PerkSpot Alert: Discounted Universal Studios Tickets

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Lights! Camera! Take action on a great deal! You can save up to 25 percent on gate priced tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood through PerkSpot.

Soar above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Harry Potter. Join Gru and the mischievous Minions on a 3-D ride. Watch King Kong battle a 35-foot T-Rex! Take a studio tour and see how famous shows and movies come together.

Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for a different date – all sales are final. Be careful when selecting.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through hundreds of service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

SDCLA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

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The San Diego County Latino Association employee resource group celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a special guest speaker at the County Operations Center.

USMC RET. Corporal Carlos Gomez Perez, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S at age nine, joined the United States Marines October 2001, eventually becoming highly decorated Marine.

While his time in service, Cpl Gomez Perez received the following awards, or commendations:

  • Certificate Of Commendation 2004

  • Meritorious Mast Warrior Of The Month 2004

  • Purple Heart 2004 for a gunshot wound to the face, and to Right Shoulder in the Jolar District in the streets of Fallujah

  • Combat Meritoriously to Corporal 2004

Cpl Carlos Gomez Perez was medically retired from the United States Marines on January 2006. 

Check out the photos above from the celebration and learn more about employee resource groups on InSite.

 

Distracted Driving: Not Worth the Risk

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Karina Ramirez from Public Works views a virtual reality program to deter distracted driving.

County employees took a distracted driving challenge at an interactive virtual reality simulator and pledged to stay focused on the road, not mobile phones, social media or other distractions.

The County partnered with AT&T to offer the It Can Wait virtual reality 360-degree driving experience at the County Operations Center Plaza last week. The simulation involved watching a driving video through virtual reality goggles while sitting in a driver’s seat with a steering wheel.

While participating, cartographic services employee Robert Feuerstein actually shrieked a few times and asked if he’d killed someone. Don’t worry he didn’t but he said the video was “so realistic” with the virtual reality goggles.  Formerly a driving instructor, Feuerstein said he knows how important this safety message is for all drivers.  

“It’s a fantastic tool to use to learn the risks of distracted driving,” said Feuerstein.

Ignacio De La Torre, assistant vice president of AT&T External Affairs, said they got involved with this safety messaging in 2010 after they talked with people who had been seriously injured in accidents due to distracted driving like texting or talking on the phone.

In AT&T’s research, they found that 49 percent of people admitted to texting while driving. Of teenagers surveyed, 97 percent said they thought texting and driving was dangerous, but 43 percent of them said they did it anyway.

In more recent years, De La Torre noted, distracted driving has come to include people recording videos of themselves while driving, taking selfies and posting to social media sites.

Karina Ramirez, who works for the Department of Public Works, said she wanted to take part in the experience because her 11-year-old daughter constantly reminds her to put her phone away before they get in the car. Ramirez said she wanted to tell her daughter she pays attention to what she tells her.

“I tell her, ‘You’re right.’ And when she starts driving, I want her not to even think about (using her phone or being distracted in another way),” Ramirez said.

Henry Weaver of Auditor & Controller took the pledge not to drive while distracted.Henry Weaver with Auditor and Controller said the virtual reality goggles made a big impact, and he would warn others to drive responsibly.

“Just don’t do it, it’s not worth it,” said Weaver.

To learn more about the dangers of distracted driving visit AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign and watch 360-degree videos, which can be viewed on any virtual reality viewer.

Last year, more than 20 million people who participated in the AT&T simulated experience pledged not to drive while distracted.

“We provide phones and want to make sure our customers use them in a responsible manner,” said De La Torre. 

Get Healthy for the Holidays

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Give yourself the gift of health this holiday season by participating in Employee Wellness’ quarterly challenge—Health for the Holidays.

In this six-week program, employees will practice three healthy behaviors: physical activity, eating well and filling a “gift box.” Participants may fill their gift box by volunteering, doing a nice deed for a neighbor or really anything that spreads holiday cheer and goodwill.

As participants log their activities online, they create an animated holiday scene. The more activities logged, the more festive the winter wonderland scene grows. Just imagine yourself dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.

