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ISSUE 9 JANUARY 2005 

NEWS2USE

OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

NEW NIH EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK

REQUESTS FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES:

FRIENDLY TIPS FOR NIH STAFF

NEW DINING CENTER OPEN IN PORTER

NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER

ANNOUNCING THE OPENING OF THE CRC CAFÉ! 

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

THE ROCKLEDGE FITNESS CENTER RECEIVES

NEW FITNESS EQUIPMENT

FEEDBACK BOXES: COMING SOON TO AN

EMPLOYEE SERVICE PROGRAM NEAR YOU....

FIRE PROTECTION SPRINKLER SYSTEMS:

FACT AND FICTION

THEFT IN THE WORKPLACE:AVOID BECOMING A

VICTIM

FAREWELL TO OUR CHILDKIND DIRECTOR

K-9 DAISY RETIRES

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JOURNAL SUBSCRIPTION

PIGGYBACKING AND CUSTOM SERVICES

NEW NIH EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK

We all remember that on 9/11 our top priorities

were deciding when and where to go and at the

same time finding out where our loved ones were;

whether they were down the street, at a meeting in

D.C., or living in Manhattan.We will never forget

that day, and it prompted a lot of organizational and

individual planning.

The ORS Division of Emergency

Preparedness and Coordination (DEPC) has been

working on the newly completed NIH Employee

Emergency Preparedness Handbook to improve our

planning and reactions in case of a crisis–natural or

otherwise–at work or at home.As mentioned, an

essential part of any emergency planning system

includes ways to coordinate with children and other

family members.

The NIH has plans in place to provide for

the safety and protection of personnel, patients, contractors and visitors across a wide range of potential

emergencies, from tornadoes to cyberterrorism.

Preparation gives us some measure of peace that

comes from knowing we have a plan of action for

ourselves, our organizations and our families.

To keep yourself and your fellow employees

safe in an emergency, the most important thing you

can do is stay calm, follow your emergency plan, and

follow instructions from emergency personnel.

AMONG THE MANY TOPICS THE 

HANDBOOK COVERS ARE THE FOLLOWING:

■ Evacuation of your building, the campus,

or the region

■ Shelter-in-place guidelines 

■ Alerts and notification

■ Reporting 

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THE HANDBOOK GIVES 

SPECIFIC GUIDANCE IN CASE 

OF AN EMERGENCY AT HOME:

■ Creating a home and 

family emergency plan

■ Supplies to have on hand and to

have ready to go with you: water,

food, first aid, tools, supplies and

clothing – even reminding us to

have and pack some sweets for

comfort 

■ What to do after an emergency

occurs

■ Recovery from the trauma

The home section covers in full

detail what we can do for our

neighbors and our pets.

We all know that natural 

disasters and terrorism can come in

many forms.The handbook has 

hazard-specific information so that

we can anticipate how to respond to

various types of emergencies.

Keeping a list of emergency

contact information is always important. In the handbook, in addition to

campus and local emergency contacts,

there is a reminder to create your

own personalized list of emergency

numbers to post in a central and

prominent spot at home.

The ORS prepared this handbook as part of its responsibility to

plan and direct service programs for

public safety and security operations,

scientific and regulatory support programs,and a wide variety of other

program and employee services.

The ORS is dedicated to 

supporting the NIH's biomedical

research mission by providing a

secure work environment on campus

that includes our patients, their visitors,and other guests,along with the

facilities and the ongoing research

itself.

The Division of Emergency

Preparedness and Coordination is

responsible for coordinating all NIH

resources essential to emergency

planning and preparedness functions.

This includes serving as the NIH

Emergency Coordinator with

Montgomery County emergency

preparedness organizations, state

offices and national emergency

response organizations under the

leadership of the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS)

and the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).The

DEPC works closely with the HHS

Office of Assistant Secretary for Public

Health Emergency Preparedness

(ASPHEP) in planning for and

responding to large-scale national

disasters.

The DEPC is responsible for

compliance, and ensures the competency of the Occupant Emergency

Organization staff, which assist in

building evacuations, through regular

training classes, seminars and semiannual evacuation drills at all NIH

facilities.

The NIH Emergency

Preparedness handbook can be

found online at: http://ser.ors.od.nih.

gov/emergency_prep.htm

INFORMATION

Division of Emergency 

Preparedness and Coordination

301-496-1985

REQUESTS FOR

INTERPRETING SERVICES:

FRIENDLY TIPS FOR NIH

STAFF

The Division of Employee Services

(DOES) makes every effort to meet

all interpreting services requests.

However, the demand is high.The

following tips should help customers

better understand how to get the

services they need:

÷ Interpreting services are available

for individual NIH employees, visitors, and patients, as well as for

NIH-wide sponsored events, seminars, training classes, staff meetings

and office social events that are sanctioned by the NIH and require

communication among employees

who are deaf or hard of hearing.

