Von Pinnon: Emergency alert systems should get with the times INFORUM Fargo, ND
This summer’s excessive severe weather – some of it deadly – has really awakened us to a much bigger issue that has more to do with how we live today.
After all, dangerous and deadly weather is as old as weather itself.
But how we learn about it before it potentially harms us largely depends on how we communicate, and how we communicate is changing about as fast as the weather around here.
Check out the link for the rest of the article. Thanks
Jennifer
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Storms Coming this Week, Then Cooling
Looks like meteorologists are predicting a few days of fast-moving thunderstorms in southern Oregon before the weather cools down.
Scattered thunderstorms could pepper the region with lightning strikes on Tuesday before temperatures cool this week, the National Weather Service warns.
The Medford office of the weather service issued a fire weather watch for Tuesday for parts of Southern Oregon and Northern California.
Read more about the prediction at http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100816/NEWS07/8160321/-1/NEWSMAP.
Scattered thunderstorms could pepper the region with lightning strikes on Tuesday before temperatures cool this week, the National Weather Service warns.
The Medford office of the weather service issued a fire weather watch for Tuesday for parts of Southern Oregon and Northern California.
Read more about the prediction at http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100816/NEWS07/8160321/-1/NEWSMAP.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Small Fire Stopped near Sisters
A small fire was discovered and stopped near Sisters.
Aided by calm winds, firefighters, helicopters and air tankers quickly doused a small new wildfire five miles southwest of Sisters Monday afternoon as the National Weather Service issued a “Fire Weather Watch,” warning of thunderstorms over the next couple of days.
It includes a summary of the other fires going on in Oregon right now:
Wildfires broke out over the weekend north of Burns (contained at 33 acres) and the Round Valley Fire southeast of Bonanza in Klamath County (70 percent contained by Monday at about 165 acres), but areas west of the Cascades had even hotter temperatures and also had new fires.
The Oak Flat Fire on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has grown to an estimated 500 acres, about 20 miles west of Grants Pass. The heat and wind sent firebrands sparking spot fires up to a half-mile away on Sunday.
The 74-acre Garnish Valley Fire in the state Department of Forestry's Forest Grove District in northwest Oregon was reported Saturday evening and has been contained.
Check it out at http://www.ktvz.com/news/24648745/detail.html.
Aided by calm winds, firefighters, helicopters and air tankers quickly doused a small new wildfire five miles southwest of Sisters Monday afternoon as the National Weather Service issued a “Fire Weather Watch,” warning of thunderstorms over the next couple of days.
It includes a summary of the other fires going on in Oregon right now:
Wildfires broke out over the weekend north of Burns (contained at 33 acres) and the Round Valley Fire southeast of Bonanza in Klamath County (70 percent contained by Monday at about 165 acres), but areas west of the Cascades had even hotter temperatures and also had new fires.
The Oak Flat Fire on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has grown to an estimated 500 acres, about 20 miles west of Grants Pass. The heat and wind sent firebrands sparking spot fires up to a half-mile away on Sunday.
The 74-acre Garnish Valley Fire in the state Department of Forestry's Forest Grove District in northwest Oregon was reported Saturday evening and has been contained.
Check it out at http://www.ktvz.com/news/24648745/detail.html.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
FEMA Urges You to Take Part in National Preparedness Month
Received this email from FEMA:
This September, organizations and citizens from across the nation will come together for the seventh annual National Preparedness Month (NPM), designed to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. FEMA’s Ready Campaign is asking organizations to take part by joining the National Preparedness Month Coalition, committing simply to inform members, employees, and customers about the importance of being prepared for emergencies, large and small. Registering for the Coalition is easy – visit http://ready.adcouncil.org/. Coalition members will be listed on the NPM Web site and receive a toolkit with templates, tools and ideas. For more information about NPM, visit: www.Ready.gov.
Sample of National Preparedness Month Educational Tools Available:
This September, organizations and citizens from across the nation will come together for the seventh annual National Preparedness Month (NPM), designed to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. FEMA’s Ready Campaign is asking organizations to take part by joining the National Preparedness Month Coalition, committing simply to inform members, employees, and customers about the importance of being prepared for emergencies, large and small. Registering for the Coalition is easy – visit http://ready.adcouncil.org/. Coalition members will be listed on the NPM Web site and receive a toolkit with templates, tools and ideas. For more information about NPM, visit: www.Ready.gov.
Sample of National Preparedness Month Educational Tools Available:
- Website Widgets http://www.fema.gov/help/widgets
- Ready campaign Widget: inform how to get a kit, make a plan and be informed.
- National Preparedness Month widget.
- Popular Links & Downloadable Materials
- Ready Campaign: www.ready.gov (English) and www.listo.gov (Español)
- Get an emergency supply kit: http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html
- Family emergency plan: http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html
- Emergency supply kit list: http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/kit-print.html
- Newsletters /Articles
- E-mail for Employees, Members and Stakeholders.
- Newsletter /Web Site Article/ Blog Entry for a General Audience
- Newsletter/ Web site Article/ Blog Entry for Business Owners/ Managers Audience
- Bill Stuffers
- Instructional Videos
- Public Service Announcements
- Materials
- Poster
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
SM Cries for Help - 74 Percent Expect Help to Come
This is an interesting survey taken by the Red Cross. Just remember that in Oregon you can NOT text 911. You must call.
A new American Red Cross survey shows many web users would turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies—and they expect first responders to be listening. The online survey asked 1,058 adults about their use of social media sites in emergency situations.
It found that if they needed help and couldn't reach 9-1-1, one in five would try to contact responders through a digital means such as e-mail, websites or social media. If web users knew of someone else who needed help, 44 percent would ask other people in their social network to contact authorities, 35 percent would post a request for help directly on a response agency's Facebook page and 28 percent would send a direct Twitter message to responders.
