The Official RJWestmore Blog

Here is some food for thought.

The information below is not all inclusive and is only intended to motivate you to GET PREPARED! Use your RJWestmore Online Training System ^TM or building-specific Emergency Manual and onsite training for more complete policies and procedures.

If a disaster of any kind strikes the building where you work or live, you will need to act quickly based on proper training. But not all situations necessitate evacuation. For instance, a power outage does not necessarily call for immediate evacuation. Further, depending upon the circumstances of the emergency (civil unrest for example), it might actually be safer to shelter in place inside the building.

Reaction time is very important in any emergency. You must be properly trained to react in the safest manner based on the ever changing, unique combination of circumstances. You should also coordinate with the qualified professionals in your building (or emergency responders) to evaluate the nature of the event, gather additional information, including the overall safety of the building and presence of hazardous materials systems (such as power, alarm systems, ventilation, mechanical systems, etc.)

If you hear an alarm, smell smoke, see fire or are instructed to evacuate, use your training and best judgment to immediately move to safety.

• Assume all alarms are real.
• Don’t panic. Stay calm.
• Move quickly but do not run.
• Call 911.
• Grab your “Go Bag” and critical personal belongings if it is safe to do so. (Your preassembled Go Bag should have comfortable shoes, prescription medications, energy bar, water, glasses, etc.) [Remember, it could be several hours before you are readmitted to the building.]
• Close doors behind you as you evacuate (but do not lock them). Emergency responders may need to gain access and Floor/Fire Wardens should be searching every room to make sure everyone has moved to safety.
• Proceed to the nearest safe exit farthest from danger. Do not use the elevator.
• Head to your predetermined Emergency Assembly Area—Safe Refuge Area and check in immediately. (If you are mobility-impaired in a building with fire-rated stairwells, you will move to the safest stairwell landing with your two assistance monitors (buddies) and wait for emergency responder assistance. If you are mobile and can evacuate safely, you might relocate within your building down to a safer floor or you might completely exit the building.)
• Wait for any instructions from first responders or building personnel.
• Do not re-enter the building until you have been instructed to do so by trained professionals.
• If anyone has been injured, call 911 and inform onsite emergency responders and building personnel.
• If you have a disability, make sure you inform building management and add yourself to the “Special Assistance List” BEFORE THE EMERGENCY. Learn the shortest, most accessible pathway for exiting from each area. Check with the building owner or property manager for approved evacuation routes, which (based on your unique special needs) should be incorporated as part of their Emergency Action Plan.
• RJWestmore Online Training System ^TM users can add/remove themselves from a “Special Assistance List” that automatically notifies building personnel of you and your special needs.

Did you know that safety training is a crucial part of legal compliance for commercial properties? Tenants whose property managers use RJWestmore Training enjoy access to interactive, life-saving instruction available 24/7 right over the internet. Ask your building owner or manager about the RJWestmore System, which helps train tenants and floor wardens for disasters such as fires (which are the most common emergency), earthquakes, bomb threats, medical emergencies, power outages and more.

The RJWestmore Training System provides building-specific information for emergency personnel, so professionals are able to familiarize themselves with property blueprints before they arrive on scene. This type of information is extremely useful because it saves valuable time.

What’s more, the RJWestmore System alerts emergency personnel when individuals in member-buildings require special assistance during an evacuation. This notice includes individuals who are physically challenged, mobility impaired, have temporary or permanent disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy or any other conditions that could impede or prevent them or others from safely descending stairwells without assistance.

Here are some more RJWestmore Training System 2.5 perks:

• Everything is available online, including building-specific training and certification
• Training complies with federal, state and local laws
• Provides 24/7 training because seconds count when it comes to responding to emergencies.
• Promotes a safety-oriented environment
• Prepares you to react immediately
• Advises about preliminary warning signs
• Training is one of your best defenses against potentially fatal consequences.
• Helps you from becoming a victim.
• Shows you how to respond to hurricanes ahead of time. Because some emergencies are predictable, there is no excuse for failing to prepare.
• Immediate action can save your life.
• Provides information about how to respond to severe weather.   The U.S. is the most severe weather-prone country on earth. Flash floods, excessive rainfall, dam or levy breaches require proper training to mitigate water damage and save lives.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit www.RJWestmore.com  for more information.

