Leib Lurie, CEO One Call Now

H1N1 Prevention Scripts- messages for your school, church, business

As the H1N1 / swine flu spreads across the country, up to 40% of your students, staff, congregation or team can be affected.

Here are specific message texts to use to keep your families informed and safer…

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Hand washing is essential. The H1N1 flu virus is spread from person to person. Tell your family to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand rub to kill the germs. Teach family members to avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth as germs spread this way. By keeping hands clean, flu germs are less likely to be spread and you and your family will stay well.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand rub.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Teach your family not to touch eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs away. Keep your hands clean.

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Teach your children that hand washing is essential. Tell your family to wash their hands often with soap and water while singing the Happy Birthday song twice or use alcohol-based hand rub to kill the germs. Teach family members to avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth as germs spread this way. By keeping hands clean, flu germs are less likely to be spread and you and your family will stay well.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Teach kids to wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Teach kids if there’s no soap to wash hands, use alcohol-based hand rub.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Teach kids not to touch eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs away.

 

Businesses

Sports/Clubs/Organizations

 

Take time to get a vaccine

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Getting vaccinated for the flu is an important step. Vaccination is most important for people at high risk, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older. If you are unsure if you should get a vaccine, talk with your doctor. Vaccination begins in September and lasts into December or January. Getting vaccinated protects you and your family from getting the flu.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Get a flu shot. Children are at a high risk. Ask your doctor now to protect you and yours.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. You can get vaccinated for the flu up until January. It is not too late to arm yourself.

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Getting vaccinated for the flu is an important step for your children. Getting vaccinated protects you and your family from getting the flu. Vaccination begins in September and lasts into December or January. Vaccination is most important for people at high risk, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older. If you are unsure if you should get a vaccine, talk with your doctor.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Get a flu shot. Children are at a higher risk than adults.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. You can get vaccinated for the flu until January. It’s not too late.

 

 

Know how to cough and sneeze

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Knowing how to cough and sneeze is vital to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Teach your children to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue any time you cough or sneeze and immediately throw the tissue in the trash after it is used. If a tissue is not available, tell family members to sneeze or cough into their elbow rather than their hands to limit the spread of germs.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Teach family to cover nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing. Don’t spread germs.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Sneeze or cough into your elbow. It limits the spread of germs.

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Teach your kids to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue any time they cough or sneeze and immediately throw the tissue in the trash after it is used. If a tissue is not available, show kids how to sneeze or cough into their elbow rather than their hands to limit the spread of germs. Teach kids to wash their hands after they cough or sneeze too as an extra layer of protection.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Teach kids to cover nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Teach them to sneeze/cough into an elbow. It limits the spread of germs.

 

 

Creating social distance

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. If you know someone is sick, avoid contact with that person. Avoid crowds of people. Create distance between yourself and others to lessen the spread of the flu. Follow public health advice regarding school closures. Do not shake hands with others and if you do, wash your hands as soon as possible. Creating space between you and others and avoiding crowds of people will help protect you and your family from the flu.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Create distance between yourself and crowds. You are less likely to pick up germs.

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. If you know someone is sick, avoid contact with that person. Avoid crowds of people. Create distance between yourself and others to lessen the spread of the flu. Follow public health advice regarding school closures. Do not shake hands with others and if you do, wash your hands as soon as possible. Creating space between you and others and avoiding crowds of people will help protect you and your family from the flu.

 

 

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Create distance between yourself and crowds. You are less likely to pick up germs.

 

 

Flu timeline

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Healthy adults can infect others with the flu one day before getting symptoms and up to five days after getting sick. The flu can be spread before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick. Be sure to wash your hands, get vaccinated, cough or sneeze carefully to not spread germs, and create social distance. This will minimize you and your family’s chance of getting the flu.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect yourself from flu. Infected adults are contagious 1 day before getting symptoms, 5 after.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Learn the flu timeline here: (website).

