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Donations can also be made in collection jars at each Mast Store register.
For more information on the campaign, get online to MastGeneralStore.com.
For more information on the Hunger and Health Coalition, get online to HungerAndHealthCoalition.com.
Meeza executive team receives the awards from SGS representative.
Managed IT services and solutions provider Meeza has announced that it is now certified for the ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards.
The certifications were awarded to Meeza by SGS, Geneva. To be certified, Meeza said it underwent a rigorous evaluation process for its Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.
Meeza CEO Ahmad Mohamed al-Kuwari said: “This is a major milestone in our journey towards improving Meeza’s Integrated Management System based on different standards’ requirements.
He added: “The two certifications are solid proof of our compliance and brings further credibility to our employees, customers, suppliers, partners, stakeholders, regulators, and the community at large that Meeza values and cares about health, safety and the environment.” ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems, which specifies the most important requirements to identify, control, and monitor the environmental aspects of any organisation.
This standard helps the organisation to control the environmental aspects, reduce impacts and ensure legal compliance.
OHSAS 18001 is the internationally-recognised standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, which enables an organisation to have control over, and knowledge of, all relevant hazards resulting from normal operations and abnormal situations, and improve its performance.
It can help organisation to put in place the necessary policies, procedures and controls to achieve the best possible working conditions and workplace health and safety, aligned to internationally recognised standard.
In addition to the two newly-awarded certifications, Meeza is also the first IT services and solutions provider in Qatar to achieve the certifications for ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System), ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System), and the ISO 20000-1:2011 its IT-Service Management System.
With a wide range of ISO certifications under its belt, Meeza said it is once again raising the bar of services and operational standards for IT solution providers in Qatar and the region.
As a Qatar Foundation joint venture, Meeza’s end-to-end managed IT services and solutions play a pivotal role in helping accelerate the growth of Qatar and the region by enabling businesses of various sizes and across sectors to utilise IT as a key differentiator and an engine of growth.
Additionally, Meeza provides Qataris and others throughout the region with opportunities to undertake fulfilling careers in the IT industry.
The need for fire protection on the UC Davis campus was first recognized by the Dean of the College of Agriculture in 1917. Several hand-drawn hose carts were purchased and strategically located in sheds throughout the small school. At the time, fire protection service was 100% volunteer based, with groups of ordinary students and professors assigned to each cart. Whenever a fire broke out, a steam whistle on the Creamery Building (located where Olson Hall now stands) was blown to summon the firefighting volunteers.
UC Davis Volunteer Firefighters deploy a master stream near North Hall.
In the 1930’s, several small fires challenged the adequacy of this method. Fires such as the ones in North Hall, the dehydrator shed, and a small rubbish pile was quickly suppressed. However, two detrimental fires that occurred in 1938 made it clear to the University staff that more serious measures needed to be taken to prevent further damage and losses.
In September 1937, the University worked directly with Mayor Calvin Arthur Covell Jr. of the City of Davis to incorporate an organized fire protection service on the campus. To organize such a service, the school purchased a 500 gallon-capacity fire pump, capable of pumping 400 gallons per minute (currently the UCDFD Engine 34 pumps 1750 GPM), for the only engine on campus.
Unfortunately, the purchase of the new pump proved insufficient at 10:35 PM on Thursday, June 30, 1938, when the upper floors of the Soils and Irrigation building caught fire. The University Engine was the first to arrive on-scene, followed by the City of Davis Fire Department (led by Fire Chief John Miller at the time). Having suffered equipment related issues (such as a blown hose and combustion of the radiator), the University's engine created even more problems, and the upper floors of the building were eliminated. The fire was finally put out when the more established Woodland and Dixon fire departments arrived with better functioning equipment.
Despite the efforts of the four departments, the building was lost, and damages totaled to approximately $35,000. The local newspaper, The Davis Enterprise, reported that “the University’s fire-fighting apparatus was insufficient and the equipment of Davis inadequate.” The University needed the help of the local county departments, ultimately setting a precedent for mutual aid.