While this is the most wonderful time of the year, it can be stressful too. Employee Wellness Coordinator William Erese explained that this challenge can actually help relieve stress and set you up for a happy and healthy New Year.

“Exercise and healthy eating are the simple things that you can do each day to contribute to a brighter, jollier outlook this holiday season,” he said.

Registration is Oct. 23 through Nov. 10. The campaign runs Nov. 6 through Dec. 17.

Don’t forget to link your wearable fitness devices such as Fitbits and Jawbones to record steps.

This is the last online challenge employees need to participate in to qualify for the Employee Wellness stationary bike giveaway.

Employees requiring accommodation should email dhrwellness.fgg@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Real Customers, Real Impact – and Real HEART

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October is Customer Service Month, and we’re marking the occasion by sharing a few recent examples of our Customer Experience Initiative in action.

As we head into another year, the initiative is embracing the theme of Real Customers, Real Impact. The concept of highlighting people touched by County services was part of this year’s operational plan presentation. Hearing the stories, from the customers themselves, helps employees feel the connection to the people we serve and makes all our actions more relevant.

Here are a few specific ways departments are improving the customer experience.

handheart.jpg

Give them a hand

At the County Psychiatric Hospital, employees can recognize each other’s excellent customer service by giving them a Hands Up/High Five picture. They write the name of the person over the hand and then a description of what HEART qualities their colleague demonstrated. The hands are then put up on a wall where everyone can see them. It’s a colorful, constant celebration of staff members’ hard work and reminder of customer service principles.

Going the extra miles

The General Plan lays out the rules for how land can be developed in our unincorporated area. But it leaves room for unique circumstances. Planning & Development Services’ Kevin Johnston oversees requests from property owners who want zoning changes on their land. Over two years, he’s attended 23 community meetings around the county, explaining the process and getting feedback.

The rules are complex, and people get passionate about their property. So when community members praise Johnston’s work, that’s testament to his Expertise and Attentiveness.

“Many thanks for making the evening so worthwhile and for providing the information in a very understandable and thorough way…”

- Charles Mathews, Pala Pauma CSG

Tech Connects Vets

Technology is behind many customer service improvements. The County’s Vet Connect program lets veterans in the County’s backcountry go to their local library and use videoconferencing to receive services and complete paperwork. The vets can avoid lengthy travel to offices in central San Diego.

This summer, the County launched the latest installation of Vet Connect at the Valley Center Library. Meeting customers where they are – even if it’s virtually – greatly improves their access and satisfaction.

Ribbon-cutting for the the Vet Connect service at the Valley Center Library.

Those are just a few brief mentions of countless ways County employees are taking a positive approach to give customers a positive experience.

As part of Customer Service Month, we invite you to share pictures of how you’re keeping HEART and the Customer Experience Initiative going in your department. If you have pics of recognition boards, group shots with posters, or any other things demonstrating your commitment to exceptional customer service, you can email them to us. We’ll put together a gallery to close out the month.

Here’s to Employees in the Hep A Fight

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Even though the likelihood of hepatitis A impacting you directly is low, it has become a focus for many of our colleagues. Many more of you probably have questions about what we’re doing and your personal safety. I want to give you a high-level overview of our actions and recognize the tremendous effort many of you are making to protect the public’s health.

First, a little background. The hepatitis A virus is typically spread through fecal matter that winds up in someone’s mouth. Even tiny amounts. Not a pretty thought, but that’s what we’re dealing with. An infected person can spread it to another person through things they touch, including food, or by close personal contact. Hepatitis A can make people sick, and as we’re seeing, even be fatal, especially when the person who gets it has existing health issues.   

From the onset, our public health staff did an extraordinary job identifying the outbreak and analyzing the at-risk populations. Interviews with patients and hospital personnel, along with sophisticated modeling done by GIS mapping of cases, helped them put together a picture of what we were experiencing and a plan for what needed to be done.  They determined it affected – as it does now – mainly people who are homeless and those using illegal drugs. 

