Don't Jinx It

Shhhhhh . . . .don’t mention fire season.

The mood shifts around our office this time of year.

A remark about a bad fire season or working long shifts at the State Emergency Operations Center turns into a blame game.

You jinxed it, now when it happens it is your fault.

The ironic thing is that wildfires are frequently human-caused disasters. We don’t have to leave it up to chance . . .we can take steps to minimize wildfire risk.

Did you know that chainsaws, broken glass, carelessly tossed cigarettes, fireworks, abandoned campfires and discharge of firearms are all known causes of wildfires?

In 2006, the Brins Fire in Sedona was caused by a welder’s torch that sparked some dry brush.

In 2011, the Wallow Fire was started by a campfire that was not properly extinguished. This fire became the largest wildfire in state history scorching approximately 538,000 acres.

In 2012 . . . .what will the next big one be? You can hardly listen to the news without hearing that fire officials are predicting another bad year for wildfires in Arizona.

I am going to do my part to not let that prediction jinx us.

For starters, I am going to brush up on putting out a campfire. When all to burgers are grilled and the s’mores have been eaten, I will make sure the fire is out.

Second, I am going to clear out the weeds in my alley (my version of clearing defensible space). Although I live in the heart of Phoenix, weeds in the alley adjacent to a wooden fence are a fire danger.

Third, I am going to use some common sense. Using equipment that can cause sparks can be dangerous, especially in windy conditions. I will remember this when using my super fancy deluxe lawn edger that sparks when I accidentally hit the concrete.

In my heart I know remarks around the office or in the news will not dictate the next disaster . . .but then again . . . .why take the chance.

da Vinci They're Not

Plato mused in his dialogue The Republic that “necessity is the mother of all invention.” I've also heard desire called the catalyst of invention ... but that's neither here nor there.

Humans are an inventive, tool and technology designing bunch; a search of the U.S.

Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov, yields sufficient evidence of that. But for every invention that “makes it” there are countless others that get swept into the dustbin of history. Not every invention can be the Shoe Dini.

Speaking of "out-of-left field" designs, the concepts of emergency preparedness and response have inspired inventions that, for one reason or another, never fomented the manic enthusiasm of American consumers like the iPad. Go figure.

Below are a couple dubious inventions that in retrospect seem—how should I put this--askew. For fun, I’ve included some imagined marketing copy for the products. You may find it difficult to differentiate between the items' suggested and actual uses.

Figure 1

Is Figure 1:

a new piping bag attachment designed to help cake decorators "clean" the last schmear of buttercream out of the piping bag--waste not, want not;

a snowstorm mask to shield your face from the wintry mix of cold wind and blowing snow in winter; or

a microphone for that person who STILL--despite constant nagging ... I mean loving reminding--doesn't know the difference between indoor and outdoor voices or when each is appropriate.

Is Figure 2:

Figure 2

a diaper containment cart for new parents with a rep for losing their lunch at the smell of a soiled diaper but nonetheless responsible of taking out the garbage;

a strolling smoker for the itinerant homecook who craves "low and slow" flavor but gets stir crazy babysitting the thermostat on their backyard grill; or

a gas-resistant stroller marketed to parents who under the threat of chemical attack suspended their weekly Sunday strolls through the neighborhood.

Got another idea for how one of these items might be used? Submit you captions as a comment by clicking "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the page.

That Ain't Spring You Hear Buzzing in the Air

This is the perfect time of year. In Phoenix, spring isn’t recognized by the first inkling of sunshine and green shoots on the ground. Instead, it's marked by the last remnant of perfect weather before we retreat to our houses and workplaces in futile attempts to avoid the blistering summer sun.

No complaints here, mind you. I take the summer heat as part and parcel with the rest of the year in Phoenix, which is mostly, as described above, perfect. So it routinely gets to 110 degrees for three months straight. As I’ve said in this blog before, you don’t have to shovel sunshine.

Just this week, I returned from a trip to La Paz County and I was greeted by the heady scent of orange blossoms, that sweet smell that should be bottled and sold as a tonic for the blues. The beautiful thing about the orange scent is that you don’t even have to be within sight of any citrus trees. That particular bouquet will find you.

We in Phoenix and other temperate parts of Arizona are approaching that two-week-long period of time twice a year where we can open windows at night without shivering. I’m not about to recommend you leave your windows open overnight – I don’t – because I don’t want to be responsible for someone slipping into your house at 3 a.m. by finding an unsecured opening. If you decide to take advantage of the perfect nighttime temps when they do arrive, check out what my friends at the Phoenix Police Department have created and see if their advice is useful for you too.

One thing those secure locks in the link above can’t protect you from is bee attacks. Strictly speaking, closed doors can protect you from bees, but if they ever develop opposable thumbs and learn how to pick locks, well, this blog entry will take on a more panicked air, because I’ll be writing it while running at a full sprint.

I appreciate bees – well, the happy bees – and their role in the ecosystem is not to be dismissed. It’s the Africanized honey bees, sometimes called “killer bees,” that give the other bees a bad name.

