Meet Thurston County's New Office of Housing and Homeless Prevention Coodinator

Keylee Marineau hits the ground running in her new role. Working together across jurisdictions, she hopes to have positive impacts. http://www.thurstontalk.com/2019/02/01/meet-keylee-marineau-thurston-county-public-healths-new-coordinator-for-the-office-of-housing-homeless-prevention/

Keylee is second from the right -- here with other Thurston County Public Health staff at the Point-in-Time census in Olympia.

When You Prepare--Don't Forget Your Pet!

June is Pet Preparedness month! Ready.gov has lots of great videos that can help you get prepared in case of a disaster, but this one is really woofwhile. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMtY_qhMne4&feature=youtu.be 

Healthy Holidays: A New Year, New Healthy Home

Here are ten simple ways to make your home a healthier and happier place to live in 2017, and beyond!

1.      It is never too early to do some spring cleaning. Make three piles: Keep, donate, and recycle/toss. Set aside a weekend to get rid of items you and your family no longer use. Reducing clutter can reduce stress and create a safer home. Clutter can be a tripping hazard.  

2.      Did you discover some household hazardous waste while doing your spring cleaning? Take your unwanted cleaning supplies, motor oil, light bulbs and more to HazoHouse! Replace these items with green cleaners.

3.      Reduce the risk of mold and moisture damage by running your bathroom fan when you take a shower. Leave the fan on for at least thirty to forty-five minutes after you shower. If your fan is broken, have it fixed or replaced.

4.      Open windows daily to let fresh air in and improve ventilation. Try a “fresh air blast” by going through your home opening each window and then going right back through closing each one. This quick exchange of air can make a big difference in your indoor air quality!

5.      You never know when a fire, stormy weather, or earthquake could impact you and your family. Create a disaster supplies kit for you, your family, and your pets. Keep the kit in an accessible location that everyone living at your home could find during an emergency.

6.      Take your shoes off at the door. Shoes can bring in dirt, dust and other allergens. Don’t want cold feet? Have a designated pair of house slippers or shoes you can wear around the house.

7.      Vacuum at least once a week and damp dust hard surfaces regularly. This can reduce allergy triggers in the home.

8.      Get your septic tank inspected. Get your septic system inspected. You can hire someone or learn how to do it yourself. Inspecting your system every year can help identify issues before they turn into large, costly problems.

9.      Read our Common Sense Gardening guides so you can begin to plan your garden.  Our free gardening guides can help you create a beautiful landscape without the

use of toxic bug and weed killers.

10.  Want to learn more about ways you can keep your home healthy? Schedule a free, confidential Healthy Homes visit. Call the Healthy Homes Program to learn more or schedule a visit (360) 867-2674.

Winter Storms - Be prepared

In Thurston County, we aren’t strangers to winter storms. Days of heavy rainfall, power outages, and strong winds are all too familiar to many of us. But many of us need reminders for how to prepare and how to respond in these situations. So let’s review the basics of winter storms.

Make a plan. Having a plan that your household is familiar with allows for you to feel more in control of the situation, to remain calm, and to think more clearly. Plan for the three Ps – People, Pets, and Property. This Family Communication Plan from FEMA can help you organize phone numbers to call in case of emergency. Many cell phones have a special contact list for emergency contacts. This can be a helpful tool to have your emergency contacts readily available, but keep in mind that cell phone batteries die and a hard copy doesn’t need batteries. When planning for people, think about any special medical needs your family has and make a plan to cover them. Get to know your neighbors so that you can share resources and help each other in an emergency.

Planning for your pets is important too. Watch this short video by FEMA. Plan escape routes and household meeting spots. If your home is taller than ground level, plan to use an escape ladder. Make sure everyone in your household understands the escape routes and how to use associated equipment. Or better yet, hold practice drills!

Plan for your property. First things first, learn how to safely shut off natural gas, water, and electricity here. Do a walkthrough of your property to identify areas of potential hazard in a storm. Look for trees that have branches that could fall on structures and keep them well-pruned. If you cannot access the branches safely, hire a professional. Look for one that is licensed, bonded, and insured. Be familiar with locations of gas, water, and electricity lines on your property and where hazardous materials are stored.

You can’t predict where you will be when an emergency occurs. Have a plan for different locations.

Build a kit. A disaster kit should have enough supplies for everyone for at least three days.

• Here are the basics of what a kit should include:
• Water – one gallon per person for at least three days.
• Food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio with extra batteries.
• Flashlights, headlamps, and extra batteries.
• First aid kit – include any necessary prescription medication.
• Whistle to signal for help.
• Dust masks to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
• Manual can opener.
• Local maps.
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger.
• Pet food.
• Matches in a waterproof container.
• Extra clothing.
• Copies of important family documents (identification cards, insurance and bank account records) in waterproof container.
• Hand-wipes, alcohol based hand sanitizer, paper towels.
• Games, puzzles, books. 

