September 21, 2025 • 29 mins
Everyone should have an emergency water supply. Learn how much and how to do it safely. The Oregon Health Authority has released recommendations for COVID, Influenza and RSV vaccinations.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. This week when
disaster strikes, how much water do you need to have
and how do you store it safely? Plus, the Oregon
Health Authority and the West Coast Health Alliance have released
their recommendations for covid flu and RSV vaccinations heading into
this respiratory virus season. September is National Preparedness Month, and
(00:31):
part of being prepared is having enough stored water. Joining
us on local Voices is Bonnie Cushman with the Regional
Water Provider's Consortium. Bunny, how much water should we have
set aside?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So we recommend having one gallon per person per day
to last for fourteen days, and that's a lot of water.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, how do you store it? What's the best way
to store it? Water jugs or there's different ways right there?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Sure are, And it really kind of depends on what
works for your living space. So I live in a
single family home and I have a garage, So I
have containers in the backs of our closets, in our car,
in our garage. But I have a colleague who lives
in a one bedroom apartment and they have to get
(01:17):
a lot more creative about where they're going to store
their their water, so they do things like putting things
under their couches and in the backs of cabinets and
closets and even behind books on the.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Bookcase, anywhere you can fit it anywhere. What about our pets.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, so one of the things that often gets forgotten
is our pets. And they're family members too. So as
far as a general rule of how much to store,
I would say, you know this well because you already
give them water every single day, So think about that
and then have a little bit more in case they
are injured and you need to wash or clean a wound.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Most of us already have a lot of stored water.
If you have a water heater, if the water pressure
though to the house is not working, water and the
water heater won't come out right when you turn on
the faucet in the house. So what's the best way
to get water out of a water heater.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We've got actually step by step instructions on our website,
and it's a little bit different depending on whether or
not you are whether you have an electric water heater
or a gas water heater. But you're right, you have
to turn the water that's coming into the water heater
off and then there's a couple of different steps so
that you can get it out of the spout down
(02:36):
at the bottom.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And that's something that it's good to know.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And we also have a great print piece that you
can hang on your water heater so you can see
that step by step if you needed to do it,
as well as a step by step how to video.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That would be great to be able to just post
it there because once something happens where you need to
get it, there's going to be a lot of other
things going on. Trying to find where that is might
be difficult, So just point it in advance. Where can
people get that? Is our website where it's listed.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, sure, there's regional h twoo dot org.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
And we actually have that information on the print piece
in eighteen languages and the video is available in twelve.
So it's really important when we have emergency information that
people can read and understand information in their own language.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Sure does it matter where we store the water?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
It does, and it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So there's the optimal space, which would be a dark
and cool space. But you know, we all know that
there's different spaces that we all live in, and you
need to store as much water as you can where
you can, and so that's again where you have to
think about your own area and what your needs are
and think creatively and store water basically anywhere that you can.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
What should we do to make sure the water is
safe to drink?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So there's four main ways that we really recommend treating
water in an emergency, and so what you want to
do is make sure that you have those items on
hand to be able to treat water in an emergency.
So one of the most important things that you want
to have is liquid unscented chlorine bleach, and you only
(04:19):
need a.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Couple of drops to be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Again, we've got great information on our website of how
many drops per gallon, so that's available on our website.
You also might be someone who camps, and if you are,
you might have a personal water filter, but that's something
to think about, and different water filters treat water for
different types of things, So that's something to think about
(04:43):
when you're thinking about what kind of water. Is it
muddy water, is it water that's out in the wild
where you might have something that like a parasite that
you're treating for.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, so if you.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Have one of those, go ahead and put your camping
stuff along with your emergency stuff.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
And I also have like very.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Tiny filters and I put those inside an empty water
bottle and they're with all of my go bags. Again,
I have I work on one side of the river
and then I live in the other, and so we
have I have one in a backpack at work, I
have one in our car, and then we have one at.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Home in case we need it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Those little tube filters, uh.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Huh, yeah, yeah, And then you know, if if it's possible,
you can always boil water at a rolling boil for
a minute, and there's some cases where that wouldn't be
actually the right idea. And then we've got information about
that on our website as well.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And then last but not least, our purification tablets.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So again you can go to an outdoor store and
they'll have different types of tablets for that. And you
really want to make sure in all cases to follow
the manufacturers instructions to be able to treat water effectively.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Do you drop those in before or can it be
after water? Is that for a while or it just
depends on that.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I think it depends on the different Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So at home, I have a bunch of five gallon
jugs out in the garage that are full of water.
How often should I replacing that water?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So this is again one of those things that it's like, well,
it depends, right, so on in general, if you have
a bottled water that you've bought from a store, you're
going to want to use the best buy date as
a general rule. And then if you sanitize your own
container and then fill it up, you're going to want
to change it every six months to a year. But remember,
(06:47):
water doesn't go bad unlike food, right, So if you
have water that's stored today and you've had it for
five years, for example, and then tomorrow is an emergency,
you can still use that water. It just may not
taste as fresh. And so one of the things that
you can always do is treat that water before you
(07:09):
use it, just to make sure that it's absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Safe for you to use.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And that could be with a couple of drops of bleach.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
One thing to think about is, you know, when we're
talking about bleach, a lot of people kind of get concerned,
and rightfully so, because obviously bleach in any other increment
than what is safe, can be really harmful. So I
just want to stop for a second and say, like,
this is something that's really important. And we've got great
(07:38):
information on our website that can be very clear as
far as how much to use for each amount of water.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So be sure to take a look at that. I
actually write that.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Information on my container because I know that I'm not
going to remember if I have to use this in
an emergency.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
So I like to have a little bit of a
cheat sheet.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That's great. Yeah, great idea. Yeah and it and it again.