There’s little that’s more distressing than hearing about people, especially kids, talking a walk or playing in their front yard who inadvertently ticked off some bees. Regular ol’ bees can swarm like Africanized bees, but apparently, it’s not hard to annoy the Africanized bees. And they hold a grudge longer than plain bees.

And wouldn’t you know it, but citrus blossom scents and warm weather have the same effect on bees as they do on lots of us: They cause them to be more active and maybe a pinch fussy about people who appear to threaten their home. I guess that part about being fussy can apply year-round.

Our colleagues with Yuma Fire Department also reported they recently responded to a call for bee swarms. They rightly point out that deaths from bee stings are rare but people who are allergic to bee stings are particularly at risk. They provided some handy tips on what to do if you find yourself the unwelcome target of a swarm of bees:

Bees can swarm into a location and stay for only a couple of hours, or make it their new home. Not all bees are “killer bees” but people do need to be cautious when outdoors hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, etc. They won’t form a large swarm and “hunt” for you, but will defend their hives aggressively.

• If you are attacked, run away quickly until you reach shelter (a vehicle or building). Do not try to stand still in an attempt to fool the bees, for the bees won’t be impressed. Do not try to fight the bees. They have the advantage of numbers, and the gift of flight.
• Although it may be tempting, do not jump into water (especially canals, which could be more dangerous than the bees!) The bees will wait for you to come up for air.
• Do not swat at bees or flail your arms.
• Do wear light-colored clothing when out and about.
• Check your house and yard once a month and fill cracks and crevices in walls.
• Remove piles of junk from your yard.
• Be aware of your surroundings and keep escape routes in mind.
• If tethering or penning a pet or livestock, inspect areas for signs of colonies.
• Watch for warning signs, like bees flying back and forth in a straight line, flying at your face, buzzing your head, etc.
• Do not disturb bee colonies and keep away from swarms.

That last bit can’t be overstated. It seems like lots of bee attacks are instigated by someone poking a stick at a hive or trying to seduce the bees with smoke or fire. In my research on this topic, local fire departments will typically respond to calls of injuries, bee attacks or otherwise, but if you find a hive or sense a swarm, contact a beekeeper or exterminator.

Let's Hear It for Option B

One of those reoccurring themes you have seen in this blog is our quest to get people prepared for emergencies by doing some planning.

We’ve put our money where our mouth is.

Last week the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) dedicated a new Alternate State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in east Mesa. We partnered with ASU years ago on this project. The school will use the Alternate EOC as a “lab” for their emergency management program day to day, and when needed ADEM can use the facility for training, exercises or to respond to a real emergency. [Photo: Dr. Danny Peterson (ASU) on left, Lou Trammell (ADEM) on right]

ADEM’s primary EOC is located at Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix. The EOC is activated during state-declared emergencies and disasters and serves as the hub where government representatives coordinate the State response.

ADEM is fortunate to be co-located with the Arizona National Guard on a military base. Of course, that does not mean our location is immune from disasters. If the primary EOC would be untenable, our plan B is to use this great new facility at ASU Polytechnic campus.

Of course, no plan is going to work unless it gets tested and practiced.

We have tested the equipment in the new location (hats off to our communication and IT folks) but the next hurdle is fully staffing the facility to see how things operate. We have a few small exercises scheduled for the summer and then a large scale exercise in September.

In the meantime, the State EOC will get a little workout this week when we conduct the annual Palo Verde Preparedness exercise.

What about your plan? When was the last time it got a little workout?

The "McMuffin" of Emergency Preparedness Apps

Just when you thought there were enough apps in your mobile App Store, the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) has begun development on a public preparedness application all its own. There isn’t too much to say about the app just yet; the project is in its infancy. But like the Emergency Kit Cook-off held last National Preparedness Month, we want to include you in the design of what we hope will be the "McMuffin" of emergency preparedness apps.

We’re taking a user-centered approach to the design of our app. To ensure ADEM designs a user experience that exceeds user expectations we need to involve the user throughout the process, beginning with a few questions. Makes sense, don't it?

Your involvement begins with answering a few questions.

Would you download a free ADEM emergency preparedness app?

What functionality and/or content do you expect in an emergency preparedness app?

If you downloaded the ADEM app, what would make you want to delete it from you smartphone?

What functionality and/or content would you want an emergency preparedness app to include?

We’ve sketched preliminary wireframes of what an ADEM emergency preparedness app might look like. Some of the features we thought would sustain user interest in the app include a 72-hour kit checklist, location-based alerts, and a few other functions to give the app some added value.

We’ll posts to the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN) blog from time to time with development updates. Whether it be workflows, wireframes or content taxonomies, we’ll make a point to share it all in the hopes of hearing constructive feedback from our Facebook fans, Twitter followers (#ADEMapp) and Blogspot subscribers. And when it comes to field testing the app … we’re thinking of ways to involve you in that process too. Stay tuned.

ADEM Preparedness App

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