlotte, it is quite warm outside.
However, as many if not all of you reading this know, this could theoretically change at any second. Many of us have seen those yellow-sky days when all of a sudden a funnel cloud drops from the sky and potentially wreaks havoc on the ground below. Growing up in Gaston County (South Point Red Raiders, whoo!), I have survived a few local tornadoes, some of which came in the middle of the night and about which I did not even know until the following morning.
It is for times like these that a wonderful alert system was created for all of us here in Mecklenburg County. For those of you reading this outside of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, please look into resources in your local area. However, for those of you included in the million people who now inhabit this wonderful county, myself included, please register for CharMeck Alerts today. It takes all of about two minutes, and you will be sent alerts customized to your specific registered spot on a map. No worries, if you're in Matthews, you won't receive an alert about rising waters in Davidson. I have alerts set up for my home, and both of my jobs. You can register multiple locations, so if you work a fair distance from your home, you can receive alerts for both locations. And for those of you out there who are reading this and commute into the county every day, while you won't be able to receive alerts for your home outside of Mecklenburg County, please take a moment and consider registering your workplace. I don't know about you, but I personally spend much more time at work than I do in my home.
Click here to learn more about and register for CharMeck Alerts!
And, because I believe we all know how I feel about a fun and catchy song to go with the theme, here is some Beyonce to make your day that much better. It's beautiful outside, and if you're anything like me, a day like today with some Beyonce in my ears is pretty difficult to beat.
Enjoy this beautiful day, Charlotte, and stay safe!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Get Ready!
Good afternoon, Charlotte!
I did want to make sure that you all were aware of the Charlotte Emergency Management office's hazard mitigation survey. As glamorous as I know that sounds, it really is a great resource for them to get information from you that will help them focus their efforts in the coming year. Your input is incredibly valuable, so please, if you have a free moment, the survey takes only five minutes. (I just went through it myself.) Please click this link and take the quick survey!
Also, because you're helping the Emergency Management office to GET READY, I had to toss The Temptations' song on this post with the survey. Enjoy, and if you're like me, listen to it twenty times at your desk to help power through the day. (I'm on repeat #3 right now.)
I did want to make sure that you all were aware of the Charlotte Emergency Management office's hazard mitigation survey. As glamorous as I know that sounds, it really is a great resource for them to get information from you that will help them focus their efforts in the coming year. Your input is incredibly valuable, so please, if you have a free moment, the survey takes only five minutes. (I just went through it myself.) Please click this link and take the quick survey!
Also, because you're helping the Emergency Management office to GET READY, I had to toss The Temptations' song on this post with the survey. Enjoy, and if you're like me, listen to it twenty times at your desk to help power through the day. (I'm on repeat #3 right now.)
Stay safe, y'all!
When the Levee Breaks (Or Whenever You May Find Yourself in a Flood Zone)
Good morning, Charlotte!
On this fine rainy day, and with the excessive rains that have pummeled the Pacific Northwest over the past week, I thought it would only be appropriate to share this fun catchy song and video published by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Wastewater Services. Awesome work by a local department! Don't forget that it only takes a mere few inches of water to sweep you and even your car away (even in a large vehicle like a Jeep or truck), so be safe, and turn around, don't drown!
Stay safe and dry today, Charlotte!
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