They began educating health care providers and mobilizing teams to begin vaccinations. They met with local jurisdictions to explain the medical aspects of hepatitis A as well as the need for extra sanitization where homeless people stay. Working with the Centers for Disease Control, the California Department of Public Health and our community partners, they initiated a three-pronged strategy to stop the outbreak: vaccinate, sanitize and educate.

These numbers will keep changing, but as of last update, the County and local health care community had given more than 76,000 vaccinations since the outbreak began. Some of those have been at mass vaccination events that began in April. Many have been given by “foot teams” we launched in May. Public health nurses, partnered with outreach workers and sometimes law enforcement, hit the streets, riverbeds or canyons to find homeless people one-by-one. If you’ve ever worked with the homeless population, you know many of them are suspicious of “official” types – especially those who show up with a vaccine. It’s painstaking work, and our doctors and nurses deserve a ton of credit for the numbers we’ve reached in our vaccination efforts.

Video: Hear County public health nurses explain their prevention work

But it’s many more of you than that. I applaud our social workers, law enforcement personnel, environmental health workers, parks staff, public works crews and countless other County employees for the various roles they have played in our response. 

We’ve worked extensively with local restaurants on cleaning guidelines and food handler education. We’ve cleaned culverts and distributed street sanitization protocols. We’ve passed out hygiene kits, and installed handwashing stations across the region. We’ve implemented extra sanitation protocols in our own public restrooms and County facilities with extra cleaning precautions for doorknobs, elevator walls, tables and countertops. It’s truly been a team effort.

During emergencies, there are always critics. But I can assure you, I am proud of each one of you and grateful for your hard work and dedication. And those actions will continue as we are still a long way away from ending the outbreak. It will take many more months. Similar outbreaks in the past have taken years to run their course. We are hopeful that we are ahead of that curve but we can’t be certain. What is certain, though, is that when it’s over, we will collect our lessons learned so that we can do everything possible to prevent a future outbreak.

I mentioned that most of you are at a very low risk of contracting hepatitis A, so a vaccination is not necessary. However, if you come into contact with someone in the at-risk population then please contact your health care provider to determine if a hepatitis A shot is recommended. We have an extensive amount of information about hepatitis A on our County website. I urge you to read it.  And if you still have questions, please reach out to Human Resources. They are there to help you.

I also want to urge you to think beyond hepatitis A. The flu season is upon us. And remember, the flu is more deadly then hepatitis A. Please take care of yourself.

Tough challenges always bring out the best in the human spirit. The Noblest Motive is the Public Good. That is what motivates all of us. My sincere thanks to everyone for the work you’ve done and will continue to do.

 

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Lip Sync Battle Contestants Announced

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Our Halloween festivities’ Lip Sync Battle is back bigger and better than ever! The largest group of contestants yet will battle it out for County employee stardom this year. All of their practice singing into a brush will pay off with epic performances including crazy costumes, daring dance moves and even some surprises.

This year’s contestants are:

  • Sara Brenner, Joseph DiMartino, Brenda Ferro, Donald Rodriguez, Stefani Rodrigeuz, Esther Sipe, Vicenta Summers and Eric Warners, Child Welfare Services

  • Cynthia Gould, Air Pollution Control District

  • Merab Miranda, HHSA

  • Matthew Parcasio, Aging and Independence Services

  • LaTanya L. Ramos, Child Welfare Services

  • Christian Arellano, Josue De Los Diaz, Kristina Hernandez, Anna Navarrete, Jan Rivera, Eligibility Operations

A winner will be determined based on applause—so don’t miss cheering them on!

The Lip Sync Battle is part of the spooktacular Monster Ball party planned for Oct. 31 at the County Operations Center. Tricks and treats include eerie entertainment, ghoulish games, a frightful photo booth and a pumpkin carving and decorating contest (enter here). Mark your calendar now!

Plus, there will be a County-wide Halloween costume contest. Attendance not required. Employees can simply enter by submitting photos via email. Check back on the big day for further details.

