Moriarity Electric saved our Christmas; prepare for cardiac emergencies: Letters
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Kudo's to Moriarty Electric at Christmas
Dec. 24 − To the Editor:
Woke up today, Saturday, Dec. 23 to find we have no hot water a day or two before 19 offspring-spouses-grandchildren arrive at our house in Eliot to celebrate Christmas with presents and dinner. After many calls to plumbing companies (mostly answered by an answering company somewhere far from New England & usually finding I was "18th in the cue") I found only that either our situation didn't deserve a service call or there would be flat rate fee (between $200-300!!) just to show up.
After some fiddling with my Volt-Ohm meter I deduced that the tank and its heating elements were fine and the problem was with a safety device that shuts off the hot water tank if our generator is on the verge of being overloaded such a when an air conditioner is also running on a hot day.
So I called Moriarty Electric's emergency number listed on their website and actually heard a human voice answering "Hi − this is Mark". I couldn't believe it but I was talking to the actual owner of Moriarty Electric! He was out getting last minute Christmas gifts and dropped by our house a bit before supper with the replacement "load shedding" device & "Voila"-- we have hot water for the holiday.
It turns out that Mark Moriarty gives a special Christmas gift to his electricians − they can all stay home with their families without the worry of the pager cell-phone going off ruining Christmas dinner. This is how small business used to treat their employees and customers. Think about this when you choose those in the service occupations
J. David Higgins
Eliot, Maine
Cardiac Emergency Response Planning in schools saves lives
Dec. 26 − To the Editor:
As a nurse at Wentworth Douglass Hospital for 27 years, pediatric critical care educator, American Heart Association New Hampshire Board member, member of the NH Committee for Sudden Youth and Infant Death, and single mom to two boys, my passion is improving pediatric health and preventing sudden death in children that could otherwise be saved.
We are coming up on the anniversary of Damar Hamlin’s collapse on the Buffalo Bills field and although these events are known to the medical community, the world opened its eyes to lifesaving measures of CPR and early AED use.
Since 2016, the American Heart Association has been working for policy changes to form Cardiac Emergency Response Planning (CERP) for schools. We will be advocating for this legislation in New Hampshire next year!
What we know?
∎ More than 360,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital annually and 90% are fatal.
∎ 23,000 or more children under the age of 18 experience sudden cardiac arrest each year, 40% are sports related.
∎ A CERP can increase cardiac arrest survival by 50%.
If passed a CERP bill would ensure all NH public schools have these lifesaving steps in place:
∎ Develop a trained cardiac emergency response team.
∎ Activation of the team in a cardiac emergency
∎ Placement and maintenance of AEDs, conducting practice drills and sharing campus plans.
While I have many roles, my favorite job is that of mom to my now 20 and 21-year-old boys. In the current state of our world, keeping kids healthy and safe has never been more important. We need to do everything in our power to protect our children and prepare those who care for them!
Emily Knight RN, BSN, CPAN
Strafford
An Important story not told
Dec. 19 − To the Editor:
Last week concluded COP 28, the annual gathering of all nations to address climate change. From this group came the global commitment to hold warming to 2.0 degrees C with the aspiration of 1.5 degrees. These targets recognize that dramatic social, environmental, and economic damages will happen if not reached.
Almost unbelievably, this year the COP took a stand on dramatically reducing the burning of fossil fuels. For all the talk about addressing climate change, this was the first time that fossil fuels were specifically targeted. This position was even endorsed by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the host of the meetings and the planet’s 3rd largest oil economy.
We, the United States are the 2nd largest generator of CO2 on the planet. 2022 saw the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act which is pumping millions of dollars into the economy to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
What we, the US, have not done is price on carbon. The US is one of only two developed countries not to do so. Pricing carbon has been demonstrated to far and away be the most potent strategy for reducing emissions. Without a carbon price, there is no way that the country can meet the president’s goal of 50% reduction by 2025 let alone the global target of 100% reduction by 2050.
Pricing carbon is in our hands. Only by broad, consistent speaking will our Members of Congress know they have the backing to pass such legislation. It takes less than 10 minutes to email each of our Senators, Hassan and Shaheen and our Congressional Representative, Pappas.
How about making this a Christmas gift for all of us? Just go to their websites and communicate. Then, join Citizens Climate Lobby and get supported in making this a monthly action.
Wes Tator is the founder of the Seacoast Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Wes Tator
Portsmouth
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Moriarity Electric saved Christmas; prep for cardiac crises: Letters
