Holiday Safety

With Thanksgiving Day, the holiday season has arrived. Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security would like to encourage everyone to be safe as you celebrate with friends and family over the next few months. During this holiday season, many of us will be decorating our homes with lights and candles as we celebrate with family and friends. Unfortunately, holiday fun can bring along some potential dangers as well. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), there are over 2,600 people who are injured by fires over the holiday season, with over $930 million in damages.

There are numerous opportunities to improve and protect your safety. The following websites are great sources to learn more:

Holiday Safety
USFA Holiday Fire Safety
Nebraska Safety Council
Consumer Produce Safety Council

These resources are also available at the Johnson County Emergency Management Website.

New Winter Weather Awareness Video

Matt May, Assistant Director of Operations for Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security, discusses winter weather preparedness in automobiles in the most recent video released. It can be viewed by clicking here or visiting the Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security YouTube Channel.

Winter Weather Awareness Day 2009 -- Wind Chill, Frostbite, and More

Winter Weather Awareness Day is November 18, 2009. This is a unique opportunity for us all to consider how prepared we are for the hazards that come with winter weather. As a part of our continuing efforts to prepare Johnson County for a variety of hazards, we will be running a series of updates about Winter Weather preparedness over the next couple of days.

Today, we want to share information about wind chill, frostbite, and hypothermia. According to the National Weather Service, the following definitions are true:

Wind Chill -- Wind chill is not the actual temperature, but rather how wind and cold feel on exposed skin. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate, driving down the body temperature. Animals are also affected by wind chill; however cars, plants and other objects are not.

Frostbite -- Frostbite is damage to the body tissue caused by extreme cold. A wind chill of -20° Fahrenheit (F) will cause frostbite in just 30 minutes. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately! If you must wait for help, slowly rewarm affected areas. However, if the person is also showing signs of hypothermia, warm the body core before the extremities.

Hypothermia -- Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 95°F. It can kill. For those who survive, there are likely to be lasting kidney, liver, and pancreas problems. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. Take the person's temperature. If below 95°F, seek medical care immediately!

For more information about winter weather preparedness, please visit www.jocoem.org.

JOHNSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXPANDS NUMBER OF TARGET GROUPS FOR H1N1 CLINICS

The Johnson County Health Department is offering a public H1N1 vaccination clinic on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., or while supplies last. The clinic will be at the Johnson County Health Department, 11875 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe, KS 66061. Vaccine is free of charge.

Vaccine will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis for the following priority groups:

~Pregnant women
~Persons who live with or provide regular care for infants less than six months of age (parents, siblings, daycare providers, etc.)
~Healthcare and emergency services personnel
~Persons six months through 24 years of age
~Persons 25 through 64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications

Healthy individuals (not pregnant) ages two through 49, and meeting criteria of one of the groups specified above, will receive nasal spray vaccine.

Pregnant women, children six months to 23 months of age, and individuals aged 50 to 64 who meet the above criteria, are not eligible for the nasal spray vaccine and will receive an injectable dose.

Consent forms as well as vaccine information sheets will be provided before the clinic at www.jocoflu.org. It is encouraged to have the form printed and filled out when you arrive at the site.

For additional information, go to www.jocoflu.org.

Preparedness Piggy Video Series

The Preparedness Piggy has made its first appearance in Johnson County. Check out two new emergency preparedness videos from Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security. We hope they are fun and interesting! They can be viewed at the Johnson County Emergency Management YouTube Channel or by clicking here or here.

Weekend H1N1 Vaccination Clinic a Success, But More is Available!

In a continued effort to provide vaccine to the national priority groups, Johnson County Public Health successfully administered 1,776 H1N1 vaccines this past Saturday to those groups. However, the Health Department initially had 2,400 doses and therefore will extend the public offering to the priority groups today at the Olathe location (11875 S. Sunset, Suite 300, Olathe, KS) from 8:30 - 12:00 and then again from 1:00 - 4:00. The vaccine is free of charge.

Vaccine will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis to Johnson County residents only, for the following priority groups:

Pregnant women
Children six months to four years of age
Caregivers of infants less than six months of age
Healthcare workers with direct patient contact

The nasal spray vaccine will be administered to healthy individuals (not pregnant and age appropriate, ages 2 through 49) who meet one of the priority groups specified above.

Pregnant women and children six months to two years of age are not eligible for the nasal spray vaccine and will receive an injectable dose.

Updated Information About the H1N1 Vaccination Clinic

In an effort to reach as many target groups as possible, The Johnson County Health Department has been able to expand the number of target groups for the public H1N1 vaccination clinic on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 (9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – or while supplies last). The clinic will be at the Northeast Offices complex, 6000 Lamar Ave., Mission, KS 66202. Please enter through the south doors. Doors will open at 8:45 a.m. Vaccine is free of charge.

Vaccine will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis to Johnson County residents only, for the following priority groups:

Pregnant women
Children six months to four years of age
Caregivers of infants less than six months of age or younger
Healthcare workers with direct patient contact

Healthy individuals ages two through 49 will receive nasal spray vaccine. Pregnant women and children six months to two years of age are not eligible for the nasal spray vaccine and will receive an injectable dose.

Consent forms as well as vaccine information sheets will be provided before the clinic at www.jocoflu.org. It is encouraged to have the form printed and filled out when you arrive at the site.

For additional information, go to www.jocoflu.org.