Safety Committee meeting brings news of upcoming Skywarn training program
During the most recent meeting of Shelby’s Safety Committee, Chief Mike Thompson announced that there would be a Skywarn Training course at PCTC next month. According to the Skywarn Program page on weather.gov, the Skywarn spotter program is “a nationwide network of volunteers trained by the National Weather Service (NWS) to report significant weather. Anyone is welcome to participate.” The National Weather Service will use Skywarn spotter information during tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, snow storms, flooding, and any other severe weather events.
Next, Skywarn describes why this program is important: “The NWS staff at the Cleveland Forecast Office in Ohio, are responsible for issuing warnings for most of Northern Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania. It is impossible to observe conditions in each of these regions simultaneously during a severe weather event. Skywarn volunteers become our eyes and ears helping to provide better weather watch and warning services to the public.”
You can become a trained Skywarn spotter on March 9 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at PCTC in Shelby. Register for the free class at https://www. weather.gov/cle/skywarn_ schedule and click the “Register Here” link to the left of the date and address for Shelby, OH. There are also online course options if you would prefer to train from home.
Chief Thompson shared the good news that Shelby Fire Department received the BWC grant for boots, gloves, and hoods. The SFD building still needs to be expanded due to the new employees recently hired and Chief Thompson is exploring his options. He hopes that SFD will have Ladder 37 back soon and is looking forward to the new EMS truck being here by the end of March.
The Health Department was up next and had a short report. Director Beth Conrad has been working on new food licenses for 2023. They are also still working on the Workforce Development grant, as well as the Mosquito grant but there have been some issues with applications. Conrad mentioned that since Bob Deane has taken over as Code Enforcement Officer, they have had to handle less complaints and have more time to spend on other duties.
Jeanne Coovert, Director of Nursing, gave her report. She said that COVID numbers have declined drastically in Shelby over the last month but she is monitoring cases of TB in Columbus. Hep. C cases are on the rise around the United States as well as in Shelby, unfortunately. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. The virus is spread by contact with contaminated blood, for example, from sharing needles or from unsterile tattoo equipment. Most people have no symptoms. Those who do develop symptoms may have fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the eyes and skin.” The good news is that measles cases have come down significantly but Coovert stressed the importance of getting children vaccinated to prevent widespread illness in the future.