Latest news with #Haverkamp
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
National EMS memorial procession to stop in Somerset
A traveling memorial honoring EMS professionals who died in the line of duty is set to appear in Somerset on Tuesday, June 24. The National EMS Memorial Service's annual procession began June 1 in Riverside, Calif., and will culminate in Arlington on July 19. The procession will make 29 stops in 19 states, including Somerset, to remember 29 EMS professionals who died in the line of duty. On June 24, Somerset-Pulaski County EMS will host the Moving Honors procession. It will take place at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Somerset, at the corner of W. Oak and N. Main streets. Parking is available in the First Baptist Church rear parking lot on N. Vine Street. The event will feature local speakers as well as a remembrance of Somerset-Pulaski County EMS EMT Chastian McWhorter, who died in the line of duty on April 1, 2024 as a result of a vehicular accident. He was 26 years old. The event marks one of the many stops along the 6,500-mile journey to Arlington where fallen EMS providers will be honored as part of the National EMS Memorial Service and Weekend of Honor. At the heart of the journey is a specially wrapped ambulance carrying the Tree of Life — this year's installment of the memorial bearing the names of those lost. Built by EMS volunteers, the Tree is transported with reverence and remains sealed until its unveiling at the national service. A replica Tree of Life will be on display at each stop, offering communities a space to pause, reflect, and honor lives of service. One of the Moving Honors representatives supporting this year's procession is American Medical Response (AMR) paramedic Megan Haverkamp, now in her fifth year with the crew. What began as a one-time request to drive an ambulance from Texas to Virginia has become a deeply personal tradition. Haverkamp now helps escort the Tree of Life alongside 'Chief Ted E Bear,' a comfort companion who helps children of fallen EMS providers cope with loss. 'Each stop is a moment to remember, to honor and to let families and fellow providers know that their loved ones are not forgotten,' Haverkamp said. 'What continues to move me is how everyone comes together, whether they knew the honorees personally or not, to show their love and support.' 'This moving tribute is only possible because of the shared commitment from agencies across the country and the generous support of organizations like Global Medical Response,' said Jana Williams, National EMS Memorial Service immediate past president. 'It is extraordinary witnessing so many who join alongside us to honor our fallen and to support their loved ones in such an impactful way.' The National EMS Memorial Service, founded in 1991, is a volunteer-driven organization funded solely by donors to honor fallen EMS providers and support their families and colleagues. It is the congressionally sanctioned entity that bestows the highest honor in EMS to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. While a permanent national memorial is still in development, a new panel is constructed each year and added to the Tree of Life, a temporary memorial, which continues to grow and honor those lost in the line of duty. The Moving Honors procession not only brings awareness and additional homage to the honorees but also provides a space for the public to pay respect and send messages of hope to families and EMS professionals. The REMEMBERship program is a unique way to sustain the mission of the NEMSMS, offering a simple way to donate and keep the legacy of fallen heroes alive.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
West Michigan participates in National Drug Take Back Day
WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — Across the country and here in West Michigan, people spent Saturday clearing out their medicine cabinets and safely getting rid of old prescriptions, syringes, vitamins and pet medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. At two drop-off sites in Wyoming, the University of Michigan Health-West and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, more than 100 pounds of unwanted drugs were collected. It's part of a national effort led by the Drug Enforcement Administration to prevent medication misuse, reduce overdose risk and protect the environment. Pete Haverkamp, director of pharmacy at University of Michigan Health-West, has been a part of these events at the hospital since they started in 2011. Saturday marked the team's 27th drug take-back event. Since it began, the two sites have collected more than four tons of drugs. 'We enjoy doing this because it helps remove unwanted medication from our houses and homes,' he said. Collecting the drugs is part of the effort to help helping the environment by stopping improper disposal, since inappropriate disposal can lead to contamination in watersheds. It is also meant to protect families. Getting rid of these drugs also helps remove overdose risk by reducing diversion of controlled substances. The event gives families a safe, anonymous way to drop off medications without fear of judgment. It also helps address emotional burdens tied to old prescriptions. 