Four months later on the night of Monday, October 23, 1938, a fire in the Agronomy Seed House erupted. UCD volunteers were the only ones to respond but to no avail. While a heavy downpour kept the fire from spreading to other buildings, the university’s equipment was not sufficient to save the warehouse. Although no lives were lost, the fire cost UC Davis a decade’s work on its research and seeds, plus an additional $25,000 in damages for that fiscal year.
Because UC Davis experienced an estimated $60,000 in fire-related losses alone in the year of 1938, the school began to plan the construction of a station for the Fire Department that November. The station would include a siren that could be heard within a one-mile radius, a new engine, and upgrades to the rest of the fleet (such as 1500 ft. of new hose) were made. More volunteers made up of the school’s students, staff and faculty were added to take calls at night in addition to operating the equipment during the day.
UC Davis Fire Department's new Seagrave "Engine 4" pumping on house fire.
By March 1939, the construction of the University’s first fire station had been completed. Moreover, the department received “Seagrave,” an engine with every available feature 1940’s technology had to offer, which was a rarity given the impact of WWII on the economy. The new station and “Seagrave” enabled UC Davis to satisfy the firefighting standards of that time. The new UC Davis fire station, along with its three fire apparatus and volunteers, met the fire protection service needs of the campus.
Following a small fire in the heating oven on campus in May of 1939, Dean Knowles Ryerson sought the City of Davis’ Fire Chief John Miller to organize a formal training program that would enhance the performance and knowledge of the volunteer firefighters, as well as coordinate service methods between the departments. Comptroller Ira Smith put out a memo calling for more participants to become volunteers, bringing in janitors, gardeners, professors, lab technicians, and other campus employees. All of the University’s volunteers worked alongside the Davis firefighters throughout the ten-week program, undergoing both physical training and fire education. By the end of the program, the University had a trained volunteer firefighting team of 20 men.
In 1949, the University department began its Student Resident Fire Fighter Program. The program, which was designed to teach firefighting skills to a select group of UC Davis students, became one of three in the entire country (the others are at Clemson University and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks).
UC Davis Student Firefighters hold trophy from "Firemanship" competition.
The SRFF Program made it possible for students to receive hands-on training and professional experience in all aspects of fire and emergency services. The implementation of the program was the first step in adding working members to the UC Davis Fire Department, though only upon completion of a rigorous physical abilities test, an intensive interview process, and a firefighting academy. Each student was (and still are today) required to staff one 24 hour shift, four 14 hour shifts, and two training sessions per month, demanding a commitment not generally associated with college life. Also, each student was (and still is) expected to represent the University and the Department while on duty; as such, they are provided with uniforms, personal protection gear, and training designed to meet that end.
In 1955, UC Davis began hiring career firefighters to work alongside the Student Resident Fire Fighters. In 1959, Charles Prather replaced volunteer Chief Leonard McKinnon and was hired as the department’s first career Fire Chief. By 1974, the potential complexity of problems posed by the developing research campus reached a magnitude that required a higher level of training and a constant 24-hour commitment. As a result, all of the volunteers unable to meet such criterions were disbanded.
UC Davis Fire Station 34, located as it is today at 625 Kleiber Hall Dr.
In 1977, the new UC Davis fire station was built and began to house the career firefighters. This adjustment reflected the department’s mission to better serve and protect the campus community at any and all hours of the day.
Today, the UC Davis Fire Department takes a progressive approach to all aspects of service. Our highly qualified staff, state-of-the-art equipment, rigorous training, and fire prevention programs allow us to alleviate emergencies far beyond the realm of possibility in 1917.
From 1940's through the 1980's the UC Davis Fire Department provided ambulance transport for students, staff, faculty, and visitors to the UC Davis Campus. The Student Health Center was a certified emergency department, which meant it was the destination for the sick and injured that the fire department responded to. It wasn't unusual for nurses and other Health Center staff to respond to the emergencies with firefighters. An early version of what today is known as mobile integrated healthcare.
UC Davis Firefighter Stands next to a UC Davis ambulance.
UC Davis Firefighters and Student Health Nurse load a patient into the back fo a waiting UC Davis ambulance.
