Category: Carol’s Senior Care

When severe weather or another emergency is headed our way, knowing what’s happening as quickly as possible can make a real difference.

Beginning September 1, Milam County moved to Everbridge for its emergency notification system. The new system replaces CodeRED and can send important public-safety information to residents, businesses and others throughout the county.

For those of us who live in Milam County, this is one of those changes that’s worth taking a few minutes to learn about—before we actually need it.

What Are Milam County Emergency Alerts?

The Everbridge system allows local officials to send emergency notifications about situations affecting our communities.

These alerts can include information about severe weather, fires, flooding, road closures, utility problems and other emergencies.

Depending on the information and preferences associated with your account, notifications may be delivered through several methods, including your phone.

That’s particularly useful in a rural county like ours, where conditions can be very different from one community to another.

A storm affecting Cameron may not be affecting Rockdale in quite the same way. A flooded road, fire or other emergency may be important to people in one particular part of the county.

Local alerts can help provide information that is relevant to where we actually live.

Milam County Has Switched From CodeRED to Everbridge

Residents may recognize the name CodeRED, which Milam County previously used for emergency notifications.

As of September 1, the county has transitioned to Everbridge.

Existing CodeRED information is expected to transfer to the new system, but residents are still being encouraged to create an Everbridge account and review their notification preferences.

I wouldn’t assume that because you were registered before, there’s nothing else you need to do.

Take a few minutes to make sure your information is correct and that your notification preferences are set the way you want them.

Register for Everbridge.

Don’t Wait Until the Weather Turns Bad

One of the worst times to figure out how an emergency-alert system works is when you’re already in the middle of an emergency.

We’ve seen plenty of reminders here in Central Texas that our weather can change quickly.

Severe thunderstorms, extreme heat, flooding, wildfire conditions and other hazards can develop with surprisingly little warning.

Setting up Milam County emergency alerts ahead of time gives you one more way to receive information when something important is happening.

It only takes a few minutes now, and then it’s done.

Help an Older Family Member Get Set Up

This is one area where I think we should pay particular attention to our seniors.

Some older adults are perfectly comfortable setting up accounts, changing notification preferences and using smartphones.

Others aren’t.

If you have an elderly parent, relative, friend or neighbor who might have difficulty setting up the new Everbridge system, consider sitting down with them and helping.

Make sure their contact information is correct and that they understand what the alerts are.

You might also want to make sure another family member receives emergency information so someone can check on them when necessary.

Sometimes helping someone prepare for an emergency is as simple as helping them with their phone.

More information on Carol’s Senior Care.

Make Emergency Alerts Part of Your Household Plan

Emergency notifications work best when they’re just one part of being prepared.

Make sure everyone in the household knows what to do if severe weather approaches.

Keep flashlights somewhere you can find them. Know where important medications are. Keep phones charged when storms are expected. Make sure pets can be brought to a safe location quickly.

If you live in a rural area, make sure your house number is visible from the road so emergency responders can find you.

And if flooding occurs, never drive through water covering a roadway.

None of these preparations is complicated.

They’re simply small things that are much easier to take care of before something happens.

Don’t Depend on Just One Source of Information

Everbridge is a useful tool, but I wouldn’t rely on any single method of receiving emergency information.

Keep an eye on National Weather Service forecasts when severe weather is expected. Pay attention to local authorities and emergency-management information.

A weather radio can also provide another way to receive warnings, particularly if cellular service or electricity is interrupted.

The goal isn’t to have your phone constantly buzzing with warnings.

The goal is to make sure that when something important is happening, you have a good chance of hearing about it.

A Few Minutes Now Could Matter Later

At Driscoll Home Services, many of the things we talk about come back to the same basic idea: taking care of small things before they turn into bigger problems.

Signing up for Milam County emergency alerts fits right into that philosophy.

Take a few minutes to make sure your Everbridge information is set up correctly. Then think about the people around you.

Does Mom have it?

Does Dad understand how the alerts work?

What about an elderly neighbor who lives alone?

Helping someone get connected to local emergency information isn’t a very big job.

But someday, that little bit of help could be very important.

Milam County has provided us with another tool for staying informed. Now it’s up to each of us to make sure we’re ready to use it.

Good news is coming to Milam County as construction gets underway on a new EMS station in Cameron.

The new facility will give Milam County EMS a purpose-built location for emergency medical services. And it represents an important investment in the people who live throughout our county.

Construction began in August, with completion expected in April 2027. The approximately 10,000-square-foot facility will provide space for two ambulances along with training and administrative operations.

For those of us who live in Milam County, this is more than simply another new building. Emergency medical services are something most of us hope we’ll never need—but when we do need them, every minute matters.

A New Home for Milam County EMS in Cameron

Milam County ESD No. 1 provides emergency medical services throughout the county, with ambulances operating from Rockdale, Cameron, Thorndale and Milano.

The new Cameron EMS station will provide a facility specifically designed around the needs of emergency medical personnel and their equipment.

That’s particularly significant in a rural county like ours. Our communities are spread across a large geographic area, and emergency responders may have considerable distances to travel when someone calls for help.

Investing in emergency medical infrastructure helps give the people providing those services the facilities and resources they need to do their jobs.

Emergency Preparedness Begins at Home

A new EMS station is certainly good news, but there are also things each of us can do at home to make an emergency response a little easier.

One of the simplest is making sure your house number is clearly visible from the road.

Think about whether an ambulance driver who has never been to your home could find it quickly—at night, in bad weather, or when approaching from an unfamiliar direction.

If your address numbers are faded, hidden behind vegetation, too small to see from the road or missing altogether, this is a good time to fix that.

Those few minutes spent replacing an address sign could become very important someday.