÷ All employee interpreting requests

are filled on a first-come, first-served

basis.

÷ Priority is always given to patients

requiring interpreting services to

better communicate with their medical staff while they are hospitalized

or participating in a research protocol.

÷ Submit your interpreting request

as soon as you become aware of a

need at any upcoming events or

meetings.This will provide the

DOES office the ability to begin

working with Sign Language

Associates, Inc. (SLA) to schedule

appropriate interpreters for your

event.

÷ The busiest days are Tuesdays,

Wednesdays and Thursdays, in that

order. Middle of the day requests --

from 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- are

the most difficult time frames to fill.

Many of our interpreters have ongoing or recurring assignments during

these hours.Work scheduled to start

early in the morning (8:00 a.m.) or

after 1:30 p.m. tends to be easier to

fill on the busy days.

÷ If your Institute/Center plans to

sponsor an event that will be open

to the public, a request for interpreting services should be submitted at

least 10 business days in advance. ÷ If your Institute/Center plans to

sponsor any non-public activities, a

request for interpreting services

should be submitted at least five (5)

business days in advance. ÷ Requests for interpreting services

for deaf and/or hard of hearing

employees who need assistance to

perform their jobs more effectively

or efficiently should be submitted at

least five (5) business days in

advance. ÷ Your Institute/Center is responsible for notifying the DOES office of

any cancellations for interpreting

services within two (2) business

days, and at least 48 hours.

÷ Due to the high volume of daily

interpreting requests, last minute

requests (same day) can be difficult

to fill. However, DOES will work

with SLA to make every attempt to

accommodate each and every

request.

INFORMATION

Division of Employee Services

301-402-8180 (Voice) or 

301-435-1908 (TTY)

http://does.ors.od.nih.gov

NEWS2USE
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ISSUE 9 JANUARY 2005

NEW DINING CENTER OPEN

IN PORTER NEUROSCIENCE

RESEARCH CENTER

The new dining center at the Porter

Neuroscience Research Center

opened successfully in September

and has already received an excellent

reception from the building’s

employees.The dining center

includes state-of-the-art equipment

and a large dining area enabling the

NIH staff to find quiet respite from

their normal duties. Dining choices

include: Menutainment, Fresh

Grille,Trattoria, Garden Emporium,

and assorted desserts and beverages.

The staff of six is managed by Eric

Moline, Chef Manager who is a

graduate of Pennsylvania Culinary

Arts School in Pittsburgh.

Thank you to everyone for

your support in opening this new

facility.

INFORMATION

John Crawford

Food Services Program Manager

301-402-8180

ANNOUNCING THE

OPENING OF THE CRC

CAFÉ! 

The Division of Employee Services

(DOES) is happy to announce that

Eurest Dining Services has come to

the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical

Research Center, bringing an assortment of quick meals, beverages and

snacks to staff and visitors in this

area. Keep your eyes open for an

ever expanding selection of soups,

salads and sandwiches.

The staff of eager-to-please,

customer service professionals wants

you to be every bit as pleased with

your meal as you are with the new

building. Stop by and introduce

yourself to the manager, Shelley

Yarbough, and her team.

In the coming months the

CRC Café will be transformed into

an Au bon Pain with freshly baked

breads and pastries.

CRC Café team of Erda Woldegiorgis,

Rahwa Kidan and Shelley Yarbough 

(left to right) behind the counter of the

new cafe.

INFORMATION

John Crawford

Food Services Program Manager

301-402-8180

JUST IN TIME FOR

THE HOLIDAYS:THE

ROCKLEDGE FITNESS

CENTER RECEIVES NEW

FITNESS EQUIPMENT

If one of your New Year’s resolutions

is to start working out, you are in

luck. Last month, several new pieces

of fitness equipment arrived at the

Rockledge Fitness Center. For those

of you who need to take things at a

steady pace, there are new treadmills,

recumbent and upright bikes. For

those of you who are up to the

challenge and don’t mind a little

resistance, there is a new seated leg

press, seated leg curl and leg extension, plus many other machines that

will help you feel the burn and get

in shape.

The Rockledge Fitness Center

is located at 6705 Rockledge Drive,

Suite 5070, Bethesda, Maryland.

INFORMATION

Kirty Dhekar

Fitness Director

301-435-0038

www.recgov.org/fitness/fitness.html
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FEEDBACK BOXES: COMING

SOON TO AN EMPLOYEE

SERVICE PROGRAM NEAR

YOU....

In our ongoing efforts to supply and

improve services such as child care

centers, dining centers, fitness centers, and retail stores for NIH

employees, contractors and visitors,

the Division of Employee Services

(DOES) is making it easy for customers to communicate the good

and the bad.

