September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit.

Due to the success of the 2015 theme, "Don't Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today," will be returning for this September with a continuing emphasis on preparedness for youth, older adults, and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. Thank you for taking time to help make America more prepared for emergencies.

Go to Ready.gov for more information about how you can prepare for different types of emergencies.

If you have been following the Hepatitis A, Breaking News and Updates, you may already know that the Department of Health has isolated the cause of the outbreak to raw scallops purchased by Genki Sushi through their importer, Sea Port Products Corp., of Kirkland Washington.

The number of people who have contracted Hepatitis A in Hawaii numbered 228 as of August 24, 2016. All the victims are adults and 58 were so ill they required hospitalization. Three were visitors who returned to the mainland.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park reminded the public that: "Hepatitis A symptoms can appear up to 50 days after exposure. This is why we expect to continue to see cases in the coming weeks and why we need to remain vigilant to prevent further transmission, even though the product has been pulled off the market."

Hepatitis A is preventable by vaccine. It spreads from contaminated food or water, or contact with someone who is infected. Symptoms include: fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and low-grade fever. The condition clears up on its own in 1 or 2 months. 

The best way to prevent Hepatitis A is through vaccination with the Hepatitis A vaccine. Vaccination is recommended for all children, for travelers to certain countries, and for people at high risk for infection with the virus. Frequent hand washing with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, or before preparing food can help prevent the spread of Hepatitis A.

After the vaccine is given, the body makes antibodies that protect a person against the virus. These antibodies are then stored in the body and will fight off the infection if a person is exposed to the virus in the future. The Hepatitis A vaccine is given as 2 shots, 6 months apart. The Hepatitis A vaccine also comes in a combination form, containing Hepatitis A and B vaccine, that can be given to persons 18 years of age and older. This form is given as 3 shots, over a period of 6 months.

Hepatitis A appears only as an acute or newly occurring infection and does not become chronic. People with Hepatitis A can improve without treatment. Hepatitis B and C can also begin as acute infections, but in some people, the virus remains in the body, resulting in chronic disease and long term liver problems. There are vaccines to prevent Hepatitis A and B; however, there is not one for Hepatitis C. If a person has had one type of viral hepatitis in the past, it is still possible to get the other types.

More information can be found at: http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/hepatitis-a-outbreak-2016/.

Training consisted of classroom instructions, hands-on training and field exercises.  CERT is sponsored by the Maui Civil Defense Agency and taught by instructors from Maui Fire Department. Registration is required as class size is limited. Contact Maui Civil Defense at (808) 270-7285 or e-mail cert@mauicounty.gov for information about the next class. CERT teams work in their local community, so get involved! 

During September, your child may be away from you when a disaster strikes. It is important to teach him or her how to stay safe during emergencies. To make disaster preparedness fun for youth, Save the Children and Scholastic created the following for parents and teachers to share with kids. Keep the Herd Safe is filled with fun activities for children in grades 1-3, to encourage disaster planning and to teach them how to stay connected in the event of an emergency. Parents and teachers can also help children complete: In Case of Emergency (ICE) Cards featuring characters from the new animated film "Ice Age: Collision Course."

Do your children know how to do the Prep Step? You can also download the Prep Step song for children to listen to while on the go.

Making preparedness fun and easy for kids is one of the best ways to get them involved in their own safety.

Looking for more ways to plan for your family or community? Check out this video from the Ready Campaign and Ad Council. The video is for all communities and shows people with disabilities taking charge to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies. The video provides equal access and includes open captioning, an ASL/English interpreter, and audio description for viewers who are blind or have low vision.

Kauai had a busy schedule in August 2016.

On Monday, August 8th First Responders had fit-testing of all their protective equipment.  Then on Tuesday, August 9th there was a Tabletop Exercise and Incident Action Plan Workshop for Emergency Response Coordinators. On August 10th and 11th, a full scale exercise was held with law enforcement agencies and a Multiagency Active Shooter/Hazmat Scenario was activated. Finally, on Friday, August 12th there was a hot wash was conducted to review the activities to see what worked and what needed improvement.

Participating partners for the on-island exercises included:

Mahalo to all who continue to keep our communities safe!

A Kailua CERT Functional Exercise is also being planned for Saturday, September 24, 2016 at Kailua High School.  

For more information contact:

Leslie Kahihikolo WH6ESY

Kailua CERT Coordinator

Kailua Alert & Prepared (nonprofit)

(808) 728-7991