Apply Murphy's Law to your disaster preparedness plans.

According to Murphy’s Law, “Everything that can go wrong will.” And though many view this kind of pessimism as extreme, when it comes to disaster preparedness, it’s a healthy posture to assume.

Emergency Management lessons from Hurricane Katrina bear this out. In fact, Pat Santos, deputy director of Louisiana’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, recently told emergency managers that (people) should remember that it’s not ‘if’ a disaster strikes but ‘when.’”

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate concurs: “By establishing relationships now and planning for high-impact events, communities and the nation will be better prepared.”

So, as a building owner or property manager, what 10 steps can you take which assume that, as it concerns your building, the worst is bound to happen?

1. A Disaster Will Strike. As a whole, people are more inclined to believe that disasters can hit home since the Y2K scare and 9/11. However, most continue to think that catastrophes happen to “other people.” Resist the urge to defer making emergency preparations. Disasters happen every day to everyday people worldwide.
2. The power will go out if an emergency strikes. If the power fails, your furnace will most likely go out, as well. Your best bet is to invest in good, high-quality cold weather gear, such as coats, gloves and sleeping bags and blankets, for yourself, employees and family members. Fires can result from the use alternative indoor heat sources such as space heaters and propane lamps and require power for operation. So use extreme caution. 
3. Food will be in short supply. There could be a run on supermarkets if a major disaster hits. Stockpiling food for emergencies needn’t be expensive. Store inexpensive, nonperishable items such as rice beans, noodles and peanut butter. Canned food has a long shelf life. Another option is Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). These are ideal since they can be even eaten without cooking. This is important since you should never use a BBQ grill inside. If you must use a grill or campfire to heat meals in emergencies, do so outside.
4. Water sources will be contaminated and bottled water will run low. When East coast residents were preparing for Hurricane Irene, stores sold out on basic necessities including water. Don’t wait for an emergency to buy extra water. Pick up extra gallons each time you visit the grocery store. You could also invest in commercial water barrels and fill them with tap water, as long as you disinfect the barrels with a diluted bleach mixture to purify water. In a pinch, you can survive by drinking the water in the toilet reservoir tank.
5. The Lights will go out. Stock up on candles and battery-operated or crank-operated flashlights.
6. Communications will be knocked out. Purchase transistor radios and plenty of spare batteries. Hand-crank radios are available. Certain brands of FRS radios also have AM/FM capability. These can be used in addition to a larger, battery powered “boom box” type radio.

7. Medical Care will be in high demand. During emergencies, hospitals are overrun and medical professionals are in short supply. Invest in First Aid training as well as a basic kit so you will be prepared to administer basic medical assistance to those in need.
8. Transportation will be congested, maybe even at a standstill. If a major emergency strikes and the power goes out, traffic could get ugly. Subway systems, buses and trains might also be affected. Your best course of action in this case is to pack a “go” bag in the back of your car that includes a good pair of walking shoes.
9. You may have to flee from dangerous situations. So fitness is important. Regular exercise and good nutrition are important for quality of life as well as in cases of emergencies.
10. You will run out of toilet paper. It might be easy to forget the little things that make life tolerable. But running out of TP can be a drag. So stock up now before disaster strikes.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

Does your organization boast a culture of preparedness?

At RJWestmore Inc., we take great pains to make sure our clients and friends understand the importance of being prepared for dealing with and recovering from emergencies of every type. Today, we would like to focus on how to actively cultivate a culture of preparedness.

According to Dictonary.com, the definition of culture is: the development or improvement of the mind by education or training.

Admittedly, it will take work to purposely develop a culture of preparedness in the workplace or even at home. But taking steps to BE SAFE is well worth the effort. There’s a marked difference between an organization that participates in planning and one that has planning woven into its very fabric.

