APRIL - MAY - JUNE 2015
the tick salivary glands faster than others. Lyme disease bacteria take at least 24 hours to invade the tick’s saliva. The best way to remove a tick is with a pointy tweezer - Using really pointy tweezers, it’s possible to grab even the poppy-seed sized nymphs right down next to the skin. The next step is to simply pull the tick out like a splinter. Don’t worry if the mouthpart stays in your skin as long as you’ve got the rest of the tick by its head. Remember to save the tick and try to identify it. Watch for signs of illness such as rash or fever in the days and weeks following the bite, and see a health care provider if these develop. If you become ill after a tick bite, see a health -care provider. An easy way to avoid tick bites and disease is to wear clothing (shoes, socks, shorts or pants, and shirt) with permethrin tick repellent built-in. Commercially-treated tick repellent clothes last through at least 70 washes, while using kits or sprays to treat your current outdoor wardrobe can last through 6 washes. Tick bites and diseases are preventable Reduce tick abundance in your yard where you spend a lot of time, treat pets every month with tick repellent spot-on products, get into a habit of doing a quick body scan for attached poppy-seed sized or larger ticks, and pulling ticks off quickly and safely are all great actions for preventing tick bites.
THE DISAPPEARING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER by John Gullo
In most places in America, when a fire breaks out, a volunteer shows up to put it out. But the ranks of volunteers are dwindling. What was once an iconic part of American life is losing its allure, in part because the work — some would say the calling — is a lot less fun than it used to be. There are still more than twice as many volunteers as career firefighters. But the number of volunteers has dropped by around 11 percent since the mid-1980s, while the number of career firefighters has grown. The allure has diminished because of the intense training requirements now takes up roughly half the time most volunteers spend on duty. The Standards enacted to save the firefighters’ lives have unintentionally created a barrier for volunteer service: It now takes hundreds of hours, which can make it harder for volunteers to fit volunteer time in today. Also with dual income households it is harder for one to run off to an emergency. Firefighters’ duties have also shifted. A vast majority of calls are for medical emergencies, not fires. Much like emergency room doctors, volunteer firefighters are increasingly are dispatched for water rescues, vehicle entrapments, hazardous material spills and drug overdoses and are also serving as primary care providers. The total number of fire department responses has jumped by 167 percent in 26 years, largely because medical responses have gone up by 15.2 million. Every time something goes wrong in their lives, people dial 911, and guess who gets sent? Volunteers! Volunteers are always needed, if you are unable to commit the time to be a volunteer firefighter…. Become a Community Emergency Response Team member! There are multiple teams in Erie County. Cheektowaga, Elma, Lancaster, Grand Island, and West Seneca.