Keep Driveways and Entrances Accessible

This is particularly important for those of us living outside town.

Rural properties can have long driveways, gates, cattle guards, low tree limbs or other obstacles between the road and the house.

Take an occasional look at your property from the perspective of an emergency responder.

Could an ambulance get down your driveway?

Are tree limbs or brush obstructing the entrance?

Would someone unfamiliar with the property know which house or building they’re trying to reach?

Keeping entrances and driveways reasonably accessible isn’t just routine property maintenance. It can also help emergency personnel reach you when time matters.

Seniors Can Benefit From a Simple Emergency Information List

Families with an older adult living at home might want to take one additional step.

Prepare a simple emergency information sheet and keep it somewhere easy to find.

It might include the person’s name, emergency contacts, doctors, current medications, allergies and other important information that emergency medical personnel may need.

Make sure the information stays current.

If Mom’s medication changed six months ago but the emergency list still shows the old prescription, the list isn’t nearly as useful as it could be.

This is also something adult children can help elderly parents or relatives prepare.

Make Sure Someone Knows How to Reach You

Emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be complicated.

Keep emergency contact numbers current. Make sure family members know the property’s physical address. If you live somewhere that’s difficult to locate, be prepared to give a 911 dispatcher clear information about how to reach the property.

And if an elderly relative lives alone, have a plan for checking on them.

Sometimes the most useful emergency preparations are also the simplest.

An Important Investment in Milam County

The construction of the new Cameron EMS station is something worth celebrating.

As Milam County continues to grow and change, maintaining strong emergency services will remain important for families in Cameron, Rockdale, Thorndale, Milano and the rural communities in between.

At Driscoll Home Services, we spend much of our time helping people take care of their homes and, through Carol’s Senior Care, helping older members of our community remain comfortable and independent in their own homes.

The announcement of the new Milam County EMS facility is also a good reminder that taking care of a home includes being prepared for the unexpected.

Take a few minutes this week to look at your house numbers, driveway and emergency information.

Hopefully, you’ll never need an ambulance to come to your home.

But if that day ever comes, a little preparation beforehand can help make an already difficult situation just a little easier.

Here in Central Texas, we’re certainly no strangers to hot summers. But there comes a point when the heat goes beyond simply being uncomfortable and becomes dangerous.

Milam County, including Rockdale and Cameron, is under an Extreme Heat Warning today, August 23, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerously hot conditions. The heat is expected to continue into the coming week, making this an especially important time to check on our homes, ourselves, and the people around us.

Check on the Seniors in Your Life

One of the first things that comes to my mind during extremely hot weather is our senior citizens.

Many of us have an older parent, relative, friend, or neighbor living alone. During periods of extreme heat, it only takes a phone call or a quick visit to make sure they’re doing all right.

Ask whether their air conditioner is working properly and whether the house feels comfortably cool. Make sure they have something available to drink and aren’t spending unnecessary time outside during the hottest part of the day.

The National Weather Service specifically recommends checking on relatives and neighbors during extreme heat.

Sometimes a simple “Are you doing okay?” can be more important than we realize.

Keep the House as Cool as Possible

Your air conditioner has a difficult job when Central Texas temperatures climb this high.

Closing blinds or curtains against direct sunlight can help reduce some of the heat entering the house. Avoid unnecessarily heating the house during the hottest part of the afternoon, and make sure air-conditioning vents aren’t blocked by furniture or other items.

If you notice that your air conditioner isn’t cooling the house normally, don’t ignore it and hope the problem will go away. During extreme heat, a cooling problem can quickly become much more serious, particularly in a home occupied by an older adult.

Save Outdoor Work for a Cooler Time

There will always be grass to mow, something that needs repairing, or another outdoor job waiting for us. On days like these, some of those jobs can wait.

If outdoor work has to be done, try to schedule it for early in the morning or later in the evening rather than during the hottest part of the afternoon. Take frequent breaks, get into the shade or air conditioning when possible, and drink plenty of water.

The National Weather Service advises limiting strenuous outdoor activity and notes that the hottest portion of the day is typically from about 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. during this extreme heat event.

Know When the Heat Is Becoming Dangerous

It’s important to recognize when someone may be experiencing more than ordinary discomfort from the heat.

Heat exhaustion can cause heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea and other symptoms. A person experiencing these symptoms should be moved to a cooler environment and monitored carefully.

Heat stroke is much more serious. Confusion, loss of consciousness and an extremely high body temperature are among its warning signs. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and requires immediate emergency assistance.

Knowing the difference can be especially important when you’re checking on an elderly family member, friend or neighbor.

Don’t Forget About Pets

Our pets depend on us during extreme weather too.

Make sure outdoor animals have plenty of fresh water and access to shade. Avoid leaving pets outside unnecessarily during the hottest part of the day, and never leave a pet—or a person—in a parked vehicle.

Vehicle temperatures can rise to dangerous levels very quickly, even when you only intend to be gone for a short time. The National Weather Service specifically warns against leaving children or pets in an enclosed vehicle during extreme heat.

A Little Extra Attention Can Make a Difference

Extreme heat is part of living in Central Texas, but that doesn’t mean we should become careless about it.

At Driscoll Home Services, much of what we do revolves around helping people remain comfortable and safe in their homes. Through Carol’s Senior Care, that is especially true when it comes to helping older adults with some of the everyday things that can become more difficult as we age.

During this period of extreme heat in Milam County, take a few minutes to check your home, check on your pets, and most importantly, check on the people in your life who may need a little extra help.

Sometimes something as simple as a phone call, a glass of water, closing a curtain, or noticing that an air conditioner isn’t working properly can prevent a much bigger problem.

And in weather like this, looking out for one another is simply the neighborly thing to do.