Qualities of an Environment that Foster a Culture of Preparedness:

1. Deliberate—instead of a byproduct of occasional emergency preparedness efforts, organizations that have effectively cultivated a culture of preparedness have done so intentionally instead of by accident. Since this type of program requires organizational buy-in, it should be adopted and sanctioned by members of your company’s C-suite.
2. Consistent—although the topic of preparedness frequently make an appearance at annual corporate training seminars, disaster readiness manuals all too often gather dust between educational round tables. If you want people to embrace emergency preparedness, they need to believe that doing so is important all year long.
3. Active—practice makes perfect. The more familiar your employees and tenants are with disaster preparedness procedures, the better. To improve preparedness performance, run drills several times a year instead of just once.
4. Compelling—unless people understand the risks associated with being ill-prepared, they won’t appreciate the importance of being prepared. Although scare tactics are ill-advised, information sharing should include stories of individuals and organizations that have paid a price for their lack of preparation.
5. Multi-pronged—effective disaster preparedness and recovery plans cover all of the bases. Consider the scope of disasters that have struck the world over the past 12 months. It’s no longer easy to anticipate which storms or terrorist attacks will hit any given geographical location. So disaster plans should include strategies for fending off and/or responding to attacks as well as natural and manmade disasters.
6. Reflective—your program should allow for review of drills and training exercises. Reviewing will help foster new insights and interactive learning.
7. Inherent—it is more important that people master the ability to problem solve than that they be able to predict the future. To foster effective problem-solving, provide access to exercises that strengthen the skill.
8. Intuitive—people should be on their guard, ready to assess any given situation for potential emergency situations. Only those who constantly scan their environment notice and anticipate hidden threats.
9. Real—according to Liisa Valikangas, professor of innovation management at the Helsinki School of Economics, “one of the human cognitive factors that complicates our ability to take resilient action is confusion between frequencies and probabilities.”

People tend to discount the probability of personally encountering a catastrophe. And this tendency results in a reluctance to give due diligence to emergency preparation. Organizations that have successfully created a culture of preparedness understand this affinity and combat it by facing it head on. Communicate openly and honestly to make sure safety remains front of mind.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

A hot topic among property owners and managers is “going green.” But what does that phrase really mean? How can you achieve the goal of practicing energy-efficient standards to protect and improve the environment? And can you “go green” without breaking the bank?

As a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), we at RJWestmore are committed to sustainability. So we would like to offer a few explanations and suggestions for property managers and building owners to help sort through all of the hype.

• What does that phrase “going green” really mean?

The folks at Earth Care say “going green” means using various alternatives to help save energy and the environment. This is a very broad definition because the practice of energy conservation and environmental protection is evolving. At first, just the invention of a few crazy hippies in the 1970s, the environmental movement is now big business.

Consider a recent story in The New York Times, which compared government subsidies to the gold rush, since developers of large-scale clean-energy projects are encouraged to cash in on stimulus spending by adopting green practices. The article discussed a ranch in San Louis Obispo wherein one million solar panels will provide enough power for 100,000 homes, at a cost of $1.6 billion. But subsidies are not limited to large corporations. Even homeowners can benefit from tax incentives like rebates for solar window installation and energy efficient appliances.

• How can you achieve the goal of practicing energy-efficient standards to protect and improve the environment?

What would it take for the Average Joe to convert his own business and/or property to a facility that is energy efficient? Start small. Wherever you are on your sustainability journey, many options are available for improving performance. You needn’t hire a contractor to rip out all of your walls, ceilings and floors and replace the roof, lighting and parking structure all at once. Instead, find a sustainability consultant and ask what you can conservatively do to reduce your property’s carbon footprint.

• Is it possible to “go green” without breaking the bank?

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And so it goes with going green. Simple things like starting a recycling program or switching from plastic plates in the cafeteria to eco-friendly productswill effectively help save the planet. Many such actions and products are so simple and affordable; you’ll wonder why you didn’t use them all along.

Are you prepared to Go Green?

One of the best ways to get going in the right direction is to join existing groups that promote earth-friendly construction. The US Green Building Council is one such organization, which is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. The council’s community of leaders is working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation through programs such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is redefining the way people think about the places where we live, work and learn.

An internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED is a system which provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. What’s more, the LEED system is set up to evaluate new construction, existing buildings including operations and maintenance, commercial interiors, cores and shells, schools, retail, healthcare, homes and neighborhood development. If you own or manage a facility that would benefit from a LEED-rating evaluation, contact the USGBC today.

When disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

2011 Was a Banner Year for Disasters

Hundreds of thousands of people’s lives were forever changed by natural and manmade disasters in 2011–from tornadoes to floods, wildfires to hurricanes, earthquakes to tsunamis to terrorist attacks and everything in between, across the world, preparation paid off and recovery response was remarkable.

In the United States alone, in 2011, the American Red Cross launched 137 domestic disaster relief operations in 46 states and territories in order to help people recover from the fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes that rocked the United States. Internationally, disaster recovery extended to the earthquake in Japan and continued to tsunami response in Thailand.

“The disasters we faced in 2011 affected many lives,” said Regional Red Cross Director Tina Labellarte. “Red Cross workers across the country worked tirelessly to make sure people had a safe place to stay, food to eat and help getting their lives back on track.”

This year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that there were 99 Major Disaster Declarations, 29 Emergency Declarations and 114 Fire Management Assistance Declarations. As one of the most active years for disasters in recent history comes to a close and Americans ring in a new year, FEMA is encouraging people to Resolve to be Ready in 2012 by making a resolution to be prepared for emergencies. And, as we recently reported, we encourage RJW Training System clients and friends to start the New Year off right by resolving to be ready.

But, apart from signing up with FEMA, how exactly can you as a building owner and or property manager, prepare for disasters in 2012? Here are our top 10 suggestions for a safe and sane 2012:

• Make an emergency kit. If you have yet to prepare a go-bag for your car, office and home, don’t let another month go by without putting one together.

• Protect your computer. Cyber threats are very real. Don’t take electronic safety for granted.

• Be aware of your surroundings. The threat of terrorism is a reality that cannot be ignored. Remain vigilant about suspicious behavior and report anything unusual to authorities.

• Protect your property from threat of fire. Install fire sprinklers, alarms and extinguishers. Also, tour your property and make sure flammable products are out of harm’s way.

• Guard your kids against disease. Due diligence will reveal that boosters are beneficial. Make sure your children are inoculated.

• Go green. As members of the Green Building Council, we support efforts to create and protect a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. We are part of a community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

• Prepare for regional disasters. If you live in California, you should understand how to prepare for earthquake. In Kansas, learn about tornadoes. And in coastal communities, make sure you understand tsunamis and hurricanes. But wherever you are, take the time to learn about each and every disaster since this year has taught us that disasters of any kind can strike virtually anywhere.

• Stay Connected. Experts agree that social media will continue to play an important role in emergency management in the year ahead. In our continuing effort to lead the way where disaster communication is concerned, we have introduced a new interactive Facebook Fanpage. Check it often to learn about disasters and emergency management.

• Know your building. To be prepared in the event of any emergency, you should understand the ins and outs of your own building as well as the proper way to evacuate should disaster strike. The RJWestmore Training System Version 2. 5 helps commercial buildings with compliance to fire life safety codes. Our interactive, building-specific e-learning training system motivates and rewards tenants instantly! It’s a convenient and affordable solution to all of the training needs of your building(s).

• Above all, in 2012 and beyond…BE SAFE!

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

We are pleased to announce our new Fan Page on Facebook! The RJWestmore Training System Fan Page is intended as a meeting place for emergency management professionals to “virtually gather” to share information. Our goal is to facilitate engaging discussions about disaster preparedness, fire life safety and building management among Facebook users around the world.

We remain committed to continually advance our social media presence as a service to the community—to help business leaders, property owners and managers, first-responders, healthcare professionals and everyday folks prepare for and recover from disasters of all kinds. Serving commercial real estate companies for more than 20 years, we at RJWestmore Inc. offer a state-of-the-art Training System, which was recently upgraded to Version 2.5, to building managers and property owners throughout the country.

Our fully-integrated system allows property management companies to administer one site or an entire portfolio, with all users in the same system. Property Managers can train occupants, floor wardens, and fire safety directors, with all user-training and testing recorded. Subscribers also enjoy quick-access to building-specific Emergency Responder information and other resources. What’s more, the RJW Training System Our system automatically routes certifications and sends compliance reports to every tenant-subscriber.

