Page 12 - Work Force July-August 2023

Provider moves to protect children as air quality plummets
ROME — Tina Westcott, a CSEA/ VOICE Local 100A Group Family Child Care Provider in Oneida County, moved quickly to protect the children in her care when she noticed the air quality deteriorating outside her home-based daycare due to recent Canadian wildfires.
“The wildfire smoke was a scary time,” said Westcott, who is CSEA/ VOICE Local 100A’s Herkimer-Oneida- Madison Chapter Representative. “I had taken the children outside that Tuesday early in the morning, trying to avoid the rain. The air quality seemed fine; it just looked gloomy like it always does before it is going to rain.”
Within an hour, Westcott started noticing her throat getting scratchy and decided to bring the children
back into her home.
“By noon, it smelled like
someone was burning wood in the neighborhood, and it just worsened as the day progressed,” said Westcott.
As parents arrived to pick up their children later that day, Westcott continued her efforts to safeguard them by minimizing the time children and parents were outdoors.
“We agreed the pick-ups needed to be quick,” said Westcott. “The arrival and departure of children continued to be quick for the next couple of days, with parents just handing them to me and leaving instantly due to the air quality.”
Westcott was also unable to take the children outside while the air quality continued to be poor.
Tina Westcott, CSEA/VOICE Herkimer-Oneida-Madison Chapter Representative, reads to the children in her Group Family Child Care Program in Rome.
those who are children, senior citizens, are pregnant or have asthma, heart or related health conditions.
Here is some guidance from AirNow.gov, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website that centers on air quality.
Track changing air quality conditions.
• Visit airnow.gov and enter your zip code to see the latest air quality conditions in your area. The data is frequently updated, so officials recommend you check multiple times per day.
in recirculate mode. Reduce your driving speed if conditions are very smoky and visibility is low.
• Reschedule outdoor work tasks, if possible.
• If you can’t avoid being outdoors, use personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators
and masks that reduce particle exposure. Take frequent breaks indoors. Remember that employers are responsible for protecting workers from potential hazards.
health care provider.
• Follow any safety directives
by federal, state and local officials.
Reduce your exposure indoors.
• Stay indoors as much as possible, with doors and windows closed. If you have an air conditioner, ensure you have a high efficiency filter.
• Avoid activities that may lead to increasing air pollution indoors, including burning candles, using gas, propane or wood-burning stoves, using fireplaces, smoking tobacco products, frying or
respirators and masks.
If you must evacuate
• Monitor local news media. • If your indoor air is too hot,
seek relief at a clean air shelter, another large building with air conditioning and good filtration or family and friends who are unaffected.
• Follow any safety directives by federal, state and local officials.
• Watch pets and livestock closely and take steps to reduce their exposure.
12 The Work Force
July-August 2023
“It was too difficult to breathe, and some of the children had allergies,” said Westcott. “To protect the health of the children, we decided to stay inside. They were sad and constantly asked to go outside, but we explained to them that we could not and did the best we could by doing things that
allowed the children to use their large motor skills while remaining inside the child care home.”
“I have never experienced anything like this wildfire smoke, but I did everything I could to keep my child care children, families, staff, and myself safe,” said Westcott.
— Jill Asencio
How to reduce your smoke exposure
Wildfires from Canada led
to significant air pollution throughout New York and other states. During the poor air quality conditions, federal, state and local officials urged affected people to limit outdoor activity, particularly
Reduce your exposure outdoors.
• Avoid strenuous activities, if possible.
• Reduce exposure to smoke in your vehicle by closing windows and vents and running the air conditioner
• Have enough food, medication and other essentials to last several days, so you don’t have to go out. Avoid going out at the smokiest times of day.
• Listen to the advice of your
broiling meats or vacuuming. • Use a portable air cleaner.
• Create a clean air room
to reduce exposure. This
is ideally a room without fireplaces or many windows.
• Have a supply of N95