Batter Up: Employee Wellness Softball Tournament

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Gather up your co-workers and get ready to play ball. The Department of Human Resources’ Employee Wellness Program will host its first-ever softball tournament next month, and it is sure to be a hit!

The friendly competition is open to all County employees. The winning team will earn bragging rights!

Let’s cover all the bases: Registration is open through Nov. 3. Interested teams will need to submit all completed paperwork, including waivers, to DHRWellness.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov And team captains will need to participate in a mandatory conference call at 1 p.m., Nov. 15.

The tourney will be held at Sweetwater Sports Complex at Sweetwater Lane County Park on Sunday, Nov. 19. Games will start promptly at 10:30 a.m.

If you are not playing, come out with your family to cheer on your fellow employees. Either way, the County wins!

Join ShakeOut: Survive An Earthquake

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Last month, two strong and deadly earthquakes shook Mexico killing more than 460 people. Those disasters serve as a tragic reminder of how unpredictable earthquakes can be and the importance of disaster preparedness, and knowing what to do before, during and after a significant earthquake. Having a plan, disaster supplies and practicing your response with your family could mean escaping serious harm.

As County Disaster Service Workers, we have an extra obligation after an earthquake: to report to our supervisors and assist those in need as directed. The only way to survive and reduce your chances for injury if a significant earthquake rattles the region, is to get prepared now.

The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill will take place next week, on 10/19 at 10:19 a.m. The annual event, held on the third Thursday of October, promotes earthquake preparedness. Participants take part in the mass earthquake drill wherever they are: at home, work, school or in the community.

Please take our survey on the Insite homepage to tell us your level of earthquake preparedness.

Residents, businesses, schools and other organizations can participate simply by going to the ShakeOut.org website and registering. To date, 9.5 million people have registered in California and more than 790,000 have registered in San Diego County.

Holly Crawford, director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, encourages County departments or employees to register if they plan to participate. Holding an earthquake drill is a good opportunity for employees to practice earthquake safety at work if possible and later with their families, she said.

If you work in a County department which cannot participate in the earthquake drill exactly at 10:19 a.m. on 10/19, you can still take the time to look around your workspace and figure out where the safest place would be to duck, cover, and hold on, in the event of an earthquake.

To help your family get prepared before an earthquake, hold your own drill at home. Every member of your family should know what to do during an earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Practice at least once a year as part of the Great California ShakeOut drill, but ideally more often and in different rooms of the house so that the reaction becomes automatic. A quick, practiced response can help in the stressful and frightening minutes after a quake hits.

Before an earthquake, check your home for hazards, such as items that could topple over onto someone from a high shelf or above. The goal is to secure breakables with wax or putty or rearrange them on a lower shelf, and to secure tall bookcases, televisions, wall art, or hanging mirrors with straps or special hanging hardware to prevent them from falling. All of this equipment can be found at most home improvement stores.

During an earthquake, the most important thing to do it to protect your head from items that might fall in the shaking. Drop, Cover and Hold under a sturdy table or desk. If you are not near a table or desk, drop to the ground and move away from any hanging fixtures, windows, glass, or furniture that could topple over, and sit up against an interior wall, while covering your head. For more tips, check out this helpful listprovided by Earthquake Country Alliance.

After an earthquake, it is important to be ready to seek cover again in the event of an aftershock. Check yourself and others for injuries. Assuming there are none, walk around the home or building and make sure there are no fires, which can sometimes ignite after an earthquake from ruptured gas lines. While walking around, be sure to sniff for gas as well. If the odor of gas is detected, the main gas line must be turned off. Turn the gas line off only if there is a leak or damage to the line because once it is off. Utility crews must turn it back on. If possible, check on neighbors.

To learn more about how to prepare for an earthquake, visit ReadySanDiego.org or ListoSanDiego.org and click on the earthquake symbol, or visit ShakeOut.org for information on how to hold a drill in schools, businesses, and homes, as well as posters, audio and video resources, and specific safety recommendations for people with disabilities or other access and functional needs.