Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Remember the days last summer when smoke filled the air and we all were advised to stay indoors to avoid breathing harmful pollutants?
Wisconsin’s typical wildfire season starts in April/May and stretches to September/October.
We are now seeing longer and longer stretches of time when wildfires are possible, and the DNR has warned that even in winter any day that is warm, windy, and dry creates increased wildfire risk. The Canadian wildfires of 2023 burned the most area in Canadian and North American history.
Unfortunately, we’re getting awfully used to superlatives when it comes to weather events, thanks to global climate change. 2023 was the warmest year on earth since records have been kept, and the trend is continuing.
Extended wildfire seasons due to droughts, high temperatures, and other climate effects mean that we need to change not only our expectations, but also how we are prepared to communicate and keep our communities safe.
The DPI, along with our colleagues in the state’s DNR, DHS, and DCF, have created communication chains to disseminate information about air quality events. An air quality event is any prediction of AQI over 100 which triggers an advisory or warning.
Children are always at risk. Kids breathe in twice as much air as adults pound for pound, which means they’re breathing in twice as much pollution on high-pollution days.
None of us are immune
We know certain groups of people are at greater health risk when air quality is bad, but let’s be clear: none of us are immune to the negative affects of poor air quality. When air is unhealthy, it affects everyone.
Breathing in air that is polluted has cumulative effects. Fine particle pollution or PM2.5 particles are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream, causing coughing, itchy eyes, and even heart attacks and strokes. Long term, it can decrease lung function and trigger heart attacks, strokes, and premature death in people with heart disease.
Ozone events (a different kind of Air Quality issue that occurs mostly in counties on the Lake Michigan coast) also can cause air conditions to become unhealthy.
What to do when air is unhealthy
The DPI has established a communication chain which will be activated when we receive 24 hour advanced notice from the DNR on a predicted air quality event.
DPI will send emails to the following listservs:
- The Office of the State Superintendent’s District Administrators List
- School Nurse Listserv
- PhyEd Listserv
- School Social Worker Listserv
- Summer Meal Congregate Site Sponsors Listserv.
These emails will include general guidance to help education professionals appropriately respond to the predicted air quality event, including recommended activity modifications for specific groups (such as students with Asthma) and recommended communication suggestions.
Helping students be Air Aware
The DPI's Air Quality Index graphic has been developed to work hand-in-hand with the DHS Air Quality Environmental Studies curriculum (which will soon be released for students in grades K-2). Educators are encouraged to reach out to the DPI Environmental Studies consultant Victoria Rydberg-Nania for questions about the new curriculum once it is available.
Summer congregate meal sites are supplied with the graphic at the top of this article and are urged to clearly indicate the current predicted daily air quality for any level orange or above. The graphic, designed by the DPI, is simple to read yet conveys the most important information to help students make healthy activity choices. Knowing what activities they can safely engage in, and what activities to avoid depending on the predicted air quality for that day will help keep our students healthier. The graphic relies heavily on visual language to cue students who are too young or not yet proficient at reading.
Special thanks go to our Interagency Air Quality Communications Liaison Jennifer Rosen Heinz, as well as communication partners John Johnson, Deputy State Superintendent, Louise Wilson, School Nursing Consultant, Meg Whaley, PhyEd Consultant, Julie Incitti, Social Work Consultant, and Summer Nutrition Program Congregate Meal colleagues.