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu prevention begins at home. Healthy kids and adults can infect others with the flu one day before getting symptoms and up to five days after getting sick. The flu can be spread before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick. Be sure to wash your hands, get vaccinated, cough or sneeze carefully to not spread germs, and create social distance between you and others. This will minimize you and your family’s chance of getting the flu.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Infected adults are contagious 1 day before getting symptoms, 5 after.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Learn the flu timeline here: (website).

 

 

Mitigation/Protection Scripts:

 

Be aware of symptoms

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu protection begins at home. Knowing H1N1 flu symptoms is important so you can get health care right away for you or your family. Symptoms may include fever (usually high), headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches. Along with these symptoms, children are more likely to have diarrhea and vomiting as well. Watch for these symptoms so you can get treated early.

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Know symptoms: fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Know symptoms: kids might have diarrhea/vomiting along with other symptoms.

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Know the symptoms and get treated early. Learn more here: (website).

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu protection begins at home. Knowing H1N1 flu symptoms is important so you can get health care right away for your kids or family. Symptoms may include fever (usually high), headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches. Along with these symptoms, children are more likely to have diarrhea and vomiting as well. Watch for these symptoms so you can get treatment early.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from flu. Know symptoms: fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny nose.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from flu. Know symptoms: kids might have diarrhea/vomiting along with other symptoms.

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Know the symptoms and get treated early. Learn more here: (website).

 

 

Different people, different reactions

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu protection begins at home. Different people can have different reactions to the flu. Most healthy people recover from the flu without complications. However, older people, children, and people with certain health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease are at high risk for serious complications from the flu. Educate yourself and your family members to limit serious health complications.

 

Church/Text/Tweet:

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Different people have different reactions. Learn more here: (website).

 

(Name of church) Alert: Protect your family from the flu. Educate yourself to limit serious health complications.

 

School/Voice:

This is principal XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu protection begins at home. Different people can have different reactions to the flu. Most healthy people recover from the flu without complications. However, older people, children, and people with certain health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease are at high risk for serious complications from the flu. Educate yourself and your family members to limit serious health complications.

 

School/Text/Tweet:

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Different kids have different reactions. Learn more here: (website).

 

(Name of school) Alert: Protect kids from the flu. Educate yourself to limit serious health complications.

 

 

Getting diagnosed

 

Church/Voice:

This is Pastor XXX with an important message about protecting your family. Flu protection begins at home. If you think you have the flu, getting diagnosed quickly is very important, especially if you are at a higher risk of complications. Those at risk include: young children, pregnant women, adults over 65, and people with chronic medical conditions. A doctor’s exam will tell you if you have developed the flu or a complication of the flu. Tests can determine if you have the flu if you are tested within the first two to three days of illness.

 

 

Swine Flu Tools for schools- free webinars WED Nov 4th

The reemergence of H1N1 has the world’s attention. Recent conflicting reports of what’s expected are causing widespread confusion. So far this year the H1N1 virus has infected more than 1 million people across the nation and will pose a more serious threat in the coming months. The presidential advisory panel reported Monday, August 31, 2009 that the H1N1 virus, commonly known as Swine Flu, could infect between 30 and 50% of the American population and could lead to as many as 90,000 deaths this Fall and Winter.

If one-third of your staff and students are suddenly home with the H1N1 Flu, how will you continue during their absence? As the next wave of H1N1 hits, mass notification will play a crucial role within the school setting. Schools with an effective emergency notification plan in place will be prepared to reach all parents with critical information, to communicate alternative schedules and contingency plans—all in a fast and reliable manner to ensure continued operations.

One Call Now and High Alert have come together to provide you with H1N1 preventive solutions and communication strategies in dealing with this national emergency. Join us on Wednesday, November 4th, either at 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM ET.

The speakers and presenters of this webinar are

Maurice A. Ramirez, D.O., High Alert
Dr. Maurice Ramirez is the Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and serves the nation as a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer in the National Disaster Medical System. He serves on state and federal panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning.

