Tailgate Tips - July 2019

Safety

In this season, there are more people driving in parks than at any other time of year. While we can't always control what other people do on the road, we can be sure to abide by the basic rules of the road and encourage other employees to do the same to prevent any accidents. All of the items listed below are easy to do, but can often be ignored when we are hurrying or distracted.

• Buckle up (even when getting in and out of the vehicle over and over - this is when mistakes are more likely to happen!)
• Obey posted speed limits
• Back into parking spaces when possible
• Know your limitations and ask for help
• Slow down 
• Be prepared - if an accident does occur, make sure you know what to do

Medical 

First Aid Kit Standards - To make copies of this list, use page 54 of the 2019-2020 MPS Pocket Guide!

Customer Service 

We do a lot of talking with people in our jobs. Celeste Headlee also talks with people frequently in her job as a radio host. In her TED Talk, Ms. Headlee suggests that we branch out of our usual ideas about how to converse by adopting these 10 rules:

• Don't multitask
• Don't pontificate
• Use open ended questions
• Go with the flow
• If you don't know, say that you don't know
• Don't equate your experience with someone else's
• Try not to repeat yourself
• Stay out of the weeds
• Listen
• Be brief

Maintenance 

With summer storms moving in and out of Maryland frequently, there have been many chances to practice chainsaw skills. After working with chainsaws over and over, most of us tend to become more relaxed about operating these pieces of equipment. However, we should always be aware of safety by continuously checking ourselves and each other to make sure we are wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Reference page 94 of the MPS Pocket Guide (at left) to see a chart of required PPE for operating chainsaws. In addition to the proper PPE, each person who runs a saw should have the correct training. Check out page 95 of the Pocket Guide for the various levels of chainsaw training. 

Natural Resources 

Check out the Statewide Eyes program that is run by the Wildlife and Heritage Service. This program helps identify invasive and exotic species on our public lands. Scroll down through the Statewide Eyes webpage and you will find an "Invasive Species by Region" section where you can view slides of Early Detection Species and an Invasive Plant ID for all of Maryland's regions. Use this information as a quick refresher for yourself, or pass it along to other staff members and visitors to prevent the spread of these invaders as much as possible!

Keep the blog link handy to review these tips with other staff members, or use the printable pdf located at this link.