NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK 15-21 MAY 2011

- Celebrate Everyday Heroes; Support Whole Community Preparedness-

SEATTLE—National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day life saving of emergency medicine’s “front line.” Observances run 15-21 May, with 18 May set aside as Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day.

This year’s theme is Everyday Heroes, and according to FEMA Regional Administrator Ken Murphy, it’s all about celebrating EMS providers—first responders, hospitals, emergency physicians and public health providers, and engaging the Whole Community in reducing risk and saving lives.

“Our nation’s EMS providers do an incredible job, often risking their own lives to save ours. But they can’t do it all alone. National EMS Week offers an opportunity to celebrate this nation’s first responders, while sounding a clarion call for all of us to help them help us,” said Murphy.

“Planning for disasters means that we must plan for the Whole Community, including people of different ages and those with access and functional needs. It means planning for children, planning for the elderly, and planning for families without access to personal transportation. It means meeting our first responders more than half way when the chips are down.”

Tips to help be better prepared for emergencies, and enhance access to help during disasters include:

• Check on your access to 9-1-1. Some areas may not have 9-1-1.
Some have E-9-1-1 where an address is automatically stored in a data base.
Know what is available where you live and work.

• Build a “72 hour Disaster Kit” make a disaster plan, and keep a well-stocked
First Aid Kit.

• Make a list of emergency phone numbers. Write down the numbers you need in
your disaster plan and display them near all telephones in the house.

• Make sure your house number is visible from the street. Make it easier for
police, fire officials or emergency medical personnel to find your house.
Put large house numbers in a highly visible area. Make sure the numbers are
well-lit and can be seen at night.

• Keep a clear and up-to-date record of immunizations. This can help doctors
do a better job of diagnosing problems in an emergency.

• Write down medical conditions, medications and dosages. Being prepared in
advance helps assure proper treatment and prevent drug interactions.

• Make a list of allergies and reactions, and consider medical I.D. bracelets
or tags.

• Take first-aid classes. A basic class will teach CPR and proper ways to
treat burns, wrap sprains, apply splints, and perform the Heimlich maneuver.

FEMA’s Resolve to be Ready in 2011 campaign promotes Whole Community involvement in disaster preparedness. “Become involved in programs that strengthen your community’s disaster resilience. Investigate training and volunteer opportunities available through the American Red Cross, Citizen Corps or Community Emergency Response Teams,” continued Murphy. “No matter how busy or hectic our daily routine, we all need to take the time to take positive action to prepare ourselves, our loved ones and our communities in the event of severe weather, earthquake—or any other major disaster.”

Resolve to be Ready in 2011 is led by FEMA’s Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council. Individuals with medical skills who would like to volunteer in a disaster should see the Medical Reserve Corps Program webpage at www.medicalreservecorps.gov. For more information on National EMS Week observances, visit: http://www.acep.org/emsweek/ . For more information on the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, visit www.fema.gov, Ready.gov and CitizenCorps.gov.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. Social media links are provided for reference only. FEMA does not endorse non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Workshops Offered

Oregon Emergency Management Geologic Hazards Coordinator Althea Rizzo and other agency experts will be holding free preparedness workshops concerning tsunamis and earthquakes in several Oregon communities in May.

Oregon has suffered considerable damage from the recent distant tsunami from Japan, from two moderate earthquake events in 1993 and a distant tsunami from Alaska in 1964. Scientific evidence indicates that Oregon is at risk for much larger and potentially more damaging tsunami created by an earthquake associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan brings the hazard home and offers a teachable moment. Join us as we talk about how to be more prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis in Oregon!

2011 QuakePrep Road Show Schedule
Location Venue and address Time of event

Monday, May 09, 2011 Corvallis
Linus Pauling Auditorium,
1111 NW Cleveland Avenue;
Corvallis, OR 97330 7:00-9:00 PM

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Monroe Monroe Fire Station,
680 Commercial Street,
Monroe, 97456 6:00-8:00 PM

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Eugene University of Oregon
129 McKenzie Hall 6:00-8:00 PM

Saturday, May 14, 2011 Brookings
Kalmiopsis Elementary School,
Multi-Purpose Room (Cafeteria),
650 Easy Street 12:00-4:00 PM

Port Orford
Port Orford Council Chambers,
555 W. 20th St
Port Orford, OR 97465 6:00-8:00 PM


Sunday, May 15, 2011 Coos Bay
Community Health and Education Center (CHEC Building),
3950 Sherman Avenue,
Coos Bay/North Bend, OR 1:30-3:30 PM

