Monday, March 28, 2011
PureDak Water Solutions, LLC. proudly debuted at the “Black Hills Home Builders Association” Home Show at the end of March 2011. PUREDAK was happy to give away one of its newest products the GPW WaterMaker Five Residential Reverse Osmosis System. This under the sink unit was given away to Chris Mayer of Rapid City, South Dakota. CONGRATULATIONS! Chris.
Monday, March 28, 2011
GenPro Power Services, LLC. Participated at the “Black Hills Home Builders Association” Home Show at the end of March 2011. GenPro Power Services offered expert advice on power generation for home standby generators to industrial power units. GenPro also had a drawing for a free portable generator. The lucky winner was Art Johnson from Bowman, North Dakota CONGRATULATIONS! Art .
Monday, February 28, 2011
This photo was sent to GenPro Power Systems from the children at an orphanage in the Zolochiv, Ukraine, close to the home town of Halina Makar, an accountant for GenPro Power Systems. Halina, her husband Andrey ,and their two sons moved to Rapid City 13 years ago. Each Christmas Halina’s family has purchased winter coats to mail back to the orphanage. When GenPro employees learned about the project, (and the fact that the cost of postage surpassed the cost of the coats), they asked if they could “pitch in”. GenPro Power Systems offered to cover the cost of postage, and the funds from employees were used to purchase matching hats, scarves and mittens.
Thank you, Halina and family, for your generosity and kindness - and for allowing us to be a part of it!
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Pinnacle Complex, the Badlands National Park entrance near Wall, SD, consists of two entrance stations, an office and warehouse. In November of 2010, a hybrid solar and wind unit was installed which is designed to provide 25% of the complex’s electrical power.
November of 2010, local companies, including GenPro Power Systems, Inc., supplied and installed components of the system. GenPro Power Systems designed and manufactured the racking that holds the solar panels.
The entire system cost $75,000, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, often referred to as the Stimulus Act. The funding aims at provision for green energy projects that reduce carbon emissions. The Park’s system meets the criteria, as well as pays for itself over time in energy savings. The timeframe to recoup the cost is approximately 15 years.
The plan is to develop alternative energy sources for the 100 building and relative facilities at locations throughout the Badlands National Park.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Some measures to reduce damages from floods are fairly simple and inexpensive; others will require a professional, licensed contractor. It is important to ensure any construction work meets current government building codes. That will decrease the chance of major damages from wind or water to your home. A professional home builder, architect, contractor or building supply retailer may provide invaluable information, as well.
- Elevating Appliances - Appliances such as washers and dryers should be located at least 12 inches above the projected flood elevation. Washers and dryers can sometimes be elevated on masonry or pressure-treated lumber; those appliances can also be moved to a higher floor.
- Raising HVAC - Heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) equipment, such as a hot water heater, can be damaged extensively if inundated by floodwaters. Exterior HVAC equipment should be elevated at least 12 inches above the home's projected flood elevation.
- Ensure solar heater, water tank and satellite antenna and any other equipment you have on the roof - Disconnect the TV before lowering the antenna and make sure it is not in contact with power lines. Remove them if you cannot safeguard their structure.
- Wooden houses – If this is your case, tie it with cables over the roof and into the ground.
- Install Sewer Backflow Valves - Flooding can cause sewage backflow from sanitary sewer lines into houses through drain pipes. Those backups will not only cause damage that is hard to repair, but can also become health hazards. Backflow valves are designed to block drain pipes temporarily and prevent flow into the house and should be installed by a licensed plumber or contractor.
- Important documents and objects - Keep them in a high place and in a sturdy container, where it’s less probable that water can reach them.
Homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover flooding. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program facilitates federally backed flood insurance to homeowners, business owners and renters. Flood insurance is easy to obtain and is sold by most insurance agents or companies.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Solar Energy Industries Association Works (SEIA) has featured GenPro Power Systems, Inc. on their new website launched last month in an effort to promote the Solar Industry. SEIA selected one company from each state to profile that has benefited from the growth of the solar industry. GenPro Power Systems was their choice as from South Dakota. Director of Marketing and Sales, Kari Jagodzinski, was asked to share her experience with the company in regards to solar as well the industry in general. To read the article and learn more about SEIA, click here: http://www.solarworksforamerica.com/Our-Stories/kari-jagodzinski.html
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Press release
WHO/UNICEF report warns that vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty could defeat human development efforts, with children first to suffer
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 26 August 2004 - More than 2.6 billion people – over 40 per cent of the world's population – do not have basic sanitation, and more than one billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water, warns a major report released today by WHO (the World Health Organization) and UNICEF. www.unicef.org
Entitled Meeting the Millennium Development Goals drinking water and sanitation target - A mid-term assessment of progress, the report details the progress of individual countries, regions, and the world as a whole between the MDG baseline year of 1990 and the half-way mark of 2002. It makes two significant predictions on reaching the 2015 goals*, based on progress to date:
The global sanitation target will be missed by a staggering half a billion people – most of them in rural Africa and Asia – allowing waste and disease to spread, killing millions of children and leaving millions more on the brink of survival.