Leib Lurie, Founder & CEO, One Call Now
Mr. Lurie has 35 years experience developing and providing logistics and communications systems to facilitate operations, efficiencies, security and safety for staff and stakeholders at hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and for tens of thousands of non-profit groups around the globe.
Register for a session now by clicking a date below:
Wed, Nov 4, 2009 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM ET
Wed, Nov 4, 2009 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET (9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PT)
Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Pumkin Carving and Halloween Costume Parade for Miami County

The Troy Noon Optimist Club sponsos the annual Phil Trentine Halloween Costume Parade every year; and this year, Saturday October 24th at 9:30 is the place to start!

Get in the mood and carve a virtual pumpkin here.
http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf

H1N1 – Exploding the Myths

One Call Now and Dr. Maurice Ramirez, one of the nation’s leading epidemiologists conducted a very popular Webinar last week, showing how businesses can and must prepare to protect and inform their staff, customers and stakeholders in this virulent flu season.

For your convenience, the presentation is now available on-demand HERE

The downloadable PowerPoint document can be found HERE

Please forward it to anyone you think would benefit from the H1N1 preparedness information or a notification solution from One Call Now.

Swine Flu Webinar – Can You Cope with 40% absenteeism?

Webinar: H1N1: Inform and Protect Your Staff and Your Business

September 1, 2009

Please join: One Call Now and Contingency Planning & Management
Topic: H1N1: Inform and Protect Your Staff and Your Business
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Time: 2 p.m. (EST), 11 a.m. (PST)

Register Today at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=161849&s=1&k=FA1020CBA31B90A598CF037C12FC056B

Overview:
At the heart of contingency planning and management is information – its accuracy and its efficient dissemination.

One top-of-mind concern for organizations this Fall is the predicted reemergence of H1N1. Recent conflicting reports of what’s expected are causing widespread confusion. So far this year the H1N1 virus has infected more than 1 million people across the nation and will pose a more serious threat in the coming months. The presidential advisory panel reported Monday, August 31, 2009 that the H1N1 virus, commonly known as Swine Flu, could infect between 30 and 50% of the American population and could lead to as many as 90,000 deaths this Fall and Winter.

If 40% of your staff is suddenly home with the H1N1 Flu, or caring for loved one who is, how will you continue during their absence? As the next wave of H1N1 hits, mass notification will play a crucial role in business continuity. Businesses with an effective emergency notification plan in place will be prepared to reach all staff with critical information, to communicate alternative work centers and workaround plans—all in a fast and reliable manner to ensure continued operations.

Speakers:
Maurice A. Ramirez, D.O.

Dr. Maurice Ramirez is the Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and serves the nation as a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer in the National Disaster Medical System. He serves on state and federal panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning.

Leib Lurie, Founder & CEO, One Call Now
Mr. Lurie has 35 years experience developing and providing logistics and communications systems to facilitate operations, efficiencies, security and safety for staff and stakeholders at hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and for tens of thousands of non-profit groups around the globe.

A Q&A session will be held during the last 15 minutes of the Webinar.

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Time: 2 p.m. (EST), 11 a.m. (PST)
Register Today at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=161849&s=1&k=FA1020CBA31B90A598CF037C12FC056B

WOW Customer service

Last week I had the distinctive pleasure of bringing 14 of my senior managers to the Gaylord National Conference Center for the INC 500 conference; where we were recognized for the 2nd year in a row as one of America’s fastest growing companies.

The conference is an exhilarating affair to build teamwork, excitement and leave with the right attitude to win the award and return again next year!

The conference drilled into us the benefits to be derived from ‘wow’ customer service. For example, Tony, the CEO of Zappos, and Jim Collins author of Good to Great, both regaled us with stories of what that might be.

Our company has a Raving Fans –do what it takes philosophy; and the speakers resonated well with us.

But I was totally blown away by the completely unexpected ‘wow’ event of the weekend performed by a member of their staff.