Our fully-automated system features personalized certificates, which are instantly sent to users via email upon course completion. And annual reminders for each training-module are also automatically sent to each user along with quarterly employee-compliance reports, which are sent to every tenant.

An added benefit, the RJW Training System sends out automatic notifications to local fire departments. And higher-level users can automatically create real time Special Assistance and Floor Warden lists and get automatic notification of updates to Special Assistance, Floor Warden and Fire Safety Director lists. Automatic updates and maintenance make the system even easier to use.

Fans of our Facebook page will receive updates about our training system, further enhancing our innovative service. We also want to encourage clients to talk to each other, to share tips about best practices for emergency and disaster preparedness and recovery.

Highlights of our new Fan Page:

• Use it as a social media gateway to our corporate blog, RJ the Firedog blog, Twitter feed, and YouTube content.
• Take advantage of information available through daily posts which will detail the latest news and best practices in emergency management—covering a myriad of topics such as earthquake preparedness, indoor air quality, government agency news, fire safety, evacuation procedures, disease prevention and CDC warnings, cyber threats and many other related topics.
• Learn about industry events such as conferences for emergency management and first- responder professionals as well as security training summits.
• View engaging photos and videos relative to emergency management communications and training.

Like our Fan Page today to become a part of the best emergency preparedness group on the web. As our fan base grows, we hope the page will emerge as a central hub for networking and information-sharing for dedicated emergency management and building management professionals, property owners, building managers and safety personnel across the country.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

As a building owner or property manager, are you prepared for holiday-related disasters?

As a building owner or manager, the holidays are a time to spruce up your building with decorations and host fun events. Of course, you will want your tenants to enjoy themselves at holiday get-togethers. However, you will also be wise to keep an eye on safety. Since we are committed to helping property managers and owners BE SAFE, we would like to devote this blog post to offering several key tips to help you manage holiday mail and deliveries, food, parties and decorations!

Mail and Deliveries:

• As the volume of parcels increases, it becomes more likely the mailroom staff might miss suspicious packages. Do a refresher course with these individuals regarding how to spot mail that looks out of place. For tips about what to tell employees, check out the resources available through the Department of Homeland Security.
• With more deliveries in and out of your building, your security staff could become lax in the enforcement of proper protocols. If all deliveries need to be screened at a central location, don’t make exceptions for people who are “just” bringing flowers or honey-baked hams. Terrorism or the actions of disgruntled individuals are always possible. So every situation demands vigilance.

Holiday Food:

• Practice good hygiene when handling any group lunches. Don’t allow employees to eat food such as lunch meats and cheese that has been sitting out for hours. Observe the two-hour rule and move food quickly to a refrigerator or throw it away. A tenant’s business could become crippled if half of the employees get food poisoning.
• If tenants are preparing food on site, be sure they follow safe food-handling rules such as avoiding cutting board cross-contamination and making sure they frequently wash their hands.
• Carefully inspect food-based deliveries such as chocolate-covered fruit or cakes. Be sure that packages arrive from reputable vendors and provide identification and that delivery personnel arrived in clearly marked vehicles.

Holiday Parties:

• If you are serving alcohol at your holiday party, be sure the amounts are strictly limited in order to prevent individuals from acting inappropriately or attempting to drive. Provide shuttle buses or cab drivers to ensure everyone arrives home safely and you and your tenants avoid potential legal problems.
• Be sure your party venue is coded to accommodate attendees and has clearly identified emergency exits. (This should be true not just for parties but at all times.)
• Consider giving safety-oriented gifts such as arm rests for heavy computer users or a quality flashlight for employees.

Decorations:

• Advise tenants who want to hang strings of lights to use a power strip and to keep warm lights away from paper sources. Extension cords must be completely taped to the ground to avoid tripping-related incidents. Forbid the use of candles or lanterns at all times.
• Turn off decorations at night.
• Decorations such as mistletoe and holly berries can be poisonous to pets or children. Encourage the use of man-made decorations in these cases, instead.
• Instruct tenants not to place large decorations in stairwells or on emergency exit signs. They should also make sure they leave sprinklers and smoke alarms uncovered, so as not to interfere with operation.
• Live Christmas trees need water so they don’t become dried out and pose fire hazards.

