Director's Message

July 21, 2006

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, DHS Director

"Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety."
~William Shakespeare

I am writing this message as we head into what may be a record-breaking hot weekend in many parts of Oregon. The expected high temperatures have led to news releases and internal messages warning you and others to be careful and stay safe.

Please take these messages seriously. Take care of yourself and remember others. Keep your eye out for elderly neighbors, shut-ins and other at-risk individuals. Set up a buddy system for those who don't have anyone else to see to their safety.

At DHS we tend to talk about safety as part of our efforts to help our clients lead safe, productive and independent lives. But in many ways safety is more basic than that. It applies to all of us. It highlights the many ways we and our clients are alike.

A large part of staying safe means making wise decisions and taking basic precautions. We need to remember that fact, not only when helping our clients, but when thinking about our friends, our families and our neighbors. Safety is something that applies to all of us -- our clients as well as ourselves.

So please, as you help our clients lead safe lives, remember to keep yourselves safe as well. What we do as an agency to help people stay safe -- the monitoring and advice we provide through the Public Health Division, the life skills we teach others -- also applies to us.

Please have an enjoyable -- and safe -- weekend.