Fisher & Paykel Finance has decided to diversify its funding sources away from relying on bank finance and retail deposits sold to the public.
The finance company, the nation's fourth largest, plans to securitise $275 million of the amount borrowed on its Q Card, which means it will sell about $245 million to institutions who will then receive the interest payments.
The company, which is owned by China's Haier Group, plans to use the proceeds to reduce its bank debt.
The immediate impact will be to more than halve its total assets from a little above $434m at 31 December to about $171m.
However, its capital ratio - a key measure of how safe its retail deposits are - will rise from about 16 percent to more than 28 percent; the minimum capital ratio a finance company is allowed is 8 percent.
Chief executive Greg Shepherd said Q Card had been growing at just under 10 percent on a compound annual basis for the past five years.
"The quality of the receivables that fit inside a Q Card, coupled with that growth, have really given us a unique opportunity now to look to expand and diversify our funding options," he said.
"The appetite, both in New Zealand and Australia, is very good."
The net effect would be that Fisher & Paykel Finance would be a smaller company but capital ratio would be much stronger. However, its credit rating could be downgraded.
"We don't know what Standard & Poor's will do. All we're flagging is that off a smaller asset pool, they might see that as being a negative," Mr Shepherd said.
Here at the Strategist, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy (like pens), but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed (that’s four-to-five-star reviews and lots of ‘em) products and single out the most convincing. Though we’ve written about the best wireless workout headphones, wireless headphones for under $150, wireless headphones for the audiophile, even headphones for kids, here, we’re diving deep into the best earbuds and in-ear headphones that you can buy on Amazon. (Note that reviews have been edited for length and clarity).
Police are appealing for information in the wake of a growing spate of rural thefts across the Midhurst and Petworth area.
On Monday, January 21, a farm building was broken into at London Road, Northchapel, and a mini digger was stolen (serial 0214 21/1).
Between January 20 and January 21 a handcrafted garden chair was taken from The Street at Stedham (0470 21/1) and an outbuilding at Kirdford was broken into where the house was being refurbished. Items including a ride-on lawnmower, York stone and lead from a roof were stolen (0355 21/1).
A farm outbuilding was broken into at Wardley Lane at Milland on Thursday, January 24, and a Honda TR420 red quad bike was taken (0069 21/1). The following day, police received a report of a garage being broken into at New Road, Midhurst. Nothing was stolen but damage was caused to the door (0763 25/1).
On Sunday, January 27, a burglary was reported at a house in Haslemere Road, Fernhurst (0217 22/1), and the same day a mobile coffee van was broken into at Guildford Road at Loxwood and the contents were stolen (0309 27/1).
Three valuable tractors were also stolen from a farm in Slade Lane at Rogate the same day. One was later recovered but two red Fendt vehicles are still missing (serial 0411 27/1).
In the early hours of last Tuesday (January 29) vans, equipment and tools worth £25,000 were stolen from Strudwick Scaffolding at Stedham Sawmills.
Anyone who saw or heard anything or has information is asked to report it to police at https://www.sussex.police.uk/contact-us/report-online/ quoting the reference number provided. Information can also be emailed to police at 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue is responding to a bicyclist struck by a vehicle.
This is unfolding at Jog Road and Atlantic Avenue.
Fire Rescue officials say at least one person is being taken to the hospital.
Tiger Woods says it is “beyond special” to be returning to a playing role in the Ryder Cup after receiving a wildcard pick from US captain Jim Furyk Tuesday.
“I served as vice-captain a couple of years ago and that was absolutely incredible to be part of the team, to try to help these young guys in any way I could,” Woods told reporters.
“This year, to be able to play again is beyond special.
Woods, who was vice-captain when USA defeated Europe 17-11 on home soil in 2016, last appeared as a player in 2012. Although he’s played in seven Ryder Cups, has only been on the winning side once, at Brookline in 1999.
He briefly led July’s British Open before finishing tied sixth and was runner-up behind Brooks Koepka at August’s US PGA Championship.
“Tiger and I spent time as partners, we’ve spent a lot of time as vice-captains talking strategy, talking pairings,” Furyk said.
