Blood Suckers A Major Concern for First Responders, Health Officials, Government Offices
Bell Environmental Services is pleased to co-host an educational bed bug seminar with the Hudson Regional Health Commission on Thursday, June 7.
The seminar, developed for public health officers, housing inspectors, first responders, and managers of city departments and public facilities in Hudson County, NJ.
We’re always pleased to provide education and outreach to government organizations and community groups. We will discuss where bed bugs typically hide, how they migrate, how quickly they reproduce and steps to take to help prevent being victimized by bed bug problems, and the best ways for public entities to protect employees and solve bed bug issues in their offices and vehicles. We’ve hosted similar seminars for local and county government officials in Morristown and Vineland, N.J.
The goal of the seminar, entitled, A Local Government’s Guide to Dealing with Bed Bugs, is to provide government employees on the front lines the information they need to recognize and help prevent bed bugs, and the spread of bed bugs. First responders, such as police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel, as well as health and housing inspectors, enter thousands of homes a year as part of their jobs and run the risk of exposure to bed bugs. Bed bugs, are notorious hitchhikers, and spread by crawling into bags, jackets, equipment and more. First responders are at risk to bring bed bugs back to their workplace, and home.
When it comes to bed bugs, an ounce of prevention is work a pound of cure. Education is the first step in the prevention of bed bugs. Government employees – everyone from firefighters to housing inspectors – need to know the signs of bed bugs so that they can take the actions to avoid the expense and disruption that results from a major bed bug infestation.
Government offices and other public facilities – such as libraries and schools – also need to be vigilant in order to prevent infestations. Bed bugs have been reported in a number of places throughout Hudson County, including schools in Secaucus, Jersey City and West New York, as well as the Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital.
Given the problems throughout the region, Hudson County is taking the right proactive steps to slow or halt long way to the spread of bed bugs in its towns and cities.