Winter Fire Safety Pleas Unanswered ??

Happy New Year!

Every year after a large snowfall we hear the same lament by Fire and Public Safety Officials for people to clear out Fire Hydrants all over the county!

Think....if there was an incentive and more community pride inspiring people to get out and do this automatically we would likely not hear this repeatedly.

With less and less public services being the norm and fewer fire volunteers,  doesn't it make sense to encourage citizens of a town or city take part in their own safety? 

We think so.  We have a workable solution.

Consider that in a mere five minutes a fire chief is likely by policy to pull firefighters out of a structure where they are fighting a fire due to water running low (250 of 500 gallon tank) in the pumper......5 minutes.....then they fight the fire from outside.....
But if your fire hydrant was cleared away because neighbors pitched in to clear their adopted hydrant(s) it might be a different story.

We can provide communities with thousands of super durable outdoor reflective ICE Stickers, adoption forms, posters, banners and personal ICE Safety Kits that agencies can acquire inexpensively to solicit donations and get people interested in taking care of themselves......or they can continue this plea every year to no avail.

Community Groups or Private Businesses can so easily initiate such a program.
ICE is ubiquitous and there are so many other uses for this highly recognizable program.

Read the article about a Northern NY region where buried hydrants are the norm.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20121231/NEWS09/701029979

Radiation Exposure - Potassium Iodate

IOSAT Anti-Radition Medication

Nuclear Radiation incidents in Japan as a result of the massive earthquake there have prompted people here and around the world to review their planning for such an event. 

Japanese authorities are distributing Potassium Iodate tablets to citizens in the country where it is most likely radiation exposure would occur. 

These are some "expired" samples from a friends Bug Out Bag.   The IOSAT Brand has been around for a long time and you can usually acquire them at pharmacies.    You can buy a variety of anti-radiation pills online that block absorption of Radioactive Iodine into your thyroid.

Read the FDA Guidelines on these products here:   http://tinyurl.com/4lbb52m 

CampingSurvival.Com has these available along with some other anti-radiation products, detectors as well as a very detailed explanation on how radiation affects your system and how this product works.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/iospotiodapp.html

We might suggest that if you are conducting a "drill" today you consider your actions in such an emergency and how you have prepared to evacuate or shelter in place. Many of us are living close to such reactors.

Pray for those people in Japan who have literally disappeared as a result of the earthquake and Tsunami.

ICE App Smart-ICE is Tops!!!

Once again items bearing the ICE4SAFETY Logo are hard to beat! Babble.com recognized the smart-ICE line of ICE safety products as a great idea.......you should too!

Visit: www.ems-options.com for more info.

Or: www.babble.com

Don't forget to visit: www.ice4safety.com

Confusing Symbology - Another Example

Most of this sticker appears to be advertising and as such, confusing and kinda expensive to boot. Well meaning perhaps.

But $3 to advertise (anyone) someone other than your own company or organization? So, now you have a sticker that no one recognizes........and??? Looks like.....nothing.

We won't give this any more thought....use common sense folks.

ICE4SAFETY has had this covered.....free.

Back to School - Mobile Phone Know How

Not very much in this publication about teaching your kids some safety tips for the "back to school" publication by AT&T. There is however a big emphasis on texting and options for your phone.

Nothing at all about using ICE or programming safety contacts or messages into your new phone. AT&T should be able to do better than that.

C'mon!

The phone giant might also be better served by making their sales staff more knowledgeable about some of the "other" uses for their products. Show us your know-how AT&T.

Prep Tip - Vehicle Survival Kit - ICE Fishing Sled

Winter might not affect all the sates in the union, but in the northern most states and Canada, Winter is a reality for 4-5 months of the year. If your vehicle breaks down on a remote stretch and for some reason you need to relocate - being able to carry all the gear you want or need may be hard to accomplish.

One way is for you to have a backpack/daypack/rucksack to assemble what you need and move on but having an ICE Fishing Sled in your trunk can make a world of difference.

