Spring Cleaning? What about those Smoke Detectors?

Here is a smoke detector which is over 10 years old and the battery is missing.  The resident didn't realize the battery wasn't in the smoke detector. 

 

Over time the battery compartments on smoke detectors become worn causing batteries to not fit properly, preventing proper contact to work. 

 

Dust accumulation can also hinder a smoke detector from working properly.  Smoke detectors should always be maintained by changing the batteries every six months, even if they're not beeping.  Batteries wear down and become weak causing them to not function properly if they need to alert individuals to a potential fire. 

 

When you're spring cleaning - think of the safety products in your home: smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, first aid kits, and flashlights. Be sure these are well maintained, and easily accessible.

 

The Clinton County Health Department has a program that can help Clinton County residents with a free, confidential assessment of your home. Call the Healthy Neighborhoods Program today at 518-565-4870.

Your Opinion Needed

Attention Clinton County Residents—we need YOU!  CCHD wants your opinion on health concerns in Clinton County.  Please complete our brief Health Assessment Survey, which can be accessed at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCCHA 

This survey is for anyone residing in Clinton County, New York.  The information collected will be used to identify priorities for the 2017-2020 Community Health Improvement Plan.  If you have any questions, please contact us at (518)565-4993. 

Women's History Month and Public Health Contributions

March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. There are many women who have made a difference in our public health:

• Marie Curie, a two time Nobel Prize winner. After her husband’s death, she continued the couples radiation research while raising two daughters.

• Dr. Virginia Apgar, M.D., developed a system of evaluating the health of newborns which is still used today.
• After the death of her beloved grandfather by cancer, Gertrude Belle Elion developed the first major drug used to fight leukemia and continued to find ways to fight cancer during her career.
• In the 1990s we saw the first female Hispanic Surgeon General, Dr. Antonia Novello. She focused on the health of young people, women and minorities. She had an effective campaign against the tobacco company’s use of Joe Camel advertisements.  
• Dr. Regina Benjamin continued to rebuild a rural health clinic she founded in Alabama that was destroyed after multiple storms and a fire. She was appointed the first black woman, under the age of 40, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association and our 18^th U.S. Surgeon General.

Let's celebrate all the women throughout history, and those that are currently making their mark, and their contributions to public health.