The world is on track to meet the drinking water target, but population growth may outstrip improvements, with 800 million people still drinking unsafe water by 2015.
This severe human and economic toll could be prevented by closing the gap between urban and rural populations and by providing simple hygiene education, say UNICEF and WHO.
The agencies warned that a global trend towards urbanization is marginalising the rural poor and putting huge strain on basic services in cities. As a result, families living in rural villages and urban slums are being trapped in a cycle of ill-health and poverty. Children are always the first to suffer from the burden of disease caused by dirty water and poor hygiene, while the wider impact of unhygienic environments drags back economic progress and erodes good governance.
“Around the world millions of children are being born into a silent emergency of simple needs,” says Carol Bellamy, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “The growing disparity between the haves and the have nots in terms of access to basic services is killing around 4000 children every day and underlies many more of the 10 million child deaths each year. We have to act now to close this gap or the death toll will certainly rise."
"Water and sanitation are among the most important determinants of public health. They are amongst the top of WHO's list of components of primary health care. Wherever people achieve reliable access to safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation they have won a major battle against a wide range of diseases." says WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook.
Developing regions of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa, are most at risk. But the report also highlights some worrying trends in the industrialised regions**, where coverage figures for clean water and basic sanitation facilities are estimated to have decreased by 2 per cent between 1990 and 2002. In the former Soviet Union, only 83 per cent had access to adequate sanitation facilities. With economic and population pressures growing, these percentages could decrease.
The consequences of inaction today are severe, according to WHO and UNICEF. Diarrhoeal disease currently takes the lives of 1.8 million people each year – most of them children under five - with millions more left permanently debilitated. Over 40 billion work hours are lost in Africa to the need to fetch drinking water. And many children, particularly girls, are prevented from going to school for want of latrines, squandering their intellectual and economic potential.
Reversing this trend and moving towards universal coverage for water and sanitation will take more than money, said Bellamy and Lee. National policies based on the principle of “some for all” rather than “all for some” have been the key to improvements in many countries. And at the local level, resources have to be retargeted to include the poorest communities, with local government and the private sector co-operating to bring affordable solutions.
“To meet the 2015 targets, countries need to create the political will and resources to serve a billion new urban dwellers, and reduce by almost 1 billion the number of rural dwellers without access to adequate sanitation facilities – otherwise we risk leaving millions, if not billions, out of the development process,” says Dr Lee.
WHO and UNICEF say the report, which is the first in a series looking at progress in water and sanitation coverage, should be a wake up call to all global leaders. Every country still has work to do to eliminate disparities in basic services and the data shows clearly how that can be done before the MGD deadline of 2015.
There are also very encouraging signs. Great gains in water and sanitation coverage have been made against considerable odds in many countries. This progress came as a direct result of political prioritisation and a drive to find locally effective solutions.
“This report is important because it proves that significant improvements are possible in a short space of time, even in the poorest countries.” says Ms Bellamy. “By identifying trends now, and committing to course corrections, we have a real opportunity to ensure that by 2015 these basic essentials of life are available to all.”
Notes:
*Eight Millennium Development Goals were agreed by the Member States of the United Nations at the Millennium Summit in 2000. The targets state that the proportion of people worldwide not having access to an improved water source, and the proportion of people worldwide not having access to adequate sanitation facilities, should be halved between the baseline year of 1990 and 2015.
**See Annex for the MDG regions and the countries they include.
For further information, please contact:
Gregory Hartl, WHO Geneva: +41 22 791 4458,
Claire Hajaj, UNICEF New York: +1 212 326 7566,
Victor Chinyama, UNICEF ESARO, Nairobi: +254 20 622218
Thursday, July 1, 2010
It is easy to overlook including pets in an emergency, but recent disasters have taught us this is an important and much needed component of planning.
Prepare Your Household Pet's Plan – Evacuation or Shelter
Shelter: If you have no alternative and must leave your pet at home, take precautions:
· NEVER leave your pet chained outside.
· Confine them to a safe area inside your home with food and plenty of water.
· Remove the toilet tank lid
· Raise or remove the toilet seat
· Brace the bathroom door open so they have access to the water in the toilet
· Place notices outside in a visible area, advising what pets are in the house and where they are located.
· Leave a phone number where you or a contact can be reached as well as the name and number of your vet.
Evacuation: Plan to take your pets with you if at all possible. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost or killed. Here are a few items to include in your pet’s evac plan:
· Decide how you will assemble and transport your pets.
· Prepare an emergency pet care kit to bring along. (see suggested content below)
· Anticipate where you will go if you evacuate. Understand that for public health reasons, many emergency shelters for citizens cannot accept pets. Find out before an emergency happens which facilities in your area are viable options for both you and your pets.
· Consider family or friends willing to take you and your pets in.
· Boarding facilities, animal shelters or veterinary hospitals also may be an option. Pets displaced by a disaster frequently are housed in shelters. Contact your local humane society chapter to locate nearby shelters and support organizations.
