Author: Anna Muldoon, Science Policy Advisor

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a romantic evening for two; taking some extra time with your kids; or hanging out with your friends to toast singles awareness day, you’ll probably be with someone you care about on February 14. This year, try doing something a little different. Show you care by starting a conversation on emergency preparedness. Think about it – nothing says “I love you” more than a letting the special people in your life know that you’ll stick together when times get rough.

So, here are our top five ways to show your sweetheart, friends or family members that you love them

5. Presents:

You could say “I love you” with something that won’t make your loved one worry about gaining weight and that won’t die in a week. Instead of a heart shaped box of chocolates, maybe a box of chocolate power bars? Want to keep someone warm and toasty? A fleece blanket with hearts on it could also keep your loved one warm in an emergency.

4. Preparing with Friends:

Getting together with friends for Singles Awareness Day? Plan to go out and take a CPR class together before you go out for dinner or head out for a party. You’ll learn a new skill and everyone will be better prepared to take care of each other in an emergency. Want to learn more? Check out Red Cross.

3. Text “I <3 You”:

Agree with a few friends that you’ll spend some time sending tweets or texts to each other about ways you can show that you care by promising to prepare. Let people know that they can count on you – and that you’re counting on them. Try things like “I <3 John enough to pick him up in an emergency” or “Can’t get back to the apartment? We’ll meet at Amy’s place.”

2. Take your Kids to Sesame Street:

Planning for an emergency is an important way to show your kids that you care – and folks on Sesame Street can help you get started. So, check out Let’s Get Together! Planning Together for Emergencies and let Grover and Big Bird help you plan.

And the number one way to show that you care this Valentine’s Day...

1. Start a Conversation:

Set aside some time to talk to your loved ones about preparedness. You don’t need to break out the emergency planning guide between the filet mignon and the chocolate mousse on your dinner date. But if you’re with someone you love enough to take care of during an emergency, let them know that and set aside a time to make a plan. When the time comes, check out Emergency Preparedness and You for tips on what to include in your planning.

Any holiday that is about making sure the people we love know it can be a moment to be sure we know what to do if everything goes wrong. In any emergency, making sure loved ones are alright becomes a priority and having a plan makes that much, much easier. This is a good moment to make that happen.

Do you have ideas for Valentine’s Day themed emergency preparedness? Post them below and maybe we can include them next year! Need some more inspiration? Check out www.PHE.gov/Care for tips on how you can show your loved ones and even your community that you care.

Author: Yong-Bee Lim, Graduate Student Intern,Division for At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and Community Resilience

Whether it is a fast-building derecho or a slow-moving superstorm, power outages often go hand-in-hand with natural disasters. Power outages aren’t just an inconvenience; they impact basic necessities such as food and water. Power outages also can impact people who use certain types of home medical devices. Another modern problem with power outages: draining the battery on communications devices like cell phones which can be a lifeline to help during a disaster.

While a basic emergency supply kit will help see families through emergency situations, a sustained power outage makes charging mobile devices difficult.

Mobile devices are particularly important in an emergency for:

• Communicating with family and close friends
• Contacting local, state, and federal responders and resources
• Receiving alerts and updates through mobile applications. A great example is the American Red Cross, which offers mobile apps for finding shelters, monitoring severe weather conditions, and accessing basic first aid. Many states offer alerts via e-mail, text message or social media.

Good news! Your mobile device does not have to be sputtering on empty! There are options to keep your mobile devices charged, and keep you informed and connected during an emergency.

• Backup battery: Keeping a single charged backup battery for your mobile device gives you twice the battery power in the event of an emergency event.
• Battery cases: Need extra juice and prone to dropping your cellular phone? Battery cases offer a blend of protection and extra battery life.
• Portable backup chargers: Portable backup batteries are charged in advance to provide energy during an emergency. While their storage capacities vary, a fully charged device is often capable of fully charging a mobile device multiple times.
• Solar chargers: Harness the power of the sun using a solar charger, which converts direct and indirect sunlight into storable energy and is a great option for extended power outages.

On your next exploration through the internet consider researching and investing in one of these energy-extending devices. Your friends and family will thank you during the next power outage.

Have any other suggestions for extending the battery life of your mobile devices or staying connected to actionable information during an emergency? Share your thoughts in a comment to this blog post.