Reedsport
Pacific Auditorium,
2260 Longwood Dr,
Reedsport, OR 6:00-8:00 PM

Monday, May 16, 2011 Toledo
285 NE Burgess road,
Toledo or. 97391 2:00-4:00 PM

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Tillamook
Tillamook Library,
1716 3rd St.
Tillamook, OR 97141 6:30-8:30 PM

Wednesday, May 18,2011 Seaside
The Seaside Civic & Convention Center,
Necanicum Room ,
415 First Avenue,
Seaside, Oregon 97138 6:00-8:00 PM


Train the Trainer workshop:
Thursday, May 19, 2011 Astoria/Warrenton
Holiday Inn Express,
204 West Marine Drive 2:00-7:00 PM

Why prepare if you’re not going to evacuate?

Evacuation becomes necessary when your home is being made unlivable. However, if you are not going to evacuate, why bother with an emergency kit or family plan?

Even the most minor of disasters can be very inconvenient and being at home does not guarantee you will have everything you need. For example if you are staying home because of a severe winter storm, it is possible that you will not have power and will need a flashlight, you may not have communication and will need a radio to hear what is going on, you may not have food if you can’t get to a store, and you may not have heat and will need blankets or sleeping bags.

If you are staying at home because of a chemical spill or other air borne hazard, you will need plastic sheeting and tape to seal up a room to protect yourself and your family from outside contaminants. If you are sealed in a room, you will need personal sanitation items along with the items listed above and more.

If you have pets, they will need food and water, toys, leash, bed, etc. too.

The point is that in an emergency you don’t want to be looking all over the house for the basic items you need to make your stay more comfortable. You don’t want to have to go out in bad weather to pick up items at the store. You want everything you need to be in one place and ready for use and you want every member of your family to know where it is.

This is National Preparedness Month – don’t wait any longer. Check out www.ready.gov and get READY!

Emergency Preparedness - what for?

One of the initial things citizens need to do in developing their emergency preparedness plans is to determine what they should be preparing for. As I have argued previously, I think officials at all levels should be more aggressive and frank in explaining all the risks facing the public, but there are resources available that citizens can begin researching for themselves.

Your local emergency management website (or office) is a place to start. There is also assistance at the “Determine Your Risk” page of FEMA’s “Prepare for a Disaster” section. Among the steps it recommends taking: Identify possible hazards and emergencies (“Possible Hazards and Emergencies”); Review maps of your area FEMA Maps; Calculate your risk with assessment tools; Learn about FEMA’s mitigation activities; Identify possible hazards and emergencies. And, as we enter hurricane season, the National Weather Service’s “Storm Prediction Center” can also be helpful.

Officials Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of “Fear” In Effort To (Responsibly & Constructively) Inform, Engage & Prepare Public On Terror Threats;

← On National CPR & AED Awareness Week, A Training Video That Will Definitely Raise Some Heart Rates
June 1st, 2010 · No Comments


The word ‘fear’ has gotten a bit of bad rap this decade. And, I would argue that’s hurt the country’s public preparedness. Let me explain.

I think the fear of being accused of fearmongering has put a significant crimp in the ability of our leaders to communicate with and prepare Americans for terrorism. That’s a problem since the public’s current level of emergency readiness, is, in the words of a top federal preparedness official, “very concerning and frankly very frightening.”

Almost nine years after 9/11, government officials at federal, state and local levels have still not determined how best to communicate with the public on those threats. What is already a difficult task has been made even more challenging, I would argue, because officials are worried about being accused (by political opponents amplified by the media) of scaring the public.

The inability to raise the topic of potential threats in any detail has not only hurt the country’s citizen preparedness. But it has also made things more difficult for the government to get public input and buy-in on how best to allocate the nation’s resources and find the right balance of risk when it comes to disasters.

From the beginning of her tenure, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has said that she wants to better inform Americans about the threats facing the nation and highlight the citizen role in the homeland security enterprise. She believes that addressing public complacency is one of the biggest challenges for her Department. When asked by the Washington Post what keeps her up at night, she said:

“Complacency…The fact that it has been eight years since 9/11, and people just assume the government is going to take care of that. . . Safety, security is a shared responsibility. It doesn’t take much for everybody just to take a deep breath and say, ‘Okay, what would I need to do to be prepared?’

In an another interview in the Post, the Secretary was asked “if the American people could see what you see — if they were privy to intelligence reports and they saw the whole spectrum of what was out there, do you think they would have a different view of preparedness?”

