Take Five Minutes to Learn "Hands Only" CPR and You May Save a Life

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Nearly 400,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, and almost 90 percent die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. When begun immediately, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

The American Heart Association is on a mission to teach people across the country how to save lives with Hands-Only™ CPR with the help of 70s disco classic, “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.

If you see a teen or adult collapse, call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic Bee Gees' song "Stayin' Alive." The American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR at this beat can more than double or triple a person's chances of survival.

To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and tour, hustle to heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR, facebook.com/AHACPR or youtube.com/HandsOnlyCPR.

In June 2012, Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency coordinated a "Sidewalk CPR" event in over 2 dozen locations throughout the County. Another Hands-Only CPR event at 10 locations is planned for Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

I attended and learned that "mouth-to-mouth" is not necessary to save a life. The steps they taught us in this 5 minute exercise was:

  1. Check for responsiveness - shake and shout. Rub the breast bone with your knuckles.
  2. Call 9-1-1 or tell someone to do so - if unresponsive and gasping or not breathing.
  3. Compress: Position on the floor face up. Place one hand on the center of the chest and the other hand on top of the first. Push HARD (at least 2 inches) and FAST (about 100 times per minute).
  4. Continue until Emergency Medical Services arrives, even if the person gasps. Gasping is not a sign of recovery - it's because you are doing a good job with CPR.

You may just save a life with this knowledge.

Centers for Disease Control Gives the Scoop on Poop in Public Swimming Pools

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Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did a public pool study that concluded that feces are frequently introduced into pool water by swimmers.

I debated whether to publish this, well, not particularly pleasant information, but we should all be aware of prepared when we venture out into public swimming areas (such as this compilation of several dozen fun water activities in and around Ventura County).

The CDC collected samples of water from public pool pool filters last summer and tested the samples for genetic material of multiple microbes. Fully 58 percent of the pool filter samples tested were positive for E. coli, bacteria normally found in the human gut and feces.

Finding a high percentage of E. coli-positive filters indicates swimmers frequently contaminate pool water when they have a "fecal incident" in the water or when feces rinse off of their bodies because they do not shower thoroughly before getting into the water.

The study did not address water parks, residential pools or other types of recreational water. The study does not allow CDC to make conclusions about all pools in the United Stat

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Scenes in Pt Mugu State Park After Re-Opening Last Friday, May 24th

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The Springs Fire started the morning of May 2nd along the 101 freeway on the Conejo Grade and burned over 28,000 acres through portions of Camarillo, Newbury Park and the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Aea until it was fully contained the following week.

Portions of Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa re-opened on Tuesday, May 14th. Remaining trails in Pt Mugu State Park were opened by the National Park Service last Friday, May 24th, giving the public access to Sycamore Canyon, Boney Mountain Wilderness and other marked trails.

Local residents Dianne Avery of Dianne Avery Photography and her photo model Renee Simon captured some of the moment yesterday in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

Photo by Dianne Avery; Picture is Renee Simon. Both are local Newbury Park residents who frequently explore the trails in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

And below are a few other shots taken while exploring the area.

 

 

Additional photos available at www.facebook.com/ConejoValleyGuide

Fire on the Conejo Grade morning of May 2nd

Burned areas in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa and Dos Vientos on May 5th

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa on May 14th

Pt Mugu State Park up to Danielson Monument on May 24th

Sycamore Canyon to Danielson Multi-Use Area in Pt Mugu State Park on May 25th

Russell Fischer Business Collection Premieres at the Camarillo Public Library

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The Russell Fischer Business Collection premiered at the Camarillo Public Library on Wednesday, May 22. 

Russell Fischer was a local citrus farmer who passed away in 2005 at the age of 93, leaving an $11 million estate to the Ventura County Community Foundation to be split among five non-profit entities, including the Camarillo Public Library.

The Library was bequeathed a total of $2,764,149.07, according to Camarillo Mayor Charlotte Craven, at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Fischer asked that the library funds be used on business related resources.  The grand opening marked the initial phase of growing the collection, which will eventually include business related print books and electronic books, online training videos and databases.  The library also has created a workspace area that is well suited for business research and collaboration. The library also plans to incorporate events, seminars and training workshops with a focus on business related topics.

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Lynda Weinman of Lynda.com gave a keynote speech, sharing the story of how she and her husband founded and grew the company into a leading provider of online education, helping millions of individuals around the world.  Lynda.com subscriptions will be available to the public at no charge on a number of computers in the Russell Fischer Business Collection.

The collection is located on the 2nd floor of the library. For more information, visit www.camarillolibrary.org or call 805.388.5222.

Make a Splash: Stay Healthy Under the Sun and In the Water This Summer

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Make a Splash!

Stay healthy under the sun and in the water this summer - a reminder from the CDC

As schools let out and summer approaches, remember to stay healthy and safe under the sun and in the water. Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States, and melanoma is the most deadly kind of skin cancer. Just a few serious sunburns at any age can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer. We all share the water we swim in, and each of us needs to do our part to help keep ourselves, our families, and our friends healthy while swimming.