How Studies of Bellybuttons, Roadkill and Genomics Offer an Opportunity to Improve Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery

Author:  Sara Harris, Management Analyst, Gap Solutions, Inc., Contractor Supporting ASPR Fusion Cell

In mid-November, Fusion Cell hosted Bring Your Own Data: Opportunities and Challenges in Using Citizen-Generated Data for Situational Awareness, which was developed with other Federal and non-profit partners including: U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, National Center for Food Protection and Defense, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. For eight hours we listened to presentations on everything from earthquakes, to bellybuttons, to road kill, to genomics. You’re probably asking yourself, why? Why are the data and analytics people of ASPR interested in bellybutton or earthquake research? Well, it’s not so much that we’re interested specifically in bellybuttons, but we’re very interested in hearing from people who are conducting their own research on bellybuttons, or earthquakes, or roadkill through citizen science. We want to learn more about how others are using citizen scientists to collect data and improve their research.

Citizen scientists are becoming an increasingly vital part of research. The use of citizen scientists can increase the scope and feasibility of a project while simultaneously educating the community on the subject matter. For example, presenter Dr. William McShea with the Smithsonian National Zoo spoke about the Smithsonian programs SI Wild and eMammal. SI Wild uses motion activated cameras across the globe to capture photos of wildlife. The eMammal program then trains citizens to identify different species in those photos, helping to categorize and organize the data. This allows Jane Doe in Minnesota to play a role in identifying species seen in China and increase her understanding of international biodiversity.

In an effort to continuously improve and innovate, we want to figure out if data collected, recorded, and reported by citizens is reliable and useful in the midst of a public health emergency. At the time of the forum, we had already been responding to Hurricane Sandy over two weeks. Our strengths and challenges were at the forefront of our minds. So, as we listened to each speaker it was easy for us to think of how citizen data may or may not provide insight into what is happening in communities and neighborhoods following a disaster.

One of the most important lessons taught by speakers that day was that citizen science projects need to be a real partnership. To promote citizen participation in data and science, projects need to be open and transparent with the locus of control with the participants. People are more likely to participate in studies focusing a subject matter they are already passionate about. They want to know that someone is listening to them. It helps them feel engaged and empowered. At the end of it all, they want to get something back after participating, whether it be further education, visualizations of their data, or participation in future studies. It’s not enough to just ask for information and provide nothing in return. People want to know what they’re doing is making a difference.

In the coming months we hope to take all of our lessons learned from that day and begin turning them into action. We want to engage people in all stages of the continuum: preparedness for disaster events, response during the event, and recovery as a resilient community.

Help us keep the conversation going. Got ideas on ways that citizens and the government can work together to protect and save lives in an emergency? Share your thoughts in a comment to this blog post.

Author: Yong-Bee Lim, Graduate Student Intern,Division for At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and Community Resilience

Hurricanes, floods and other disasters can be scary for anyone – but they are particularly hard on kids and families need to be ready to respond to emergencies together. Planning discussions and preparedness steps should not just include adults; children can and should be involved, too. Including your children in your family’s disaster preparedness planning can help give them the confidence to deal with unexpected situations and mitigate feelings of anxiety and powerlessness in an actual emergency.

Wondering how to get started? Fun, interactive resources are available to help children and teenagers become part of your family’s emergency planning and preparedness process:

• Sesame Street’s Let’s Get Together! Planning Together for Emergencies is a series of videos, worksheets, and activity books that engages both parents and children in the basic planning steps for emergencies.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers family-oriented, preparedness-themed activities such as word searches, go-bag games and emergency-kit scavenger hunts. FEMA also collaborated with the Flat Stanley Project to create FEMA Flat Stanley and Flat Stella to educate students on the need to be prepared for emergencies and disasters, as well as ways to help their families nurture more resilient households.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers teens the preparedness knowledge to survive even a zombie apocalypse. Zombie Preparedness, which includes resources such as a zombie blog, posters, novellas, and social media content, encourages teens to learn the basics of emergency preparedness and response using a fun, fictitious scenario.
• American Red Cross Masters of Disaster curriculum is tailored to elementary and middle school ages to educate children through a series of ready-to-go lesson plans. The program helps children prepare for emergency events and build skills to adapt to unexpected situations.

Still looking for more ways to plan and prepare with your children? Visit FEMA’s page on youth preparedness.

Have you and your family found ways to get your kids involved in the family’s disaster plan? Let the community know what worked well - or didn’t – in a comment to this blog post.

