Tuesday, October 20, 2009

H1N1 (Swine Flu) and Seasonal Flu

Arm yourself against the seasonal and H1N1 (Swine) flu.This year there are two types of flu to protect against, the seasonal and H1N1 strains. Both require their own vaccine, and certain groups of people should get one or both of these vaccines. Help protect yourself from seasonal flu with a flu vaccination. Everyone should get a seasonal flu shot, but it’s especially important for:

Children 6 months old up to their 19th birthday

Anyone 50 or older

Anyone with a chronic health condition

Pregnant women

Health care workers

H1N1 (Swine) Flu and the Seasonal flu aren’t really that different. A lot of what you already know about the seasonal flu applies to the H1N1 flu (swine flu). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people recover from the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu on their own, without medical attention. .The seasonal flu vaccination does not protect against the 2009 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) virus. An H1N1 vaccine has been developed and approved.

Because of the limited supply of H1N1 vaccine, the CDC has established a list of which groups should get the vaccine first. Get up-to-date information to help protect yourself and your family during this outbreak, go to cdc.gov to view a list of frequently asked questions, health guidelines, and symptoms to watch for.

Information provided by Kaiser Permanente

Friday, October 2, 2009

National Fire Prevention Week Oct 4-10, 2009

Monday, October 5th, 8:30 - 2:00 - Dayton Elementary School

Columbia County Fire District 3 will be hosting a fire safety day for the Dayton School Children grades K-4 on Monday, October 5th, 8:30 - 2:00 near the bus staging area.

Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned!


Testing the water before putting a child in the bath may sound like common sense. Wearing short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking on the stovetop may show foresight. This and other simple actions may be all it takes to prevent devastating burns.


Olympia, WA 2009 — Once a child touches a hot stove, as the cliché goes—he learns his lesson, stay away from a hot stove. This cliché does not take into account the pain and suffering from burns and burns should not be part of the learning process.


That’s why State Fire Marshal Mike Matlick is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for Fire Prevention Week 2009 – October 4-10 – to urge Washington residents to “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.” This year’s campaign focuses on ways to keep homes fire safe and prevent painful burns. Additionally, fire safety educators will be teaching local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.
The statistics are staggering. Based on a five-year average, approximately 5 people die in fires each month in Washington State.



“The most common types of burn injuries result from fire or flame burns, scalds and contact burns,” said State Fire Marshal Mike Matlick. “Burns are painful and can result in serious scarring and even death. When we take extra caution in our homes to ensure that the curling iron is out of children’s reach or pot handles are turned away from the edge of the stove, such injuries are entirely preventable. Keeping our homes safe from fire and preventing devastating burn injuries is a healthy change we can make happen.”


By following simple safety rules, you can “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”


  • Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.

  • Have a 3-foot “kid-free” zone around the stove.

  • Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.

  • Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps, heaters.

  • Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object in the outlet.

  • Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.

  • Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.

  • Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.

  • Install anti-scald valves on shower heads and faucets.


Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. For 85 years, fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Dayton School District Evacuation Drill










































































September 30th, 2009
Columbia County Emergency Management has been working collaboratively with the Dayton School District, Columbia County Fire District 3, Columbia County Sheriff's Office, the Columbia County Commissioners and Crisis Management Consulting to update the Columbia County School Emergency Plan.


After many months of work, Columbia County Schools have an up to date School Emergency Plan. A video containing emergency instructions and evacuation procedures was made for staff members and the community. The video will be made available to the community Fall, 2009.

On September 30th, the Dayton Public Schools held their first evacuation drill using the new procedure's. Columbia County Emergency Management, Columbia County Fire District 3 and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office also participated. The drill was a success.

WSEMA/OEMA September 14-17, 2009

Washington State Emergency Management Association (WSEMA) partnered with Oregon Emergency Management Association (OEMA) on a very successful conference which took place on Sept. 14 – 17, 2009 for Northwest emergency managers and continuity planners.

Columbia County Emergency Management participated in this conference which provided classes such as:
Dealing with Stress in Responding to Crisis Issues
Facing Catastrophe Together: Exploring Pacific Northwest Collaboration.
Public/Private Partnerships in Oregon and Washington.
Who Depends on You? A Public Education Campaign that Moves People from Intention to Action
Social Media: From Definition to Deployment.
Washington's Statewide Resource Management Project.
FEMA Update on National Response Framework, NIMS Requirements, PREPCAST, LLIS.
Flood Fight Design, Planning and Methods Overview.
Global Climate Change - New Planning for Emergency Management.
National Weather Service Update: What's Ahead for the Coming Winter.

We look forward to implementing the learned skills and sharing the ideas we obtained during this conference.