Hinds Community College Blog

It's that time of the year... cold and flu season is upon us. Not to mention stomach bugs are out there!

Below is recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness.

Handwashing is easy to do and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings—from your home and workplace to child care facilities and hospitals. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community.

Learn more about when and how to wash your hands.

When should you wash your hands?

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After touching garbage

What is the right way to wash your hands?

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations

What should you do if you don't have soap and clean, running water?

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

How do you use hand sanitizers?

• Apply the product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
• Rub your hands together.
• Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.

The office of Emergency Management will be conducting a District Wide Tornado Drill on Tuesday October 28, 2014 for Hinds Community College. The purpose of this drill is to call attention to the secondary peak severe weather season that begins in the late fall. November historically has been a very active month for severe weather and tornadoes.

Faculty, staff and students are asked prior to the drill to go to the EagleOne site at http://eagleone.hindscc.edu to manage their accounts making sure that they will receive the alert message. You will be using your HindsNet credentials to login to your dashboard.

8 a.m., Day of the Drill, Tuesday, Oct 28:

• Consider a tornado watch to be in effect
• Announce watch to staff, students 

9:30 a.m., “DRILL… Tornado Warning for Hinds CC… DRILL!”

• Messages sent via the EagleOne Alert network – e-mail, text, web, etc.
• If you do not receive the alert, press on as if there still is a threat.

9:35 a.m., Move to Safety

• Once the alert is received move to an area of safe refuge. Upon determination of immediate threat, give “take shelter” or “duck and cover” command. 

9:45 a.m., Termination of Drill

• An “All Clear” message will be sent via EagleOne. Give instructions to return to normal activities – local campus personnel

For more information contact Joey Jamison, District Emergency Management Coordinator, joey.jamison@hindscc.edu or 601.857.3584

Think of all your personal belongings in your dorm room or apartment, and then try to imagine how much it would cost you to replace them. Is the number in your head a little intimidating? Well, if you have renters insurance, you might not have to pay anything to get your belongings replaced in the event that something happens to them. In other words, renters insurance can be a real lifesaver. Here are five reasons why it’s important to have it in college:

1.  You might not be covered under your parents’ policy
While full-time students living in dorms are often covered under their parents’ homeowner’s insurance policies, their coverage might not be as thorough as it would be if they had renters insurance. In addition, there can be strict limits on how much homeowner’s insurance can actually cover for their customers’ children. And if you’re living off campus, odds are that you’re not covered under your parents’ policy at all.

2.  Coverage for disasters
Though you might be careful and take good care of your belongings, there are some things that are just out of your control. If there’s a fire or natural disaster, your items can get damaged or destroyed. However, if you have renters insurance, it can cover the cost of replacing those things in certain covered circumstances. Just some of the items that renters insurance can cover are furniture, clothes, electronics, appliances, school supplies, and even musical instruments.

3.  Protection from theft
If someone wants to steal a laptop, they know they’ll be able to find plenty in student housing facilities or student-friendly apartment complexes. It’s no surprise that there’s a high risk of theft and vandalism in college. That’s a big reason why renters insurance can be perfect for college students. If something happens to your belongings, you can get them replaced without having to pay out-of-pocket.

4.  Personal liability coverage
If you throw a party, and your living space gets damaged, you could potentially face some huge fees. The same goes if someone at that party gets hurt. Renters insurance policies often include liability coverage that will protect you against costs you can be faced with if your property gets damaged or if someone gets injured on your property, just double check with an agent to find a plan with adequate liability coverage.

5.  You can share the wealth
If renters insurance is starting to sound good, you might be thinking that your roommates would be interested in it too. Conveniently, many renters insurance plans offer shared coverage for people living together. So if you have roommates or friends sharing an apartment with you, everyone listed on the lease can have protection and coverage together under one policy.

Knowing how valuable renters insurance can be, you might be surprised to find that it can also be pretty affordable. In fact, based on a national average, premiums are typically just $160 a year. Compare that number with how much you could save if you need to file claim on your belongings. To prepare, you can help the process of filing claims go smoothly by always keeping track of your valuables, and by saving receipts.

For a quick overview of the value of renters insurance for college students, check out this video...

Septmeber is National Campus Fire Safety Month and here at Hinds CC we have a lot of things going on in support of it.

Look below and find something to come too...

Fire Safety 101 PDI
Raymond Campus – Fountain Hall
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
PDI Presentation about Fire Safety

Popcorn and Prevention
Raymond Campus – Courtyard
Thursday, September 11, 2014
12:00 PM – 2:00PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and Fire Extinguisher Training (Clinton FD)

Popcorn and Prevention
Vicksburg/Warren Campus – Courtyard
Monday, September 15, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall)

Popcorn and Prevention
Jackson ATC
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and Fire Safety House (MS State Fire Marshall)

Popcorn and Prevention
Rankin Campus – George Wynne Hall
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall), and Fire Extinguisher Training (MS State Fire Academy)

Popcorn and Prevention
Nursing/Allied Health Center – Courtyard
Thursday, September 18, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall), and Fire Extinguisher Training (Clinton FD)

Popcorn and Prevention
Utica Campus – Courtyard
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall)

September has been designated as “Campus Fire Safety Month”, with the goal of raising national awareness about the importance of protecting our young adults while they are away at college.

In college housing, fires average $25 million in property damages per year. Carelessness with smoking materials and candles are the leading causes of civilian campus deaths. Other common factors in campus fatalities are missing or disabled smoke detectors and impaired judgment from alcohol use.

The Office of Emergency Management suggests the following tips to reduce fire risks:

• NEVER disable smoke alarms
• Inspect exit doors and windows to make sure they are working properly
• Know how to properly notify 911 system
• Always participate in fire drills and practice escape routes
• DO NOT Smoke inside buildings or rooms
• Don’t overload electrical outlets
• Don’t burn candles
• Take EVERY alarm seriously – it could be the real event!

For more information, visit: www.CampusFireSafety.org