This molded polyethylene sled can play many rolls in your day to day activities as well.

It can double as a trunk organizer, beach gear carry all, snow sled and it can be outfitted with an elastic cover and tow bar. Carrying a small child might exhaust you in short order but being able to slide them along with you to safety can now be accomplished.

It can also be the foundation of a shelter or sleeping quarters for young children. They come in various sizes as you will see from the link below and will fit in SUV's and most mid sized and even smaller cars. These were made to be towed behind snow machines, ATV's or by hand.

We would recommend you place DOT strip reflective stickers on the sides and back. They come with a tow rope installed but you might consider having a front and rear rope to facilitate a two person operation that has more control.

http://www.cabelas.com/hprod-1/0010509.shtml

About $25 in Gander Mountain/Bass Pro/Cabela's

Prep Tip - Emergency Power Source - UPS

Don't overlook this source of emergency power. Maybe your home or office has a few around to power down sensitive computer systems and offer surge and line protection for phone and fax/printer systems.

Depending on the unit, the UPS will most likely have 2 sealed 12V 7aH gel cell batteries connected inside that provide the power to an inverter. This unit is rated in the 600-800 watts range.

Short Term - you can power a 15 watt (60w equivalent) fluorescent bulb for 6-7 hrs or charge up some important devices like cell phones or lights for short periods.

Long Term - remove the battery pack and recharge with solar panel or small generators that might be in use. Run other 12v devices. You may want to take a mental note as well as use your labeling device to note the location and the ratings of the batteries for that potential use.

If you find one of these for free.....you could swap out the old batteries and exchange them for new ones at an electronics supply house or one of the 330 BatteriesPlus Locations near you or online at http://www.batteriesplus.com/

Preparedness Tip - Home Evacuation Bag

How many times have you watched TV to see fire victims in their jams or a blanket outdoors at the scene of a fire? That could very well be you - and without shoes or boots. Some of the worst fires are in the winter months and your survival may rely on your being able to function in the cold. If you have great neighbors - wonderful! If not, or they are quite a distance away in deep snow or rough terrain in the dark...get the picture?

This colorful and water resistant fishing bag can be loaded with sufficient supplies, stored next to your bed and be filled with essential items that will help you escape and survive....and not be found frozen to the pavement in your pj's.

Rule of thumb for Fires - Get OUT - FAST!

Short List:

[ ] Easy on Shoes - Boots
[ ] Long Pants - Socks - Shirt - Underwear
[ ] Light Jacket-Rainsuit or Stuffed Down Jacket in Winter
[ ] Face Mask- Hat - Gloves
[ ] Glasses
[ ] Emergency Contacts List - Medical Information
[ ] Insurance Company and Emergency Contractor Contact Information
[ ] Spare 911 Cell Phone
[ ] Lithium Battery Powered Flashlight - Spare Batteries
[ ] Prescription Medicines properly labeled and in a zip lock bag
[ ] Keys to House/Car on Whistle Ring - Neighbor Key?
[ ] Secure Keys to Bag Securely with Good Steel Ring
[ ] Rescue Blankets for all occupants
[ ] Small First Aid Kit
[ ] Small quantity of high energy food or ration bar
[ ] Water
[ ] Spare Identification / Drivers License / Cash $$
[ ] Large Plastic Garbage Bags - Easy Open & Close
[ ] Bright colored water resistant duffel like bag - durable.


You might be lucky and live in a ranch home and can jump out or walk out with no problem. If you are already injured or ill and can't move quickly then discuss how you will evacuate. Practice if you can (almost everyone does not) and have a bag for young children or teens and instruct them on evacuation. Second floor evacuation may require a chain ladder be deployed - that requires some practice on how to.

Toss your bag outside and go. Don't carry it with you - it will cause you to fall off the ladder. It is brightly colored and you can see it easily. We wrote a real life evacuation story a while back which is online that depicts a Katrina survivor who bailed out in an evacuation for a leaking tank car without shoes, clothes or his prescription medicines he needed....not good.

This is an easy one.