News from VashonBePrepared: Road safety, AED locater, and more.

The island’s newest public AED unit is installed at VES Fields, north of town, adjacent to the Harbor School.

October 25, 2023 1:30 am
From left to right in the picture: VashonBePrepared President Vicky de Monterey Richoux, John Yates, Matt Vinci, and Wyatt Yates (Courtesy Photo).
From left to right in the picture: VashonBePrepared President Vicky de Monterey Richoux, John Yates, Matt Vinci, and Wyatt Yates (Courtesy Photo).

Road Hazards: Darkness, Fog, and Deer

We spend more time driving in the dark during the winter. Worse yet, it’s the season when it’s most likely to be foggy around here. The resulting reduced visibility can be even more hazardous because deer are on the move to avoid danger and to find love. It’s peak hunting season, and the annual rut or mating season, which means our island’s deer are searching for mates.

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) says more than half of all deer/vehicle collisions happen in October and November. So here are some tips gleaned from WDFW and other sources to help keep you from becoming one of those deer/vehicle statistics.

  • Be especially watchful at dawn and dusk when deer are most active.
  • If you see one deer crossing the road, assume they are not alone and be alert for more deer trying to cross.
  • In fog, you may be tempted to follow another car too closely. But that gives you less time to stop if the driver ahead of you must hit the brakes. Keep your distance.
  • Headlights confuse deer and make them unpredictable. Frightened animals may even jump in front of you. You’ll be able to respond better if you are driving more slowly at night.
  • Using your high-beam headlights in fog may actually reduce your road visibility because fog reflects the light back into your eyes.
  • The National Weather Service has a web advice page for driving in fog.
  • Deer-crossing signs are put there for a reason. They are a signal to slow down and be alert for deer crossing the road. Of course, the deer can’t read the signs, so it’s up to you to be watching.

There’s lots more info about living with deer at the Fish & Wildlife website.

Save a Life: AED Locator

The acronym AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. It’s an easy-to-use device to save a life when someone has a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). In an SCA event, the person’s heart has stopped. They will die without help. You can save their life, and it doesn’t require training. The AED units talk you through the steps, even showing a video on how to do each step. The process is automated and decides when to give the life-saving shock after you follow the steps.

First, call 911. Then, use an AED while waiting for the ambulance. But where can you find an AED? You can answer that question by downloading the PulsePoint AED app for your smartphone.

Here are download links for both types of smartphones.

When you check the Vashon map in the PulsePoint app, you’ll see there are about two dozen AEDs on Vashon Island.

The island’s newest public AED unit is installed at the old site of Vashon Elementary School, north of town (adjacent to Harbor School). Vashon Island Fire & Rescue Chief Matt Vinci helped deploy the device at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last weekend. Having the unit outdoors in a weather-resistant cabinet means it is available to everyone at all hours of the day and night.

VashonBePrepared has supported the AED program with a grant to the Sam Yates Community Foundation (ThumbsUpFoundation.org). VIFR has provided counsel on AED technology and potential locations. The Foundation was established by Sam’s family following his tragic sudden death from a cardiac arrhythmia. Second Lieutenant Sam Yates was in the United States Marine Corps, completing training at the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia at the time of his death.

To learn more about AEDs and why they are so important, Public Health — Seattle & King County offers an extensive web page of information on AEDs. Be sure to check out the video “Shockingly Simple to Restart a Heart.”

Vashon COVID Risk Level: Basic

The COVID hospitalization rate continues below the trigger point for an increase in our risk advice tool. The updated COVID vaccine aims to prevent severe disease and hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the latest version of the vaccine to everyone six months and older.

VashonBePrepared volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps and the Emergency Operations Center are helping out at the pharmacy to serve the high volume of those seeking the vaccine.

  • Wear N95 mask indoors in public if you are exposed to COVID, at risk for health or other reasons, or live with or spend time with someone at high risk.
  • Plan on getting the updated COVID and flu vaccines in early fall.
  • Maintain good ventilation at home and at work.
  • Avoid those with suspected or confirmed COVID.
  • If exposed to COVID, wear a mask in public and avoid contact with those at high risk for 10 days.
  • Always home-test if you have symptoms.
  • If you test positive, isolate for at least 5 days and until you test negative. Also check in right away with your doctor about treatment, even if your symptoms are initially mild.
  • If immunocompromised, discuss additional prevention actions with your healthcare provider.

The VashonBePrepared COVID Risk Advice Tool aggregates data in our exposure area. That includes King and Pierce counties because passengers on the island’s ferry routes take thousands of roundtrips daily to those mainland areas. The primary metric evaluated by the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps is the COVID hospitalization rate because public health agencies reliably report that.