Tell us the website where people can go and get
the ratios of bleach to water.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, it's regional H two O dot org.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
All right, So what are some ways that we can
easily increase the amount of stored water we have over
time instead of going out and buying crates of bottled water?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Oh my gosh, it's so overwhelming at times.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So the best thing that you can do is, if
you are opting to do bottled water, just pick up
a little bit extra bottled water each time you go
to the store, and so you can just put that
on your grocery list. For example, I when I was
putting together my kit, I had to kind of put
together a list, and so we did that and we
(08:50):
actually just would order something each month, and that made
it manageable and less overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So there's there's those ideas, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And then just as you're thinking about the water that
you're going to store, make sure that you're not storing
it in empty juice containers for example, or empty milk jugs,
and stay clear of glass containers as well, because obviously
if we have a large earthquake, they're not going to
make it.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Probably if they break, it's not going to help you. Right,
What should we think about as far as how we
use that water after an emergency has happened, What should
we what should we use it for, and what should
we not use it for.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, so if we think about so we talk about
in emergency planning, blue sky days, those everyday opportunities where
things are going great. So in those days, we as
folks in the United States, we use fifty to one
hundred gallons per person per day, which is.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
A lot of water.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
But we're asking you to store one gallon per person
per day for fourteen days, so that one gallon is
going to need to last you for sanitation as well.
As for cooking and for drinking. So think about a
half a gallon per day for drinking, a quarter for cooking,
and a quarter for sanitation.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And people should think about other ways for toileting if
there's an emergency. And I mean one example is there's
a toilet seat you can buy at the hardware store
that just fits on a five gallon bucket, and so
it's an easy way to not use water for that.
And it's just it's something that's important to think about
(10:37):
in advance. If we need to shut off water for
a house, how do we do that.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So most houses have a emergency water shut off valve,
and those are often found in a basement or in
the garage or along the foundation outside your home. And
this is again one of those things that it just
takes a few minutes usually to find them. Sometimes they
(11:05):
are hard to find, though, and so do that before you.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Have an emergency.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Oftentimes they're going to look just like an outdoor spigot, right,
you know, and so you already know probably how to
turn those on and off. So that's how you're going
to turn the water off for your home. And I
can't tell you how many times this is come in
handy for me. You know, we had a guyser in
(11:33):
our backyard when we were redoing a patio at one point.
And just the other day, I was walking down the
street and my neighbor came frantically running out of their home.
My shower is just leaking everywhere. I don't know what
to do, you know, So we helped her find that
shut off valve. But everybody in your home, everyone in
your family should know where it is and how to
(11:54):
do it.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So you've got the one in your house, there's also
one out by the meter. How do you deal with
that one?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
So that no one usually they want just water providers
or plumbers to do. But it is good to know,
as we both know that there's a t bar wrench
that you can use to turn the switch off at
the meter. So that's you're going to need to use
(12:20):
that if you can't get a hold of your water
provider after hours or your plumber, and you again, like
have that outdoor guys or not something usually inside your home,
and so that's one way to turn the water service
off to your home temporarily.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Right, So, looking at emergency planning, let's talk about some
other communication methods should we have a like a one
contact person that we should arrange in advance, right before
something happens.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yes, so what we recommend is having an out of
state contact person, and you're going to want to give
that person contact information for all of the people who
if you were in an emergency, you would want to
let them know, Hey, I'm okay. And the reason is
(13:14):
that you can text that person, which takes very little data,
so it's likely to get through, and then they can
do kind of that phone chain and get that really
important information out to your people so that you don't
have to do that.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
So one thing you mentioned was it doesn't require a
lot of data to get through. Will our cell phones
be working, say, if there's a major earthquake, who.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Knows really, But one of the things that we know
is whatever infrastructure we've got, we're going to have very
limited use of it. And so what we were trying
to make sure of is that we aren't tying up
lines for example that and this really goes for any emergency,
(13:58):
right you don't want to tie up phone lines, for
example letting people know that you're okay, because there's other
communication that's trying to happen and there's probably lots of
other people that are doing that as well. So if
you use the least amount of data, but you've got
somebody else to do the heavy lifting who's out of
the region, then you're getting that information out and you're also.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Kind of being a good community member, right.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, because everybody will jump on their phones and the
system will have heavy demand and it may be tough
getting a dial tone on cell phone. I guess we
don't have dial tones on them anymore, right, but getting
a line or whatever it is that connects to it.
A couple of weeks back, there was a test in Multona,
mccounty of the wireless emergency alert and a lot of
(14:47):
people didn't receive it. A lot of people did, but
some people didn't receive it. What's important to know about
making sure that your phone is set up to get
those alerts.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, So one of the best things that you can
do is actually just look on your phone and make
sure that you have activated getting alerts. Sometimes people turn
them off, but it's really important in that case to
turn it back on so that if you need to
get emergency information that it's going to come directly to you.
