Winterizing Your Truck

Right now with the cool, clear nights, and beautiful sunny days the last thing on your mind is snow and ice, but we will be back to the cooler temps before you know it. Maintenance on your truck is so important year around and especially so in the winter when freezing temps can leave a driver stranded and in danger. So before the cold seeps in here’s a list of items to check so your truck is prepared for anything:

1. Antifreeze- Flush out your cooling system and replace your antifreeze filling to the proper level. Keep an extra jug of antifreeze with you as you travel.

2. Batteries- A single weak battery can weaken all of your batteries so check each one individually to ensure you have all the cranking power you need.

3. Tires/Chains- Good tires are paramount in icy conditions so make sure they are in great shape and that you know how to chain your tires. Carrying a 2nd set of chains is always good practice.

4. Air Tanks/Lines: Drain all air tanks and allow them to properly dry out then add airline-antifreeze back into your lines to keep your valves from freezing up.

5. Fuel Additive/Filters: Extreme cold can turn your fuel to a thick goo causing engine failure so be sure to use and anti-gel additive with each refuel. Also change fuel filters which can freeze from moisture build up and carry a spare filter.

Just a small amount of preventive maintenance now could be what keeps your wheels rolling when the snow starts to stick. What would you add to this list?

Stay safe out there!

Written by: Wenona Mertens

A Healthier You: Vitamin D

You most likely know your biggest source of vitamin D is the sun. Vitamin D is directly responsible for many functions of your body such as calcium absorption and supporting your immune system, but it’s also one of the reasons your mood is much better in the summer. So how do you continue to get that vitamin D when the sun decides to hide away for winter? Food! And with holiday’s right around the corner this should be an easy fix! 

Here’s the foods you need to put on your plate to keep those D level up:

• ·         Fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon.
• ·         Most dairy products are fortified with vitamin D
• ·         Cheese
• ·         Beef Liver
• ·         Egg Yolks
• ·         Mushrooms
• ·         Orange Juice
• ·         Most cereal and instant oatmeal

You also may want to consider taking a daily vitamin that includes vitamin D if you feel like your nutrition levels are lacking. Keep those happy vitamins, and mood, flowing!

A Healthier You: Flu Shot

Do you need the Flu shot?

Short answer is: YES

A lot of healthy people will say, “I never get the flu.” or “I’ve heard the shots don’t work.” but in the grand scheme of things getting the flu shot isn’t just about keeping yourself from getting the flu. By getting the flu vaccine you’re also keeping your aging parents, grandparent, or younger family members from getting sick.  Sure, you may be able to fight off the flu within a week without the vaccine but while you’re contagious you could come into contact with a person with an weak immune system and for that person it could mean hospital time or even death.

So please consider getting the flu shot not only to cut down on your own sick days but to also prevent the spread of the flu in your community.

Written by: Wenona Mertens

A Healthier You - CPR

CPR: Do you know how to administer it?

You could be the only person around when a loved one collapses so it’s very important that you understand how to perform this simple, life-saving technique. Teaching is now leaning toward CPR being issued on adults without rescue breaths so that’s what we will cover but you need to know your situation. If the collapsed person is a child, or being pulled from water, or you walk up on a unresponsive person with no knowledge of what happened it is best to preform rescue breathing along with compressions because these people are most likely oxygen depleted but otherwise emergency officials are saying compression only CPR is just as effective.

First call 911! –Get emergency units on track to your location while rolling the suffering person on his/her back and checking that his/her airway is clear. Once you’re sure the airway is not obstructed follow these steps:

1. Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone at the center of the person's chest. Place your other hand on top of your first hand and interlock your fingers.
2. Position yourself with your shoulders above your hands.
3. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5 to 6cm (2 to 2.5 inches) on their chest.
4. Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression and allow the chest to return to its original position.  
5. Repeat these compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 times a minute until an ambulance arrives or you become exhausted.

It’s also a great idea to take a CPR training course so you are confident in your skills when the time comes that you need to save someone’s life. Stay safe everyone!

Thank you,

Wenona Mertens

A Healthier You - Stop the Spread of Germs

It’s that time again. I’m sure you’ve already noticed the sounds of coughing, nose blowing, and sneezing🤧. Is it allergies? Is it a cold, flu, or worse-🦠 the zombie apocalypse!?!? Either way it’s important for everyone –especially the office-sneezer—to take steps to stop the spread.



Here’s what to look out for:

• Cover your cough and sneezes: Most of the funk we catch and spread is airborne so covering your mouth with a tissue or use the crook of your arm in a pinch will stop droplets from hanging round in the air for a passerby to inhale. 

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth: Flu germs can live up to 8 hours on hard surface so the germ sitting on that doorknob can quickly infect if you if you open the door then rub your eyes.

• Wash Your Hands: Use warm water and soap-up for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer to cut down on the spread of germs. Especially remind kids to wash after bathroom visits, before eating, and after play.

• Limit contact with sick people: Keep feverish people at home, away from other family members and don’t share towels, washcloths, blankets, or eating utensils.

As they say, an ounce of prevention goes a long way! Your covered cough could stop the spread of germs to your whole office and their families. 

Stay healthy, everyone!
Wenona Mertens

10 Qs with C2 - October 2019

Get to know your C2 friends a little better... 

This month's spotlight is on Devon Hill! She is one of our awesome dispatchers who brings lots of fun, laughs, and sass to the C2 office!

1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Anywhere Cold

2. What is your favorite family vacation?
The Mountains!

3. What motivates you to work hard?Fridays :) 

4. What was the last movie you went to?
Avengers: Endgame

5. What is your favorite game to play or sport to watch?
Does Ellen's Game of Games Count? LOL!!!!



6. What would you sing at Karaoke night?
On the table: anything Miranda Lambert.
If I just have to be on the stage, "Baby got back"!!! Hahahaha!!!!
If I have a male partner: "You’re the Reason our Kids are Ugly" by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty 😊

7. How would your friends describe you?
UNPREDICTABLE....LOL!  

8. What was the last thing you recorded on TV or binge watched?
OMG!  THE ARROW!

9. What's your favorite food or chain restaurant?
Give me pasta please! Anything Italian and smothered with pepperoncini peppers and cheese! 

10. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Don't ask if you don't really want to know.  ;)