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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2012)
The INDEPENDENT, September 19, 2012 National Preparedness Month is the time for emergency plans Oregonians should restock emergency supplies, develop an emergency plan or consider becoming a health care volun- teer during September’s Na- tional Preparedness Month, Oregon Health Authority offi- cials say. “National Preparedness Month serves as a good re- minder that we should all be prepared in the case of an emergency to protect our- selves, our families and our communities,” said Jean O’- Connor, J.D., Dr.PH., Oregon Public Health Division deputy director. “People should take time this month to talk to co- workers, neighbors, friends and family members about their emergency plans. Doing so now will help ensure all Ore- gonians are ready the next time a public health emergency strikes.” September 2012 marks the ninth annual National Pre- paredness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One goal is to edu- cate the public about how to prepare for emergencies in- cluding natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist at- tacks. Getting prepared for an emergency takes only three simple steps: • Be informed. Identify the hazards and risks in your com- munity and plan accordingly. • Make a family emergency plan. Make a plan so you know who to communicate with and how to find your loved ones if an emergency occurs. If you have relatives out of state, they may be just the ones you need when your local friends and family are affected by a disas- ter. • Build an emergency supply kit. Make one for your home, at work, and in the car. Be sure to include water, food and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lose power or get stranded in your car. This is especially important for dealing with icy roads and snowstorms in the winter. Don’t forget a kit for family pets, too. Oregon Health Authority also is recruiting medical per- sonnel to serve as volunteers in the event of a public health emergency. Health profession- als interested in helping with a public health emergency re- sponse should contact the Ore- gon Health Authority to learn more. “Health and medical volun- teers are critical to responding to public health emergencies. As previous emergencies have revealed, government agen- cies alone cannot respond ef- fectively and efficiently to emergencies,” O’Connor said. “More than 1,500 people have volunteered to help with public health emergencies in 33 Ore- gon counties, and our goal is to have health and medical volun- teers in all 36 counties.” For more information about preparing for emergencies, vis- it healthoregon.org/prepared ness. For more information on the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR), please visit the SERV-OR website. Page 13 Power of the People By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager, West Oregon Electric Cooperative Energy Efficiency Tips With the advent of a rate increase starting this month, I wanted to be able to help our members find ways to use energy more efficiently. Knowing that a lot of our members cannot afford to change the source of heat in their homes and some of the other methods of cutting heating and cooling costs are too expensive; we have compiled a list of less expensive ways to achieve energy effi- ciency without spending a lot of money. While we are in the business of providing electricity, we want to encourage and assist in the efficient use of it. Using the following energy tips will help you save energy and money throughout the year. • Lower your thermostat at night and whenev- er the house is unoccupied. Close off and don’t heat unoccupied rooms (unless you have a heat pump). Set your thermostat back at night at least 10 degrees. • Lower the thermostat and dress warmer. As little as 1 to 3 degrees makes a noteworthy dif- ference in energy consumption. • Lower the temperature on your electric wa- ter heater to 120° F. • Set refrigerator temperatures between 37° and 40° F. Clean the coils, vacuum underneath and behind the refrigerator and freezer. Keep the refrigerator and freezer stocked; it takes more energy to cool an empty one. Consider replacing your older model refriger- ator, especially if older than 10 years. Older models can often use over 3 times the energy of newer models. • Wash full loads of dishes and air dry. • When washing clothes, use warm or cold water and rinse with cold. Air dry clothes when- ever possible, but not indoors, as this creates unwanted mold and moisture problems. • Shut off lights, computers and other elec- tronic appliances when you are not using them. Use a “smart strip” to plug things in and then you can turn them all off at once when you turn off the smart strip. This greatly reduces what is called “phantom power.” • Use a microwave or toaster oven for small- er items. • Install a low-flow showerhead. Showers use less hot water than baths; also consider taking shorter showers. Install CFL light bulbs or LED lights. • Close your fireplace damper and seal the opening shut when not in use. • During the heating season, open south-fac- ing window coverings during the day. Close all window coverings at night to keep the heat in. • Install foam gaskets behind electric-outlet and switch-plate covers. • Examine and adjust, if necessary, weather stripping, door sweeps, and thresholds. If un- able to replace old doors and windows, try addi- tional caulking and weather stripping. At least put a rolled-up towel in front of a drafty door. From the Sheriff’s Desk by Jeff Dickerson, Columbia County Sheriff Recent telephone scams The Columbia County Sher- iff’s Office is reporting a num- ber of fraudulent telephone scams being attempted on county residents in recent weeks. One common scam in recent weeks has been the “grandparent” telephone scam. In these types of scams, a perpetrator calls a grandparent or other relative pretending to be their grandchild/niece/nep- hew, etc. The caller sounds up- set and says that he or she doesn’t have much time to talk. The caller might also say that they have a cold if you don’t quite recognize their voice, or they will attempt to solicit feed- back from you to sound even more convincing (scam victims often report being asked, “Do you know which grandchild this is?”). Their story generally fol- lows a familiar line: they were traveling in another country or another state with a friend, and after a car accident or legal in- fraction, they are in jail and need bail money wired to a Western Union account as soon as possible for their quick release. Sums can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars, sometimes over the course of two or three calls. In some instances a second scammer calls back later pre- tending to be a law enforce- ment official or attorney, to con- firm the story or ask for addi- tional money. They may even claim to be an employee of a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas! Should you be targeted in this type of scam, there are ac- tions you can take to protect yourself. Although the sup- posed grandchild may plead with you not to tell their family, you should immediately reach out to parents or other relatives to verify the information you re- ceive. In the vast majority of cases, the real relative is safe- ly where they should be – at work, school or home. This scam has been going around the United States in re- cent years, and we’ve had a number of calls in recent weeks right here in Columbia County. I want to remind everyone to be very cautious about giving any personal information out by phone, and to be very wary of anyone asking you to send Mariolino’s them money for any reason whatever. It is not typical for a law en- forcement agency to accept money in this fashion in order to bail people out of jail. Action Ads INEXPENSIVE – EFFECTIVE 503-429-9410 Good Food and Air Conditioning Try our Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Specials in Air Conditioned Comfort 721 Madison Ave., Vernonia • 503-429-5018