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TextHealth and Safety Podcast Transcript: March 21, 2012
Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast
for Mar. 21, 2012. I’m Jim Person, Fairfax County emergency
information officer. Coming up, learn about window safety, a poster
contest for kids, a new Twitter account from USDA for food safety
recalls, a regional news and information website and how to get an
emergency preparedness presentation for your organization. Links to
topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
With the arrival of springtime’s warmer days, we often open our windows to let in fresh air. Along with these open window comes an increased safety risk for young children. Children can be looking out an open window one minute and falling through it the next. A screen offers little protection when the weight of a child pushes against it. Here are some important safety tips to prevent children falling from open windows:
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Always supervise young children; life-threatening injuries can happen
in seconds to a child left unattended.
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Close and lock windows whenever young children are around. If you need
ventilation, open windows that children cannot reach. (For example,
open double hung windows from the top only.)
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Keep furniture and beds away from windows. Children can quickly climb
onto window ledges and fall.
- Keep window treatments (blinds, cords, drapes, etc.) out of children’s reach. They may injure themselves when climbing or be strangled.
Learn more from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s
SunWise with Shade 2012 Poster Contest invites children in grades K-8
to submit a hand-drawn poster, on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, that shows how to
avoid getting too much sun. The top five entries from kids in grades K-3
will receive a digital camera; the winner from grades 4-8 will receive a
family trip to Disney World and a shade structure for their school.
Entries must be received by April 1. Winners will be announced on May 16.
More information can be found at challenge.gov/epa.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service
has launched state-specific Twitter accounts to share news of recalls on
poultry, meat and other food products. According to the USDA, these new
Twitter feeds provide another way to provide consumers with critical
updates and relevant information to protect their families from foodborne
illness. Every state will now have its own Twitter alert handle using the
state’s two-letter abbreviation followed by “_FSISAlert.” For example,
Virginia’s alerts are at twitter.com/VA_FSISAlert.
Previously FSIS alerts were issued through press releases and one main
Twitter account, @USDAFoodSafety. The state-specific feeds will help
consumers more easily identify which recalls are relevant to them.
Stay up-to-date with news and information from around the National
Capital Region. Learn about emergency preparedness and more. Visit and
bookmark www.CapitalRegionUpdates.gov.
Finally, The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management is available to deliver emergency preparedness presentations to community organizations and homeowners associations. If interested, contact Marcelo Ferreira at 571-350-1013 or via email at oem@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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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