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TextHealth and Safety Podcast Transcript: Jan. 28, 2009
Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast for
Jan. 27, 2009. I’m Jim Person, Fairfax County emergency information
officer. Coming up, advice on how to stay safe for this year’s big
football game as well as a reminder from the Fire and Rescue Department
about frozen water pipes. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can
be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
This Sunday is the Super Bowl 43 – the National Football League’s championship game. And Super Sunday is often remembered for the game – either a great contest or a blow-out – as well as those wonderful commercials and parties as friends and families gather to socialize.
Don’t ruin this year’s big game. Don’t let your party guests or fellow fans drive impaired. Remember, friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, from midnight on Super Bowl Sunday to 6 a.m. the following Monday, 45 percent of all fatal crashes involved a driver that had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
The Fairfax County Police Department reminds residents that if you are hosting a Super Bowl party you could be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired-driving crash.
The police encourage you to:
- Make sure that all guests designate non-drinking drivers in advance.
- Help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
- Serve lots of food and plenty of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
- Stop serving alcohol early.
- Keep numbers for local taxi numbers handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is considering driving impaired.
If you are attending a party, or watching at a bar or restaurant, be sure to designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys. Avoid drinking too much alcohol too quickly. Pace yourself. Eat food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home. Call a cab, friend or family member to come get you. Or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober. And never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
Finally, always buckle up; it’s your best defense against other impaired drivers.
With the recent frigid temperatures, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
Department reminds residents only to call the Fire Department if water
from a busted water pipe gets in or near electrical outlets or panels, or
if the water threatens a pilot light or power to a water heater or
furnace.
If a pipe in your home does break, quickly shut off the water valve. Then call a plumber. They have the know-how to correctly fix the break.
For more information you can visit the Fire and Rescue Department online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr or Fairfax Water at www.fcwa.org.
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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