'It's wonderful to help the public,' Haverkamp said. 'Sometimes it's really healing for people to get rid of medications associated with a loved one who passed away. This is a great way for them to dispose of medications appropriately and kind of let part of their life go.' Some drugs collected Saturday dated back decades, including medications from the 1970s and 1980s, long pushed to the backs of household cabinets. Once collected, volunteers carefully remove any personal information from packaging, recycle the plastics and cardboard and safely incinerate the drugs to minimize environmental harm. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day happens twice a year, in April and October. In October alone, more than 629,000 pounds of medications were collected at nearly 4,700 sites across the United States. For those who missed Saturday's event, year-round drop-off locations can be found on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Millions of birds die in spring window collisions. Here's how you can help
Birds are in decline. Data from Cornell University suggests we've lost 3 billion birds since 1970, impacting virtually every avian species in Canada and the U.S. There are several factors that led to this: climate change, habitat decline, and - of course - human activity. But researchers find small changes can make a big difference. Like keeping domesticated cats inside. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, cats are responsible for 2.6 billion bird deaths each year in Canada and the U.S., and a 2013 study appearing in the journal Nature estimates cats kill upwards of 22 billion mammals of other species annually. Window collisions are another human-led cause of avian mortality, killing about 599 million birds per year in the U.S. alone. A 2013 paper estimates between 16 and 42 million birds are killed in a similar fashion in Canada annually. During spring migration, which can start as early as February and go as late as June in Canada, birds often travel through urban areas where glass-covered buildings are commonplace. They don't see glass as a barrier, which is why fatal impacts are so common. In some Canadian cities, like Toronto, volunteers from organizations like the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada patrol the streets at dawn to rescue injured birds and collect the deceased. Spring Migration is just around the corner, and we are gearing up to begin patrolling buildings looking for birds. If you would like to make a difference for migratory birds this spring, consider becoming a bird rescue volunteer! — FLAP Canada (@FLAPCanada) March 6, 2025 The organization's website offers additional tips on ways homeowners can make their homes safer for migrating birds. There are a few ways windows can be made safer, including turning lights out at night, closing blinds so that birds aren't attracted to light sources, investing in specialized curtains, or using decals to let birds know a window is near. The latter is the focus of a February 2023 by researchers at William & Mary University, which set out to determine how effective window decals are at deterring collisions. They found the decals - stickers in a reflective material that usually bear a decorative design - are only effective if placed on the outside of the window. When the films sit atop the internal surface, they don't make much of a difference because birds might not be able to see them. Two brands of window film products, BirdShades and Haverkamp, were used in the study, selected because they interact with different wavelengths visible to songbirds. A fine net was placed in front of the window to prevent collisions or harm to the birds during the experiment. "The team found consistent evidence that when applied to the external surface of windows, the films resulted in reduced likelihood of a collision," the authors write. "However, neither product was effective when the films were applied to the internal surface of windows. Therefore, the results of this research demonstrate the imperative that installers apply these products to exterior surfaces of windows to maximize their protective benefits and reduce the risk of daytime window collision." The authors want to get the message out to save well-meaning homeowners time and frustration. 'Many people want to reduce bird-window collisions, as these unfortunate events kill hundreds of millions of birds each year,' lead author Dr. Swaddle says in a statement. 'There are lots of decals and window films that will likely make glass surfaces more visible to birds, decreasing collision risk. We were able to show that people must apply decals and films to the external surface of their windows to benefit the birds. We want people to know this as we want their time and money to be well spent." Click here to view the video Keep bird feeders about a metre away from buildings. Clean bird feeders regularly and keep them filled. Ditch decorative plants and consider filling your garden with native foliage for birds to dine on. Experts also recommend adding a clean and maintained water source. In the fall, consider leaving your fallen leaves be so that ground-feeding birds have a place to forage. Slow down when driving on rural roads to avoid collisions. Header image: File photo via Canva Pro.