Her reply: “Oh, yes, perhaps. But on the other hand, I think what is important for them to recognize is that we have hundreds of thousands of people working on this every day.” Even as she would like to get the public’s attention, the Secretary understandably does not want to unnecessarily stoke concern.

Napolitano has pointedly emphasized that she does not want to scare people, rejecting what she calls the “politics of fear.” Finding that balance is key. Yet to address “complacency,” officials will have to find ways to better illustrate what is “out there.” And there is absolutely no way to do so without explaining in some detail why Americans shouldn’t be complacent. To me, being scared and being prepared are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I think the former is a necessary part of the process to achieve the latter.

In their recent books, both of Napolitano’s predecessors, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, make the need to address public “complacency” by explaining the terrorist threat a major theme. Chertoff warns of returning to a “September 10” mindset” urging the government “be candid with American people, sharing as much information as possible about dangers we face.” Both acknowledge that they were not able to accomplish that goal. Both men have told me in interviews of their frustrations with the inability to communicate threats and engage in a more frank sustained dialogue with the American public about post-9/11 homeland security.

Their inability to do so was in large part due to the fact that the Bush Administration was viewed — sometimes fairly and sometimes unfairly — as using terror communications as a political tool. As a result, no Administration official could discuss any type of potential threat without it being seen as suspect by the media and the public.

President Obama has the chance to start over in this area tabula rasa. But to date, the Administration while expressing an interest of doing so has not done it. That’s understandable. This is not easy stuff. There’s nothing to pull ‘off the shelf’ for preparing the public for all the threats of the 21st Century, a number of which have never been faced by anyone let alone Americans. In addition, new technology has also changed message delivery. It will take some real thought in designing both the content and distribution of the information.

Both one thing is clear: if officials are going to have a discussion of potential disasters, they cannot avoid communicating some level of fear. Explaining what citizens would need to do in the event of a biological or chemical attack cannot be done without contemplating dire possibilities. But just for a moment. These are scary, unfamiliar topics. But the objective is to do so in a responsible and constructive manner — not stirring up more fear than is necessary, handling it with perspective, and providing concrete things people can do to prepare themselves and communities.

And, ironically in some cases, the threats — e.g. a ‘dirty bomb’ — is not as serious as most Americans currently perceive it is. However, that fact has to be communicated in advance to the public, because — due to general public distrust about government and instances such as the health precautions and reporting during the World Trade Center cleanup — Americans will be skeptical about anything said during and after such an incident.

One of the reasons I think we need to (and can) rehabilitate the word “fear” is that officials are already using it in other areas. In fact, currently there is a preparedness double standard. Officials are not allowed to talk about terrorism threats without being accused of scaring people. But we seem to have no problem when it is used to generate public interest in more traditional disasters.

For example, with hurricane season beginning this week FEMA’s Twitter feed sent out this message: “In an average 3-year period, roughly 5 hurricanes strike the US killing 50-100 people anywhere from TX to ME” Isn’t that fearmongering? But the ‘tweet’ makes the important and fair point that Americans shouldn’t be complacent during storm season since hurricanes can kill people, and they should prepare for them. The fact is that fear can be a useful lever (as one part of a communications effort) to encourage constructive behavior. So, why are officials allowed to use it for natural disaster preparedness and not for terrorism?

Further, why has the campaign against global warming been successful and grabbed public attention? In large part, it is because proponents have made the case that if we don’t do something the planet will become inhabitable. That’s a ’scare tactic’ if I’ve ever heard one. Why isn’t that labeled fearmongering? To me, it’s just presenting the public the facts, offering government’s response and providing ways people can contribute towards dealing with the problem. And, by the ways, I think the effort on climate change is very much related to disaster preparedness.

If the government isn’t allowed to discuss serious threats, there is no way that we can have the important discussion about what we expect the government to protect us from and what risks are we willing to accept. It would have been useful to have a debate on the costs/benefits of building levees before Katrina or an unprecedentally large oil well in the Gulf before the recent spill. Again, it may not have prevented worst case scenarios but it would have at least laid out for the public, elected officials and the media the real risks and the financial tradeoffs. In fact, the media has a major role in both explaining the threats more fully and not reflexively calling officials who talk about it “fearmongers”.

One way to mitigate the fearmonger attack is to offer people something they can do rather than place them into a victim, dependent mentality. The more information given will better empower the public and also underscore that citizens have a role in disaster preparedness. There is a role for fear. But it needs to be part of a broader effort of strengthening communities and citizens and making more resilient. (This blog attempts to find that balance. I don’t shy away from difficult or scary topics but I try to handle them in a way that is responsible, have a purpose and offer suggestions on how citizens can become involved.)

