Vol 5., No. 3, Mar 2004

Contents Thoughts & Quotes NASD Article in Journal of Extension CERT Program in Spanish, Free on FEMA Web Site Hazardous Weather Awareness Materials FEMA'S New On-Line Course Helps Officials with Environmental and Historic Preservation Issues during Disaster Operations NIOSH Safety and Health Resources for Small Businesses Window Safety Week is April 18-24 About Safety News & Notes

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THOUGHTS & QUOTES

"No More Tractor Ride!" You may remember the "Thoughts & Quotes" piece I wrote in October SN&N titled "Wanna go for a tractor ride?" which referes to a television commercial for Singulair (a Merck allergy medicine) in which a young woman visits her fiancé's parents on the farm. At the very end she rides with her future father-in-law on the tractor. We contacted Merck and they sent a letter stating that their ad department was reviewing the ad. We were delighted to see recently the modified version of the ad, where the father is working on the older tractor (which could depict restoring an antique tractor). It no longer shows him asking the young woman if she wants to go for a tractor ride. Also, the ad no longer shows the farmer operating a ROPS-less tractor! Additionally, their Web site has been updated to include the new version of the ad. The letters, background information, and a link for viewing the commercial are posted at: <http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu/merck> At this site, you can also view additional materials that we sent to Merck in order to support our reason for being upset about the tractor ride -- no pun intended! This is an example that large companies do care about the image they are portraying and our voices can make a difference. When unsafe practices or images are portrayed in media, don't hesitate to let your voice be heard.

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NASD Article in Journal of Extension

The article, "NASD: The National Agricultural Safety Database--An Important Tool for Safety Programming" by Lehtola, Nelson, and Brown, is in the February issue of the Journal of Extension (JOE). The article explains how NASD can be a useful tool for extension agents.

View the article at: <http://www.joe.org/joe/2004february/tt5.shtml>

Just a reminder that new materials are continuously being added to NASD. Keep checking the "What's New" section. Most recently there have been several more Spanish documents added. There are also some articles in French.

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CERT Program in Spanish, Free at FEMA

An introduction to the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) program that is offered in many communities around the country is now available on-line from FEMA. It is provided in both English and Spanish and is free! CERTs are teams of volunteers that, in the event of a disaster, help secure their local community before rescue help may be able to arrive. If you are interested in a local CERT class, contact your county office of Emergency Management. The introductory class is at: <http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/CERT/>.

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Hazardous Weather Awareness Materials

Hazardous Weather Awareness Week was Feb. 22-28. Hazardous Weather Awareness: A Florida Guide and other materials are available at: <http://www.floridadisaster.org/HWA/intro.htm>. Materials include fact sheets and activity sheets.

From the Web site:

The 2004 Hazardous Weather Awareness: A Florida Guide is a valuable tool. It gives you information that you can use to help prepare for dangerous weather you might encounter -- at home, at school, at work, or while enjoying Florida’s great outdoors.

All Floridians should know what the weather hazards are and how they affect their community. This booklet informs you of the simple “Safety Actions” for each hazard. You must, however, take responsibility to act on this knowledge to keep yourself safe.

These weather situations are not limited to Florida -- so readers outside the state will also find this information useful. And it is a good idea for those planning to travel to Florida to be aware of our hazards.

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FEMA'S New On-Line Course Helps Officials with Environmental and Historic Preservation Issues during Disaster Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is unveiling today an on-line, independent study course that will help local, state, tribal and federal officials to navigate environmental and historic preservation compliance regulations that affect FEMA's disaster recovery programs.

"This course is one of the largest and most complex that we've ever put on our online Virtual Campus to date. It took some two years to convert from our paper-based curriculum," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. "It shows how serious we are about expanding training opportunities throughout the nation and far beyond our 'bricks and mortar' training facility in Maryland."

Specialists at FEMA developed the online course, IS 253: Coordinating Environmental and Historical Preservation Compliance. The online course not only presents how compliance issues should be addressed but also emphasizes that environmental/historical preservation issues should be considered early in the recovery process in order for projects to be funded as quickly as possible.

The course takes a minimum of 10 hours to complete, and those who successfully complete it will receive a certificate. The course can be accessed at http://training.fema.gov/emiweb. From there, interested students should click on NETC Virtual Campus to enroll.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

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NIOSH Safety & Health Resources for Small Businesses

Safety and health resources for small businesses, including the Resource Guide, are available from NIOSH at: <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/smbus/>.

This Guide is intended to help small business owners, employers, and managers deal with occupational safety and health concerns. Others involved with the small business community may also benefit from using this resource.

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Window Safety Week is April 18-24

This National Safety Council Web site includes a fact sheet, checklist, and a great coloring/activity book for children. An area of emphasis is keeping windows secure in order to reduce the risks of children pushing through screens and falling -- which has resulted in serious injuries and death. Tips are also provided about how to landscape under the windows in order to minimize injuries.

Visit NSC's Window Safety Web site: <http://www.nsc.org/aware/window/>.

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BE AWARE!

BE ALERT!

BE ALIVE!

Florida AgSafe Web site: http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu

The Disaster Handbook: http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu

National Agricultural Safety Database: http://www.cdc.gov/nasd

Extension Disaster Education Network: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden