911 What Is your Address?

The following are 10 suggestions that may help emergency personnel better locate your home:


1. House numbers should be at least four inches high on the front of your house, near the front door where a “lit” porch light makes them visible from the street.

2. Numbers “could” be located on your porch roof support post next to your steps. If this method is used, keep trees and shrubs trimmed from hiding your numbers.

3. Numbers “should not” be just located on curbs or step risers. Snow, leaves or vehicles could obscure the numbers.

4. One inch high numbers are not recommended because they are hard to see at a distance under adverse conditions. These are good for roadside mailboxes.

5. Homeowners with trees and shrubs may want to place two sets of numbers on their property.

6. Homeowners that have alleys to the rear of their property may want to consider numbers on a fence or garage. The police may find it necessary to approach your home from the alley in an emergency.

7. Never paint over your house numbers - it camouflages them.

8. A porch light costs pennies per night to operate, and it illuminates your address numbers. It may even keep burglars and thieves away.

9. Put your address numbers on your trashcans. It adds to marking your home for emergency personnel. Every little bit helps.

10. When calling for emergency assistance, give a brief description of your home, i.e., a blue house with black shutters, green Chevy in the driveway. Make sure you repeat your address back to make sure the operator knows you live at 1234 Somewhere Road, not one block over on 1234 Somewhere Place.

DOPE

DOPE (Death or Prison Eventually) is a film by Southern California's Chris Aherns and filmed by Chris Laurie.
This movie chronicles the rise, fall and redemption of four of the world's most influential skateboarders.
Bruce Logan, Jay Adams, Dennis Martinez, and Christian Hosoi

Taking you from their days of innocent fun, winning trophies for their skatbording skills and endless supplies of money, the film takes a jump to the dark side with the introduction of hard drugs, prison, and death. Included in this film are Interviews with police officers, transients, skateboarders, parents and loved ones of these skateboarders, it shows the true affects that drug use brings to our society as well as the intense pain and misery it causes for those that know drug abusers.
http://www.dopethemovie.org/

Recognizing and Treating Heat Exhaustion

Sudden high temperature (but less than 104 degrees)
Hot and flushed skin that might be clammy to the touch
Muscle or stomach cramps
Nausea and/or vomiting
Headache
Profuse sweating
Rapid pulse
Dizziness
Treating Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is not usually a life-threatening condition. The two important rules to remember regarding heat exhaustion are:
Get the ill person out of the sun.
Replace the body's lost fluids and salt by having the person drink lots of water, Gatorade, decaffeinated iced tea, or juice.
Cool the person's body with fans, cool towels, or sprays.
Keep the sufferer out of the sun for the next 12–24 hours.

LYME DISEASE PREVENTION

The majority of Lyme disease cases are caused by tick bites acquired around the home. Children may be at particular risk because of the amount of time they spend playing outdoors and the failure to recognize a tick bite. To help reduce this risk of tick exposure, remind your family of these “tick-safety tips”:
Before Going out: Wear light-colored, tightly woven clothing to make it easier to spot ticks; tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks; wear closed shoes / sneakers rather than open sandals; use a tick repellent as directed. Products should contain DEET (for clothing OR skin) or Permethrin (for clothing ONLY). Remind children to ask an adult to apply the tick repellent and DO NOT apply to hands or face. Use products with less than 10% DEET and always follow manufacturers’ directions carefully. Do not use repellents on children under 3 years of age.
Pay particular attention to tops of shoes and lower portion of pant legs, as ticks are most likely to attach here.
While Outside: Stay in the center of trails; avoid low bushes and leafy brush; periodically check clothing and skin for ticks and remove.
Upon Return: Check clothing, skin, and hair for ticks (take special note of your child’s navel, underarm, groin area and behind the ears). If a tick is found, remove it carefully with tweezers. If it was attached, note spot of attachment, mark calendar, and save tick in a jar for later identification. Should symptoms such as an expanding “bull’s eye” rash, flu-like symptoms or painful joints develop, contact your physician.

Tall grass and Weeds

"Weeds" are defined as grass, weeds, bushes, vines, poison ivy, poison oak, or any other foreign growth, other than trees, ornamental shrubbery, flowers and garden vegetables. When any of these types of vegetation are allowed to remain tall, there are possible negative consequences. Tall weeds detract from the appearance of the neighborhood. Undesirable wildlife like rats and mice use the unmowed lawn for hiding places and habitat, and these animals may carry disease. Lastly, unmowed grass tells passers by that no one cares about the property, which may invite criminal activity.