I try and work out every day, and your exercise room is phenomenal. But I had forgotten a pair of shorts; and a tuxedo seemed a bit confining and an unwise exercise choice. I went to the gift shops to find a pair. Donica Hance told me that she had put them away for the winter, and would check the back room. Alas, there were none in my size. In any other retail experience, that would have been the end of the story. But not with Donica.

“I pass by a Walmart on my way home, and let me buy you a pair – courtesy of the hotel; as we should have had what you needed”. I’ll call when I get in tomorrow and you can pick them up here.” WOW!

She did just that, and they were terrific. I was bragging about her to my colleagues and others at the conference all day and continued telling the story that night, (albeit while wearing the tuxedo) and they challenged me – the fifty five year old senior in the group – to show them what good it did. I dropped and gave them 20 pushups.

What a terrific associate and what a fantastic way to make your customers feel more than welcome – but truly an honored guest for which nothing is too much.

Wow!

How important is safety and speed for your Notifications?

We had fifty some odd people at our summer sales conference and company meeting this week; reviewing progress, plans and programs at One Call Now.

One of the sessions was on the impact of Web 2.0 – the new wave of user posted web content, broadly called social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blogs and other similar web sites where people post and read rather than the more typical Internet corporate posted information.

It turns out that even though a high tech company, we are barely above the 50% mark for employees that use social media sites. We reviewed the use of Twitter and Facebook to send messages to your group, vs using One Call Now Notification voice, SMS text and email.

The studies showed several alarming problems with using social media sites to disseminate group information. The biggest is safety; applications like Twitter allow anyone to quickly post a message, and ‘anyone’ who wishes to can login and see that message. Our concern is for the tens of thousands of youth groups we serve, that ‘anyone’ can be a predator as easily as a parent who will now be able to track and follow your kids’ activities furtively and anonymously without anyone knowing. That strikes me as dangerous.

The second biggest is reach. Although 36 million Americans login to Facebook on a regular basis,  making it a popular web destination,  that is still less than 11% of Americans who will see your Facebook message posted within a day or two. Facebook has less than 20% of this daily readership. This compares with 300 million phone numbers in America that we can dial to reach your group instantly.

The third problem is Push vs Pull. One Call Now pushes Messages That Matter to home phones, office phones, cell phones, and via taxt to mobile devices and via email; all simultaneously for instant message delivery. Today’s Social Media sites are more akin to a community gossip  fence or town square bulletin board- requiring people to Pull by logging on and looking through a plethora of  postings with no prioritization or structure.

Please give me your comments, by clicking ‘comments’ above and let me know what you think.

Safety? Security? Reach? Speed? what things are important when sending Messages That Matter?

You should not need this excuse to hug your family

Hugging your 24 year old son and wife of 33 years together at dawn should be a wonderful feeling, but when it is while standing graveside reminiscing about the life and times of our Black Lab Jenner who died in his sleep early this morning, it takes on a different meaning. 

Digging a large grave is a challenge in the heat of August, even at 6am.
The sweat mixes with tears and jumbled mixed emotions as the dirt and sod break free.

Fifteen and a half is a good long time for a Black Lab, even for one who loved eating chocolate in his seemingly never ending aspirational quest to somehow morph into a Chocolate Lab. Despite the dire cocoa bean warnings, it never bothered him.

Jenner was supposed to be a working dog; brought into our house in 1994 as a barely weaned puppy as part of the “J” class from Pilot Puppies- a Columbus groups that trains guide dogs for the blind. Our kids needed a 4H project and raising Jenner for a year was their challenge. The instructions were sparse and simple. Teach him house manners and expose him to the world. Little did we dream how wide and far his exposure would become.

The house manners part was straightforward, sacrifice a few oak steps and balustrades along with a dozen pairs of shoes to the erupting bicuspids and canines of a fast growing puppy who leaked everywhere. Be patient for a few months and voila! A house trained puppy!

