FEDINFO E-letter from Pueblo

Welcome to the July 2005 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information at our websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov and www.USA.gov.

This issue includes:

With the recent heat wave across the country, it’s important to be aware of the health risks these hot and humid days can cause. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “What You Should Know about Extreme Heat” page offers tips on how to manage the heat and keep cool during the dog days of summer.

Find helpful information on such topics as:

tips for preventing heat-related illness

warning signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion

dealing with summertime blackouts

special concerns for older persons

and much more!

As you prepare for your next vacation or business trip, we encourage you to review the security screening procedures before you go to the airport. You can save yourself precious time at the airport -- and make your travel experience more enjoyable -- if you take a few minutes to prepare. The Transportation Security Administration’s summer website includes information that ranges from wait times at the security checkpoints to prohibited items to policies regarding food and beverages.

For 23 million students nationwide, the school day starts and ends with a trip on a school bus. The greatest risk to kids is not while they are riding the bus, but when actually approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is important that children (and adults) know school bus safety rules.

Check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's School Bus Safety page for kids to teach your children about school bus danger zones, tips on getting to and from the bus stop safely, and much more.

A campaign encouraging people to enter an emergency contact number in their cell phone's memory under the heading "ICE" (i.e., In Case of Emergency) has rapidly spread throughout the world as a particular consequence of the recent terrorist attacks in London. Originally established as a nationwide campaign in the United Kingdom, ICE allows paramedics or police to contact a designated relative or next-of-kin in an emergency situation.

By adopting the ICE advice, an individual's cell phone will help emergency personnel quickly contact a friend or relative--which could be vital in a life-or-death situation. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it could easily help save a life. Why not put ICE in your cell phone now? In your phone book or contacts list, type the acronym “ICE” and the telephone number of the person you wish to be contacted.

From coverage for prescription drugs to cancer screening, Medicare has such a wide array of benefits that we can all use a little help keeping up with new services and changes to the program. A free package of publications from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gives you a better understanding of new Medicare services such as prescription drug plans and preventive benefits.

Many consumers are now using SPAM-blocking software or junk-mail filters offered by their e-mail providers. These filters may also prevent you from receiving e-letters that you have subscribed to like FEDINFO. If you are using these filters, you may want to consider adding the following e-mail address to your "safe list": cic.info@gsa.gov.

We hope that you have found this e-letter valuable. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact us at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/emailus.htm.