Feedback boxes are being

installed on and off campus at the

site of the service provided. Please

submit your feedback about any

DOES service in the box provided.

These comments do not go

unnoticed.

By supplying your contact

information with the comment, you

will receive a personal response from

the Quality Assurance Specialist

devoted to the program in question.

In addition, your suggestion may

prompt changes, which will be

announced on the bulletin boards in

that program area.

Anonymous suggestions are

treated with the same respect and

consideration as those with contact

information.

This is your opportunity to

sound off.All complaints, comments

and compliments are welcome.We

need your feedback to help improve

the quality of work life for all us at

NIH.

Most feedback boxes will be

available by the end of January 2005.

INFORMATION

Division of Employee Services

301-402-8180 

http://does.ors.od.nih.gov

FIRE PROTECTION

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS:

FACT AND FICTION

FACT #1:

Each year, approximately 6,000 

people in the United States die in

fires resulting in millions of dollars

in property damage. Many deaths

could be prevented and property

damage minimized through the

installation of fire protection 

sprinkler systems.

FACT #2:

At NIH, we install automatic sprinkler systems in all new facilities as

they are built, and in older facilities

during renovations.They are also

being installed in our residential settings on campus.

FICTION #1:

Sprinklers cause unnecessary

water damage.

Actually, sprinkler heads are closed

until heat from a fire activates them.

Only the sprinkler head(s) nearest

the fire open up.They produce far

less water than a fire hose would

release. Each sprinkler head is temperature activated; therefore, every

sprinkler head does not open at the

same time as is commonly depicted

on TV and in the movies.Water

from the open sprinkler head(s)

extinguishes or controls the fire to

keep it from spreading, thus minimizing costly damage from fire.

FICTION #2:

Sprinklers go off accidentally.

The accidental activation of a fire

protection sprinkler system is,

indeed, a rare occurrence. In fact,

sprinkler system piping is subjected

to a rigorous pressure test before the

system is commissioned.Accidents

involving fire protection systems are

far less likely to occur than mishaps

involving standard domestic plumbing systems.

FICTION #3:

Sprinkler systems are 

unattractive.

In most finished areas, fire protection

sprinkler system piping can be concealed above drop ceilings or in

walls.Any exposed sprinkler piping

may be painted to match the wall or

ceiling color.Also, some modern

sprinkler heads may be virtually

concealed or mounted almost flush

with the wall or ceiling.

FICTION #4:

Sprinkler systems are expensive.

The installation of fire protection

sprinkler systems, including residential sprinkler systems, is now far less

expensive than in the past. In residences, this is due to the use of

modern lightweight materials and

designs. It is estimated that the cost

of installing a residential fire protection sprinkler system adds only one

to two percent to the cost of a

newly constructed home, while the

homeowner could reap as much as a

50% savings in fire insurance premiums. In commercial properties, the

cost of installing sprinkler systems

could be offset by a similar reduction in insurance premiums in as little as five years and could also eliminate the need for costly fire walls

and fire doors that are typically

required in buildings without sprinklers.

Of paramount importance, of

course, is the number of lost lives

and burns that can be prevented by

these systems.They more than pay

for themselves when you consider

the millions of dollars in lost property

from fires.

INFORMATION

Division of the Fire Marshal

301-496-0487

NEWS2USE
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THEFT IN THE

WORKPLACE:AVOID

BECOMING A VICTIM

2 Keep your purse, wallet, keys and

other valuable items with you or

locked in a drawer or closet at all

times.

2 Check the identity of any

strangers who are in your office.

Ask who they are visiting and if

you can help them find that person. If this makes you uncomfortable, inform security or the

NIH Police about your concerns.

2 Always let someone know where

you’ll be – especially if you are

coming in late or plan to work

late, but even when you are

going to the mail room, out to

lunch, or to a meeting.

2 Report broken or flickering

lights, dimly lit corridors, doors

that don’t lock properly, and broken windows.

2 Be discreet. Don’t advertise your

social life or vacation plans – or

those of your coworkers – to

people visiting or calling your

place of work.

2 Don’t prop open exterior doors.

This circumvents security and

puts all workplaces at risk. If you

find a door propped open,

remove the obstruction and 

notify the police.

INFORMATION

On-Campus Emergency (Police/Fire): 911

TTY Telephone Line: 301- 496-0063 

Off-Campus Emergency (Police/Fire): 9-911

Police Non-Emergency: 301-496-5685 

Crime Prevention: 301-496-9818

FAREWELL TO OUR

CHILDKIND DIRECTOR

After 15 years of leadership at

ChildKind, Center Director Ms. Lee

Ettman is retiring this month. She

and her husband will be slowing

down the pace and enjoying family

and traveling.

