a.) The disaster I chose to learn more about is wildfires. Growing up in Southern California, I did not experience snow days; rather, I experienced smoke days. I remember in middle school I did not have to go to school because the smoke in the air from a nearby wildfire was too hazardous. This is an increasing problem as more and more communities have a wildland-urban interface, increasing the odds of smoke exposure. It has been noted that smoke from a wildfire can extend up to 1,000 miles. In addition to wildfires, prescribed fires are also a source for hazardous smoke exposure. Prescribed fires are commonly used to preclude out-of-control wildfires. Over the past decade, U.S agencies burn an average of 2.2 million acres each year.
Smoke from wildfire emit a number of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, trace minerals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. The adverse health effects of smoke exposure are eye irritation, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and stress. Notable populations that are most vulnerable to smoke are children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic respiratory conditions.
Despite the known adverse effects of smoke exposure, there is limited data of the health effects of smoke exposure due to the fact that fires are often short lived. Public health officials require more information to fully understand the mechanism of which smoke exposure cause detrimental health effects.
b.) In Temecula, the city offers CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) training for those willing to commit 20 hours of training. The training is cost-free. It is designed to teach citizens to provide basic medical aid, search for and rescue victims safely and organize themselves to help mitigate disasters. Those who successfully complete the practical exercise with training in fire suppression, search and rescue, cribbing, and triage receive a certificate of completion.
Hi Alvin, great post. I also lived in Southern California and I was exposed to the effects of wildfires. Different pollutants in our air have adverse health effects. I'm very concern about the effects that air pollutants have on pregnant women and children. I can only imagine that the air contamination due to wildfires also has consequences on this population. Long-term exposure to smoke can cause respiratory illness in pregnant women that can lead to low-birth weight in infants and pre-term labor.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic. Wildfires are an increasing concern in California, and we should ready and able to help our communities during this type of disasters. It is good to know that California has volunteer programs at the local and state levels. I'd like to join as a volunteer in Sacramento.
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