Extreme Heat Conditions

The Department of Health & Senior Services website contains helpful resources during extreme heat conditions.  Please visit:  http://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/hyperthermia/index.php

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance:  Your best defense against heat-related illness is prevention.  Staying cool and making simple changes in your fluid intake, activities, and clothing during hot weather can help you remain safe and healthy.  Please visit:  http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/

National Institute on Aging Newsroom, NIH provides heat-related illness advice for older people: http://www.nia.nih.gov/newsroom/2012/06/hyperthermia-too-hot-your-health

Improving Disaster Planning in Nursing Homes and Home Health Agencies

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Time: 2:00 – 3:00 pm (Eastern Time)  Conference Call Information:  http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/ 

Participate by Phone:  Dial: 888-790-6180 Passcode: 1281914

Participate by Webinar:  https://www.mymeetings.com/emeet/join/index.jsp?customHeader=mymeetings&netId=PW7035569&netPass=1281914&netType=conference&acceptTerms=on

The CDC Emergency Communication System’s Clinician Communication Team manages the Clinician Outreach Communication Activity (COCA) to ensure that clinicians have the up-to-date information they need.  COCA is designed to provide two-way communication between clinicians and the CDC about emerging health threats, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and terrorism.

Missouri launches new Web Site to help Missourians be prepared for tornadoes and severe storms

State Emergency Management Agency News Release:  http://www.sema.dps.mo.gov/newspubs/template.asp?ID=N09120010

The State Emergency Management Agency announced Missouri has launched a new Web site to help inform and prepare Missourians for severe weather:  http://stormaware.mo.gov/  includes detailed videos on how to take shelter in specific types of buildings, important information about tornado sirens and weather alert radios, and links to severe weather texting services that can alert people across Missouri to upcoming severe weather.

Emergency Protocol for Long-Term Care Homes

The Emergency Protocol was developed in 2007 for communication between long-term care homes and the Section for Long-Term Care Regulation (SLCR), in the event a disaster occurs that results in a loss of a necessary service.  (Electricity, water, gas, telephone, etc.)  This protocol was established to streamline communication so that homes can focus on what is most important – the safety and well-being of the residents.

This protocol provides the cellular telephone number corresponding to the region in which your home is located if you experience a loss in a necessary service that has the potential to affect resident safety or well-being.  You are encouraged to contact the regional office main office telephone number during normal business hours as survey staff carry the cell phone and may be conducting a survey or inspection during working hours and may not answer immediately.  Please remember, this protocol is NOT to be used to self-report incidents normally reported to the Elderly Abuse & Neglect Hotline (1-800-392-0210). 

Region

Main Office

Emergency Only Cell Number

#1 Springfield

(417) 895-6435

(417) 425-8780

#2 Poplar Bluff

(573) 840-9580

(573) 778-6495

#3 Kansas City

(816) 889-2818

(816) 719-0089

#4 Cameron

(816) 632-6541

(816) 632-9371

#5 Macon

(660) 385-5763

(660) 651-1468

#6 Jefferson City

(573) 751-2270

(573) 619-3338

#7 St Louis

(314) 340-7360

(314) 623-2852

The State of Missouri map outlining the counties in each region is available at http://health.mo.gov/seniors/nursinghomes/providerinfo.php.

Additional resources for disaster and emergency planning are available at http://health.mo.gov/emergencies/.

If you have any questions about the Emergency Protocol, please contact the Section for Long-Term Care Regulation at 573-526-8524.

Resources for Joplin Tornado Victims

Resources for Joplin Tornado Victims – Some Joplin area residents are having difficulty with insurance claims related to tornado damages.  Whether the insured is an individual or a nursing home, a complaint can be registered with the Missouri Department of Insurance at http://insurance.mo.gov/consumers/complaints/index.php or you may call the Hotline at 800-726-7390.

Sprinkler Maintenance During Freezing Conditions

There are two major types of fire sprinkler systems; wet pipe and dry pipe. Wet pipe systems means the sprinkler pipes are always filled with water. Dry pipe systems means that most pipes are filled with pressured air – these systems may contain some water from condensation or improper draining of the system after testing.

When water inside pipes freezes, the ice will expand and that expansion can break pipes and fittings, causing leaks and loss of water or air pressure (loss of air pressure in a dry pipe system will cause water to flow into the pipes). The expansion could also force open sprinkler heads, causing accidental activation when these pipes thaw out. All wet pipe and dry pipe control valves must be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent freezing. NFPA 25 requires a daily inspection of enclosures to monitor temperatures around dry-pipe valves. If you have a low temperature alarm installed, then a weekly inspection is required.

If leaks are suspected, the best and easiest way to determine the location of these leaks is through visual inspection. Inspect every piping joint and sprinkler head on the entire system and while doing so, try to determine how well the sprinkler heads are connected to the system (DO NOT DAMAGE SPRINKLER HEADS).

If a sprinkler system is leaking water, contact the sprinkler company immediately. Most likely, the sprinkler company will give instructions to shut the water supply off to the system to prevent or reduce the water damage to the facility. If the sprinkler system is not in full service within 4 hours the facility is required to institute a fire watch. (It would be prudent to start a fire watch prior to this time frame if you know it could be some time before the sprinkler system is on line again.) When instituting a fire watch, the facility is required to contact the Section for Long-Term Care Regulation and the local fire authorities in order to coordinate a response to any fire event.