Category — safety

The fires outside of Los Angeles are still raging, and many people have been evacuated from their homes.  Just as the recent earthquake reminded up to keep our earthquake kits stocked with clean water and food, the fires remind us that we also need a “Grab and Go” emergency kit for times of evacuation.  Whether you make your own kit or buy one, make sure you keep it in a convenient location for easy access.

Here’s a rundown of related safety resources:

Grab-n-Go Box

Be Prepared: Wildfire Safety

About.com: First Aid: Wildfire Evacuations

Ready.gov: Wildfires

Wildfire Zone: Emergency Kit Checklist for Pet and Livestock Owners

Real Simple: Grab-and-Go Emergency Kit

Before I start regaling everyone with my vacation pictures and stories, I just want to say that I am so glad no one got hurt in yesterday’s giant earthquake. I was in the airport waiting to board my flight back to LA when I saw the news on CNN, and I have been hearing stories from everyone from the cab driver at LAX to my co-workers this morning. Scary stuff! I am so glad I missed it!

The quake served as a good reminder that I need to make sure my earthquake survival kit is in tip-top condition. If I were grading the state it was in for this past quake, I’d probably give myself a C, and I don’t like getting grades lower than A ever. So, here’s my self-critique, and what I am going to do to correct my mistakes:

• Two 10 gallon plastic water containers - Great that we have them, but one of them was only half filled. I’d rather be on the safe side next time and have both filled, just in case. We also need to get some sort of water purification device or purification tablets.
• Food - Most of the food in the house requires some degree of preparation. If there are ever power outages, I might end up living on uncooked pasta, and that thought doesn’t sit well with me. I am going to stock up on Clif Bars and canned foods. And a can opener.
• Flashlights and Batteries - We have awesome Petzl Zipka headlamps, but they were buried in a drawer and not easily accessible. We need get a dedicated earthquake kit flashlight that stays in our earthquake survival kit, and batteries of all sizes, just in case.

Other than those items, I think we are in pretty good shape, but there’s always room for improvement. Here’s more information on surviving an earthquake:

• Secrets of Survival: How to Survive A Devastating Earthquake
• The Noe Valley Voice: Things to Put in Your Earthquake Survival Kit
• Public Awareness at CERI: How to Survive an Earthquake
• American Red Cross: Earthquake
• FEMA: What to Do During an Earthquake

Now for Part 2 in my continuing series on air purifiers.  I did not know that there were 3 main types of air purifier–HEPA Filters, Ionic Air Purifiers and Ozone Generators. I also did not know that “all ionic air cleaner devices produce some ozone“, and that “ground level ozone is the primary constituent of smog.” What I can’t understand is why 2 of the 3 main types of air purifiers–Ionic Air Purifiers and Ozone Generators–both produce ozone in their effort to clean air, the ozone generators producing it at levels toxic to nearby humans and animals. The main advantage to both ionic air purifiers and ozone generators seems to be their ability to remove smoke and odors from the air, but I personally don’t think that is worth the ozone health risks.

Apparently activated carbon helps to remove odors from the air, and UV (ultraviolet) light can kill airborne bacteria and micro-organisms, so I think a HEPA filter air purifier with those features would be the best for improving indoor air quality.

A few air purifier recommendations:

• IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
• Alen A375 UV Ultra HEPA Air Purifier
• Blueair 402

OK, I think I am going to either postpone or cancel part 3 of this air purifier series, since I have covered a lot of information already and want to move on to different topics. 

I have found some really interesting information about air purifiers. I’ll break it up into 3 posts because it is important but a little overwhelming all at once. The main topics: WHY people need home air purifiers, WHAT to look for in an air purifier, and WHICH air purifiers to buy.

1. WHY People Need Home Air Purifiers

You may have seen the commercials for some lawyers that begins, “If you are a loved one suffer from COPD, call us…” The commercial isn’t simply using scare tactics to generate business, it is pointing out a very serious problem affecting a lot of people in this country. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and it is sometimes caused or exacerbated by indoor air pollution.

Other health conditions like asthma, headaches, fatigue and chronic sinusitis are other common problems caused or worsened by indoor air pollution. The very structures of U.S. homes often contains toxins like formaldehyde–found in everything from plywood to carpet glue–and asbestos, both of which are linked to severe respiratory problems and even cancer.

A list of other things you might be breathing in:

• Biological pollutants - viruses, bacteria, animal dander, dust mites, toxic mold, pollen, mildew.
• Chemical Products - cleaning supplies, paint and even printers can emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
• Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Radon - Gases that not good for living things in the home.

Air purifiers remove toxic airborne particles and improve overall air quality. My next post will discusses the different kinds of air purifiers and what to look for in an air purifier.

Several bits of interesting news on air quality and air pollution:

• According to WebMD, Los Angeles is not even on the list of 10 Worst Cities for Asthma …but Memphis is!

• Green Blog reports on air pollution causing baldness, or at least making it worse.
• From Science Daily: Unmanned Aircraft To Study Southern California Smog and Its Consequences
• 18 States take greater steps to cut carbon emissions

Info on how to protect yourself and loved ones:

• Home Air Quality Tips from American Lung Association
• American Industrial Hygiene Association: Is Air Quality a Problem in My Home?

Luckily, there are a whole bunch of air purifiers and HEPA air filters that improve the air quality in your home, but I’ll post more on those later.

I am so depressed about the wildfire raging around Southern California currently. There’s the Apache fire in San Jacinto, which apparently was caused by a lit cigarette. Earlier in the week, the mountains above Sierra Madre started burning. Ugh. I took the above photo last year, when Angeles Forest was still lush. I know that wildfires are a natural process and are key to the forests renewing themselves, but it sucks when the fires are started by careless humans, which they often are.

The fires, combined with the ridiculous gas prices in the city, will make it pretty tough to do any hiking or camping this weekend. At least I have some new lawn chairs so I can enjoy the greenery in my backyard. It’s not the same as a nice long hike, but I guess it will have to do.

Here’s a refresher on outdoor fire safety:

• Smokey Bear gives a great fire safety checklist
• Tips from American Red Cross
• Wildfire prevention from FEMA
• Earthquake Fire Safety from US Fire Administration