An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Steven A. Pollio, Coconut Creek Fire Chief

We are constantly being bombarded with so many sayings and adages. We find ourselves repeating them around the house, in social gatherings, and many find their way into our business meetings. Why do we continue to repeat them? The answer to that question may come from the reality that so many of these adages make a great deal of sense, and even more important, we can learn from them.

This month I want to focus on one of my favorites, “An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth A Pound of Cure”. Many of us have witnessed this logic at work. Probably the most common example of this would be our car breaking down. If we could predict that this would happen, we most likely would have done anything in our power to prevent the incident. The reason I chose this one, is because I am truly concerned that with such harsh economic times, many of us may tend to ignore spending a little time and money to avoid these preventable situations. I was reading an article just the other day where one hospital reported that their admissions were down by 6% during the fiscal year 2008. The hospital CEO related that people appeared to be putting off having medical procedures performed due to the bad economy. I can tell you that in our city, EMS calls dropped following the September 11^th World Trade Center attack. 

First, let’s talk about your health. Busy schedules, the stresses of the family, work, finances, and personal commitments can certainly take their toll on us. Maybe you have chosen to take on a part time job, or to work more hours. Maybe health care costs and out-of-pocket deductibles make it difficult to seek preventative health care. Believe me when I tell you, these are not the areas to save money. In fact, with all these forces at work around you, it is even more important for each of us to stay focused on our health, and that of our family and friends. Remember, the most natural reaction to a new pain or symptom, is to deny that it could be something serious. Sometimes we can provide the very encouragement that our loved ones may need before they agree to seek medical care. All too often, our EMS patients experienced less severe but noticeable symptoms before things got bad enough to call 911.

Second, let’s talk about the house. As our houses age, things break and begin to fail. Again, be progressive, take action, make repairs or have repairs made to correct safety concerns. I remember one structure fire I investigated, the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit. I asked the homeowner if they had experienced any electrical problems. The homeowner stated that the circuit breakers began tripping almost a month prior to the fire. There was no question that this fire would not have occurred if they had made the repairs to the wiring when the breakers first tripped. I have discussed in previous articles about the need to check your smoke detectors. I will limit today’s discussion to, PLEASE CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS. You may also consider discarding old and or unneeded chemicals. Household chemicals may be discarded at the Broward County North Residential Trash Transfer Station, located at 2780 North >Powerline Road in Pompano Beach. For additional information, you may call their Hotline at 954 765-4999.

May I suggest one last thing for your “to do” list? Please take a moment to inspect all bedroom windows to ensure they open and close properly. These windows are designed as a secondary means of escape should you become trapped in the bedroom. 

In closing, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year!