“It’s been great to have his help and get a little feel of one of the best minds in the history of the game on your side, helping you out.
Mickelson surpasses the record of England’s Nick Faldo, who played in 11 straight Ryder Cups from 1977.
The 24-year-old, known as golf’s “mad scientist,” has a unique style and uses irons that are all the same length.
The European side’s automatic qualifiers are Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose.
The US has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since Tom Watson’s team triumphed at The Belfry in England in 1993. Europe has won six of the last eight Ryder Cups.
The Tribune Company has become a broadcasting partner with the NFL, reaching an agreement to have eight stations in the company’s network broadcast late-season night games that will also be shown on NFL Network.
The NFL mandates that broadcast rights to games on cable – ESPN and NFL Network – also be awarded to free, over-the-air TV stations in the markets of the two teams involved in the game. Of course, that is providing it is a sellout for the home team.
In this arrangement, Tribune Company will simulcast six NFL Network games late in the season, starting with the Chicago Bears at the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 18, a game that will be shown in Chicago on WGN and in Miami on WSFL.
Join the debate: Martin Samuel asked whether Andy Murray can win a Grand Slam this year. Tell us what you think.
The growth and development of Britain's No 1 tennis star Andy Murray continues - both off and on the court.
Not only is Murray in contention to become a Grand Slam winner this year, he has continued his gym work and has closed in on Rafael Nadal in the muscle-stakes.
After beating Nadal in last year's US Open semi-final and managing another win over Roger Federer last week, many believe Murray could finally end Britain's 73-year wait for a men's Grand Slam tennis title.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Andy Murray win a Grand Slam this year?
As Murray warmed up for the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne, he was happy to show off his new physique and finally quash the belief that he is too weedy to be a tennis champion.
Murray started building up his muscles last year and looks to have continued the hard work throughout the winter break.
His improved physique will no doubt improve Murray's range of shots and their power, he will be hoping for a more powerful serve as well.
His improved fitness should also halt some of the injuries that have blighted his career so far, although he did have to stop for back treatment during his recent semi-final win over Roger Federer in the ATP Qatar tennis open.
The Australian Open starts on January 19, and now Murray's main concern must surely be the weather. He is trying to acclimatise, training in temperatures around 40c.
Abstract: This study investigates the prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a sample of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army. The study was conducted from August 2002 to March 2006. Eight hundred and twenty four (824) Sri Lankan Army servicemen of the infantry and services units who were referred to the Psychiatric ward Military Hospital Colombo were screened for combat related PTSD. The DSM- 4 was used to diagnose and determine the probable prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress symptoms. According to the results 56 combatants were found with full symptoms of PTSD and 6 combatants with partial PTSD.
Objectives: To examine the combat related PTSD symptoms of the soldiers who fought in the armed conflict in Sri Lanka.
Introduction: Sri Lanka, a country that was seen at the time of independence from Britain in 1948 as a first potential case of development success in the third world, surprisingly transformed subsequently into a state of political conflict and consequent armed struggles (Abeyratne, 2002). The armed conflict in Sri Lanka had many root causes. It was a conflict between the state security forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).
The Sri Lanka Army engaged in prolonged military conflict against the armed separatists of the Northern Sri Lanka. The conflict started in 1981 with the killing of two members of the Sri Lanka Army by the rebels. In the early stages the conflict emerged as guerrilla attacks and later evolved into a proxy war. The armed conflict which continued until 2009 came to be known as the Eelam War. Following the armed conflict nearly 26, 0000 soldiers died and a large numbers became physically and psychologically disabled.
When the militants intensified their attacks on military and civil targets, the Sri Lanka Army deployed its entire bayonet strength for more than 25 years. During the critical period of the Eelam War the Sri Lankan military launched nearly 20 major military operations against the rebels starting from 1987 to 2009. Over 100, 000 members of the Sri Lanka Army had been directly or indirectly exposed to combat events during the Eelam War. They were exposed to hostile battle conditions and many soldiers underwent traumatic combat events outside the range of usual human experience.
