TIME TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS AND
CHECK YOUR EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

NEW CITY, NY - - Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert remind residents that Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 3. Before going to sleep on Saturday night, remember to turn your clocks back one hour. This weekend is also a good time to check your emergency supply kit. Is it missing any items? Is anything out-of-date, leaking, or damaged? If you haven't created an emergency supply kit yet, now is the time to do it!

"Emergencies can happen with little or no warning. You may be without electricity, refrigeration, clean tap water, or phone service for days; that's why having an emergency supply kit is so important," said Dr. Ruppert.

Your emergency supply kit should have at least a three-day supply of food and a gallon of water per day per person and be stored in your home. Choose foods that are ready to eat, such as peanut butter, canned beans, fruit cups, and shelf-life milk. Remember your pets too! They need their own food and water. Your emergency supply kit should also contain flashlights, a hand-operated can opener, a radio, batteries, and copies of important documents. Depending on your family's needs, you may also need other supplies.

Stock up on canned items or batteries when they are on sale. Share "bulk" items with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor who can serve as your "preparedness buddy." Once your emergency supply kit is complete, don't be tempted to "borrow" from it the next time you run out of batteries or need beans for a recipe. Remember: your emergency supply kit is for emergencies!

To help protect your family, use this time to also change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when you change your clocks. At the same time, make sure the alarms are in good working order and that they are not expired. Replace all smoke alarms when they are ten years old or if they don't respond when tested. All new smoke alarms should be replaced with the new 10-year sealed smoke alarm that never needs a battery replacement. To find out how old a smoke alarm is: the date of manufacture is located on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced ten years from that date. For carbon monoxide alarms, always check the manufacturer's instructions and expiration date. The Health Department's Healthy Neighborhoods Program can assist low to moderate-income residents and seniors at no charge, with battery changes and alarm replacements, as supplies last. For more information, call (845) 364 - 3290 or (845) 364 - 3292 or visit http://bit.ly/HealthyNeighborhoodsProgram.

Visit www.getreadyforflu.org/clocksstocks for fact sheets and checklists, games, and other materials for adults and children. For more information, visit the Health Department's web page at http://bit.ly/PublicHealthPreparedness.