Tucked away in a quiet part of

the NIH campus, the ChildKind

Infant and Toddler Child Care

Center is a not-for-profit parent

cooperative that has been providing

full day child care to the children of

NIH employees for over 15 years.

Hundreds of babies have experienced

wonderful nurturing care.Hundreds of

parents have been supported and reassured by the caring professional staff.

Ms. Ettman has been the gentle

guiding presence at the center, which

serves over 30 very young children.

She has ensured that the center

achieved and maintains accreditation

from the National Association of

Young Children, an important sign

of quality in the early childhood

field.The children, parents and center staff will miss her, but, she says,

"Not as much as I will miss them."

Although the ChildKind Board

has already begun the process of

finding a new Director, Ms. Ettman’s

influence will be felt for quite some

time.

INFORMATION

Mary Ellen Savarese

301-402-8180

ISSUE 9 JANUARY 2005

K-9 DAISY RETIRES K-9 Daisy with handler Sgt.Alan Blaum.K-9 Daisy

came to the NIH Police from Lab Rescue in September of 1998. She and her handler,Alan Blaum worked at NIH as an Explosive Detection Canine Team.They

were however far better and more widely known for their Community Policing efforts.

Many NIH patients and their families and all NIH offices and laboratories both on

and off campus were likely at one time or another to have been visited by K-9 Daisy,

sometimes to check a suspicious package but also to act as a catalyst to answer questions about safety and security.After 6 years of service, 8-year-old Daisy was retired

at the rank of ‘House Pet.’ K-9 Daisy was so well loved that her friends at NIH celebrated her retirement with a party and her Police Department awarded her a commendation for dedicated and professional service.
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ISSUE 9 JANUARY 2005 OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! The Office of Research Services encourages you to submit 

questions, comments and suggestions about the services we provide to the NIH community. Someone from 

the ORS staff will respond to each question. Just e-mail, phone or fax your comments and questions to the

appropriate location listed below.

For questions or comments about ORS services,

contact the ORS Information Line:

E-mail: ORSInfo@mail.nih.gov

Phone: 301-594-6677 

Fax: 301-402-2204 

Website: http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/security/index.htm

For questions or comments about articles in the

News2Use or to suggest future story ideas:

E-mail: ORSNews2Use@mail.nih.gov

NEWS2USE

News2Use is published on recycled paper by the 

OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

EDITOR Bradley Moss

WRITER Ann Cochran

ORS ACTING DIRECTOR Shirl A. Eller 

LAYOUT DESIGN Medical Arts and Printing Services

INTERNET ADDRESS www.ors.od.nih.gov

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JOURNAL

SUBSCRIPTION PIGGYBACKING AND

CUSTOM SERVICES

Simplify your journal ordering in 2005 by piggybacking on the NIH Library EBSCO subscription contract.Any IC, or NIH staff member, can elect to use

the Library’s negotiated service to manage multiple

journal subscriptions through one vendor. Contact

Margarett Kunz at 301-594-6470, or by e-mail at

kunzm@mail.nih.gov, to learn more about how to set

up an EBSCO account and place your order.There is

no fee for this service if you manage your own

account and journal collection.

In addition, through the Journal Management

custom service, we can order and track your journals

for you to insure that issues arrive in a timely manner.

Journal records are created in the NIH Library online

catalog and can be accessed to check the arrival status

of a particular issue.Your journal records can be displayed separately for easier identification of specific

issues.A messenger service delivers your journals soon

after they arrive.

Two custom services that tie in with journal 

management are:

Reading Room Management - Library technician

services to keep your on-site literature resources organized and easy to use.

Binding Services - These services include preparing the issues for shipment to a commercial binder

and processing the returned bound volumes.

Many of our custom services help you save

time.The Library customizes support by providing

select services on a consulting, fee-for-service basis,

creating tailored solutions for a variety of researchspecific issues. Our custom services are affordable, and

can be charged to internal accounts.

Additional custom services include:

Cataloging - Librarians organize your collection of

books, journals, videos, etc., creating a catalog appropriate to your institute or work group.

Database Development - Advice on designing and

developing your own reprint and reference databases

to better organize collections for quick and easy

retrieval.

In-Depth Literature Searches - Customized assistance - instruction and guidance in choosing appropriate databases and developing search strategies tailored to your specific work group.

Informationist - Special liaison program that augments your information resources, saves you and your

staff time, and most importantly, enhances the quality

of research and patient care.

Resource-Focused Webpages - Develop, update

and maintain a webpage that includes frequently used

research tools, databases, online journals, internet sites

with breaking news, listservs and statistical resources

that are relevant to your work.

To discuss custom services projects, contact 

Susan Whitmore at 301-496-1157 or by e-mail at

susan_whitmore@nih.gov.

INFORMATION

Cindy Clark

301-496-2186