The exposure part proved more interesting and long lived. Black Labs love to swim, but falling into the pool unseen means swimming for your life for almost an hour before being rescued shaking and swollen with swallowed water. He survived the pneumonia, although he leaked for days He was petrified of water after that, and it wasn’t till he was seven, running madly after a duck into a lake that he figured out he could really swim!

Jenner loved to run; crashing through the electric fence and disappearing for hours or days. He was rescued once from the grass median on nearby I-75, and showed up at the shelter so often we wanted to get him a membership card.

But all too soon, having won our hearts it was time to go off to Guide Dog college and become someone’s eyes. Giving him up was painful but understood.
We started getting postcards “I’m learning how to wear a harness”; “I’m walking the cones in record time”… Then the unexpected. “I’m scared of buses, and I’m flunking out, can I come back and live with you?” This from the dog that knocked kids aside to leap onto the school bus.

So back he came- a teenager who flunked out of college in his first semester and wants to come back home, do nothing but eat and sleep. No job, no ambition, no future. We refused to allow this – it might give Ellen and Josh ideas we did NOT want to foster.

So we insisted he get a job. I purchased doggie saddlebags from LL Bean big enough to carry 30 papers during the week, and 15 on Sundays. Jenner delivered the Troy Daily News with Josh; the dedicated duo even won a Carrier of the Month Award. After seven years, Josh took another job and Jenner retired. But he got bored with retirement.

He had always been taught that, like the family, community service was an important part of life; so he proudly wore his saddlebags and walked up and down the bleachers at Troy stadium selling donuts for the band boosters. As soon as a batch of 20 were sold, he’d come back to the fryer stand for more.  He also ‘handed out’ lollypops at the annual Halloween Parade for the Optimist Club- making sure even the smallest costumed goblin was treated gingerly and could reach in and grab a sucker.

I had been driving him to my office occasionally to visit and hang out; but one day, after flying to Philadelphia and leaving him home, I got a call; “Jenner came to work today, he walked over by himself”. He showed up at 11:45, time for lunch! I told my staff to tell him that we start by 9, not noon!

For the seven years if I didn’t bring him to work, he’d arrive on his own; walking a mile so he could cheerfully handle customer-greeting duties (and lunch) with our growing staff. I guess we were successful teaching him (and our kids) a solid work ethic; all three have always held a job. When we moved our office in January, he quickly figured out a new commute, pleased that we eliminated a few blocks and a large intersection from the journey.

Last year, with too much time on his paws, he started volunterring at Barb’s school as a reading dog; allowing under-performing 5th graders to read to him; and they would for hours. He never critiqued their pronunciation or speed; and appeared thoroughly engaged whatever the story.

Although we had always called him “Jenner Puppy”, as he didn’t accept the aging process, the last few months were a slow down; old age creeped up, bladder problems and an unfortunate driveway accident led to a broken hip and a willingness to stay on his bed on the porch; he had earned his third retirement, but still enjoyed the yard, the cats and dinner.

Last Friday, however, he was barking for help, a disk had evidently cracked, and he was in pain and unable to get up. A cortisone shot got him back on his feet, but the prognosis was poor. Nonetheless, he spent the weekend wandering to a neighborhood picnic and greeting everyone with his usual happy smile and wag; but it was not to last.

At 3AM our other dog barked, and the cats swarmed me- something was wrong. Jenner was barely moving, his breathing was shallow. I brushed him, made him comfortable, and told him we’d see him in the morning. But it was not to be. He went on his terms, in his sleep, on his bed on the porch, under a bright moon, watching out for the family that will miss him terribly.

Swine Flu may affect 40% of schools this year- but may not close them

I’m posting this news for all schools and parents…  – The H1N1 virus has not gone away- but has spent the summer growing and spreading albeit in molstly mild cases. For this winter, however, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) expects a significant uptick in cases across the country.

One Call Now is pleased that hundreds of schools and districts have taken the critical step to assure they can instantly communicate with every family to calm, inform and protect them with instant voice, text and email messages with facts and assurances when needed.