Officials have to give the public more credit for dealing with scary topics. With apologies to Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Nathan Jessep in A Few Good Men, “We can handle the truth.” Here in New York City, after the Times Square attack New Yorkers may have been frightened briefly, but then we moved on and went back to worrying about quotidian urban concerns like being hit by a taxi running a red light. And, as someone who is currently dealing with a life-threatening disease, I want to be told the truth however scary it might be.

What adds to the communications challenge is that security officials sincerely do not know how, when, and where future attacks will occur? But again, Americans can handle that uncertainty if we’re told that and are able to develop a trusting, transparent and ongoing dialogue with the government. Again, officials using fear frequently and irresponsibly is very wrong. But let’s not throw the baby out with bathwater. But fear does have a role public preparedness.

http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/06/01/officials-shouldnt-be-afraid-of-fear-in-effort-to-responsibly-its-used-for-hurricanes-global-warming-why-not-terrorism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InCaseOfEmergencyReadBlog+%28In+Case+Of+Emergency%2C+Read+Blog%29

FEMA News Release on Preparing Pets for Disasters

Today FEMA put out a news release on how pet owners can get their pets ready for disasters, especially since hurricane season is coming soon. You can read more at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=51293

WASHINGTON - With less than a month until the beginning of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges Americans to ensure their families, homes and businesses are prepared for the risks associated with hurricanes, tropical storms and other emergencies. Individuals and families are encouraged to have a family communications plan, put together an emergency kit and include their pets in their planning efforts. FEMA recognizes Saturday, May 8, 2010 as National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day.

"As hurricane season approaches, FEMA is coordinating with state and local officials to ensure that all communities along the coast are prepared to respond. But we can only be as prepared as the public, and so it's important that everyone take steps now to help keep their family safe in the event of a hurricane or other emergency. This includes their pets," said FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino.

FEMA encourages pet owners to take the following steps:

Be informed: Know what emergencies happen in your community and how those events could impact your pet;

Prepare: Put together pet emergency kit specific to your pets needs; and

Plan: Develop a plan for what you will do with your pets in the event of an emergency. To learn more about the steps pet owners can take to prepare your pets for a disaster.

To learn what you can do to prepare your family and your pets, visit www.Ready.gov.

To view a message from FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF9qcLyHQzo

FEMA Region VII Earthquake Message

Yesterday we talked about an earthquake off the coast of Oregon, and today we see that FEMA Region 7 is giving good advice on how to prepare for an earthquake, and what to do when one happens.

FEMA Region 7 is in the midwest where earthquakes rarely occur, yet they still urge preparedness because earthquake DO happen!

Before an earthquake occurs:

• Consider purchasing earthquake insurance.
• Buy a 20-gallon garbage can and fill it with emergency supplies.
• Consider retrofitting your home to make it more resistant to earthquake damage.
• Educate your children about earthquake safety.
• Anchor heavy furniture, shelves, cupboards and appliances to the walls or floor.
• Store dangerous chemicals such as flammable liquids and poisons in a secure place.
• Learn how to shut off the gas, electricity and water.
• Have money in savings for post-catastrophic expenses that aren’t covered by your earthquake insurance policy. These expenses may include higher insurance deductible and repair or replacement claims that exceed your policy limits.

When an earthquake hits, what to do if you’re indoors:

• DROP to the ground;
• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and
• HOLD ON until the shaking stops. Cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall
• Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
• Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
• Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.

When an earthquake hits, what to do if you’re outdoors:

• Stay there. Drop, Cover and Hold.
• Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
• Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits, and alongside exterior walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.

To see the whole message, go to http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=50396 and visit http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/

What to do during a tsunami?

The current Tsunami advisory is for a very minor tsunami of 1 to 2 feet possible in a few hours on the Oregon Coast. This is a good time for us to discuss Tsunamis and what to do.

The tsunami warning for Oregon today has prompted questions about "what do I do?" or "what should I not do?" Since earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean can cause tsunamis that can reach our coast, these questions are important to have answered ahead of an event.

FEMA's What to do before and during a tsunami page tells us exactly what we should do during a possible tsunami event:

1. Turn your radio on to listen for tsunami warnings and cancellations.

2. Move inland and to higher ground and stay there. The only way to avoid a tsunami is to be on ground higher then the wave.

