DeKalb County celebrates sixth annual Tennessee Quit Week

February 25, 2021
By:

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition joins the Tennessee Department of Health and partners across the state in celebrating the sixth annual Tennessee Quit Week February 21 – 26, 2021.

This year’s theme is “Surviving….2021 Tobacco-Free,” and the goal is to inspire Tennesseans to live healthier lives by taking advantage of the state’s free Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine resource to stop using tobacco products.

“In Tennessee, 31 lives are lost each day as a direct result of smoking,” said DPC spokesperson Lisa Cripps. “In addition to these tragic early deaths, tobacco use costs our state upward of six billion dollars each year in lost productivity and health care costs, preventable losses that hurt the prosperity of our state and those who live and work here.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being a current or former cigarette smoker increases your risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Tobacco use is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases. Tennessee Quit Week aims to increase partnerships across the public and private sectors to educate people on the harms of tobacco use and how Tennesseans can work together to help people improve their health and their lives by beating nicotine addiction.

Quitting is hard, but help is available! Tennesseans who use tobacco and are ready to quit can call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or access web-based services at www.tnquitline.com for free coaching and nicotine replacement patches (if eligible). All services are free to Tennesseans and can double a tobacco user’s chance of quitting successfully.

Pregnant women who smoke are encouraged to contact their local health department to learn about the Baby and Me – Tobacco Free™ Program. This program provides education and support to help pregnant women quit smoking, and participants can earn free diapers each month for up to one year. Learn more and find a location near you by visiting www.tn.gov/health/health-programareas/fhw/baby-me-tobacco-free.html. Find resources and learn how you can be part of Tennessee Quit Week 2021 at www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/tennessee-tobacco-program

Visit the DeKalb Prevention Coalition’s facebook page for daily posts.

February 25, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Fire Department has taken out of service 51 Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA’s) and replaced the 12 year old units with new ones funded by a Federal grant.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, County Fire Chief Donny Green requested that the county commission declare the old units as surplus property and allow him to sell 39 of them either by sealed bid or through other means such as govdeals.com which is a government surplus auction platform. The other 12 SCBA units (4 each) will go to the Smithville and Alexandria Fire Department and to the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad. The county commission granted the request.

Chief Green said the old units still work but no longer meet certification yet could still be used by other departments to supplement their inventory.

“These units are 12 years old already and the service life on them is 10 years so they will not be around (useable) much longer but this will help them (fire departments and rescue squad) until they can get their units replaced,” said Chief Green.

Last summer, the DeKalb County Fire Department received word that it’s 2019 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) application, in the amount of $427,360, had been awarded. The AFG Program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The funding award was used to purchase Self-contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA’s) and associated equipment to serve all 12 of the department’s stations across the county. The Federal share of this award was $407,009.52 and the local matching share, to be provided by the DeKalb County Government, was $20,350.48.

February 25, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Health Department is hosting a COVID vaccine clinic Friday February 26 and Saturday, February 27. If you are in one of the following categories: 65 or older, first responder, teacher, or healthcare worker and would like a vaccine please call the Health Department 615-597-7599 to schedule your appointment, or you may go by the health department.

Tennessee began registering Tennesseans aged 65 and older and those in Phase 1b of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 vaccinations on Feb. 22. Phase 1b includes staff members of kindergarten through 12th grade schools and child care facilities.

“Tennessee has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far, and we’ve made substantial progress in protecting our senior citizens who are over age 70 through vaccination,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “While we remain focused on our seniors, who are the highest-risk population, we’re able to expand vaccine eligibility to these additional groups as our supply continues to grow each week.”

Online Scheduling for COVID-19 Vaccination
TDH has launched a new online scheduling tool that allows users to book their appointment for COVID-19 vaccination at participating health department sites when they are eligible to do so. Tennesseans can access the system at covid19.tn.gov and select their county to schedule an appointment. Users will enter their demographic information and will then be able to choose a date and time for their vaccination appointment. Tennesseans who have already registered for a COVID-19 vaccination do not need to re-enter their information in the new system.

Updates to Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
TDH has updated the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan by adding pregnant women to Phase 1c. Although pregnant women were not included in the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, they are at increased risk for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Pregnant women may choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1c, along with others with high-risk health conditions. Pregnant women are encouraged to talk with their health care providers to help them make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidance for pregnant women to help reduce their risk of COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html.

Phase 1b of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan includes operations personnel of first responder agencies along with teachers and staff members of schools and child care facilities.
Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan prioritizes those most at risk of illness and death from COVID-19. Tennessee will continue to move through phases of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan as vaccine supplies increase.

Tennesseans can find information on the phases eligible for vaccination in their county and, when eligible, register for vaccination through their county health department at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/county-vaccine-information/. Due to their independent operations and larger populations, Tennessee’s metropolitan counties may have different instructions, so residents in these areas should check with local authorities about their plans.

TDH reminds all Tennesseans that in addition to vaccination, wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance and getting tested when exposed or sick are critical to controlling the pandemic.
Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan is available online at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/COVID-19_Vaccination_Plan.pdf. Find answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination at https://covid19.tn.gov/data/faqs/.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.

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