1) properties that have a realtor “For Sale” sign on the lawn. A simple phone call to the realtor will, in most cases, result in that lawn being mowed expeditiously. Don't wait for Someone else to do it. Give them a call.
The realtor has a vested interest in maintaining good relations with WNW residents and
2) those for which there is no “For Sale” sign nor any contact information on the property; i.e. usually an absentee landlord. Any citizen may file a complaint for a weed case violation by calling. The Shawnee Action Center at 878-1602 Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.

Could there be a Reason your Neighbor hasn't Mowed?

Neighbors don't always talk to other neighbors, but a little awareness of your neighbor's situation may go a long way toward that sense of community and the appearance of your neighborhood.

Shawnee Action Center has seen quite a few cases where serious family illness or physical limitations and inability to pay someone to mow the lawn are the reasons for neglect of the lawn. Think about the home where a spouse is on military assignment or the elderly neighbors who cannot push a mower anymore. Look out for your neighbors and offer to mow their grass; arrange for other neighbors to take turns mowing, too. Neighbors helping neighbors works!

Observation Skills Test

For some time now I have been looking for a good Observation Skills test for you all to do and I finally found one. It is located at www.topsecurityagency.com/tsaobservation.htm
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Fire Escape Plans

MAKE AND PRACTICE AN EXCAPE PLAN.
Plan for two ways to escape from each room.
Practice escape plans every month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or using an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened and that they have a quick-release latch and that everyone knows how to open them. Also, practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.

When a fire occurs, do not waste any time saving property. Take the safest exit route, but if you must escape through smoke, remember to crawl low, under the smoke and keep your mouth covered. The smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.
Plan for everyone in your home-including babies and others who need help to escape.

Pick a place to meet after you escape to check that everyone got out.

Designate a meeting location away from the home, but not necessarily across the street. For example, meet under a specific tree or at the end of the driveway or front sidewalk to make sure everyone has gotten out safely and no one will be hurt looking for someone who is already safe. Designate one person to go to a neighbor's home to phone the fire department.

Involve children in making and practicing your escape plan.
Teach children to never hide during a fire-they must get out and stay out.
Clear toys, boxes, and other debris from exits.

Never open a door that feels hot. Escape another way.
When you come to a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame to make sure that fire is not on the other side. If it feels hot, use your secondary escape route. Even if the door feels cool, open it carefully. Brace your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. If heat and smoke come in, slam the door and make sure it is securely closed, then use your alternate escape route.

lawnmower safety

Try to use a mower with a control that stops the mower from moving forward if the handle is let go.
Children younger than 16 years should not be allowed to use ride-on mowers. Children younger than 12 years should not use walk-behind mowers.
Make sure that sturdy shoes (not sandals or sneakers) are worn while mowing.
Prevent injuries from flying objects, such as stones or toys, by picking up objects from the lawn before mowing begins. Have anyone who uses a mower wear hearing and eye protection.
Do not pull the mower backward or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary, and carefully look for children behind you when you mow in reverse.
Always turn off the mower and wait for the blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, or crossing gravel paths, roads, or other areas.
Do not allow children to ride as passengers on ride-on mowers.

Hotel Safety

Now that the summer vacation season is here, we must remember that crime prevention doesn't stop when we leave home. To help ensure that a vacation will be an enjoyable experience for everyone, here are some crime prevention tips that will help protect your family and property when staying at a hotel or motel.

Arriving at a Hotel

Park your vehicle in a well-lit area close to the lobby where you can see your vehicle and occupants.
Before getting out of your vehicle, check your surroundings for suspicious looking people.
When leaving your vehicle, put valuables out of sight and be sure to lock it.
Memorize your vehicle license information so you don't have to go back outside.
Checking In

Make reservations ahead of time to prevent being stranded with no vacancies or unsafe accommodations.
Women traveling alone may prefer to sign in using only a first initial and last name.
Register using your business address.
When Arriving at Your Room

Store valuables in a hotel safe and get a receipt instead of leaving them in your vehicle.
Don't enter your room if someone is loitering in the area and watching you. Report this to the front desk immediately.
Be sure the locks on your door are working properly.
Familiarize yourself with the closest fire evacuation route.
Make sure you know how to use the phone in your room and that you can dial out to 911.
Memorize the name and address of the hotel and your room number.
Use the "peep hole" to identify visitors. Do not open the door to strangers.
Going Out

Hang the "do not disturb" sign on the doorknob and leave a light and radio or TV on when leaving.
Do not enter an elevator if someone inside seems suspicious.
Inquire at the front desk about safe places to eat, shop, walk, or jog. Ask for a map of the area.
Following these tips will help make your vacation a safe and enjoyable experience.