Author: Anna Muldoon, Science Policy Advisor

As we wind down 2012 and look forward to 2013, many of us are reviewing our priorities and goals to make 2013 a better year. 2012 has given us many reminders of the need to be prepared for the unexpected. Hurricane Sandy has caused untold damage to several states. Wildfires in the Western and Central US destroyed homes and forced evacuations in several states. Hurricane Isaac caused flooding, power outages and evacuations across Louisiana.

Recovery continues in these communities and life is returning to normal, but what can we do in 2013 to be better prepared ourselves if the next disaster is in our home town? As we look toward New Year’s resolutions, it makes sense to incorporate a few preparedness goals into the list. Many of these ideas are easy and fast, and can make a huge difference if you do them before a disaster is heading your way. You’ll have the peace of mind that you’re done everything you can to keep yourself and your family safe and as healthy as possible.

Make a family plan – discuss what you will do in the event of an evacuation or major warning for your area. Know the kind of disasters you need to worry about most often and plan ahead for them. Talk about what you will do if you need to evacuate – where you will go, where you will meet if you are separated from your spouse or children, how you will keep in touch. Make sure everyone in your family understands the plan. Learn how you can make a plan.

Get a kit – put together the basic supplies to live for at least 3 days without power or away from your house. This includes water, canned food, flashlights, battery or solar powered radios (many of these can also charge your phone), a first aid kit, and important documents. Make sure you include any medications your family members need on a daily basis.

Make copies of important documents – make sure your kit includes key documents. Put important documents, such as house titles, passports, birth certificates, and investment documents in a safe deposit box or a water and fire proof box in your home.

Sign up for emergency alerts – Many towns and cities have local emergency alert systems that will send text messages, emails, or call your cell phone in the event of an emergency warning for your area. Others have Facebook or Twitter sites, so you can be alerted to a disaster on sites you use every day. Knowing the most up to date information on an emergency can save your life. Signing up for these is free and usually only takes a few minutes. Find resources in your state.

Plan for your pets – have a plan for your pets  and know what you will do for them in the event of an emergency, especially if you would be staying in a community Some shelters will take pets in the event of an evacuation, but not all will. If you have a dog, having an emergency muzzle or knowing how to make one is a very good idea. Even the calmest animal can be scared into snapping when there is noise, wind, flooding, or fire. If you have cats, make sure you have carriers on hand, so you can take the cat with you safely.

Most of these steps can be accomplished quickly - anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, but they can make a difference when disaster strikes. Why not begin the New Year with a few steps to protect yourself and your family for the long term? It’s never a bad moment to be prepared for the future!

Got other ideas on how to start the New Year out right and prepare yourself and your family for an emergency? Share your ideas in a comment to this blog.

Author: Robin Robinson, Ph.D., Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority

Like they do each flu season, during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic healthcare providers sent samples to a lab and waited days to learn whether their patients were sick from the new H1N1 virus or another type of flu virus. The results could change the treatment the doctor prescribed. Today we have fast, easy and reliable flu diagnostic tests which can be used closer to patients in the emergency department. But we don’t know yet what impact these tests really have on clinical decision-making. How does using these near-patient tests affect what treatments doctors prescribe for emergency patients who are at increased risk for flu complications? How can the test results be pulled together in almost real time and health departments alerted to help clinicians control the spread and impact of flu in their communities?

To help answer these questions and more, Johns Hopkins will research the impact of rapid, near-the-patient flu diagnostic tests during the next three years under a new $4.4 million cooperative agreement funded by BARDA. This study marks the first cooperative agreement partnership BARDA has with a non-government partner. We’re excited about the opportunity and coordinating with CDC and public health partners.

Specifically the University’s School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md., will assess the performance of rapid, near-patient tests and evaluate the impact of influenza testing on the decisions doctors make in prescribing antivirals for emergency patients. Johns Hopkins researchers will also develop, validate and implement an electronic clinical decision guide for patients’ symptoms and signs of flu; this guide can assist healthcare providers with influenza testing decisions for their emergency department patients who are at increased risk of complications from the influenza. The research also will demonstrate the feasibility of using an electronic, cloud-based, data aggregation system to consolidate and structure influenza test results in real-time.

The researchers also will look at whether a system like this helps communicate results within facilities and across public health networks more easily than current systems. To do this, they’ll be working with Cepheid, an influenza diagnostic test manufacturer.

Johns Hopkins will coordinate the clinical research in four emergency departments over two influenza seasons. Collaborating in the study are Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, Calif.; Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, Ariz.; Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., and Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. All four of these emergency departments are part of the EMERGEncy ID Net, a network of high-volume, geographically diverse and academically affiliated emergency departments. The network was first formed in 1995 through collaboration and support by CDC.

