If you are interested in attending a CPR Training in your area, please contact me at rbowers@nchcnh.org.  We can find opportunities in your town or set up a training if there is enough interest.   

May was skin cancer awareness month. Few people know that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.  When you're having fun outdoors, it's easy to forget how important it is to protect yourself from the sun.  Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays in as little as 15 minutes.  Yet it can take up to 12 hours for your skin to show the full effect of sun exposure. 

Even it it's cool and cloudy, you still need protection.  UV rays, not the temperature, do the damage.  Clouds do not block UV rays; they filter them--and sometimes only slightly.  Remember to plan ahead, and keep sun protection handy in your car, bag or child's backpack.

Tan?  There's no other way to say it-- Tanned skin is damaged skin.  Any change in the color of your skin after time outside-- whether sunburn or suntan--indicates damage from UV rays.  Using a tanning bed causes damage to your skin, just like the sun.

The sun and other sources of UV light can damage anyone's skin, no matter what skin type or eye color they have.  Those at greatest risk, however, are people with fair skin and red, blond or light brown hair; people with freckles and/or those who always burn before tanning; anyone spending a great deal of time outdoors, especially between 10:00am and 4:00 pm; and those with a family history of skin cancer.  Certain Prescription medications can also make people more susceptible to damage from the sun; always check with your healthcare provider about this. 

This and more more information can be found on the CDC website or the Skin Cancer Foundation website.

Ways to Protect Yourself!

  MRC TRAIN is a training website for MRC volunteers and those in emergency management.  TRAIN, a service of the Public Health Foundation, provides a robust on-line clearinghouse of more than 11,000 on-site training and distance learning opportunities offered by more than 2,650 providers.  For distance learning they have everything from live webinars to on demand webcasts.  To start, create an account by going to MRC TRAIN.  You can also join us for an introduction to the website June 7th.  Learn how to get started and what resources are available.

Join Us for an Introduction to MRC TRAIN!
Tuesday, June 7th 6pm-7pm NCHC Littleton Office
262 Cottage St. Suite 260

RSVP Today!

 

MRC will attend the Lancaster Farmer's Market in June to spread awareness about Emergency Preparedness, Healthy Living and the Medical Reserve Corps.  If you'd like to spread the word about MRC at your Farmer's Market please email Becky at rbowers@nchcnh.org.  Listed below are farmer's markets taking place in the month of June.

Saturdays from 9am-12pm
Lancaster Farmer's Market
Town Green on Main St. next to the Town Library
MRC will be there June 18th.

Sundays from 9am-12pm
Berlin Farmer's Market

Wednesdays from 3pm-6pm
Bethlehem Farmer's Market
Next to WREN

Sundays June from 10am-1pm
Littleton Farmer's Market   

The following was originally posted on the CDC Public Health Matters Blog on May 16th, 2011 by Ali S. Khan.
"There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare fro.  Take a zombie apocalypse or example.  That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e.  You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy that you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

A Brief History of Zombies

We've all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident Evil), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much?  They word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins.  Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead.  Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born.

A couple dressed as zombies - Danny Zucco and Sandy Olsson from the movie Grease walking in the annual Toronto Zombie Walk.

In movies, shows and literature, zombies are often depicted as beingcreated by an infectious virus, which is passed on via bites and contact with bodily fluids.  Harvard psychiatrist Steven Schoolman wrote a (fictional) medical paper on zombies presented in Night of the Living Dead and refers to the condition as Atazic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome caused by an infectious agent.  The Zombie Survival Guide identifies the cause of zombies as a virus called solanum.  Other zombie origins shown in films include radiation from a destroyed NASA Venus probe (as in Night of the Living Dead), as well as mutations of existing conditions such as prions, mad-cow disease, measles and rabies.
The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen.  In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating everything living that got in their way.  The proliferation of this idea has lead many people to wonder "How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?"

Well, we're here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!
 
Better Safe than Sorry

Some of the supplies for your emergency kit.

So what do you need to dobefore zombies... or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen?  First of all, you should have an emergency hit in your house.  This includes things like water, food and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation or utility lines are restored).  Below are a few items you should include in your kit, for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page.

• Water (1 gallon per person per day)
• Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)
• Medications (this includes prescriptions/non-prescription meds)
• Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc)
• Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)
• Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)
• Important Documents (copies of your driver's license, passport and birth certificate to name a few)
• First Aid Supplies (although you're a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get in a tornado or hurricane) 

Once you've made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan. This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step.  You can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake or other emergency.

Family members meeting at their mailbox.  You should pick two meeting places, one close to your home and one farther away.

1. Identify the types of emergencies that are possible in your area.  Besides a zombie apocalypse, this may include floods, tornadoes or earthquakes.  If you are unsure contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information.
2. Pick a meeting place for your family to regroup in case zombies invade your home... or your town evacuates because of a hurricane.  Pick one place right beside your home for sudden emergencies and one place outside of your neighborhood in case you are unable to return home right away.
3. Identify your emergency contacts.  Make a list of local contacts like the police, fire department and your local zombie response team.  Also identify an out-of-state contact that you can call during an emergency to let the rest of your family know you are ok.
4. Plan your evacuation route.  When zombies are hungry they won't stop until they get food (i.e., brains), which means you need to get out of town fast!  Plan where you would go and multiple routes you would take ahead of time so that the flesh eaters don't have a chance!  This is also helpful when natural disasters strike and you have to take shelter fast.

 

Never Fear - CDC is Ready

 

Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared

 

 If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak.  CDC would provided technical assistance to cities, states or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation.  This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine).  It's likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated.  Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).   

To learn more about what CDC does to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, visit:
 http://emergency.cdc.gov/cdc/orgs_progs.asp

To learn more about how you can prepare for and stay safe during an emergency visit:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/

To download a badge like the one above that you can add to your social networking profile, blog, website, or email signature visit:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies.asp"

If you are a MRC volunteer, don't forget to register with ESAR-VHP (NH Emergency System for Advance Registration of Healthcare Professionals).  This is no longer restricted to just health-care professionals.  All MRC Volunteers can register.  It is an electronic database of health-care personnel and others who have indicated their interest in volunteering to provide aid in an emergency.  ESAR-VHP works on a volunteer basis, so you decide when and where you wish to volunteer.  This system:

1. Registers health volunteers (as well as others)
2. Applies emergency credentialing standards to registered health volunteers, and
3. Allows for the verification of the identity, credentials and qualifications of registered volunteers in an emergency.

All MRC volunteers are encouraged to register.  Click here for more information.