All of our safety tips are intended to increase holiday cheer! It’s important to embrace the holidays and let your tenants, visitors and employees have fun—as long every individual as well as your property remain intact.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

As winter rolls around, your tenants can be confronted by icy storms and hectic snow-delayed commutes. Once they get into your building, you will want to be sure they have a safe and cozy environment that provides a respite from the snow and slush outside. We have some steps you can take to “winterize” the inside and outside of your building so you can handle the worst of this season’s weather.

Safety first! Your most important concern should be, of course, for tenants:

• Provide non-slip entry mats (some are even heated) in the lobby and other entry areas to prevent falls.
• Place boot scrubber bristles outside the building so individuals can clean off snow before entering. This will also help protect the floors inside of your building.
• Pour sand and salt on outside stairs and ramps. Also be sure handrails are in good working condition and are optimally positioned for safety.

Flooring is a considerable investment for the average office space. Whether it is carpet, wood, or tile, floors in high-traffic areas take a lot of abuse. If you mix in the winter trifecta of water, sand, and salt, then your floors can be quickly scratched and soiled. So what can you do?

• Vacuum regularly to remove sand and salt.
• Encourage tenants to offer shoe cubbies or other receptacles for boots. In really bad weather, you could even offer “slippers” which employees can change into once they enter the building.
• Be careful using de-icing products which contain pretty harsh chemicals, which can damage both flooring and surrounding exterior plants.

Protect the exterior of your building from the intrusion or rain or snow:

• Replace caulk around exterior windows. This material is very cheap, so you will only need to pay for labor to remove the old caulk and apply a new bead. Make sure you schedule this work during a two to three day stretch of good weather.
• Consider installing awnings above entryways to deflect rain and snow. This gives tenants and visitors an opportunity to remove excess mud and snow from their shoes.

Don’t neglect the one part of the building you typically never see – the roof!

• Be sure your building has the right pitch to discard record snowfalls. For flat roofs, you need plans in place to remove snow to prevent cave-ins.
• Buildings with roof water tanks need extra attention. The controls and piping for the water tank can quickly freeze if they aren’t insulated. Protect them with the proper coverings to ensure your tenants have access to water so they will be able to warm up with tea or coffee.

Checking the heating system is best done in the fall or late summer. But it’s better late than never to get it done in the early stages of winter:

• Review last year’s winter with employees and tenants to identify any floors or areas of the building that were markedly colder or more slippery than other areas. Another tactic for finding warm spots is to release a tabby into the workplace. They will find all the sunny spots. Work with HVAC techs to correct heating flow issues or any leaky ductwork problems.
• Change furnace filters for optimum performance.
• The pumps and motors of your heating system work hard to produce enough energy. Examine and oil these parts properly, especially before the first full-day’s usage.

Making your building safer during the winter is not only the right thing to do, but it can also limit your liability in the case anyone slips. Use handrails! You should also focus on the physical pieces of your building to ensure tenant comfort and to protect your investment.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

The Emergency Alert System still has a few bugs.

When it comes to emergency management and disaster preparation, communication is king. On November 9^th, FEMA conducted a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). In 1997, the EAS replaced the Emergency Broadcast System which had been in use since 1963. The current system uses the familiar signal-sound to alert viewers and listeners to impending emergency announcements and to enable localized hazardous weather alerts. But the EAS was developed in order to allow the President of the United States the ability to address the nation within minutes.

With about 15,000 radio and broadcast stations participating in the November 2011 national test, most reported a smooth testing procedure, but it was not without its hiccups. Improving the test is an ongoing goal of both the government and broadcast partners which requires the public and private sector working together for a worthwhile common goal of improved emergency communications.

Here are some of the glitches that occurred during the test:

• One North Dakota county reported that only 33 percent of the area stations broadcasted the test.
• Some DirectTV subscribers heard a different kind of piercing sound than everyone else—footage of Lady Gaga singing instead of the test alert.
• Some Time Warner Cable subscribers saw home-shopping wares in place of the emergency alert.
• Individuals using antennas for reception reported that they saw regular programming, or that the EAS image stayed on the screen long after the audible test was completed.