(15:19):
Not all alerts will come directly to you. There are
other types of alerts and you actually have to sign
up for those as well.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Anything else that you want to add concerning water preparation
and water.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Storage, well, I think one of there's two different things
that I would say. One is winter is coming, so
make sure if you have an outdoor irrigation system to
weatherize it, especially if you have a backflow assembly. And
the same goes for outdoor hosts bigots. So last year
(15:54):
when we had a cold snap, people had a lot
of frozen.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Spigots and that can be a big hassle and a mess.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
So there's little styrofoam containers that you can put over
your spigot and they are inexpensive and they're very easy
to do as well. Yeah, and then the other thing
I would say is just start somewhere with water. We
recommend starting with water simply because you can live for
a couple of days without water, but a couple of
(16:24):
weeks without.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Food, you know. And then once you're done with water,
then look at other ways that you can prepare and
public alerts.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Dot org is actually another site that is a regional
site that's got great information on how to prepare for
an emergency and those alerts that I was talking about
for signing up that you have to sign up for
in order to get are at that website, so Public
Alerts dot org. And the thing about those is not
only do you have to sign up for them, but
(16:56):
if you live in one county and work in another,
make sure to sign up for both counties.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
These are hyper local.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Alerts that are going to come directly to you either
by text, email, or they can do phone calls, but
text is going to take the least amount of data
and get to you fastest.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And so again you're with the Regional Water Providers Consortium.
What is that?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Yeah, So we're a group of twenty six water providers.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
We've been working together for about twenty eight years on
a ton of different things. We started with regional water
supply planning. We were the first of our kind of
group to come together and really plan for water supply
management for fifty years. And then from there we morphed
into doing a couple of other projects and programs. So
(17:47):
we have a water conservation program which is really focused
on helping people use water wisely, and then we also
have an emergency planning program which involves the stuff that
we're talking about. They helping people prepare for emergencies. And
then we also find ways that water providers can really
focus on making water systems more resilient.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
How many counties does it cover?
Speaker 2 (18:12):
So we are in three counties bult No, mcclockamus in
Washington and then we have one member in Columbia counties.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Where does our water come from?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
So it comes from a lot of different sources.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Our five main sources are the Bull Run Watershed, the
Willamette River, the Trask Tualitan River and groundwater, and the
Glocamus River.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right. So the reason we're talking about this is really
the worst case scenario would be the big earthquake that
may happen at some point in the future. And part
of the effect on infrastructure from that is that water
mains may not survive that and so if that happens,
you may not have water coming to your house, and
so that's why it's important. And again, how much water
(19:00):
should we have per person?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So fourteen gallons two weeks worth, and that's about how
long we're estimating help is going to take for help
to come to our region.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Right, And again, where can people get information on this?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
What's your website regionalhtwoo dot org.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Bonnie, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's great
information on emergency preparation. That's Bondie Cushman with the Regional
Water Provider's Consortium. To find information on everything we talked
about today, go to the website Regional h two o
dot org. Oregon has joined Washington, California, and Hawaii and
(19:35):
making their own vaccination recommendations for COVID flu and RSV.
Oregon State Health Officer Doctor Dean Seidlinger explains.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Why, at the direction of Governor tinacotec, Oha worked across
agencies and licensing boards been sure people in Oregon can
get vaccines ahead of restory virus season as easily and
affordably as possible. We took these actions to implement the
unified West Coast Health Alliance vaccine recommendations that are backed
(20:05):
up by healthcare organizations we trust. I want to acknowledge
the uncertainty and anxiety many people in Oregon are feeling
as we enter the twenty twenty five twenty twenty six
restory virus season. The news we are here to discuss
ensures that Oregonians will have affordable access to vaccines that
protect them from COVID influenza and RSV infection. Following recent
(20:30):
federal policy decisions on vaccines, it's been difficult for all
of us to make sense of the sudden shift from
having readily reliable access to COVID nineteen vaccines to wondering
whether these vaccines would be available at all. I also
want to acknowledge and ask for your patients, as many
things are changing and it may take time for providers
(20:53):
and pharmacists be ready to give you your vaccines. The
governors of Oregon, California, Hawaiian, Washington jointly announced the West
Coast Health Alliance's consensus twenty twenty five twenty six rest
Fray Virus immunization recommendations for COVID nineteen influenza and RSV vaccines.
(21:15):
These recommendations acknowledge that immunization is safe, effective, and offers
the best protection available against restI fray viruses. They also
endorse broad access to immunizations for all who want them.
The West Coast Health Alliance has adopted current federal recommendations
for influenza vaccine and RSV immunizations. These are similar to
(21:40):
last season, with minor updates to RSV products. To arrive
at COVID nineteen recommendations, The Alliance relied on data regarding
those at highest risk for severe outcomes, including children under two,
adults over sixty five, individuals with underlying medical conditions, the
previous unvaccinated, those who live in congregate settings, and pregnant individuals.
(22:06):
The Alliance also recommends that COVID nineteen vaccines be available
to all who choose protection, just as they have been
in previous seasons. My colleagues across all four states in
the Alliance have been working across state governments and with
partners to identify implement strategies needing to put these recommendations
into effect, and I'm pleased that many of my state
(22:29):
colleagues here in Oregon are joining us today.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Doctor Dean seinling Or is Oregon State Health Officer, and
he's explaining the West Coast Health Alliance recommendations for COVID
flu and RSV vaccinations and why they're doing this outside
of the CDC.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Recent federal actions has severely restricted access to COVID nineteen
vaccines in Oregon and across the country. To counter this,
the Oregon Board of Pharmacy has changed its rules and protocols.