Emergency departments provide critical information about seasonal and pandemic influenza preparedness and response. Each year, emergency departments evaluate and treat almost 10 million patients with influenza-related illnesses, and more than 200,000 of these patients require hospitalization. Findings from this multi-site, multi-year research will be published to provide an evidence base for clinicians, healthcare facilities and public health officials so they can make important decisions about implementing new rapid influenza tests in near-patient settings, such as emergency departments.

We’re making big strides in developing better flu diagnostic tests and effective antiviral medications and vaccines to protect against influenza and its potentially deadly complications. We know that our healthcare system has to respond to pandemics and other public health emergencies with the systems that are in place at the time. With the research we’re funding through Johns Hopkins, we can make a difference in the systems that are in place, and how ready our nation is for the next public health emergency. And the more prepared we are across the country for pandemic flu, the better we can respond day-to-day to seasonal flu outbreaks. It’s all about saving lives and protecting health in an emergency and every day.

Author: Elizabeth Jarrett, Program Analyst

I love the holiday season. Peace on earth, goodwill to all and 50% off on Black Friday. But every year, I have hard to shop for people on my list. I want to get them something that shows I really care, but what? A new crock pot for mom? Nope. She already has three. Maybe a set of weights for my brother? He probably won’t use them. Chocolates for my best friend? She’s on a diet, so that seems kind of cruel.

Believe it or not, there is something that you can get for the people on your list that they probably don’t already have, likely will use at some point and will never make them fat. That’s right: items for their preparedness kits. Most Americans don’t have a preparedness kit, but we all could use one. Many disasters strike with little or no notice, like tornadoes, wildfires, and earthquakes, and being prepared can help people weather the storm. That hand-crank radio may not be the most sparkly gift your loved one receives this year, but they will be thinking of you fondly when it helps them stay informed during an emergency.

So far this year, FEMA has declared 45 major disasters and 16 emergencies. People from Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between have faced disasters. If you give your loved ones an item or two for their preparedness kit, they will probably need it at some point and it could help keep them safe and protect their health. Isn’t that what we really want for our loved ones?

Take a few minutes to think about the person you’re buying for. For example, I know that my dad is getting older and now he has to hold onto the railing when he goes up and down the stairs. When the power goes out, he can only see where he’s going if he has a flashlight, but he would have trouble holding onto a flashlight and the railing at the same time. No problem. I got him a head lamp. That way, he doesn’t have to use his hands to hold the flashlight and he can still see where he’s going. And he really does use it. He even called to thank me after the derecho knocked out the power to his house earlier this year. The light helped him stay safe on the stairs and enabled him to read after the sun went down. Mom was just jealous that I hadn’t gotten one for her - so I know what I’m getting her this year!

There are lots of ways that you can show that you care and help your loved ones prepare for emergencies this holiday season. You don’t even have to buy anything - just start a conversation. If the whole family is together, take a few minutes to talk about preparedness and ways that they can stay safe and healthy during a disaster, especially how everyone will get in touch after a storm.

Whether you’re thinking of buying something for a loved one’s preparedness kit or just talking with them about how they could be better prepared, check out some tips from CDC and the Red Cross that will help you stock a preparedness kit, make a plan and stay informed. Or check out the bReddi and other preparedness apps on Facebook.

Have other thoughts on how you can make preparedness a part of this season? Share them with us in a comment to the blog.

Author:  Anna Muldoon, Science Policy Advisor

As people returned to their homes after Hurricane Sandy, many may have found an unwelcome guest: mold. They join the ranks of many others around the country this year who’ve dealt with storm and flood damage. Mold can cover everything, can pose a health hazard, ruins your things and smells bad. So you need to get rid of it. All of it. Mold can grow into a long-term problem if not dealt with right away, but how do you know what has mold on it? And how to you get rid of it?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that if anything has been wet for more than two days, you should assume there is mold growing on it, even if you can’t see mold. Things like carpet, couches, mattresses, paper, and other hard-to-clean items should be thrown away. If your house has been fully flooded and left with standing water, you might want to call in a clean-up expert to be sure you catch all of the damage right away.

When working on cleaning your home, please remember that people with asthma or other breathing conditions are particularly sensitive to mold. Mold can also cause health problems and illnesses. If you start to feel ill after cleaning a flooded home, see a physician.

