Notice to All Health Regulated Establishments

The Division of Environmental Health of the Department of Public Health and Social Services would like to remind all health-regulated establishments that in the event of a power and/or water outage, affected businesses must ensure appropriate measures are implemented in protecting their customers:

All Food and Water Vending Establishments

Power must be available at all times in order to operate your business.
If there is no power and/or water, the food establishment operators must cease operations.
If a generator is used as an alternate power source, food establishment operators must ensure that all cold holding temperatures are maintained at or below 41o F for refrigerator units and at or below 0o F for freezer units, and all hot holding temperatures are maintained at or above 140o F.
Hot water must be provided at a temperature of at least 100o F for all handwashing sinks.

Schools and Child Care Establishments

Adequate lighting must be provided to promote safety and comfortable lighting environment.
Ventilation shall be adequate to provide proper circulation of needed air within a room by either windows or mechanical ventilators. No class room shall exceed a temperature of 84o F.
If there is no power and/or water, food preparation must cease..
If a generator is used as an alternate power source, food operations must ensure that all cold holding temperatures are maintained at or below 41o F for refrigerator units and at or below 0o F for freezer units, and all hot holding temperatures are maintained at or above 140o F.
Hot water must be provided at a temperature of at least 100o F for all handwashing sinks.
Food Safety

Maintain all perishable food below 41o F or above 140o F.
Discard any perishable food (i.e., meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk) that has been in refrigerator or freezer at or above 41o F for 4 hours or more.
Frozen food that is still somewhat thawed or has ice crystals can still be refrozen, or used immediately.
When in doubt, throw it out.

For further information, please contact the Food Safety Program of the Division of Environmental Health at 735-7221 or via email at dphss-deh@dphss.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.