With 30 states now reporting widespread flu activity, January is prime time to revisit flu prevention strategies and sharpen respiratory management skills. More than 7 million people have gotten the flu so far this year, with as many as 83,000 hospitalized because of respiratory complications. Sixteen children have already died. This is in spite of a flu vaccine that appears to be mostly effective this season.

It may still be frigid in your region of the country, but warmer weather is on the way, and soon frozen ground will give way to daffodils and crocuses. Families across the country are already planning spring vacations. Those vacations bring new experiences, new foods, and new exposure to allergens. For some people, these new allergen exposures can trigger a potentially lethal anaphylactic reaction. Now is the time to brush up on allergy management skills so your team can be prepared.

Pumpkin patches are open, mums are on display on porches across the nation, and kids everywhere are planning their Halloween costumes. Halloween is an exciting time. Not only does it give families a chance to binge on candy and make-believe; it also marks the start of the holiday season. Many kids already have well-developed holiday wish lists by the end of October.

The weather may still be hot throughout most of the country, but walk into any grocery or home improvement store and you’ll see signs of fall: pumpkins, mums, apple cider, and straw bales. Cooler weather and the holiday season it brings will be here before you know it. Now is the time for emergency management agencies to begin preparing for holiday emergencies. Public outreach can save lives, so consider planning a public education seminar about common holiday emergencies before the temperature begins dropping.

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children under the age of 15, and when natural disasters strike, children are often the first casualties. The health and social costs of emergencies and natural disasters often last for years or even decades. Floods in South Asia, for instance, left 1.8 million children out of school. This presents the possibility that the floods may affect children for the rest of their lives.

The total cost of natural disasters reached more than $300 billion worldwide in 2017. Catastrophes such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes displace millions of people every year and send thousands to emergency departments. Climate change, increasingly crowded urban centers, and failing infrastructure all play a role in exacerbating the effect of these disasters, which show no sign of slowing down. Yet many EMS departments remain woefully unprepared. Don’t wait for a natural disaster to hit your area. The time to begin preparing is now.

For many families, summer means picnics, fireworks, and time at the pool. These summer experiences can quickly turn into nightmares when a parent turns their back on a swimming child.