Pharmacists in Oregon have the authority to continue to administer
COVID nighte teen vaccines without a prescription.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Questions have been raised about the cost of vaccines and
whether insurance companies will pay for them.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Traditionally, insurers have covered vaccines recommended by the Centers for
Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP. Unfortunately,
the ACIP has become an unreliable source of vaccine recommendations.
For this reason, OHA has worked with the Governor's Office,
(23:28):
the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, and OAB
and PED to maximize private insurer coverage for the COVID
nineteen vaccine. Medicated Medicare will continue to cover the cost
of the updated COVID vaccines as they previously have. Oregon
and its partners in the West Coast Health Alliance are
committed to safeguarding scientific expertise and vaccine access and leading
(23:52):
with clarity, science and care so the individuals and families
know their options and can access the protection they discern.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Why is it important to get these vaccinations?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
COVID nineteen percent positivity has been slowly increasing since May
and currently sits at sixteen point one percent as of
September sixth. This is consistent with a summer surge of
COVID nineteen, a pattern that has been observed every year
since the twenty twenty twenty one season. The same pattern
as occurring nationwide. I think most of us have recently
(24:26):
been sick or no friends, family members, or coworkers who
have been sick in recent weeks, many of them likely
had COVID. Fortunately, this increase in people testing positive for
COVID nineteen has resulted in only a relatively small increase
in hospitalizations in Oregon and across the country. On August
twenty fifth, the CDC released its twenty twenty five twenty
(24:47):
twenty six Resptory Disease Season Outlook, which predicts that the
upcoming US fall and winter restorery disease season will likely
have a similar combined number of peak hospitalizations due to COVID,
influenza and RSB compared to last season. But, as we
say in public health, every respiratory virus season is a
(25:07):
bad respictory virus season.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Are there concerns about having enough hospital beds if there
is a spike in cases.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Concurrent increases in influenza, RSB and COVID nineteen activity can
easily stretch hospital capacity across the state. Oregon has one
of the nation's lowest hospital bed capacities per person in
the country, but that's largely in part due to our
state's ability to keep demand for those beds low, especially
when people stay healthy by getting vaccinated and keeping themselves,
(25:37):
their loved ones, and their neighbors safe and out of
the hospital. So once again, I ask for people to
have patience as many things are changing all at once.
Check in with your provider or pharmacist about availability a
vaccine and know that if it's not available today, you
should be able to access it or over the coming
days and weeks.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Doctor Liz Powers as a family medicine physician at the
Winding Waters Clinic and allow A County.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
COVID nineteen, influenza and RSV are common viruses. I treat
hundreds of patients with them every year. For many, these
viruses cause mild to moderate infection, but for some they
result in hospitalization and tragically death. Vaccines are the most
powerful tools we have in preventing severe respiratory infections. They
are underutilized and there's a lot of disinformation out there,
(26:26):
making it harder for people to understand whether vaccines are
safe and which vaccines are recommended. There are people in
my community who should get an updated COVID nineteen vaccine
because they are more likely to get very sick with
these viruses. These include young children, the elderly, and those
with underlying medical conditions. I also agree with the West
(26:46):
Coast Health Alliance recommendation that everyone who wants a COVID
nineteen vaccine should have access to one. I'm glad to
be a part of this effort to ensure that people
here in my community and a cost organ can get vaccinated.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Doctor Deane's are there specific groups that should be vaccinated
for COVID.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
One of the principles in the West Coast Health Alliance,
and something Governor Kotech and her colleagues directed us to do,
is to follow the science and the data and make
recommendations based on that and to keep vaccines accessible. So
we know that since vaccines became available at the end
of twenty twenty, they ramped up and became available to
(27:26):
anyone six months and older who wanted one. And we
know that many people, including parents of healthy children and
healthy adults chose to get a vaccine, and we think
this is important because even people without underlying conditions or
who aren't the youngest and oldest individuals can still get COVID,
can still become fight ill with COVID, and tragically have
(27:48):
died from COVID. Plus, individuals often make choices about getting
vaccinated to protect their family and loved ones and those
closest to them. So we want to make sure that
anyone who chooses to get a vaccine can get one
and not have to say they have an underlying condition
or be in one.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Of the risk groups.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
That being said, we know that there are many people
at higher risk for complications and that wind up in
the hospital at much higher rates, so we recommend people
from those groups get vaccinated. Quite simply, that's the youngest
people in Oregon, those six months to twenty three months,
who have the second highest hospitalization rate behind our oldest Oregonians.
(28:26):
We recommend that individuals sixty five and older get vaccinated
as they had the highest the highest hospitalization rates in Oregon.