In 2009 May the Sri Lankan government declared that the country had won the war against the armed militants. Although the armed forces were able to gain a decisive victory it came with a huge social cost. The Eelam war affected the psychosocial health of the combatants and civilians. Significant numbers are still impacted by combat trauma.
Methodology: This study was conducted by the Visiting Psychiatrist of the Sri Lanka Army with the permission of the Medical Advisor of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps. From August 2002 to March 2006, eight hundred and twenty four (824) Sri Lankan Army servicemen of the infantry and services units who were referred to the Psychiatric ward Military Hospital Colombo were screened for combat related PTSD. This study was done while the soldiers were still on active duty.
The study sample consisted of servicemen referred to the Psychiatric Unit Military Hospital Colombo. Mainly the referrals were done by the medical officers of the OPD, Consultants in the Medical and Surgical units, Palaly Military Hospital, Victory Army Hospital Anuradhapura and other military treatment centers. The affected combatants had behavioral problems, psychosomatic ailments, depression and anxiety related symptoms, self-harm, attempted suicides, alcohol and substance abuse, and misconduct stress behaviors. The sample consisted of 824 (male = 806, female = 18) combatants of the Sri Lanka Army.
Client safety guidelines were observed during the study and informed consent was obtained and the methods used ensured participants’ anonymity. These soldiers were administered the PTSD Check List based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) with a structured face to face interview. This schedule was designed from similar trauma questionnaires used elsewhere in the world to detect PTSD.
PTSD rate was 6.7% following analysis of questionnaire from 824 combatants.
Exposure to combat was significantly greater among those who were deployed in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The percentage of study subjects whose responses met the screening criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD was significantly higher after serving in the above mentioned areas.
Among the 824 Sri Lankan combatants 135 (16.38%) were diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder, 129 (15.65%) were diagnosed with Depressive Disorder, 78 (9.46%) were diagnosed with Psychiatric illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Acute Transient Psychotic Disorder, 65 (7.88%) were with Somatoform Disorder, 89 (10.8%) with Dissociative Disorder, 27 (3.27%) with Traumatic Brain Injury and 29 (3.51%) with Alcohol Abuse and Dependence and Substance Abuse Disorder.
Results suggest that exposure to active combat may be responsible for stress reactions such as PTSD among the combatants.
Posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) was recognised as an unique diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM-III) following the recognition of the clinical picture in Vietnamese war veterans (Dadic-Hero et al., 2009). Although the Sri Lankan armed conflict began in early 1980s for a long period PTSD was not recognized as a debilitating disorder that could affect soldiers (Jayatunge, 2014).
This is the first combat related PTSD study in Sri Lanka and it provides an initial overview of the existing psychosocial problems among the combatants who participated in the Eelam War. The significance of this study is that it was done when most of the combatants were still on active duty.
During the study structured interviews were conducted in Sinhalese language and every combatant’s military deployment history was assessed. In some cases their commanding officers were contacted and family members too interviewed. In addition cultural aspects of trauma were taken in to consideration.
PTSD is widely prevalent in the military community because of the frequency and type of trauma seen in the combat zone (Romanoff, 2006). Clancy et al (2006) found that age, greater combat exposure, and pre-military and post-military traumas are associated with increased PTSD symptomatology. The Sri Lankan combatants had prolonged combat exposure longer than the World War 2, Vietnam, Korean and Gulf War veterans. Following prolonged traumatic combat exposure a large number of soldiers sustained PTSD and other trauma-related mental health ailments. Some of the PTSD conditions are still undiagnosed.
Combat exposure can change the psychological makeup of soldiers. Military personnel exposed to war-zone trauma are at risk for developing PTSD (Friedman et al., 1994). Collie and colleagues (2006) assume that approximately 30% of people who have been in war zones develop PTSD. Combatants struggle with depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse (Kane et al., 2013). As indicated by Gaylord (2006) combat veterans are at risk for experiencing the negative effects of deployment. The findings of the current study specify that among the combatants with PTSD 80.35% had served in the combat zone for more than three years. The duration of combat exposure had been a risk factor.

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