————————————————————–

WASHINGTON – The federal government is advising schools they don’t need to close their doors this fall just because a few students come down with swine flu.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday that only schools with high numbers of students getting the new flu should consider closing to stem the outbreak.

The decision rests with local school officials, but they are looking to the federal government for advice about the new flu strain that has caused a global epidemic.

As the virus spread to students last spring, more than 700 schools in half the states temporarily closed their doors. The new flu is expected to hit schools again this fall. But the Obama administration is hoping to minimize closings and disruptions they cause for families.

Swine flu is expected to return when kids go back to school, and the government is hoping its new advice on when to shut down schools during an outbreak will prevent the panic and confusion that led to hundreds of school closures last spring.

The government was to issue new guidance Friday for schools to follow when swine flu strikes. Unlike regular seasonal flu, this virus has not retreated during the hot and humid summer months and so far has infected more than 1 million Americans.

“We hope no schools have to close, but realistically, some schools will close this fall,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said this week during a forum with administration officials that was broadcast online.

The decision to close actually rests with local school officials. But those officials are looking to the federal government for advice about the new flu strain that has caused a global epidemic, or pandemic.

“I’m dealing first and foremost as a parent,” Duncan said Friday on a nationally broadcast news show. “I want to keep my children safe and keep them learning.” He said officials are asking parents to “use common sense” and encourage their children to vigorously wash their hands several times a day and take other safety precautions.

“We want to provide as much facts as we can” to local officials, he said. “Basically, this will be a tiered response. If there’s a handful of children at a school who might be sick, we want the parents to keep them home. If the numbers escalate dramatically, then we might have to close the schools.”

Duncan said officials anticipate the vaccine will be available by mid-October and that they want schools to be principal sites for getting the shots.

The administration wants to avoid the chaos of last spring, when more than 700 schools in half the states closed their doors. There are about 132,000 public and private schools in the U.S.

Students got an unexpected vacation, but many parents wound up scrambling to find child care.

School officials had been acting on advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which at first said schools should shut down for about two weeks if there were suspected cases of swine flu.

Then the CDC changed course, saying schools did not need to close because the virus was milder than feared. Instead, parents were told to keep sick kids home for at least a week.

Duncan said at a swine flu summit last month that closing school should be “a last resort, not a first resort.”

He said earlier this week that school districts should use common sense. “If you have one child sick, that’s one thing. If you have a whole host of children getting sick, that’s another,” Duncan said.

While this particular flu virus is new, the matter of school closings is not. Every winter, regular flu outbreaks prompt a relatively small number of schools to close for a few days because of high absenteeism among students or staff.

In addition to new guidance for when to close, the CDC and Education Department said this week they have set up a new monitoring system to track school closures across the country.

Still up in the air is whether schools will be turned into vaccine clinics, though Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has said that seems logical. “We’re seeing schools as potential partners,” she said at the forum with Duncan.

Children are on the priority list for the first doses of swine flu vaccine, but because of time needed for testing and manufacturing, inoculations can’t begin until school has been in session for more than a month; the government is aiming for Oct. 15. Many questions remain, including whether people will need one shot or two for protection. That is in addition to the regular winter flu vaccine that is also recommended for children.

States and school districts should be preparing for the possibility of mass vaccinations, federal officials have said.

They also should make plans to keep kids learning when schools do close, Duncan said.

Junior National Championships a big-hot win for One Call Now

Our One Call Now sponsored bike team – Project Velo – coordinated the logistics to fly and trek 14 people to Bend Oregon from Southwest Ohio to compete in the Junior National Champoinship bike races this week.

Battling 98 degree temperatures- a new record- they nonetheless set records themselves.

Fourteen year old Hannah Mossman came in third in her age bracket in a grueling effort. Congratulatioins!

One Call Now is proud to sponsor dozens of events and organizations every year to help kids grow and spread good work around the world.

Go Team!