Apr 2009
Swine Flu
29/04/09 13:55 Filed in: Brief
Swine Influenza (Flu)
CDC Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 11:00 AM ET
The outbreak of disease in people caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional confirmed human infections, hospitalizations and the nation’s first fatality from this outbreak. The more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks.
CDC Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 11:00 AM ET
The outbreak of disease in people caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional confirmed human infections, hospitalizations and the nation’s first fatality from this outbreak. The more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks.
Swine Flu
28/04/09 13:54 Filed in: Brief
What is Swine Flu?
“Swine Flu” is an Influenza A virus normally found in pigs. There are many such viruses and they rarely infect humans. The virus currently causing human illness is a new type of swine flu that has developed the ability to infect people and be transmitted from person to person.
Although this new virus is called “swine flu,” it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, or from eating pork products. Like other respiratory diseases, it is spread from person-to-person through coughs and sneezes. When people cough or sneeze, they spread germs through the air or onto surfaces that other people may touch.
What can you do to stay healthy?
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
These are the same precautions that should be taken to stop transmitting all influenza viruses and other viruses that are transmitted from the respiratory tract.
What can you do if you get Swine Flu?
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. Infection occurs when the virus gets into someone’s airway and lungs. However, it isn’t yet known how easily the virus spreads.
Human symptoms for this new type of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of the regular “seasonal” influenza that happens each year. Symptoms include:
• Sudden onset of illness
• Fever higher than 100.4° F (38° C)
• Chills
• Cough
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Feeling of weakness and/or exhaustion
• Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain (occur more commonly in children)
Limit all contact with others to keep from infecting them.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you stay home from work, school, daycare, events, etc., and do not go out into the community while you are sick, which is about 7 days. If you go to the doctor or a clinic, protect others (and yourself) by limiting your contact with others as well. You should stay home until at least 1 day past your symptom period.
Medical conditions considered “high risk” include the following:
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• Heart problems
• Kidney disease
• Disease or treatment that suppresses the immune system
• Chronic lung disease, including asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and tuberculosis(TB)
• Age over 65.
Treatment
There is currently no vaccine to prevent swine flu, but there are medications to help treat it. These medicines are generally used to prevent serious flu complications such as pneumonia and work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Whether a person with influenza needs to take one of these medicines is a decision that must be made by the patient and their health care provider.
“Swine Flu” is an Influenza A virus normally found in pigs. There are many such viruses and they rarely infect humans. The virus currently causing human illness is a new type of swine flu that has developed the ability to infect people and be transmitted from person to person.
Although this new virus is called “swine flu,” it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, or from eating pork products. Like other respiratory diseases, it is spread from person-to-person through coughs and sneezes. When people cough or sneeze, they spread germs through the air or onto surfaces that other people may touch.
What can you do to stay healthy?
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
These are the same precautions that should be taken to stop transmitting all influenza viruses and other viruses that are transmitted from the respiratory tract.
What can you do if you get Swine Flu?
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. Infection occurs when the virus gets into someone’s airway and lungs. However, it isn’t yet known how easily the virus spreads.
Human symptoms for this new type of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of the regular “seasonal” influenza that happens each year. Symptoms include:
• Sudden onset of illness
• Fever higher than 100.4° F (38° C)
• Chills
• Cough
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Feeling of weakness and/or exhaustion
• Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain (occur more commonly in children)
Limit all contact with others to keep from infecting them.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you stay home from work, school, daycare, events, etc., and do not go out into the community while you are sick, which is about 7 days. If you go to the doctor or a clinic, protect others (and yourself) by limiting your contact with others as well. You should stay home until at least 1 day past your symptom period.
Medical conditions considered “high risk” include the following:
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• Heart problems
• Kidney disease
• Disease or treatment that suppresses the immune system
• Chronic lung disease, including asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and tuberculosis(TB)
• Age over 65.
Treatment
There is currently no vaccine to prevent swine flu, but there are medications to help treat it. These medicines are generally used to prevent serious flu complications such as pneumonia and work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Whether a person with influenza needs to take one of these medicines is a decision that must be made by the patient and their health care provider.
Rescue Training
24/04/09 14:11 Filed in: Training
Press Release
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue
Emergency Rescue Training
Firefighters and EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) trained together on April 21st to learn new technical rescue skills using the skate park bowl as the rescue site. Orcas High school student Di Wang Mowrey posed as a skateboard grinder with life threatening trauma. Using a roof ladder and rescue stokes basket, responders were able to successfully lift their patient over the high concrete wall.
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue
Emergency Rescue Training
Firefighters and EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) trained together on April 21st to learn new technical rescue skills using the skate park bowl as the rescue site. Orcas High school student Di Wang Mowrey posed as a skateboard grinder with life threatening trauma. Using a roof ladder and rescue stokes basket, responders were able to successfully lift their patient over the high concrete wall.