Other children too and over and adults under sixty five
who have an underlying condition that puts them at higher
risk for COVID such as being imcompromised or having a
medical condition that puts them at risk for complications should
(28:47):
get vaccinated for COVID. Individuals with higher exposures, so people
who live in a congregate setting, people who work in
a setting like healthcare where they're exposed to individuals who
COVID all the time should get vaccinated. So those individuals
again at the highest risk, and individuals who lived with
people at high risk should get vaccinated. But everyone else
(29:09):
can choose to get vaccinated if they want, and they
can do so in the same way they did last year.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's Oregon State Health Officer doctor Dean Seindlinger with details
on recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority and the West
Coast Health Alliance on who should get vaccinations for COVID,
flu and RSV. You can find details of that information
on the Oregon Health Authorities website. Thanks for listening to
Local Voices. I'm Brad Bard. You can hear past episodes
(29:34):
on the iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab. Local Voices
is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. This week when
disaster strikes, how much water do you need to have
and how do you store it safely? Plus, the Oregon
Health Authority and the West Coast Health Alliance have released
their recommendations for covid flu and RSV vaccinations heading into
this respiratory virus season. September is National Preparedness Month, and
(00:31):
part of being prepared is having enough stored water. Joining
us on local Voices is Bonnie Cushman with the Regional
Water Provider's Consortium. Bunny, how much water should we have
set aside?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So we recommend having one gallon per person per day
to last for fourteen days, and that's a lot of water.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, how do you store it? What's the best way
to store it? Water jugs or there's different ways right there?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Sure are, And it really kind of depends on what
works for your living space. So I live in a
single family home and I have a garage, So I
have containers in the backs of our closets, in our car,
in our garage. But I have a colleague who lives
in a one bedroom apartment and they have to get
(01:17):
a lot more creative about where they're going to store
their their water, so they do things like putting things
under their couches and in the backs of cabinets and
closets and even behind books on the.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Bookcase, anywhere you can fit it anywhere. What about our pets.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, so one of the things that often gets forgotten
is our pets. And they're family members too. So as
far as a general rule of how much to store,
I would say, you know this well because you already
give them water every single day, So think about that
and then have a little bit more in case they
are injured and you need to wash or clean a wound.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Most of us already have a lot of stored water.
If you have a water heater, if the water pressure
though to the house is not working, water and the
water heater won't come out right when you turn on
the faucet in the house. So what's the best way
to get water out of a water heater.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We've got actually step by step instructions on our website,
and it's a little bit different depending on whether or
not you are whether you have an electric water heater
or a gas water heater. But you're right, you have
to turn the water that's coming into the water heater
off and then there's a couple of different steps so
that you can get it out of the spout down
(02:36):
at the bottom.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And that's something that it's good to know.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And we also have a great print piece that you
can hang on your water heater so you can see
that step by step if you needed to do it,
as well as a step by step how to video.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That would be great to be able to just post
it there because once something happens where you need to
get it, there's going to be a lot of other
things going on. Trying to find where that is might
be difficult, So just point it in advance. Where can
people get that? Is our website where it's listed.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, sure, there's regional h twoo dot org.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
And we actually have that information on the print piece
in eighteen languages and the video is available in twelve.
So it's really important when we have emergency information that
people can read and understand information in their own language.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Sure does it matter where we store the water?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
It does, and it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So there's the optimal space, which would be a dark
and cool space. But you know, we all know that
there's different spaces that we all live in, and you
need to store as much water as you can where
you can, and so that's again where you have to
think about your own area and what your needs are
and think creatively and store water basically anywhere that you can.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
What should we do to make sure the water is
safe to drink?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So there's four main ways that we really recommend treating
water in an emergency, and so what you want to
do is make sure that you have those items on
hand to be able to treat water in an emergency.
So one of the most important things that you want
to have is liquid unscented chlorine bleach, and you only
(04:19):
need a.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Couple of drops to be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Again, we've got great information on our website of how
many drops per gallon, so that's available on our website.
You also might be someone who camps, and if you are,
you might have a personal water filter, but that's something
to think about, and different water filters treat water for
different types of things, So that's something to think about
(04:43):
when you're thinking about what kind of water. Is it
muddy water, is it water that's out in the wild
where you might have something that like a parasite that
you're treating for.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, so if you.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Have one of those, go ahead and put your camping
stuff along with your emergency stuff.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
And I also have like very.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Tiny filters and I put those inside an empty water
bottle and they're with all of my go bags. Again,
I have I work on one side of the river
and then I live in the other, and so we
have I have one in a backpack at work, I
have one in our car, and then we have one at.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Home in case we need it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Those little tube filters, uh.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Huh, yeah, yeah, And then you know, if if it's possible,
you can always boil water at a rolling boil for
a minute, and there's some cases where that wouldn't be
actually the right idea. And then we've got information about
that on our website as well.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And then last but not least, our purification tablets.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So again you can go to an outdoor store and
they'll have different types of tablets for that. And you
really want to make sure in all cases to follow
the manufacturers instructions to be able to treat water effectively.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Do you drop those in before or can it be
after water? Is that for a while or it just
depends on that.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I think it depends on the different Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So at home, I have a bunch of five gallon
jugs out in the garage that are full of water.
How often should I replacing that water?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So this is again one of those things that it's like, well,
it depends, right, so on in general, if you have
a bottled water that you've bought from a store, you're
going to want to use the best buy date as
a general rule. And then if you sanitize your own
container and then fill it up, you're going to want
to change it every six months to a year. But remember,
(06:47):
water doesn't go bad unlike food, right, So if you
have water that's stored today and you've had it for
five years, for example, and then tomorrow is an emergency,
you can still use that water. It just may not
taste as fresh. And so one of the things that
you can always do is treat that water before you
(07:09):
use it, just to make sure that it's absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Safe for you to use.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And that could be with a couple of drops of bleach.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
One thing to think about is, you know, when we're
talking about bleach, a lot of people kind of get concerned,
and rightfully so, because obviously bleach in any other increment
than what is safe, can be really harmful. So I
just want to stop for a second and say, like,
this is something that's really important. And we've got great
(07:38):
information on our website that can be very clear as
far as how much to use for each amount of water.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So be sure to take a look at that. I
actually write that.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Information on my container because I know that I'm not
going to remember if I have to use this in
an emergency.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
So I like to have a little bit of a
cheat sheet.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That's great. Yeah, great idea. Yeah and it and it again.