Web users also have clear expectations about how first responders should be answering their requests. The survey showed that 69 percent said that emergency responders should be monitoring social media sites in order to quickly send help—and nearly half believe a response agency is probably already responding to any urgent request they might see.
And the survey respondents expected quick response to an online appeal for help -- 74 percent expected help to come less than an hour after their tweet or Facebook post.
"The first and best choice for anyone in an emergency situation is to call 9-1-1," said Gail McGovern, American Red Cross president and CEO. "But when phone lines are down or the 9-1-1 system is overwhelmed, we know that people will be persistent in their quest for help and use social media for that purpose."
The Red Cross commissioned the survey in advance of an Emergency Social Data Summit set for Thursday, August 12, in Washington, D.C. The meeting, convened by the Red Cross, will bring together thought leaders and experts in the government, social media, emergency response and the non-profit sectors to discuss better ways to handle information that flows through the web during disasters.
"The social web is creating a fundamental shift in disaster response one that will ask emergency managers, government agencies and aid organizations to mix time-honored expertise with real-time input from the public," McGovern said. "We need to work together to better respond to that shift."
The Red Cross survey also found that among web users, social media sites are the fourth most popular source for emergency information, just behind television news, radio and online news sites. More web users say they get their emergency information from social media than from a NOAA weather radio, government website or emergency text message system. One in five social media users also report posting eyewitness accounts of emergency events to their accounts.
A new American Red Cross survey shows many web users would turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies—and they expect first responders to be listening. The online survey asked 1,058 adults about their use of social media sites in emergency situations.
It found that if they needed help and couldn't reach 9-1-1, one in five would try to contact responders through a digital means such as e-mail, websites or social media. If web users knew of someone else who needed help, 44 percent would ask other people in their social network to contact authorities, 35 percent would post a request for help directly on a response agency's Facebook page and 28 percent would send a direct Twitter message to responders.
Web users also have clear expectations about how first responders should be answering their requests. The survey showed that 69 percent said that emergency responders should be monitoring social media sites in order to quickly send help—and nearly half believe a response agency is probably already responding to any urgent request they might see.
And the survey respondents expected quick response to an online appeal for help -- 74 percent expected help to come less than an hour after their tweet or Facebook post.
"The first and best choice for anyone in an emergency situation is to call 9-1-1," said Gail McGovern, American Red Cross president and CEO. "But when phone lines are down or the 9-1-1 system is overwhelmed, we know that people will be persistent in their quest for help and use social media for that purpose."
The Red Cross commissioned the survey in advance of an Emergency Social Data Summit set for Thursday, August 12, in Washington, D.C. The meeting, convened by the Red Cross, will bring together thought leaders and experts in the government, social media, emergency response and the non-profit sectors to discuss better ways to handle information that flows through the web during disasters.
"The social web is creating a fundamental shift in disaster response one that will ask emergency managers, government agencies and aid organizations to mix time-honored expertise with real-time input from the public," McGovern said. "We need to work together to better respond to that shift."
The Red Cross survey also found that among web users, social media sites are the fourth most popular source for emergency information, just behind television news, radio and online news sites. More web users say they get their emergency information from social media than from a NOAA weather radio, government website or emergency text message system. One in five social media users also report posting eyewitness accounts of emergency events to their accounts.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Emergency Supplies
When preparing for emergency situations, it's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. Encourage everyone to have a Portable Kit customized to meet personal needs, such as essential medications.
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View the Emergency Supplies
NOAA weather radio
With tone-alert feature, if possible, that automatically alerts you when a watch or warning is issued in your area. Tone-alert is not available in some areas.
Include extra batteries.
It is recommended that you have both a battery-powered commercial radio and a NOAA weather radio with an alert function. The NOAA weather radio can alert you to weather emergencies or announcements from the Department of Homeland Security. The commercial radio is a good source for news and information from local authorities.
Keep copies of important records such as site maps, building plans, insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer backups, emergency or law enforcement contact information and other priority documents in a waterproof, fireproof portable container. Store a second set of records at an off-site location.
Talk to your co-workers about what emergency supplies the company can feasibly provide, if any, and which ones individuals should consider keeping on hand.
Recommended emergency supplies include the following:
Water, amounts for portable kits will vary. Individuals should determine what amount they are able to both store comfortably and to transport to other locations. If it is feasible, store one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries
First Aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Dust or filter masks, readily available in hardware stores, which are rated based on how small a particle they filter
Moist towelettes for sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
Plastic sheeting and duct tape to "seal the room"
Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/emersupply.html
--------
View the Emergency Supplies
NOAA weather radio
With tone-alert feature, if possible, that automatically alerts you when a watch or warning is issued in your area. Tone-alert is not available in some areas.
Include extra batteries.
It is recommended that you have both a battery-powered commercial radio and a NOAA weather radio with an alert function. The NOAA weather radio can alert you to weather emergencies or announcements from the Department of Homeland Security. The commercial radio is a good source for news and information from local authorities.
Keep copies of important records such as site maps, building plans, insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer backups, emergency or law enforcement contact information and other priority documents in a waterproof, fireproof portable container. Store a second set of records at an off-site location.
Talk to your co-workers about what emergency supplies the company can feasibly provide, if any, and which ones individuals should consider keeping on hand.
Recommended emergency supplies include the following:
Water, amounts for portable kits will vary. Individuals should determine what amount they are able to both store comfortably and to transport to other locations. If it is feasible, store one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries
First Aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Dust or filter masks, readily available in hardware stores, which are rated based on how small a particle they filter
Moist towelettes for sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
Plastic sheeting and duct tape to "seal the room"
Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/emersupply.html
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