3. Stay away from the beach! Never go to the beach to watch the wave. If you are close enough to see the tsunami then you will be unable to escape from the wave.

4. Know the signs of a tsunami - if you can see the ocean and you can visibly watch the ocean recede (go away from the shore) then a large tsunami is coming and you need to get inland and to higher ground immediately.

One possibility for preparedness is to know where you can go in the event of a tsunami. Knowing the closest high ground can help you know exactly where to go. With your emergency kit you can wait on high ground until the event has passed.

Most tsunamis are small and we usually do not notice them. But large tsunamis can damage property and kill. If you are prepared and know what to do then you can ensure you and your family's safety.

NOAA also has a Tsunami Preparedness Page with links to more information.

Preparing for disasters can be simple, economical - Statesman Journal

July 22, 2009


Don't hide your head in the sand.

Is being prepared for an emergency too difficult, too time-consuming, too expensive or just too scary? Would we rather ignore it all and hope for the best?

How long did it take the fire department to educate the public on the need for a smoke detector in the home, and why do we get more preparedness info on an airline flight than we get as citizens about disaster?

I would be very interested in your thoughts on this subject. You tell me — how can I get people to be ready to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours? How can I get them to think through the possibility that they may have to either stay home with no power, water and phone, or may have to leave in a hurry with their pets and possibly on foot?

We might have advance warning of a flood, windstorm, snowstorm or even a pandemic flu, but we won't be warned ahead of time for an earthquake. We won't be warned if a truck carrying chemicals has a wreck on the freeway, a plane crashes on Interstate 5 or if there is a school shooting.

No one is going to tell us the week before to get ready for a terrorist attack.

There are simple and economical things we can do to drastically improve our emergency readiness.

Check out the Oregon Emergency Management blog for a list of items you want to have on hand and please write with any questions you might have. We don't have to be afraid — just ready.

Jennifer Bailey, formerly of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is the Public Affairs Coordinator of Oregon Emergency Management. She may be reached at (503) 378-2911, Ext. 22294, or jbailey@oem.state.or.us.

Please send questions about emergency preparedness to be answered in this column to jbailey@oem.state.or.us. Other information may be found at www.oregon.gov/omd/oem or www.fema.gov.

The Cost of being unprepared

I'm finding it difficult to convince individuals and families of the importance of being prepared in advance for a disaster. This is especially difficult during the summer months when the weather is nice, school is out and vacations are planned.

Oregon has been fortunate that we haven't had many terrible disasters, but that is no reason to be apathetic to the dangers and possibilities. Just because you haven't had a house fire doesn't mean you would go without a smoke detector, does it?

I am so passionate about this because I spent six years with FEMA traveling from disaster to disaster all over the country. I have SEEN the unprepared. I have talked to them while they are crying. I spoke to one woman on the phone in Mississippi who was in terrible need but no one could get to her because all road and bridges were destroyed and we were out of helicopters. She wasn't prepared to take care of herself for even a few days.

No matter what you may think of or hear about FEMA as an agency, just remember that those on the ground were doing the best they could with what they were given. The first responders have to prioritize. There are not enough of them to go around. If you can take care of yourself and your family for at least 3 days (72 hours) or more, not only will you be more comfortable, but you will really help your community by not being a burden. The 911 call centers will be overrun, possible down. Power may be out, cell phone too. Please take this small step and get a kit together of the most necessary items and put them in one place.

If you are like me and busy and/or too lazy (me again) to make a kit, order one online. There are many companies out there. Google emergency kits. I have ordered from www.quakedog.com/emergencykits72 and have found their kits to be reasonable and well made.

I could and may tell you many stories about my years with FEMA if it is the only way to get you to understand. There is the possibility here of earthquakes, thunderstorms, floods, chemical spills, terrorist attacks, school shooting, bombings, snow storms, tsunamis, fires, and more. Don't think that just because we haven't had some in the past, we won't have them in the future. Our Katrina is coming. Please be prepared.

WELCOME TO THE OREGON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BLOG

Hello - I am Jennifer Bailey, the Public Affairs Coordinator for Oregon Emergency Management (OEM).

On this blog, I will try to provide you with information on how to be prepared for emergencies. During an actual disaster, I or members of my team, will post news, disaster updates, information on where to get assistance, and other valuable messages.

As long as we have electricity, we will put information on the blog. On a weekly basis, I will also post the OEM column from the Statesman Journal.

For now - let me just encourage you to have a 72 hour emergency kit and a plan for your family. Please write comments and ask questions. I will do my best to assist you.

Jennifer