National Rivers Month

June is National Rivers Month!

Photo Credit: National Rivers Month

Did you know that more than 250,000 rivers and streams run throughout America? Together, these waterways flow for nearly 3.6 million miles, providing drinking water to over 65% of Americans. The Outdoor Industry Association reports that nearly 175 million Americans ages six and older participated in outdoor activities on local waterways. Together, they pump more than 86 billion dollars into the economy every year!

But the truth is you can’t put a price tag on a river-especially when illegal dumping, litter, sewage and industrial runoff threaten the communities and ecosystems that depend on them. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 290 million scrap tires are produced in the United States each year. That’s enough tires to circle the Earth 1.6 times! Unfortunately, many of these tires, along with other unwanted items, are dumped into rivers every year. To give you an idea, National River Cleanup^®volunteers removed more than 36,000 tires from local waterways in 2012 alone.

In honor of National Rivers Month, we’re calling all paddlers, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts and humans alike to organize or volunteer with National River Cleanup. By participating in a river cleanup, you help preserve these invaluable resources that make life on Earth possible. So what are you waiting for? There’s never been a better time to give back to the rivers that do so much for us!

Credit to: June is National Rivers Month!

Back To School Supply Drive

Drop off location:

Servpro of Cayce/ West Columbia

1831 Pine Street

West Columbia, 29170

Please keep checking our blogs for additional drop off locations.

Back to school supplies  

Backpacks – no rolling backpacks please

Packs of pencils- 12 count pack

Single subject note books

Erasers

Box of colored pencils

Dry erase markers

Glue Sticks

Bottle of Glue

Box of  24 crayons

Plastic folders with pockets- Red, Blue, Green

Composition notebooks

Wide ruled notebook paper

Zipper pencil bags

Kleenex

Spiral note books – wide ruled

Rounded scissors

Washable markers

Highlighters

Folders with pockets and brads

Story: Yarnell Hill Fire

Evacuees are excitedly talking about returning to their homes, now that the latest reports say the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona is 45 percent contained. But as the likelihood of being allowed back onto their property increases, not all survivors are wondering what they will find.

“We climbed up on the roof and it looked like it was a day or two away,” said Karen Patterson, sitting next to her husband, James Bonde, where they had just attended a meeting in the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter shelter at Wickenburg High School.

“First it was black smoke, and then a black, red glow. I was being the optimist, that it wasn’t going to come,” Bonde added.

Patterson even had time to pull brush away from their home, as they watched the fire about two miles west of them.
But the fire changed direction.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to deal with,” Patterson said, recounting how it seemed like a fireball tornado literally chased them down the mountain. “It was terrifying.”

With their three children, Ethan, 11, Alison, 6 and Ayla, 3, they fled with ash so thick and the heat so intense that they weren’t sure they’d make it.

“I closed my eyes and prayed,” Patterson said. “I prayed and prayed and prayed.”

“We knew our house was already gone,” Bonde said.

But they did make it to safety and Bonde was wrong about their house. It turns out, they explained, that their house wasn’t touched by the fire at all.

“So we’re alive, and regardless of the home being there or not, if I can help anybody out in any way, that’s my main goal now,” Patterson said of her new life’s mission in grateful recognition of their good fortune.

But Ethan, their oldest child, may have beaten her to it.

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times published a story about the fire. Mentioned in the story is a drawing Ethan made at the shelter with encouragement from Red Cross disaster mental health workers, which Patterson proudly displays on her cell phone. It is of the mountain their home sits on. Their mountain, with the artistic license of a human-like face, has tears falling from its eyes.

Calling the drawing, “Everything Happens for a Reason,” Ethan has announced that he plans on being a firefighter when he grows up.

He is America’s future – born from the ashes of a devastating fire that took the lives of 19 firefighters on Sunday.is of the mountain their home sits on. Their mountain, with the artistic license of a human-like face, has tears falling from its eyes.

Calling the drawing, “Everything Happens for a Reason,” Ethan has announced that he plans on being a firefighter when he grows up.

He is America’s future – born from the ashes of a devastating fire that took the lives of 19 firefighters on Sunday.

Content Credit: http://newsroom.redcross.org/2013/07/04/story-yarnell-hill-fire/

Lexington Young Professionals Host Free Public Disaster Symposium

Lexington Young Professionals hosted a free public disaster symposium on June 14, 2013 at the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce building. Adjutant General Robert Livingston gave the keynote address, offering his experience and knowledge working with the South Carolina National Guard to keep the state safe from natural and manmade emergencies. The General’s tagline for his 2013 educational workshops and presentations has been “Disaster relief begins at home and in the local community. Be Prepared!”

With Hurricane Season beginning on June 1 and Tropical Storm Andrea passing through the Carolinas, it was a vital time for the community to receive planning tips and guidelines by emergency response experts.  The experts prepared residents for disaster by emphasizing safety tips to utilize before, during and after small or catastrophic events.

The event began with opening remarks by Town of Lexington Mayor Randy Halfacre and Town of Lexington Chief of Police Terrence Green. Lee Pitcovich, Founder and former President of Lexington Young Professionals, emceed the event.

Following the keynote address, speaker Derrec Becker, from Emergency Division Management, focused on hurricane safety and evacuation, and reiterated precautions and procedures to utilize during every type of local event.

Dave Seawell, of American Red Cross, provided insight on shelter information and protocol and surviving emergencies with children and pets.

The event concluded with a business emergency preparedness presentation by Tia Williams of SERVPRO of Lexington. With a daunting 60% closure rate for businesses affected by emergencies, The SERVPRO Emergency Ready Plan (ERP) app offers business and property owners a free step by step tutorial and planning system for emergency preparedness. The ERP is available at servpro.com/ready.

About 40 people attended the symposium. Breakfast was sponsored by Chick-fil-a and Flight Deck. Other sponsors included The Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Livingston Insurance and Event Management, LLC.  Plans for a follow up Emergency Preparedness workshop are in the works.

About the Lexington Young Professionals: The Lexington Young Professionals (LYP) is a nonprofit organization of upcoming leaders in the Lexington community seeking to become a positive and progressive influence in the Lexington, SC community through networking opportunities, social interaction, service and involvement. For more information, please visit lexingtonyoungprofessionals.com or follow us on Twitter @theLYP. 


For more pictures on the event please visit our Facebook Page

Signs of a Heatstroke

Heatstroke can be the serious and often fatal result of a dog's prolonged exposure to excessive heat. Below are the signs of heatstroke and the actions you should take if your dog is overcome.

Early Stages:

•    Heavy panting.

•    Rapid breathing.

•    Excessive drooling.

•    Bright red gums and tongue.

•    Standing 4-square, posting or spreading out in an attempt to maintain balance.

Advanced Stages:

•    White or blue gums.

•    Lethargy, unwillingness to move.

•    Uncontrollable urination or defecation.

•    Labored, noisy breathing.

•    Shock.

If your dog begins to exhibit signs of heatstroke, you should immediately try to cool the dog down:

•    Apply rubbing alcohol to the dog's paw pads.

•    Apply ice packs to the groin area.

•    Hose down with water.

•    Allow the dog to lick ice chips or drink a small amount of water.

•    Offer Pedialyte to restore electrolytes.

Check your dog's temperature regularly during this process. Once the dog's temperature has stabilized at between 100 to 102 degrees, you can stop the cool-down process.

If you cannot get the dog cooled down and you begin to see signs of advanced heatstroke, take the dog to the veterinarian immediately.

-Content Credit: http://www.akc.org/public_education/summer_safety.cfm