To help protect yourself and others from disease and germs, here are a few easy and effective steps to take this season:

  • SEEK shade- especially during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.
  • PROTECT your body- wear clothing that protects the skin such as a wide-brimmed hat to shade the face, head, ears, and neck; and wraparound sunglasses that block as close to 100 percent of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays as possible (sunglasses safeguard the eyes from UVA and UVB rays, protect the tender skin around the eyes from sun exposure, and reduce the risk of cataracts).
  • APPLY sunscreen- sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, and toweling off.
  • CHECK pools– before getting into the water, check the pool to see if it is at the proper chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) to maximize germ-killing power.
  • KEEP the poop and pee out of the water while swimming- don’t swim when ill with diarrhea; chlorine and other disinfectants don’t kill germs instantly; mixing of chlorine with pee and sweat uses up the germ-killing chlorine in the pool and creates those chemicals that sting your eyes and make you cough.
  • DON’T swallow the water you swim in.

Enjoy your time outdoors and in the water, and take steps to be healthy.

Here are some great outdoor activities in and around Ventura County this summer:

Beaches spanning from Carpinteria to Ventura

Beaches spanning from Oxnard to Malibu

4th of July festivities and fireworks

Water parks, splash pads and community swimming

Summer concerts in the park

Remaining Trails in Pt Mugu State Park, Sycamore Canyon to Re-Open Tomorrow

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Today the National Park Service announced that all major trails in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area burned areas in Pt Mugu State Park will re-open tomorrow, Friday, May 24th, including Sycamore Canyon Fire Road, the trail to the Danielson Monument, Sycamore Canyon and La Jolla campgrounds, etc., as long as the trails are authorized, marked and mapped. Expect some trail closures for repair intermittently. Here are some before and after shots of a few scenes in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Pt Mugu State Park.

View looking down Sycamore Canyon on May 5, 2013.View from top of Sycamore Canyon on February 10, 2013.

Another post-Springs fire view down Sycamore Canyon.Another view looking down Sycamore Canyon on 2/2/13.Boney Mountain Trail sign in Rancho Sierra Vista post-Springs fire 5/5/13.Boney Mountain Trail sign in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa on 2/10/13.Bench at Sycamore Canyon Overlook on 5/14/13.Bench at Sycamore Canyon Overlook on 2/10/13.

Nonprofit Cats and Dogs International, CANDi, Saves the Lives of Stray Animals

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Cats and Dogs International, CANDi, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of stray cats and dogs through spay, neuter and adoption programs. Recently, CANDi funded chemotherapy for a cancer-stricken dog called Luna.

The Story of Luna from Nuvue Cinema on Vimeo.

Cancún is a world-renowned tourist destination which is lesser known for its vast stray dog population. In Mexico, many workers earn the equivalent of $4 per day and spay surgery is not feasible, costing up to several weeks worth of pay for the average worker. CANDi programs provide the resources necessary to address the stray animal issue in situations where local governments and animal groups are not in a position to help. Thousands of cats and dogs have been spayed and neutered annually as a result.

It was during a vacation in Cancún that photographer Tracey Buyce came face-to-face with the staggering stray dog issue. She knew she had to help and discovered CANDi’s founder, Galati, through an internet search. She was back in Cancún four months later, volunteering at one of CANDi’s twice-annual free spay/neuter clinics, and soon came on board as CANDi's official photographer.

Returning to Bonfil, Mexico with CANDi again in January 2013, Buyce spotted Luna, a neglected and skeletal dog. After gaining permission from her owner to give Luna up, she had her examined and diagnosed with starvation and cancer. Luna is currently undergoing treatment and chemotherapy under the care of Dr. Leon, and CANDi volunteers in Mexico.

Buyce made it her mission to find a loving home for the gentle dog and posted Luna’s story on Facebook. She received a response almost immediately from Jenny Witte, founder of Mamatoga, a parenting website and magazine in New York, wanting to adopt her. Buyce flew back to Mexico to bring Luna back for a homecoming with her new family in Saratoga Springs on March 18th. The touching result is shown in the following video.

Luna Part Deux from Nuvue Cinema on Vimeo.

Visit Luna's Facebook page here. See more of Tracey Buyce's work at www.traceybuyce.com.

About CANDi: CANDi’s mission is to save the lives of stray animals at international tourist destinations through advocacy, education and humane, sustainable population management programs supported and funded by the tourism industry, travelers and pet lovers. Founded in 2006, CANDi is the innovation of CEO and President Darci Galati, an animal lover with 20 years of experience working in the tourism industry. "CANDi’s programs are viable, long-term solutions to animal overpopulation in resort areas that can be copied and applied worldwide,” says Galati, whose organization is supported by the tourism industry, travelers and pet lovers. For more information about CANDi visit www.candiinternational.org.