Tell us the website where people can go and get
the ratios of bleach to water.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, it's regional H two O dot org.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
All right, So what are some ways that we can
easily increase the amount of stored water we have over
time instead of going out and buying crates of bottled water?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Oh my gosh, it's so overwhelming at times.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So the best thing that you can do is, if
you are opting to do bottled water, just pick up
a little bit extra bottled water each time you go
to the store, and so you can just put that
on your grocery list. For example, I when I was
putting together my kit, I had to kind of put
together a list, and so we did that and we
(08:50):
actually just would order something each month, and that made
it manageable and less overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So there's there's those ideas, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And then just as you're thinking about the water that
you're going to store, make sure that you're not storing
it in empty juice containers for example, or empty milk jugs,
and stay clear of glass containers as well, because obviously
if we have a large earthquake, they're not going to
make it.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Probably if they break, it's not going to help you. Right,
What should we think about as far as how we
use that water after an emergency has happened, What should
we what should we use it for, and what should
we not use it for.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, so if we think about so we talk about
in emergency planning, blue sky days, those everyday opportunities where
things are going great. So in those days, we as
folks in the United States, we use fifty to one
hundred gallons per person per day, which is.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
A lot of water.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
But we're asking you to store one gallon per person
per day for fourteen days, so that one gallon is
going to need to last you for sanitation as well.
As for cooking and for drinking. So think about a
half a gallon per day for drinking, a quarter for cooking,
and a quarter for sanitation.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And people should think about other ways for toileting if
there's an emergency. And I mean one example is there's
a toilet seat you can buy at the hardware store
that just fits on a five gallon bucket, and so
it's an easy way to not use water for that.
And it's just it's something that's important to think about
(10:37):
in advance. If we need to shut off water for
a house, how do we do that.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So most houses have a emergency water shut off valve,
and those are often found in a basement or in
the garage or along the foundation outside your home. And
this is again one of those things that it just
takes a few minutes usually to find them. Sometimes they
(11:05):
are hard to find, though, and so do that before you.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Have an emergency.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Oftentimes they're going to look just like an outdoor spigot, right,
you know, and so you already know probably how to
turn those on and off. So that's how you're going
to turn the water off for your home. And I
can't tell you how many times this is come in
handy for me. You know, we had a guyser in
(11:33):
our backyard when we were redoing a patio at one point.
And just the other day, I was walking down the
street and my neighbor came frantically running out of their home.
My shower is just leaking everywhere. I don't know what
to do, you know, So we helped her find that
shut off valve. But everybody in your home, everyone in
your family should know where it is and how to
(11:54):
do it.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So you've got the one in your house, there's also
one out by the meter. How do you deal with
that one?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
So that no one usually they want just water providers
or plumbers to do. But it is good to know,
as we both know that there's a t bar wrench
that you can use to turn the switch off at
the meter. So that's you're going to need to use
(12:20):
that if you can't get a hold of your water
provider after hours or your plumber, and you again, like
have that outdoor guys or not something usually inside your home,
and so that's one way to turn the water service
off to your home temporarily.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Right, So, looking at emergency planning, let's talk about some
other communication methods should we have a like a one
contact person that we should arrange in advance, right before
something happens.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yes, so what we recommend is having an out of
state contact person, and you're going to want to give
that person contact information for all of the people who
if you were in an emergency, you would want to
let them know, Hey, I'm okay. And the reason is
(13:14):
that you can text that person, which takes very little data,
so it's likely to get through, and then they can
do kind of that phone chain and get that really
important information out to your people so that you don't
have to do that.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
So one thing you mentioned was it doesn't require a
lot of data to get through. Will our cell phones
be working, say, if there's a major earthquake, who.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Knows really, But one of the things that we know
is whatever infrastructure we've got, we're going to have very
limited use of it. And so what we were trying
to make sure of is that we aren't tying up
lines for example that and this really goes for any emergency,
(13:58):
right you don't want to tie up phone lines, for
example letting people know that you're okay, because there's other
communication that's trying to happen and there's probably lots of
other people that are doing that as well. So if
you use the least amount of data, but you've got
somebody else to do the heavy lifting who's out of
the region, then you're getting that information out and you're also.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Kind of being a good community member, right.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, because everybody will jump on their phones and the
system will have heavy demand and it may be tough
getting a dial tone on cell phone. I guess we
don't have dial tones on them anymore, right, but getting
a line or whatever it is that connects to it.
A couple of weeks back, there was a test in Multona,
mccounty of the wireless emergency alert and a lot of
(14:47):
people didn't receive it. A lot of people did, but
some people didn't receive it. What's important to know about
making sure that your phone is set up to get
those alerts.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, So one of the best things that you can
do is actually just look on your phone and make
sure that you have activated getting alerts. Sometimes people turn
them off, but it's really important in that case to
turn it back on so that if you need to
get emergency information that it's going to come directly to you.