· If you are disabled, traveling, or away at work, develop a buddy system with neighbors, friends or relatives to make sure someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets. Share your evacuation plan with your pet care buddy and show them where you keep your pet's emergency supply kit. Designate a location in your neighborhood and farther away where you will meet in an emergency.
Pet Emergency Care Kit: Like your own emergency kit, the one you create for your pet should include at least three days of food, water and medications. Other items to help your pet may include:
- Crate or carrier Have a sturdy, safe, comfortable crate or carrier to transport your pet.
- Harness or Leash Traffic, obstacles, and noise can cause even the most well behaved pets to separate from their owners during a disaster. Keeping your pet leashed at all times is vitally important for the safety of your pet.
- Pet ID Your dog or cat should wear a collar with an ID and rabies tags at all times. Keep a backup set in your pet's emergency kit. Consider micro chipping and enrolling your pet in a recovery database.
- Familiar items Include your pet's favorite toys, treats or bedding.
- Sanitation Have supplies to provide for your pet's sanitation needs such as litter and litter box, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach for disinfecting (dilute nine parts water to one part bleach).
- First aid kit Talk to your veterinarian about what should be included. Most pet kits have cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors, antibiotic ointment, flea and tick prevention, latex gloves, rubbing alcohol and saline solution. A pet first aid book also is helpful. Include important documents like registration, adoption, vaccination, or important medical records.
- A picture of you and your pet together. A picture will help identify your pet and document ownership should you become separated.
Be Informed
· Research what pet preparedness plans have been established in your area by your state and local government.
· Search and rescue of pets lost during disasters - This is a coordinated effort among the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Humane Society of the United States. These efforts include the National Veterinary Response Team and volunteer groups assigned the task of finding lost pets.
Be prepared to adapt information you receive to your personal circumstances. Contact your local emergency manager for more information or visit www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov.
Take the time now to get yourself and your pets ready for whatever emergency may come your way.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Helping Kids Cope with Disasters
Release Date: June 22, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. –It’s important for parents and guardians to keep in mind that children can be particularly vulnerable to stress as a result of severe storms and natural disasters.
“Children may suffer from anxiety because of disaster losses and the upheaval of family life,” said Debborah Arnold, Executive Director, Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board. “Most children bounce back quickly with social support and the aid of their families, but it is important to be aware of your child’s reaction to stress and anxiety and to seek additional help if necessary.”
Children’s caregivers should be alert to signs of trouble and how to handle them. For children ages 5 or younger, watch for behaviors like crying more frequently than usual, clinging, having nightmares, showing excessive fear of the dark, fear of animals, fear of being alone, changing appetites, speaking with difficulty, or returning to outgrown behaviors such as bed-wetting or thumb-sucking.
Children aged 5 to 11 may exhibit increased irritability, aggression, and competition with their siblings for parental attention. They may also show anxiety through whining, withdrawing from their peers, and losing interest in normal activities.
Adolescents aged 12 to 18 may show outright rebellion, physical problems, or sleep disturbances. Some may compete vigorously for attention from parents and teachers. Others may withdraw, resist authority, become disruptive at home or in the classroom, or even begin to experiment with high-risk behaviors like alcohol or drug use.
The following suggestions may help to reduce stress in children:
- Spend some time each day giving each child your undivided attention, even if just for a few minutes. Share experiences. Reaffirm your love. Make plans together. Just “be there” for each other.
- Encourage them to talk. Encourage children to describe what they are feeling. Let them talk about the disaster and ask as many questions as they like. Listen to what they say. Assure them that the disaster was an act of nature and not caused by them. Include the entire family in the discussion if possible.
- Understand their fears. It is important that parents accept anxieties as being very real to children. Help them cope by getting them to understand what causes their anxieties and fears. Recognize their losses, such as their pets, favorite toys and other personal items. Reassure them that everything will be all right.
- Inform children. Make every effort to keep children informed about what is happening. Explanations should be in simple language. With children 5 or older, rehearse safety measures for use in case of future disasters.
- Reassure them. Parents can help reassure children by telling them they are safe, holding and hugging them frequently, restoring normal routines, providing play experiences for them, and making bedtime a special moment of calm and comfort.
- Encourage activities with their peers. As with adults, social time with friends is a very important part of the recovery process.
- Temporarily lower expectations for them. Allow for the fact that stress from the disaster can show itself in many ways over a period of time, and make appropriate allowances.
Through your persistence, children will realize life will eventually return to normal. If a child does not respond to the above suggestions, seek help for them from a behavioral health professional.
For more information about services available in your county, please contact your Community Mental Health Center or the Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board toll free number 888-522-7228 or the web site www.kccrb.ky.gov
Additional information about this disaster is available at www.fema.gov and www.kyem.ky.gov/currentdisasters.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Friday, June 11, 2010
A little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the employees and family members June 10th during the company lunch picnic. A good time was had by all. The food was awesome. Thanks everyone!