Be cautious. In severe weather, be cautious of the steps you take in the situation. Be aware of your surroundings – above you, around you, and below you. Avoid standing water, wires and power lines, and large trees that could have limbs ready to fall. Be aware of hazardous materials that may have spilled or had their containers broken in the storm. To reduce the risk of hazardous exposure during storms, take unused and unwanted household hazardous products to HazoHouse at your earliest convenience. When you need to use a hazardous product for something, only purchase the amount you need. This will help minimize the amount of hazardous materials you have stored at home. When returning home after an evacuation be sure to follow these steps to safety.

Being prepared can reduce stress and anxiety when an emergency arises. Preparing for emergencies can help you make the most of a bad situation. When the next big storm comes our way, you will be glad you prepared for it!

When natural disaster strikes...

Photo Credit: Snohomish County

 As we watch and read the news coverage of the devastating landslide in Snohomish County, many of us want to help. Please visit Snohomish County’s website to find out what you can do.

As the recovery efforts unfold, responders are finding the mud mixed with toxic materials from homes and vehicles such as propane, motor oil, solvents, and other household hazardous materials. This is a serious health risk for the responders and authorities have said the area will likely be contaminated for many years.

Hazardous materials are an issue with most natural disasters. In a flood, floodwaters quickly become contaminated. In an earthquake, containers of hazardous products can tip over or fall off of shelves to spill or break. This can lead to chemical exposures for disaster victims, first responders, and can even cause fires. In a fire, flammable hazardous materials can cause the fire to spread or become more severe. 

 

While we can’t control when a natural disaster will take place; we can control the type and amount of hazardous products that we keep in our homes, garages and barns.

Emergency Preparedness Tips for Hazardous Products

Photo Credit: Snohomish County

• The best way to prevent hazardous material exposure or contamination during a natural disaster (or at any time), is to avoid using products that contain flammable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive chemicals. There are many safer alternatives for cleaning products and yard care products.

• When you choose to use a hazardous product, only buy the amount you need at that time. This decreases the amount of chemicals stored on your property.

• Choose the least toxic product for the job. Products with signal words such as “caution” and “warning” are less toxic than products labeled with “danger” or “poison”.

• Store hazardous products in secondary containers such as plastic bins with lids. This practice will keep a spill from spreading.

• Be sure containers are in good shape without rust and with caps or lids that work.

Photo Credit: Snohomish County

• Take containers that are NOT in good shape for storage along with unused, unwanted household hazardous materials to HazoHouse at the Waste and Recover Center in Hawks Prairie.

• Bring old, unneeded hazardous products to the Thurston County HazoHouse for proper disposal, before the containers become old, brittle, or develop leaks. Disposal at HazoHouse is free for Thurston County residents.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a thorough publication with checklists and suggestions called Basic Preparedness. This publication can help you, your family, and neighbors understand what you can do to be prepared.

Photo Credit: National Guard

Our state is experiencing great loss in the Snohomish County landslide. We are proud of the responders and their courageous recovery efforts. We find comfort in the outpouring of love and support in our communities and from all over the state, the nation, and even the world. 

Prepare now, before the waters rise

 
For many Thurston County residents, flooding is an all too familiar event.  Dealing with the threat and aftermath of seasonal flooding is a trade off that many residents willingly make in exchange for living in beautiful, but flood prone parts of our county.


While we can’t easily control the hydraulic forces of floodwaters, we can make preparations to reduce the environmental impacts created by floods.  Proper storage of hazardous materials around homes, businesses, and agricultural operations can lessen the impacts.

When flood waters rise, and swiftly move through garages, outbuildings and barns, items that aren’t fixed in place become part of the flood’s flotsam and jetsam, creating a toxic soup of fuels, stains, pesticides, and other hazardous materials.

All county residents, regardless of the flood potential where you live, are encouraged to be proactive when storing hazardous materials and wastes.

- Don’t store hazardous materials and wastes outside – if flood waters don’t carry them away, rainwater will likely find a way into the containers, and overflow them.

- Choose a storage area that is secure, and unlikely to be impacted by floods.  Hazardous materials should be stored on sturdy shelving, and in containment tubs or trays for different types of items.
       -- For example, if you have both a wood deck and a concrete patio at your home, it is likely that you maintain them with the two different products to clean them. Many of these products are on chemically opposite ends of the pH scale. One could be a corrosive deck cleaner (an acid), while the concrete cleaner could contain caustic chemicals (a base). Both products can be harmful to people, pets and the environment if improperly used, and can chemically react if they are mixed/spilled together. Read product labels for proper use of protective equipment, and store different types of chemicals separate from each other.

- Store hazardous materials away from your (and your neighbor’s) well.   Floodwaters can carry spilled materials into a pump house and down the well casing or other conduit.

- Reduce the amount of hazardous materials you store.  Storing chemicals is easier when you only have one or two containers of household chemicals, as opposed to numerous totes of fuels, stains, and pesticides. Take unwanted, unused household hazardous materials to HazoHouse. Choosing least-toxic materials also reduces the threats posed by spills into floodwaters.

Take time now to prepare your garage and shop before a flood; you don’t want to be worrying about your gasoline and deck stain while trying to protect family, livestock, and your property.