Scholarship Spotlight: APHA Get Ready Scholarship, $500

Emergency preparedness encompasses anything that may come your way. It would include everything from being CPR certified to having flares in your car for an accident that may or not occur to you or someone else. In being prepared you are truly being ready to be a good Samaritan and are prepared to help those in need. Also, being AED certified would help save lives as well. Having a first aid kit well stocked in your home, office space, and car could be extremely helpful. This could be used for something small and simple like a paper cut or something much more serious and life threatening like clotting a large wound. It is something that I do practice every day of my life and upon completing my medical courses and becoming a nurse, I will continue to be prepared for any emergency and help those in need when an emergency occurs. This is not only important in assisting others by for my family as well. I live in a small rural community when medical services are available, but until the volunteers can get where they need to go, it is sometimes too late. By being prepared for any emergency, I will be able to help other and my family.

Knowing is Half the Battle
Emergency preparedness is a life or death matter that includes you, your family, your pets and all the people you care for and love. In wake of all the natural disasters that have exponentially taken our country by storm, the idea of being prepared for any disaster is sobering. A disaster can come in many forms and when you least expect it, so it is imperative to be aware of as many, if not all the tragedies that could present themselves at any time. Having access to care is terribly crucial in times of need.
The American Red Cross (ARC) recommends having a first aid kit at home and in your car, which can be used until medical care is available. To find out the most important items to include in your kit, check the ARC’s website under anatomy of a first aid kit. If you know CPR, make sure to have a breathing barrier (with one-way valve) in your kits. It is important to have 9-1-1 and your general practitioners phone numbers easily accessible. In addition you should have an emergency kit in your home, which include items unique to your family. It also should include water, food, as well as pet food if there are animals in the household.
If you or a family member suffers from any kind of disease or health problem, it too is also good to take into consideration when preparing for a disaster. Be sure if you are insulin dependent, or use any other form of medication which requires refrigeration that you have an ice chest and ice packs available to transport the medicine to keep cool. Also, if you use prescription medication for a maintenance medication, it is a good idea to have at least a one week supply if not more available to you in a time of need. Knowing what your body needs and having it available can decrease the likihood of any further bodily difficulties during times of disaster.
Dependent on the situation, it is recommended to know alternate routes for travel. For individuals that reside and live in valleys near mountain ranges, there are often signs designated for an evacuation route. If there were a Lahar, you should know the evacuation route dedicated for use when or if a volcano should erupt. Being prepared if such a natural occurrence should happen, could ultimately determine your fate. Always having a full tank of gas or keeping a full gas can available in your garage at all times is key to your success of escaping such a disaster. Keeping a spare tire, rope for towing, blankets for warmth, an extra set of clothes in your car are also a good idea to a successful evacuation.
Ultimately, we do as much as we can now to ready ourselves for when and if we are exposed to a disastrous event. It is to our best interests to do all we can for ourselves and others in case of an emergency that could possibly end poorly. No matter what the event, if we have planned appropriately, we can ensure that we are successful in getting through the event with as little pain and suffering as possible. Often knowing is half the battle, so if we know we have done all we can to prepare, then hopefully we can rest easy in knowing and live life to the fullest each day we are given on this beautiful planet we call earth.

It is very important that you have a kit in your home with water, flashlights, can food, can opener, batteries, and maybe a few candles. You want to make sure that you don’t fall asleep with the candles lit. if you have no power make sure you do not eat food that that is warmer than 40 degrees F. make sure if its cold you have lots of blankets, if it is warm then make sure you drink lot of water (make sure your water is drinkable). You do not want to use gas with out opening the windows. For earthquakes make sure you have a meeting place, find out what your Childs school or daycare would do incase of emergence, and learn CPR. If there is an earthquake then you want to duck and cove under a table. If there is a heat wave again makes sure you drink lots and lots of water, use your air conditioner, have a fan that can move around the room, and make sure you wear light clothing. And last for winter storms make sure you also keep a kid, and lots of blankest in your car. You will also want to make sure your car has a full tank of gas. You do not want to get out in a winter storm but if you’re in your car and are stuck then do not get out of your car pull over and sit it could be dangerous to get out. After all of this you can see that if you are not prepared it could be life or death.

My name is morgan casarin.. i could really use this money to help me pay for college. i live with just my father and its hard enough for him to make the payments on the house and car alone. Every penny counts

I am Samuel Ajii, I find it difficult to further my education. I have nobody to help me pay for my college fees. I am soliciting for assistance. I am not able to compete with thousands of students. But out of your abundant of your compassion, please help me. Blessing, Samuel Ajii

The web site says the entry buttons will be activated February 8th. They're still not activated.