Despite these glitches, the federal agencies involved assured the public that they were conducting a working test, and that data would be gathered and evaluated in order to improve the system. They even sent out a release prior to the test to make it clear that they were not anticipating a 100-percent success rate. One of their reasons for anticipated glitches was because there are so many stations throughout the country, each one with specialized equipment necessary to successfully accept and transmit the test signal and associated emergency announcement.

A frequent criticism of the EAS is that it ignores new communication methods which most people rely on such as the Internet and mobile devices. The EAS was not sent via either of these channels. However, there is a new initiative called the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) which aims to integrate several alert methods and agencies in order to greatly enhance coverage.

Here are a few interesting facts about the new system:

• Intended as an umbrella system that integrates EAS, the National Warning System (phone-based alerts), NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS).
• Created in response to criticisms about the government alerts for Hurricane Katrina and other similar disasters.
• Works with the major cell providers to allow the government to send text alerts regarding emergencies. Scheduled to be online in the spring of 2012, the messages from CMAS will have a unique signal and vibration so they will stand out from standard text messages.

Business owners should take a cue from the national warning system, planning in advance of emergencies and developing coordinated methods for communicating urgent messages to their teams. Companies should use multiple technologies including text message, email and available building intercom systems to ensure that occupants and staff members are aware of building-specific emergencies. What’s more, internal systems should be tested once they are implemented.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives.  For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

There are lots of ways to handle Chicken Pox.

Some adults are organizing Chicken Pox parties in an effort to expose children to the disease. The underlying theory is that children will likely contract the disease at some point, anyway, and complications are usually less intense if the infection occurs when people are young. Let’s review the merits of this approach:

• Parents offer to send others in a Facebook group a lollipop that was licked by a child with Chicken Pox. This behavior is not only disgusting, but it’s also illegal.
• Doctors caution that gathering children together is likely to expose them to secondary infectious risks including encephalitis and strep. Such parties are not based upon any real science and are not controlled or supervised by medical staff.
• Children are at risk from secondary bacterial infections which lead to lesions caused by the condition. This can be especially troublesome for younger children who tend to touch dirty surfaces without washing and who are prone to picking at lesions.
• Chicken Pox is an airborne virus, so licking a lollipop is not even a likely transmitter, but it can spread hepatitis and other diseases.

Not surprisingly, officials from the CDC and other agencies strongly condemn people that organize such parties in lieu of giving their children the required vaccinations.

• The vaccine and getting the actual disease both provide the body with antibodies; however the vaccine is a much more controlled and safer manner.
• Unvaccinated children that get the virus will typically suffer from many more sores and more severe symptoms from the virus than those that get Chicken Pox after vaccination.
• The Chicken Pox vaccine is exceedingly safe, with common side effects including rash, slight fever, and soreness at the injection site. More serious side effects are extraordinarily rare.
• Vaccinations for Chicken Pox and other diseases serve as group protection for people who cannot be immunized due to depressed immune systems.

Another risk of such parties is to accidentally expose adults who have never had it as a child. Such infections are often fatal and require treatments with antiviral drugs in order to slow the spread of the virus. Adults are often at risk for developing shingles. This disease is the result of dormant Chicken Pox which never completely leaves a host body. Shingles produces a severe rash that can persist for weeks or months, and can even affect the eyes and other vital body areas.

What do agencies such as the CDC say about Chicken Pox?

• Parents should closely follow the vaccine schedule for Chicken Pox. The safety of vaccines has been backed by countless studies, with links to autism and other problems which have been largely discredited.
• The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine Zostavax^® for individuals ages 60 and older. These individuals should get the vaccine whether or not they had Chicken Pox as a child.

The growing numbers of parents who are not vaccinating their children against Chicken Pox and other diseases is posing an increasing risk to public safety. Through proper education and examination of the associated science, parents should carefully consider the repercussions of failing to vaccinate their children and/or willfully exposing their children to diseases.

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