Video Educates Public on Preparing for Terrorist Attacks

Nervous about what to do in case of a terrorist attack? A new video by experts in Israel aims to help families prepare.

Protect Your Family explains how to safeguard yourself by teaching early warning sign detection, first aid for victims, how to properly make your home safe and how to use common household products to obtain temporary relief for family and pets.

The video addresses bio-warfare, chemical warfare, bio-terrorism through the mail, protective gear and how to protect one's pets.

"It is amazing how education and awareness make one calmer," says Lou Martin Jr., CEO of A.O.S. Inc., the Stuart, Fla.-based company that created the video. "It's every American's right to have this valuable information at their fingertips in an easy-to-understand format that will empower them, just in case. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention saves lives."

For further information on Protect Your Family, contact Lou Martin at 877-545-6570.

Online Workshop Educates Parents on Preventing Infections, Preparing for Bioterrorism

A new online workshop teaches Americans of every age how to prevent infections in all areas of life, from homes, businesses and classrooms to what to do if a bioterrorist strikes.

The Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDs) workshop is filled with vivid graphics, amazing facts and fun activities for any age. It is a train-the-trainer program offered free of charge to the nation's classrooms, employers, parents and coaches.

The workshop focuses on the following areas:

• Why viruses and bacteria are so good at making us so sick.
• How to prevent infections through standard precautions and immunizations.
• Beware the blood: Fun ways to teach children standard precautions.
• Make your own alcohol disinfectant handrub.
• Why do state governments mandate immunizations?
• How to prepare for a bioterrorist strike.
• How to keep athletes of all ages safe from bloodborne and other infections.
• Why the infected are stigmatized and what protections civil rights laws provide.

"The workshop is designed so anyone can use it to teach others about infectious disease – no teaching certificate is required!" says Trish Parnell, executive director of PKIDs, a national nonprofit organization that supports families touched by infectious diseases and educates the public about disease prevention. "Each section provides a detailed instructional text plus great hands-on learning activities for use in homes, schools and businesses."

The materials were developed in cooperation with leading physicians and public health educators to create an accurate and user-friendly program that is free to the public.

PKIDs' Infectious Disease Workshop can be downloaded or printed for free at www.pkids.org/idw.htm or it can be purchased on CD-ROM for $30 plus shipping and handling by calling 360-695-0293 or e-mailing pkids@pkids.org. (3-11-03)

Orange Alert? How to Keep Your Family Safe

With anxieties running high over the government's new terrorism alert, millions of Americans are flocking to the local hardware store for protection against possible biological and chemical attacks on U.S. cities. But are plastic wrap and bottled water the best defense?

Here are some risk management tips and other wisdom from the book Prot ect Yourself: Using Insurance, Personal Security and Common Sense to Keep Your Family, Things and Body Safe.

Simple risk management at work:

• Know the details of your work space – entrances, exits, windows and barriers – and maintain an awareness of your surroundings.
• Know your evacuation plan and routes.
• Wear your ID card or access badge at all times.
• Report missing, lost or stolen ID cards or access badges.
• Know your co-workers by name and appearance.
• Question the identity of delivery people, repair people and staff workers. Ask for picture identification, if necessary.
• Report broken or nonworking lights, locks, doors, windows and security systems.
• Be cautious when working late and using stairwells, elevators or restrooms.
• Know who to contact in the event of an emergency, including emergency response or law enforcement agencies. Post these numbers, if necessary.

Handling bomb or poison threats:

• Stay calm, do not interrupt the caller, listen carefully and record or note every word you can.
• If there's time, ask specific questions – where the bomb or poison is, what it looks like and when it will activate. Many threats are just threats, but if there is a bomb or poison, the people planting it may not want to hurt anyone. They may want media attention or to impress others with their ability to do harm. They may give away critical details.
• After the caller has disconnected, don't hang up the phone. It may be possible to trace the caller if the connection hasn't been completely terminated.
• Report threats immediately and wait for expert advice. An automatic evacuation isn't always the best course of action.
• When reporting a bomb threat, give your complete name, telephone number and exact location, including room, floor or office number.
• If a suspected package or device is found, don't touch it or move it.
• A chemical or hazardous material contamination may require medical attention immediately. Contain the substance if possible. If it can't be contained, evacuate the immediate area of the exposure.

Simple risk management at home:

• When leaving your home, lock all doors, drawers, cabinets and windows.
• Always maintain control of your keys; never lend them to people you don't know.
• Always carry your purse, wallet, personal bags, cellular phones or briefcases, and never leave them unsecured or out in the view of others.
• Don't write down or give out confidential passwords, PIN numbers or combinations – and don't keep these numbers in your purse or wallet.
• Keep confidential files secured in a portable safe or lockable filing cabinet.