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TextHealth and Safety Podcast Transcript: July 13, 2011
Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast for July 13, 2011. I’m Jim Person, Fairfax County emergency information officer. Cofficer. Coming up, learn about emergency planning for your business, ReadyNOVA.org, a required boating safety course and grilling safety tips. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
Would your business survive a disaster? Nearly two-thirds of businesses
aren’t prepared for an emergency; and 40 percent of businesses that
experience a disaster never recover. Make an emergency plan now, before
it’s too late. For a free online tool that helps you develop an emergency
plan to keep your business up and running should disaster strike, visit
www.ready.gov/business.
Meanwhile, emergency management agencies in Northern Virginia recently
partnered to create ReadyNOVA.org, a website designed to
assist residents and businesses in the Northern Virginia region in
developing a Family Emergency Preparedness Planner or a Business
Emergency Preparedness Planner, both of which follow basic and accepted
emergency management practices.
The Family Emergency Preparedness Planner provides an easy to use tool
for families in Fairfax County to develop their emergency plan, a family
communications plan and guidelines for developing their emergency
survival kit. The Business Emergency Preparedness Planner provides a
detailed process for Fairfax County businesses to develop their emergency
plan, including continuity of operations, communications plans and to
identify the process for return to their facility after a disaster event.
Both planners are user-friendly and meet ADA requirements for
accessibility. Additionally, user privacy is guaranteed with no personal
or business information saved by the website or either application.
ReadyNova.org was made possible by a Department of Homeland Security
grant and was coordinated by the many partner localities that make up the
Northern Virginia metropolitan region.
Summer is a great time to go boating. Starting July 1st, Virginia residents age 50 and younger will need to complete a boater safety course in order to operate a personal watercraft, like jet skis. And those 20 and younger also need to take the class to operate a boat. Each year the age requirement will increase until 2016 when everyone will have to take the course. More information can be found online at the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating/safe.asp.
And speaking of summer, many of us enjoy outdoor grilling during the summer months. While grilling, remember these safety tips:
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Propane and charcoal BBQ grills must only be used outdoors. If used
indoors, or in any enclosed spaces such as tents, they pose a fire
hazard and a risk of exposing occupants to deadly carbon monoxide
poisoning.
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Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas, and foot
traffic. Grills should be positioned at least 10 feet away from siding,
deck railing, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
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Keep, matches, lighters and starter fluid out of the reach of children
in a locked drawer or cabinet.
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Keep children and pets away from the grill area. Declare a three-foot
"kid-free zone" around the grill.
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Use long barbeque mitts and long-handled grilling tools to protect the
chef from heat and flames when cooking.
- Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below the grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill.
More information can be found online from the Fairfax County Fire and
Rescue Department at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr.
That’s it for this edition of the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast, produced by the Fairfax County, Virginia government. Thanks for listening. Additional information about health and safety topics and emergency preparedness may be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov. And remember, if you have a police, fire or medical emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency needs, call 703-691-2131.
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