(15:19):
Not all alerts will come directly to you. There are
other types of alerts and you actually have to sign
up for those as well.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Anything else that you want to add concerning water preparation
and water.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Storage, well, I think one of there's two different things
that I would say. One is winter is coming, so
make sure if you have an outdoor irrigation system to
weatherize it, especially if you have a backflow assembly. And
the same goes for outdoor hosts bigots. So last year
(15:54):
when we had a cold snap, people had a lot
of frozen.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Spigots and that can be a big hassle and a mess.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
So there's little styrofoam containers that you can put over
your spigot and they are inexpensive and they're very easy
to do as well. Yeah, and then the other thing
I would say is just start somewhere with water. We
recommend starting with water simply because you can live for
a couple of days without water, but a couple of
(16:24):
weeks without.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Food, you know. And then once you're done with water,
then look at other ways that you can prepare and
public alerts.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Dot org is actually another site that is a regional
site that's got great information on how to prepare for
an emergency and those alerts that I was talking about
for signing up that you have to sign up for
in order to get are at that website, so Public
Alerts dot org. And the thing about those is not
only do you have to sign up for them, but
(16:56):
if you live in one county and work in another,
make sure to sign up for both counties.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
These are hyper local.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Alerts that are going to come directly to you either
by text, email, or they can do phone calls, but
text is going to take the least amount of data
and get to you fastest.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And so again you're with the Regional Water Providers Consortium.
What is that?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Yeah, So we're a group of twenty six water providers.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
We've been working together for about twenty eight years on
a ton of different things. We started with regional water
supply planning. We were the first of our kind of
group to come together and really plan for water supply
management for fifty years. And then from there we morphed
into doing a couple of other projects and programs. So
(17:47):
we have a water conservation program which is really focused
on helping people use water wisely, and then we also
have an emergency planning program which involves the stuff that
we're talking about. They helping people prepare for emergencies. And
then we also find ways that water providers can really
focus on making water systems more resilient.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
How many counties does it cover?
Speaker 2 (18:12):
So we are in three counties bult No, mcclockamus in
Washington and then we have one member in Columbia counties.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Where does our water come from?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
So it comes from a lot of different sources.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Our five main sources are the Bull Run Watershed, the
Willamette River, the Trask Tualitan River and groundwater, and the
Glocamus River.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right. So the reason we're talking about this is really
the worst case scenario would be the big earthquake that
may happen at some point in the future. And part
of the effect on infrastructure from that is that water
mains may not survive that and so if that happens,
you may not have water coming to your house, and
so that's why it's important. And again, how much water
(19:00):
should we have per person?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So fourteen gallons two weeks worth, and that's about how
long we're estimating help is going to take for help
to come to our region.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Right, And again, where can people get information on this?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
What's your website regionalhtwoo dot org.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Bonnie, thanks for joining us on local voices. That's great
information on emergency preparation. That's Bondie Cushman with the Regional
Water Provider's Consortium. To find information on everything we talked
about today, go to the website Regional h two o
dot org. Oregon has joined Washington, California, and Hawaii and
(19:35):
making their own vaccination recommendations for COVID flu and RSV.
Oregon State Health Officer Doctor Dean Seidlinger explains.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Why, at the direction of Governor tinacotec, Oha worked across
agencies and licensing boards been sure people in Oregon can
get vaccines ahead of restory virus season as easily and
affordably as possible. We took these actions to implement the
unified West Coast Health Alliance vaccine recommendations that are backed
(20:05):
up by healthcare organizations we trust. I want to acknowledge
the uncertainty and anxiety many people in Oregon are feeling
as we enter the twenty twenty five twenty twenty six
restory virus season. The news we are here to discuss
ensures that Oregonians will have affordable access to vaccines that
protect them from COVID influenza and RSV infection. Following recent
(20:30):
federal policy decisions on vaccines, it's been difficult for all
of us to make sense of the sudden shift from
having readily reliable access to COVID nineteen vaccines to wondering
whether these vaccines would be available at all. I also
want to acknowledge and ask for your patients, as many
things are changing and it may take time for providers
(20:53):
and pharmacists be ready to give you your vaccines. The
governors of Oregon, California, Hawaiian, Washington jointly announced the West
Coast Health Alliance's consensus twenty twenty five twenty six rest
Fray Virus immunization recommendations for COVID nineteen influenza and RSV vaccines.
(21:15):
These recommendations acknowledge that immunization is safe, effective, and offers
the best protection available against restI fray viruses. They also
endorse broad access to immunizations for all who want them.
The West Coast Health Alliance has adopted current federal recommendations
for influenza vaccine and RSV immunizations. These are similar to
(21:40):
last season, with minor updates to RSV products. To arrive
at COVID nineteen recommendations, The Alliance relied on data regarding
those at highest risk for severe outcomes, including children under two,
adults over sixty five, individuals with underlying medical conditions, the
previous unvaccinated, those who live in congregate settings, and pregnant individuals.
(22:06):
The Alliance also recommends that COVID nineteen vaccines be available
to all who choose protection, just as they have been
in previous seasons. My colleagues across all four states in
the Alliance have been working across state governments and with
partners to identify implement strategies needing to put these recommendations
into effect, and I'm pleased that many of my state
(22:29):
colleagues here in Oregon are joining us today.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Doctor Dean seinling Or is Oregon State Health Officer, and
he's explaining the West Coast Health Alliance recommendations for COVID
flu and RSV vaccinations and why they're doing this outside
of the CDC.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Recent federal actions has severely restricted access to COVID nineteen
vaccines in Oregon and across the country. To counter this,
the Oregon Board of Pharmacy has changed its rules and protocols.
