For Immediate Release 
Contact: Michael Dawson, Water Quality Manager
Jefferson County Public Health
360-385-9444 ext. 301

Wildfire Smoke Community Training on May 16

Port Townsend, WA. Jefferson County Public Health will be hosting a Wildfire Smoke Safety Training on Tuesday, May 16th from 10 am to 12 pm at The Cotton Building, 607 Water Street in downtown Port Townsend. This training will be open to the public; all are welcome and can get useful information, however the information will be especially beneficial for anyone who runs events, sports, childcare, summer camps, schools as well as parents. Dan Nelson, the Communications Manager from Olympic Region Clean Air Agency and Kaitlyn Kelly, Air Quality Policy Specialist from Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Public Health Services will be presenting valuable smoke safety information for Jefferson County residents. This training will cover how to prepare before smoke events, when to limit or cancel outdoor activities for children or adults, how to create indoor safer air spaces and precautions to take when outdoors during smoke events.

Learn how to:

•    Prepare before the air is smoky.
•    Check current air quality and air quality forecasts for your area.
•    Learn what precautions to take at various air quality levels based on the Washington State Dept of Health recommendations.
•    Use the WA DOH recommendations for when to cancel outdoor events or activities or children’s activities due to wildfire smoke impacts.
•    Learn how to create safer air spaces indoors and how to protect yourself and others with respirator masks when you must be outdoors during smoke events. This includes in-home air filtration and recommendations for the safest and most effective DIY box fan filters.
•    Learn where to find WA Dept of Labor and Industries recommendations for keeping employees safe when the air quality is unhealthy due to wildfire smoke.

Breathing smoke from wildfires isn’t healthy for anyone, and some people, including children are more likely to have health problems. The best way to protect your health when air is smoky is to limit time outdoors, reduce physical activity, and create clean indoor air spaces. The meeting will be recorded and made available on our website for those who cannot attend in person. For more information, visit www.orcaa.org or www.doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/air-quality/smoke-fires.

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Jefferson County Public Health
Always Working for a Safer and Healthier Community