Email is MIA

Yes, DEM's email is missing in action. Just in case any of you are trying to contact DEM via email -- we have not had email services since Thursday! We have no way to know what we are missing so if you have not received an answer to your email, we are not ignoring you, we simply don't know you have asked. Please call if you need immediate assistance, hopefully we are back in the email business soon! 360-577-3130

Won't you be our friend?

Won't you be our friend? We have finally been successful in creating a fan page and need to have some friends. Please go to our Fan Page and "like" us. Thank you!

Is Your Emergency Kit Complete? Week 12 is Here!

Well, it looks like the last segment of Emergency Preparedness Shopping Tips is upon us. I’m sure that these past 12-ish weeks have been nothing short of awe-inspiring, mind-expanding and full of untold glory. I know they have been for me. Perhaps, that’s a slight stretch, but if nothing else, I hope I have at least brought about some awareness of the importance of keeping a well-stocked disaster supply kit on hand.

Even if you are just a little better prepared than you were before, I feel like I’ve done my job. So, what do you need this week to round out your emergency kit? How about some games or books to pass the time and keep the kiddies entertained? What better time to finish that classic tome you started in college and swore you’d finish? You can trust that the only time I’d ever delve into some Thoreau or Faulkner again would be in a desperate emergency. Just think, if you had to shelter in place in your house for a week, you could finish all those classics and begin conversations with “Well, Tolstoy always said…” or “Don’t you find Hemingway’s stories rife with psychological manipulation and hedonism in post World War I America?” Then you can laugh pompously and adjust your monocle.

But I digress; also make sure you have local road maps in case you have to come up with a secondary exit strategy from your current location. Also, toss in some cash. You remember cash, it's the green paper stuff that used to live in your wallet before debit cards were around. I am terrible about carrying cash, but in the last 6 months I made a conscious effort to stash $100 away in case there is an extended power outage and my ATM card doesn't work.

Lastly….the crème de la crème of emergency supplies….the item so versatile that it can be used for makeshift first aid supplies, repairs, restraints, the list goes on and on….you know what I’m talking about…DUCT TAPE! It is useful in so many capacities that there are entire websites devoted to counting its virtues. And never forget, in the words of some guy named Carl, “Duct tape is like the force. It has a dark side and light side and it holds the universe together.” True that, Carl, true that.

This Day in History...

From History.com

June 14, 1954

Over 12 million Americans "die" in a mock nuclear attack, as the United States goes through its first nationwide civil defense drill. Though American officials were satisfied with the results of the drill, the event stood as a stark reminder that the United States—and the world—was now living under a nuclear shadow.

The June 1954 civil defense drill was organized and evaluated by the Civil Defense Administration, and included operations in 54 cities in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Alaska, and Hawaii. Canada also participated in the exercise. The basic premise of the drill was that the United States was under massive nuclear assault from both aircraft and submarines, and that most major urban areas had been targeted. At 10 a.m., alarms were sounded in selected cities, at which time all citizens were supposed to get off the streets, seek shelter, and prepare for the onslaught.

Each citizen was supposed to know where the closest fallout shelter was located; these included the basements of government buildings and schools, underground subway tunnels, and private shelters. Even President Dwight D. Eisenhower took part in the show, heading to an underground bunker in Washington, D.C. The entire drill lasted only about 10 minutes, at which time an all-clear signal was broadcast and life returned to normal. Civil Defense Administration officials estimated that New York City would suffer the most in such an attack, losing over 2 million people. Other cities, including Washington, D.C., would also endure massive loss of life. In all, it was estimated that over 12 million Americans would die in an attack.

For the rest of the story, click here

Emergency Management Departments stemmed from the the Civil Defense Department. We still have some candy in a tin left over from the Civil Defense fallout food rations. Our director still eats them! (The other two office staff members do not condone this action, however). Anyway, I thought this was interesting info to share. Plus, I wanted an outlet to show off the picture of the Civil Defense poster with the pink ostrich.

Solar Bursts Could Disrupt Communications Today

Is your cellphone or GPS acting up? It's probably due to a solar flare. For more about solar flare, click here. For more on today's solar burst, click here. Today might be a good day to unplug yourself from all of your gadgets, relax and return to the pioneer days of yore (like 10 years ago).

Did You Subscribe?

Following the industrial fire, we've had a bump in blog subscribers, which is fantastic! However, make sure you've followed all of the directions so that you actually receive blog posts. If you have recently subscribed and have not received an email with the days blog posts by 4:00 p.m., make sure you've followed the directions that were contained in the email you should have received from Feed Burner. The email should read as follows:

Hello there,

You recently requested an email subscription to Cowlitz County Sheriff Emergency Management. We can't wait to send the updates you want via email, so please click the following link to activate your subscription
immediately:

http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailconfirm?k=fFYT_Ws45RaQAactL2ZJcS2c1Io

(If the link above does not appear clickable or does not open a browser window when you click it, copy it and paste it into your web browser's Location bar.)

So, then you need to click the following link to actually activate the subscription and get the email. Got it? Great.

As a special gift for our new readers, I will dust off my Subscribe song. If you're not yet a subscriber, you should consider it. Maybe this little ditty set to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," will seal the deal:

I WILL SUBSCRIBE

First I was afraid,
I was petrified.

Thinking I could never remember to check the blog
without a guide.

But I spent so many nights
Wondering how I could be so wrong

And I grew strong
And I learned I didn't even have to log on

No, no not I
I'll just subscribe

As long as I know how to type
I know I'll stay online

I've got to know which roads are closed
I've got to know the latest tips

I will subscribe
I will subscribe

Hey HEY!

......Or maybe you think we're all idiots here and this just confirmed it.....

Week 11 Shopping List

We're almost to the end of our 12 week emergency preparedness shopping extravaganza. It's hard to believe only a mere 11 weeks ago you were totally unprepared for a disaster, but just look at you now! (Right? You've followed all of my advice? You have an awesome disaster kit? Right?---this is a guilt trip, in case you haven't caught on). Anyway, here we are at week 11 and the theme of the week is "Special Items As Needed." So, you may need some of these items, you may not need others. Here goes:

*Food for special diets (i.e. food allergies, religious preferences, diabetic)

*Baby food, bottles or infant formula

*Diapers (make sure to update sizes as needed, a size 1 diaper isn't much help when your kid now wears size 5, ask me how I know!)

*Pet food (you might begin to look pretty tasty to your hungry Rottweiler after awhile)

*Leash and pet carrier

*Spare eyeglasses or contact supplies

*Items for denture care

*Extra hearing aids and batteries

*Feminine hygiene supplies

*Any other medical or mobility supplies you or a family member might require

Alrighty--we're almost there. If you've missed the previous 10 shopping lists, look at the right-hand side of the blog and scroll down til you find the "labels" section and click on 12-week shopping list.

Think I've missed stuff? Want to share what you have in your kit? Leave a comment!