Thank you to all of you who showed up to the Woodinville Safety Fair on November 6th. It was great to get a chance to meet with you and answer your preparedness questions. For those of you that missed it, here is a little of what you missed.
http://www.wflsd.org/winter10.pdf
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Canned Food
One of the questions I get most often is how long does canned food last?
I would love a simple answer like, 6 years, 3 months, 1 week, 2 days, and 17 hours, but it isn't that straight forward I'm afraid. "Best by" dates or "use-by" are often stamped on cans but honestly there is little relevance to those numbers. Canned food will last for dozens of years if stored in moderate temperatures (around 70° F or below). Be sure to inspect the cans looking for bulging or denting and if the can is malformed DO NOT EAT IT! Otherwise you can expect that the quality of the product will change over time such as color or texture but the food should be safe to eat long beyond the "Best by" date.
Many canned food manufacturers have a unique coding system they use to mark their product. Some manufacturers list day, month and year of production, while other companies reference only the year. These codes are usually imprinted on the top or bottom of the can. Other numbers may appear and reference the specific plant manufacturing or product information and are not very useful to consumers. If you are interested or want to understand the "secret can codes" I have included some tips.
Some products are coded with a one digit year and then the day of that year such as 0201 would represent July 20, 2010. 0 = 2010 and the 210th day is July 20th.
Others use one digit for year and then a number or letter for the month. Numbers 1 through 9 represent January through September, and letters O for October, N for November and D for December. Or, just using letters, A=Jan. and L=Dec.
Now that you are truly confused, let me simply say, when in doubt, call the phone number on the product and ask.
For long term storage, I like to use my trusty Sharpie pen and write on the top of the can when I bought it.
I would love a simple answer like, 6 years, 3 months, 1 week, 2 days, and 17 hours, but it isn't that straight forward I'm afraid. "Best by" dates or "use-by" are often stamped on cans but honestly there is little relevance to those numbers. Canned food will last for dozens of years if stored in moderate temperatures (around 70° F or below). Be sure to inspect the cans looking for bulging or denting and if the can is malformed DO NOT EAT IT! Otherwise you can expect that the quality of the product will change over time such as color or texture but the food should be safe to eat long beyond the "Best by" date.
Many canned food manufacturers have a unique coding system they use to mark their product. Some manufacturers list day, month and year of production, while other companies reference only the year. These codes are usually imprinted on the top or bottom of the can. Other numbers may appear and reference the specific plant manufacturing or product information and are not very useful to consumers. If you are interested or want to understand the "secret can codes" I have included some tips.
Some products are coded with a one digit year and then the day of that year such as 0201 would represent July 20, 2010. 0 = 2010 and the 210th day is July 20th.
Others use one digit for year and then a number or letter for the month. Numbers 1 through 9 represent January through September, and letters O for October, N for November and D for December. Or, just using letters, A=Jan. and L=Dec.
Now that you are truly confused, let me simply say, when in doubt, call the phone number on the product and ask.
For long term storage, I like to use my trusty Sharpie pen and write on the top of the can when I bought it.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"Triangle of Life" - not so much
It seems as if after every major earthquake this "Triangle of Life" misinformation makes its way around the internet again, and after the Haitian earthquake it has popped up again. The "Triangle of Life" is an alternative safety concept that is inappropriate for earthquakes in the United States and dangerous to follow.
This comes around the emergency management community every few years, and we do our best to de-bunk it. Because building codes here in the United States are among the best in the world, most injuries and death in the U.S. from earthquakes occur from non-structural threat (stuff inside the building), not from structural threat (the building itself). You are far more likely to be injured by breaking glass and falling objects rather then the massive collapse of a structure.
The best way to react to an earthquake is to “Drop” – get under a table, desk or counter top, “Cover” – protect your head and neck, and “Hold on” – to a table leg or to that cover, until 30 seconds after the shaking stops. We encourage you to disregard the Triangle of Life message – it is dangerous misinformation.
For correct information for the U.S., go to: http://www.earthquakecountry.info/dropcoverholdon/
There, you’ll find links and statements from the Washington State Emergency Management Division, King County Emergency Management, as well as other pertinent news stories.
This comes around the emergency management community every few years, and we do our best to de-bunk it. Because building codes here in the United States are among the best in the world, most injuries and death in the U.S. from earthquakes occur from non-structural threat (stuff inside the building), not from structural threat (the building itself). You are far more likely to be injured by breaking glass and falling objects rather then the massive collapse of a structure.
The best way to react to an earthquake is to “Drop” – get under a table, desk or counter top, “Cover” – protect your head and neck, and “Hold on” – to a table leg or to that cover, until 30 seconds after the shaking stops. We encourage you to disregard the Triangle of Life message – it is dangerous misinformation.
For correct information for the U.S., go to: http://www.earthquakecountry.info/dropcoverholdon/
There, you’ll find links and statements from the Washington State Emergency Management Division, King County Emergency Management, as well as other pertinent news stories.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
CERT Continuing Education
We will be doing a class for CERT graduates at Northshore Fire Department titled Preparing “To Go” on January 21st from 7:00 PM -8:30. For all of you that have graduated from CERT training and are looking to refresh you skills, or get more involved this is a great class of you. To register contact Terri Jones at tjones@northshorefire.com or 425-486-2784
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