Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast for Sept.23, 2008. I’m Jim Person, Fairfax County emergency information officer. Coming up, learn about Fire Prevention Week, National Preparedness Month, and the Medical Reserve Corps. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
Oct 5-11, is Fire Prevention Week in Fairfax County. The National Fire Protection Association's theme this year – "It's Fire Prevention Week: Prevent Home Fires!" – reminds residents to take precautions at home to reduce home fires and home fire injuries. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record since 1925.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reminds residents that the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, electrical and smoking materials – are Preventable.
On Saturday, October 11, Fairfax County will celebrate Fire Prevention Open House. Every fire station in Fairfax County will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for fire and life safety education and fun activities for adults and kids. Make your plans now to visit your neighborhood fire station and get to know the firefighters in your community.
For more fire safety information, visit the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Web page at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr.
September is National Preparedness Month and Fairfax County continues to provide a preparedness tip every weekday. Tips are online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/prepare/tips. Or, subscribe to the emergency preparedness tips through your favorite RSS reader.
And in the spirit of National Preparedness Month, the Fairfax County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps program is actively recruiting new volunteers – 3,000 more before year’s end. MRC volunteers would be mobilized to distribute medication during a public health emergency. Approximately 3,700 medical and non-medical volunteers are signed up, but a total 13,000 volunteers are needed to fully serve the 1.2 million residents of Fairfax County.
During a public health emergency, trained MRC volunteers staff dispensing sites that provide vaccination or life-saving medication to county residents. In a worst-case scenario, at least 50 teams of approximately 250 people per team would be mobilized. Despite the name of the program, the majority of the Medical Reserve Corps volunteers do not need a medical background.
A commitment to the MRC does not require a significant time investment. Volunteers receive about 10 hours of training their first year and are expected to participate in an exercise annually. Those in leadership roles can expect to contribute about 25 hours annually. Volunteers need to be 18 or older, speak and understand English and physically able to work 12 hour shifts for the duration of the emergency.
Information on the Fairfax County MRC can be found on the MRC Web site, www.fairfaxmrc.org, or by calling 703-246-2433.
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.