	Safety:  Masks and Gloves Mold can cause serious health problems in many groups of people.  When dealing with mold problems and cleaning up after standing water, CDC recommends wearing N-95 masks to avoid breathing mold.  When using bleach to clean, wear kitchen gloves help prevent skin irritation.  Remember to open a nearby window when using bleach products and keep bleach products away from children.
	Dry Out Your House Before you can clean up flood damage, you will have to get the last of the moisture out of your house to prevent further mold growth.  If you have electricity or a generator, you could use a “wet-dry” shop vacuum to remove any standing water.  If the weather outside is dry you can open windows, run fans facing out the windows, or you can use dehumidifiers.  To prevent mold from spreading, immediately remove any large, wet furnishings that you know can’t be saved.
	Clothes and Fabric  Even though fabric soaks up water, many items made of fabric can be saved after a flood.  To make sure mold does not grow or stay in the fabric, CDC suggests washing everything with HOT water at least once.   Not all fabrics can be saved, but those you can wash in hot water can usually be kept.  Even if you love something, only keep it if you can clean it after a storm.
	Hard Surfaces Wood floors, tiled surfaces, counters and other hard surfaces may be salvageable.  Using bleach is a good way to kill mold, but you should never pour straight bleach on a surface.  A bleach and water mixture can be poured into spray bottles for easy cleaning.  How much bleach do you need to use?  Check out the CDC fact sheet Cleaning and Sanitizing with Bleach after any Emergency for more information. Remember: never mix bleach and ammonia and never clean with bleach in a room that isn’t ventilated such as an open window.
	Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems: If your house stayed wet for a few days, have the HVAC system checked by a professional to be sure it hasn’t been contaminated with mold and have it cleaned if it has mold.  Turning on a system with mold in the ducts can spread mold throughout your house and cause more problems down the road.  Throw out any damaged or wet filters to prevent mold growth and cover vents while you clean other areas and wait for a professional.

Want to learn more about keeping mold out of your home? The CDC has resources to help you deal with mold after a disaster and re-enter your flooded home.

​In the wake of disasters like Hurricane Sandy, caring for people who become sick or injured can be a challenge. The same is true for pets. Animals, too, can be sick, injured and displaced during a storm and need medicine, medical supplies, and a cadre of qualified veterinary professionals to provide them with top quality care and help them recover. Yet their families may not be in a position to care for them after a disaster and local veterinary offices may not be available due to storm damage.

Enter the National Veterinary Response Team, part of ASPR’s National Disaster Medical System. At the request of state and local agencies, NVRT vets and vet techs are currently providing primary and acute care for pets at two hard hit locations in the New York City area: Brooklyn and Far Rockaway.

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In Brooklyn, NVRT is working with a host of partners at a large pet shelter. Partners include the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C), the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, television personality Rachael Ray, and a NYC Veterinary Emergency Response Team (NYC VERT). The shelter opened Nov. 17 and expects to care for more than 200 pets a day who have been displaced temporarily as their families recover from the hurricane.

NVRT members also are providing veterinary care from a mobile vet clinic in the Far Rockaway area while local veterinary practices repair their offices and become available again in the community. As the mobile clinic opened Nov. 16, NVRT responders began treating dozens of pets each day.

To support residents in these hard hit areas, NVRT members traveled from across the country to join the response; some came from as far away as Alaska and Florida.

You can help keep your pet safe and healthy during a disaster. Animals can get sick from swallowing floodwater or from trying to clean themselves after they have been in floodwater. They can be injured by crawling over debris left in the wake of a disaster.

Make sure that your pets are ready for the next disaster in your community. Check out our previous blog post: Protect your Furry Friends from Nature’s Fury. Got other tips for keeping pets safe and healthy following Hurricane Sandy? Share them with us in a comment on this blog post!

Need to speak with someone NOW?

SAMHSA sponsors a national Disaster Distress Helpline that immediately connects callers to trained and caring professionals from the closest crisis counseling center within the nationwide network.

To access the helpline 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, call 1-800-985-5990, text TalkWithUs to 66746, or visit the SAMHSA website at http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/

The Helpline staff will provide confidential counseling, referrals and other needed support services. Need tips on helping yourself and loved ones cope with the emotional toll of Hurricane Sandy?

Find resources to help yourself and loved ones work through the emotional stress of Hurricane Sandy and other disasters on the SAMHSA website at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis/dbhis_hurricane_bib.asp#specific

When disaster strikes, people react with increased anxiety, worry and anger. With community and family support, most of us bounce back. Take some time to make sure you and your loved ones are getting any extra assistance necessary in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy; there are countless organizations and people out there who want to and can help.