Barbecue Safety Tips
By OC Supervisor Pat Bates
Summertime is barbecue time. Below are tips to help you safely enjoy your natural gas barbecue:
_1.jpg?w=640)
OC Fire Watch: An Opportunity to Volunteer
OC Fire Watch is a team of dedicated volunteers, devoted to standing watch over Orange County wilderness parks and open lands during hazardous fire weather and Red Flag Alerts and Warnings. These volunteers receive basic training in fire behavior, observation methods and techniques, map reading, and fire response systems.
OC Fire Watch volunteers individually staff one of many pre-designated stationary post assignments, highly visible to the public, and provide another set of eyes to watch for signs of developing wild fires. They also greet the public enjoying the vast open lands and spaces of OC Parks, and educate them on the dangers of and how to prevent destructive wildfires. Continue reading
The CSU Dominguez Hills OSHA Center is hosting a one-time promotional ($50) 5029 Cal/OSHA Update for Construction Industry Trainers in Santa Ana, in Orange County, on August 11, 2013, from 8:00am -5:00pm. Taller San Jose will host the class at 810 N. Poinsettia, in Santa Ana.
They are marketing this course to all industries, and participants do not have to be trainers.
Course Description: Continue reading
Orange County Health Care Agency, Press Release
ORANGE COUNTY REPORTS FIRST HUMAN WEST NILE VIRUS CASE OF 2013
(Santa Ana) – A Cypress female in her sixties has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) infection, becoming the County’s first human WNV infection in 2013. This is the 15th human case of WNV reported in California. The woman was admitted to the hospital in July with symptoms of West Nile Virus, and is now at home recovering.
In 2012, there were 48 reported human infections of West Nile Virus and two WNV related deaths reported in Orange County. Continue reading
By Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer
Disaster strikes when you least expect it, so stay safe by following the latest County warnings from AlertOC. Designed to keep those who live or work in Orange County informed of important information during emergency events, AlertOC is Orange County’s regional public mass notification system.
The steps are simple: Public mass notification systems have become a critical component of emergency preparation and response. When there is a perceived, upcoming or imminent situation requiring community action, authorized officials record a voice, e-mail or text message that is then delivered quickly to individuals who could be affected by the event. Officials will continue to use the system to keep affected communities informed of event information as necessary. Continue reading
County Departments Move Forward on Business Continuity Plans at Supervisor Todd Spitzer’s Impetus
At the May 21, 2013, meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Internal Audit Department reported on one department’s progress with its business continuity plan. (Business continuity plans show the ways in which a department will be able to continue operating after a disaster.)
“Incomplete business continuity plans place this County at-risk of not being able to function after a catastrophe. Earthquakes, fires, floods, riots, hackers, and all sorts of other calamities are very real possibilities,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “Our agencies and departments must prepare their business continuity plans to keep this County functioning for our 3,000,000 residents.” Continue reading
The Orange County Business Emergency Response Team is hosting a “Survival and Recovery Preparation” course on Thursday, July 11, 2013, from 7:15 am to 12:15 pm, at the Centennial Park Joint Police Training Facility, located at 3006 Centennial Road, in Santa Ana. Enter park; turn Right around lake;turn Right at parking structure; go to Flagpole.
Learn what to do until First Responders Arrive… Continue reading
From the OC Politics Blog
The Orange County Fire Authority may have to refund $1.7 million to businesses who were billed for hazardous materials inspections that may not have been performed, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The refunds – nearly five times the amount first thought – suggest that troubles in the Fire Authority’s hazmat program extended deeper than the administration had initially acknowledged. The Orange County Register reported in September that the department uncovered evidence that more than 1,400 businesses were billed for inspections that didn’t happen fiscal year 2011-12. At the time, it estimated about $360,000 in refunds were due, according to the O.C. Register.
How did the executive managers at the OCFA miss this? And why was the OCFA’s Board of Directors asleep at the wheel? Who is on the OCFA’s Board of Directors? Here are just a few of these lame, overpaid Directors: Continue reading
Teen lost hand to exploding fireworks
SHERIFF-CORONER DEPARTMENT
COUNTY OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA
MEDIA ADVISORY,FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2013
Press Conference on the Dangers of Fireworks
Contacts: Gail Krause, OC Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-1840 or gkrause@ocsd.org; Lynette Round, OC Fire Authority at (714) 573-6203 or lynetteround@ocfa.org
Who: The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and the Orange County Fire Authority(OCFA) are partnering together to warn residents of the potential dangers of fireworks thisFourth of July holiday and promote fireworks safety.What:OCSD and OCFA will discuss fireworks regulations, emphasizing that even “safe and sane”fireworks are illegal in most Orange County cities. If fireworks are allowed in their city,residents must comply with that city’s regulations and use the fireworks only in thetimeframe allowed, within those cities. Fireworks safety tips will also be discussed.Fireworks are explosives and can cause severe personal injuries and property damage ifused incorrectly. Continue reading
The OCASSE’s June Technical Meeting is going to feature their Student Section. The Orange County Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Student Section was established through California State University, Fullerton in 2011. In just two years, the section has grown to their current membership of 26 full-time student members. They participate in seminars, field trips, outreach projects, and fundraising activities.
On June 19, the OC ASSE will host the outgoing student leadership team as they share what they have done in the past year and where they see their lives going post-graduation. This event is fun and rewarding for all ASSE members and EH&S professionals. Join us and see how our future safety specialists are taking our profession into the future! Continue reading
Ace Hoffman, a local expert on nuclear energy, here in Orange County, has issued a scathing letter calling for the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which is run by Southern California Edison. Here is his letter, in its entirety:
Dear Readers,
If I ever actually hear that San Onofre Nuclear [Waste] Generating Station is being decommissioned, I’ll start to believe that we’ll soon be left with only the spent nuclear fuel problem to deal with. Continue reading
Need to brush up on cyber security risk? Join OCRIMS and an exceptional panel of cyber risk experts for an Education Workshop on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 at Orange Hill Restaurant!
Registration and breakfast start at 8:00 a.m. Workshop is from 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Continue reading