Text Your Loved Ones to Test Your Readiness

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What would you do if a disaster occurred while you were separated from your family and you couldn’t reach them to see if they were ok? If you had an out-of-state contact, your family could text that person to provide an update on their safety status and location, and your contact could notify other family members as they checked in and assist in your reunification.

“We recommend that all residents talk with their families and establish an out-of-state emergency contact and meeting place in the event of an emergency,” said Ron Lane, director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.

“Then we encourage them to take a few minutes out of their day on Friday to put that plan into practice.”

In San Diego County, County employees, 68 schools and up to 1,700 businesses will be participating in a nationwide “9/11 Drill Down for Safety” in partnership with the Safe America Foundation. In San Diego, employees and students are encouraged to text a simple message to their emergency contact that says, “I am safe. Heading to meeting place.”  

The drill will take place between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. today.

The exercise will also serve as a test of our region’s phone texting surge capabilities as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Cricket and T-Mobile are participating and plan to track the number of text messages sent during this short time period.

The drill has three goals: to influence people to select an out-of-state emergency contact for their family; confirm that all family members are trained to text a message to that contact; and to ensure that the phone system can handle a surge in text messages or phonecalls during a specific time frame.

To pledge to drill, go to www.safeamerica.org. To obtain additional information on preparing for an emergency, visit www.readysandiego.org and download a copy of the family disaster plan under the Family tab.

Pet Owners in Need Find Help from Library Pet Food Drive

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A dog from the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, which received donations from the Library pet food drive.

Local critters in need could be getting a care package soon, courtesy of the County of San Diego Library’s pet food drive.

“Our summer reading program is called ‘Read for a Reason’ because it motivates kids to open a book by allowing them to give back to the community," said Jose Aponte, County of San Diego Library Director.

"It’s in its fourth year, and this year, the program benefited local animals,” Aponte said.

The program lets kids log reading hours online toward charitable goals. Activities included visits by the Spay/Neuter Action Project’s mobile at library branches to provide low-cost services and food donated by Hills Science Diet, as well as the pet food drive at all branches and the County Department of Animal Services’ three shelters. The results:

 

  • 2,009 pounds of dry cat and dog food; 1,042 cans of dog and cat food
  • 31 pounds of food for other animals, including rats, birds, rabbits and hamsters
  • 101 pounds of dog treats
  • 83 other pet items including shampoo, collars, carriers and even a doggy toothbrush

County Animal Services staff helped collect the donations and deliver them to the Pet Food Bank, which serves animal groups in Southern California, and the Spay/Neuter Action Network. 

The final group of donations was delivered today to the San Diego Food Bank, which will distribute them to other non-profits that care for animals, such as the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, which will use the items for its Training Wheels outreach program.

“As President of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, I have seen the generosity of our community many times, and the amount of food donated through this drive is another example of the remarkable lengths that San Diegans will go to help both our two-legged and four-legged friends,” said Mark Goldstein, DVM.

The County Library plans to continue the “Read for a Reason” program next summer.  For more information about all of the Library’s programs, please visit www.sdcl.org.

 

Get Your Free Flu Shot Here!

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This year there are two types of influenza: seasonal flu and the pandemic H1N1, or swine flu.

Although the H1N1 has been getting a lot of attention recently, it’s still very important to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu.

To continue promoting the health and wellness of employees, the County of San Diego is pleased to provide free seasonal flu shots to County employees again this year. No appointment or registration is necessary. All employees possessing a valid County ID will be eligible for a flu shot.

Check out the schedule here.

Short Film Challenges Youth to Make Better Decisions

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            San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis recently announced the premiere of a short film entitled “4 or 40: The Choice is Yours” at the Lincoln High School theater in Southeast San Diego.

The film, created by the members of the District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, is part of a countywide campaign challenging young people to make better life choices in difficult situations.

“The film’s message is a powerful one, in part because it came directly from the students,” Dumanis said. “The decisions young people make during their four years in high school really will affect the next 40 years of their lives.”

For more information, visit the 4 or 40 Web site.