Runs for 4-10 to 4-23
24/04/09 14:04 Filed in: Run Report
April 10
through 23
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue
Emergency Response
It has been a very busy 13 days! April 10 through 23, Orcas Fire & Rescue responded to: 1 road hazard, 1 electrical fire, 2 alarm activations, 3 outdoor burning investigations and 2 illegal burning issues, plus 2 public assists, 16 Medical emergencies, 4 Trauma and 2 Patient assists all of which resulted in 2 Basic Life Support Transports by Orcas Fire & Rescue, 1 off-island transport by San Juan Air Ambulance and 4 via AirLift NW. They also responded to a report of a missing person, transported a generator to a patient and made 4 Carbon Monoxide checks during the power outage on Thursday the 23rd. That is a total of 39 responses or 3 a day! Keep in mind the responders also had 3 nights of training plus two full Saturdays of new recruit training.
Reminder: All outdoor debris burning in San Juan County requires a permit. A residential permit covers one 10-foot by 10-foot maximum burn pile. Anything larger or for multiple burn piles, you are required to purchase a commercial permit. Residential burning permits are now available at the Eastsound Fire Station Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and cost only $10. For more information on outdoor burning and burn permits go to www.orcasfire.org.
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue
Emergency Response
It has been a very busy 13 days! April 10 through 23, Orcas Fire & Rescue responded to: 1 road hazard, 1 electrical fire, 2 alarm activations, 3 outdoor burning investigations and 2 illegal burning issues, plus 2 public assists, 16 Medical emergencies, 4 Trauma and 2 Patient assists all of which resulted in 2 Basic Life Support Transports by Orcas Fire & Rescue, 1 off-island transport by San Juan Air Ambulance and 4 via AirLift NW. They also responded to a report of a missing person, transported a generator to a patient and made 4 Carbon Monoxide checks during the power outage on Thursday the 23rd. That is a total of 39 responses or 3 a day! Keep in mind the responders also had 3 nights of training plus two full Saturdays of new recruit training.
Reminder: All outdoor debris burning in San Juan County requires a permit. A residential permit covers one 10-foot by 10-foot maximum burn pile. Anything larger or for multiple burn piles, you are required to purchase a commercial permit. Residential burning permits are now available at the Eastsound Fire Station Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and cost only $10. For more information on outdoor burning and burn permits go to www.orcasfire.org.
New Recruits
12/04/09 16:04 Filed in: Volunteers
Orcas Island
Fire & Rescue has added new members to our
firefighting team! Recruits and instructors spent
March 28th battling live fire at Central Widbey Fire
& Rescue’s training facility as part of our
Firefighter 1 certification.
(Front left to right)
Bottom Row: Training Division Chief Patrick Shepler, Lt. Rich Harvey, EMT/Fire Recruit Owen Cheevers
Second Row: 2 Widbey Fire Instructors, Fire Recruits Jill Sherman, Derk Swierczynski, John Howard, Capt. Rita Harvey, EMT Dove Dingman, Seth Ybarra, Sherri Madeiros, Instructor Lt. Jason Madeiros, Recruit Dwight Guss, Firefighter Robin Dyer, Cadet Recruit Jamarra Lowrey and Training Instructor Dylan Wachtel.
Back Row: EMT/Fire Recruit George Schermerhorn, Firefighter Dan Christopherson and Division Chief Mik Preysz
(Front left to right)
Bottom Row: Training Division Chief Patrick Shepler, Lt. Rich Harvey, EMT/Fire Recruit Owen Cheevers
Second Row: 2 Widbey Fire Instructors, Fire Recruits Jill Sherman, Derk Swierczynski, John Howard, Capt. Rita Harvey, EMT Dove Dingman, Seth Ybarra, Sherri Madeiros, Instructor Lt. Jason Madeiros, Recruit Dwight Guss, Firefighter Robin Dyer, Cadet Recruit Jamarra Lowrey and Training Instructor Dylan Wachtel.
Back Row: EMT/Fire Recruit George Schermerhorn, Firefighter Dan Christopherson and Division Chief Mik Preysz
Runs for 4-2 to 4-9-09
09/04/09 16:01 Filed in: Run Report
April 2
through 9, Orcas Fire & Rescue responded to: 1
major structure fire, 1 citizen medical check, 1
citizen medical assist, 3 fall patients, 3 chest pain
emergencies, 8 other medical emergencies, all which
resulted in 5 off-island transports by AirLift
NW.
AirLift Northwest
03/04/09 16:15 Filed in: News
AirLift Northwest is the island’s primary emergency medical transport to hospitals in our area. Orcas Island’s medical transport usually takes off from the Eastsound air port but occasional there is need to use on of our designated remote landing zones. This transport from the Deer Harbor area saved precious time for the patient. But while the helicopter is in motion, we were required to close the road. Expect delays if you see AirLift landing near a roadway!
Runs for 3-27 to 4-2-09
02/04/09 16:12 Filed in: Run Report
March 27th to
April 2, Orcas Fire & Rescue responded to: 2 burn
investigations, 1 motor vehicle crash, 1 citizen
medical assist and 8 medical emergencies in which 2
resulted in an off-island transport by AirLift NW and
1 via the Sherriff’s boat the Guardian.