2016 January NEWSLETTER

Message from The Area Coordinator
I hope that you all had a wonderful time over the Christmas & New Year period & found plenty of events to keep you busy!  Unfortunately the criminals do not seem to have had a holiday & many offences occurred whilst we have been relaxing.  If any of you see anything suspicious please report to the police on POLICE LINK 131 444 or Crimestoppers 1800 333 000. I am afraid that in general the news over the last couple of months has been very disappointing in particular with the senseless acts of violence which have claimed lives.  Remember you can  download an app for smartphones from I Tunes, Google Play or Windows stores which can give you immediate information relating to emergency numbers.  If you need the Police Assistance, Crimestoppers, SES or Health Direct the information on the app can save you ringing the wrong emergency number.  It will also give you the GPS coordinates of your phone location so that the caller can read out to the emergency operator.  This app is free of charge & sounds like a very good addition.  For those who are deaf or hearing impaired the National Relay Service is available too. There has been a lot of burglary offences during the past couple of months which have occurred during the day time & the offenders have often been on foot.  Some of the people of interest have been identified as male aged 15 - 20 and of Pacific Islander appearance & are residents of the area they are offending in.  If you see anyone of this description acting suspiciously please contact Crestmead Police 3803 9555 or Police Link 131444. Even more fires have occurred during the holiday season as well which has prompted us to remind you that photoelectric smoke alarms are the ONLY ones that should be in use ionisation alarms are pretty useless and it is false economy to purchase a cheaper version.  Photoelectric alarms actually can SEE the smoke and start to emit an immediate alarm whereas the ionisation will only emit an alarm when the smoke has reached the position where the alarm is fitted this of course could be in another area of the house & will be too late for you to escape as you are likely to be rendered unconscious by the smoke by then.  A final reminder is to make sure that you have all alarms fitted with batteries an alarm without a working battery is of no use to anyone.  We will be giving away smoke alarm batteries at our  annual Neighbour Day event on March 27th which will tie in with the QFES reminder to change batteries on April 1st - DON’T BE AN APRIL FOOL!! Other events planned during the year will be another road safety expo & we will try and incorporate some day time events for those who cannot or do not wish to venture out to evening meetings. The Crestmead Community Carols at the beginning of December were a great success & those who    attended all agreed it was a very enjoyable evening.  Hopefully we can make it bigger & better in 2016.  Many thanks to all those who helped in the planning & on the day plus thanks to all who attended.  Thanks to those who donated raffle prizes & congratulations to the winners.  Thanks also to all who    attended our November AGM & end of year party a very enjoyable evening. The new committee will work hard to keep our suburb safe & secure. Vehicle registration plates are still being stolen so if you want your rego plates replaced our Volunteers in Policing will be at the Community Centre at 6pm before our next meeting to fit them for you.  If you are unable to attend on January 25th you can contact  Crestmead Police Station to make an appointment.   For those children who have received bikes and scooters for Christmas don’t forget the cycle track at Crestmead Park children can learn to ride their bikes safely without cars nearby.  It is a very good facility to learn to ride & gain experience.  But remember helmets are required by law!
Take care Geoff

Sun Safety
Did you know that in Qld the levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun are high enough to damage your skin all year round. The ‘slip slop slap’ message has been around for many years & this message has been expanded to 5 ways to protect yourself from sun.
SLIP ON A SHIRT - clothes from a cotton weave will allow the skin to breath or when at the beach/pool use a rash vest
SLAP ON SOME SUNSCREEN - water resistant SPF 30 should be applied 20 minutes before  going outside & then every 2 hours
SLAP ON A BROAD BRIMMED HAT - one that shades your neck/face & ears.  Caps or    visors are not recommended
SEEK SHADE - minimise the time you are in direct sun & use an umbrella/shade device when possible
SLIDE ON SOME SUNGLASSES chose some which protect the side of your eyes & fit closely to your face  Some popular myths exposed: Sunscreen provides enough protection– it does not   provide enough sun protection for your skin Skin cancer only affects fair skinned people-skin cancer affects all skin types Skin cancer only affects older people - high sun exposure in first 10 years of life more than doubles your risk of melanoma & can be far advanced when found Skin cancer is caused by sunburn - cell damage from over exposure to UVR is the cause  You only need sun protection on hot sunny days - it does not matter if it is rainy or cloudy, UVR is always there during daylight You only need protection between 10am and 2pm -UVR levels are able to cause damage from 8am!! You need sun exposure for vitamin D - most people get sufficient vitamin D from normal outdoor activities More information from:
https://www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/environmental/sun/index.html
http://www.sunsmart.com.au