Pharmacists in Oregon have the authority to continue to administer
COVID nighte teen vaccines without a prescription.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Questions have been raised about the cost of vaccines and
whether insurance companies will pay for them.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Traditionally, insurers have covered vaccines recommended by the Centers for
Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP. Unfortunately,
the ACIP has become an unreliable source of vaccine recommendations.
For this reason, OHA has worked with the Governor's Office,
(23:28):
the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, and OAB
and PED to maximize private insurer coverage for the COVID
nineteen vaccine. Medicated Medicare will continue to cover the cost
of the updated COVID vaccines as they previously have. Oregon
and its partners in the West Coast Health Alliance are
committed to safeguarding scientific expertise and vaccine access and leading
(23:52):
with clarity, science and care so the individuals and families
know their options and can access the protection they discern.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Why is it important to get these vaccinations?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
COVID nineteen percent positivity has been slowly increasing since May
and currently sits at sixteen point one percent as of
September sixth. This is consistent with a summer surge of
COVID nineteen, a pattern that has been observed every year
since the twenty twenty twenty one season. The same pattern
as occurring nationwide. I think most of us have recently
(24:26):
been sick or no friends, family members, or coworkers who
have been sick in recent weeks, many of them likely
had COVID. Fortunately, this increase in people testing positive for
COVID nineteen has resulted in only a relatively small increase
in hospitalizations in Oregon and across the country. On August
twenty fifth, the CDC released its twenty twenty five twenty
(24:47):
twenty six Resptory Disease Season Outlook, which predicts that the
upcoming US fall and winter restorery disease season will likely
have a similar combined number of peak hospitalizations due to COVID,
influenza and RSB compared to last season. But, as we
say in public health, every respiratory virus season is a
(25:07):
bad respictory virus season.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Are there concerns about having enough hospital beds if there
is a spike in cases.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Concurrent increases in influenza, RSB and COVID nineteen activity can
easily stretch hospital capacity across the state. Oregon has one
of the nation's lowest hospital bed capacities per person in
the country, but that's largely in part due to our
state's ability to keep demand for those beds low, especially
when people stay healthy by getting vaccinated and keeping themselves,
(25:37):
their loved ones, and their neighbors safe and out of
the hospital. So once again, I ask for people to
have patience as many things are changing all at once.
Check in with your provider or pharmacist about availability a
vaccine and know that if it's not available today, you
should be able to access it or over the coming
days and weeks.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Doctor Liz Powers as a family medicine physician at the
Winding Waters Clinic and allow A County.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
COVID nineteen, influenza and RSV are common viruses. I treat
hundreds of patients with them every year. For many, these
viruses cause mild to moderate infection, but for some they
result in hospitalization and tragically death. Vaccines are the most
powerful tools we have in preventing severe respiratory infections. They
are underutilized and there's a lot of disinformation out there,
(26:26):
making it harder for people to understand whether vaccines are
safe and which vaccines are recommended. There are people in
my community who should get an updated COVID nineteen vaccine
because they are more likely to get very sick with
these viruses. These include young children, the elderly, and those
with underlying medical conditions. I also agree with the West
(26:46):
Coast Health Alliance recommendation that everyone who wants a COVID
nineteen vaccine should have access to one. I'm glad to
be a part of this effort to ensure that people
here in my community and a cost organ can get vaccinated.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Doctor Deane's are there specific groups that should be vaccinated
for COVID.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
One of the principles in the West Coast Health Alliance,
and something Governor Kotech and her colleagues directed us to do,
is to follow the science and the data and make
recommendations based on that and to keep vaccines accessible. So
we know that since vaccines became available at the end
of twenty twenty, they ramped up and became available to
(27:26):
anyone six months and older who wanted one. And we
know that many people, including parents of healthy children and
healthy adults chose to get a vaccine, and we think
this is important because even people without underlying conditions or
who aren't the youngest and oldest individuals can still get COVID,
can still become fight ill with COVID, and tragically have
(27:48):
died from COVID. Plus, individuals often make choices about getting
vaccinated to protect their family and loved ones and those
closest to them. So we want to make sure that
anyone who chooses to get a vaccine can get one
and not have to say they have an underlying condition
or be in one.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Of the risk groups.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
That being said, we know that there are many people
at higher risk for complications and that wind up in
the hospital at much higher rates, so we recommend people
from those groups get vaccinated. Quite simply, that's the youngest
people in Oregon, those six months to twenty three months,
who have the second highest hospitalization rate behind our oldest Oregonians.
(28:26):
We recommend that individuals sixty five and older get vaccinated
as they had the highest the highest hospitalization rates in Oregon.
Other children too and over and adults under sixty five
who have an underlying condition that puts them at higher
risk for COVID such as being imcompromised or having a
medical condition that puts them at risk for complications should
(28:47):
get vaccinated for COVID. Individuals with higher exposures, so people
who live in a congregate setting, people who work in
a setting like healthcare where they're exposed to individuals who
COVID all the time should get vaccinated. So those individuals
again at the highest risk, and individuals who lived with
people at high risk should get vaccinated. But everyone else
(29:09):
can choose to get vaccinated if they want, and they
can do so in the same way they did last year.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's Oregon State Health Officer doctor Dean Seindlinger with details
on recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority and the West
Coast Health Alliance on who should get vaccinations for COVID,
flu and RSV. You can find details of that information
on the Oregon Health Authorities website. Thanks for listening to
Local Voices. I'm Brad Bard. You can hear past episodes
(29:34):
on the iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab. Local Voices
is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.