OEM has started using hashtags in Twitter

Starting today, the OEM Twitter run by Jennifer Bailey will start to use the #OEMAlerts hashtag for any tweet that is part of an actual alert or notification. This does not affect anyone who is already following us through Twitter - you will still receive our tweets as normal. What this will do is make it easier for people who are not already following us to be able to search for our tweets in search engines, and through the hashtags website.

To search hashtags, use the hashtag's website (or search in Twitter): http://hashtags.org/

You can view the #OEMAlerts stats at http://wthashtag.com/Oemalerts

For more about hashtags and how they work, check out the following pages:

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/twitter-hashtags/9419/

http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2007/10/22/twitter-hashtags-for-emergency-coordination-and-disaster-relief/

ALEX MARKS THE FIRST NAMED STORM OF 2010 SEASON - FEMA URGES CITIZENS TO BE PREPARED

WASHINGTON - As Tropical Storm Alex intensifies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today urged citizens to closely monitor the storm and to take steps to be as prepared as possible, in advance of severe weather. Alex has become the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

"FEMA continues to monitor Tropical Storm Alex, and personnel are on the ground working closely with state and local as they prepare for landfall," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "The most important thing for people living in the area to do right now is to ensure their family is prepared and to follow the instructions of state and local officials. For more information and helpful tips, anyone can visit www.Ready.gov."

In anticipation of possible landfall in south Texas later this week, FEMA has pre-identified a Federal Coordinating Officer that would coordinate a federal response in the region if necessary, and he, along with members of one of FEMA's Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) are on the ground working with the state. FEMA has also assigned a liaison officer for the Texas Department of Emergency Management, should they be requested.

In addition, FEMA has begun to transport commodities for staging. This includes more than 1.1 million meals, more than 405,000 liters of water, more than 41,000 tarps and more than 100 generators, as well as other commodities such as cots, blankets and personal kits.

FEMA remains in close contact with state and local officials in Texas and all hurricane prone states to ensure they have the resources they need should a storm strike. Alex should serve as another reminder that if you live in a coastal state, now is the time to be prepared, including determining if you live in an evacuation zone. As always, residents should listen to the instructions of state and local officials should a storm strike, and evacuate if told to do so. Visit www.Ready.gov for more information on how you can get your family ready for a hurricane or other emergency.



As hurricane season gets underway, FEMA continues to support the coordinated federal response to the BP oil spill. All of the planning for the 2010 hurricane season has involved consideration of the BP oil spill and its potential effects on all hurricane response and recovery scenarios. The existence of the spill does not change FEMA's initial priority during a response, which is to support the states and do everything possible to protect lives and property.

Here are some things everyone can do to prepare for the 2010 hurricane season:

*Develop Family Disaster Plans and Keep a Disaster Supply Kit. Just as every community should have a disaster plan, every family should have an emergency supply kit and plan what to do in case of a storm. Pay particular attention to relatives with special needs, small children and pets. Have a family communications plan.

*Make Your Home Disaster Resistant. You can reduce the damage caused by hurricanes by installing hurricane shutters on windows, putting straps and reinforced bracing on roofs, reinforcing garage doors, raising electrical appliances and outlets, installing sewage backflow valves and trimming back dead or weak tree branches from around a home.

*If the storm comes, you can be ready. When a storm is approaching, a battery-operated radio or television is one of the most important tools you can have during any weather emergency. A weather radio that broadcasts National Weather Service warnings and watches 24 hours a day can be particularly useful. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides the weather radio network as a public service. Keep extra batteries handy for radios and flashlights.

For more information on hurricanes, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, visit www.Ready.gov and www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane.

Information can also be found on your smartphone at m.fema.gov.

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.

Ken Murphy - former Director of OEM, sworn in as Regional Administrator of FEMA Region 10

This is a sad, and a great day for Oregon. We are losing a very experienced emergency manager at the state level but Ken Murphy is going on to become the Regional Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

Oregon Emergency Managment will miss you Ken and we wish you all the best.

Fireworks Can Foil Family Fun

July 4
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:34:33 -0500
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Weather forecasts are mixed in the Pacific Northwest for this year’s Fourth of July observances, but however the weather turns out, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) warn that careless handling of fireworks and outdoor grills can ruin parties and picnics – and entire summers. More than 30,000 fires are attributed to fireworks every year, and according to Dennis Hunsinger, FEMA Acting Regional Administrator for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington Murphy, more than half of those occur the first week in July.

Salem (OR) Statesman Journal,

Is Your Company Prepared For A Disaster?

June 27, 2010



This is the time of the year when we hear about manmade or natural disasters. So business owners need to create a strong disaster preparedness plan.

Such a plan will help protect both owners and employees while ensuring that a business can bounce back as quickly as possible after a disaster strikes.

In 2007 and 2008, residents of Vernonia were affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides. Since that time, the city of Vernonia has been working diligently to help their citizens with disaster preparedness.

The fact is that a manmade or natural disaster could strike any business at any time. A recent survey by Agility Recovery Solutions shows that about75 percent of small business owners had a plan to get employees back to work in the days after a business interruption. About 28 percent said they had access to alternative office space.

America’s small business community needs to find new ways to prepare for whatever might come our way. Here are some low-cost steps that small business owners should take.


-Calculate how much money you might need in reserve if you had to shut down for a day or longer.


-Develop, distribute and maintain an emergency contact list that includes all your employees, local emergency responders and utility companies.


-Brainstorm a list of tough questions such as “What’s the biggest disaster risk in my neighborhood or my region?” and “How would I contact my staff if wireless service is down?”


For a small business, closing for just one day can often mean huge financial losses. Last year alone, the SBA approved more than 3,300 business disaster loans totaling $372 million.


We’re proud to meet our mission of providing this assistance to business owners, especially when we know that they’ve followed a disaster preparedness plan that has positioned them to rebound, rebuild and start contributing to their local economy once again.

Bouncing back from a disaster can be much easier if small business owners take more proactive steps to protect key assets and maintain continuity of operations as much as possible, including:

-Having a disaster communications plan, including a designated spokesperson who can keep customers informed about the status of business operations and plans for reopening.


-Contacting your insurance company to find if you’re covered for various kinds of disasters.


To help small businesses with their preparedness planning, SBA has teamed up with Agility Recovery Solutions to create an online continuity planning workshop called “Prepare My Business” (www.preparemybusiness.org).


Small business owners can access helpful tools, such as this month’s webinar, “10 Steps to Business Preparedness.” Other helpful sites include www.sba.gov/disasterassistance or www.ready.gov.