Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Strong Earthquake Hits Southern Mexico
A 6.2 earthquake rocked southern Mexico this morning at 2:22 a.m. The epicenter was about 75 miles southwest of Oaxaca. There are no reports of injuries and the damage appears minimal at this point. I sincerely hope none of that delicious Oaxaca cheese was hurt in the fracas! (Seriously, I'm concerned. That cheese is a national treasure--try it on enchiladas) For more information check out the www.msnbc.com link here.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Summer is Here--Make Sure Your Kids are Safe!
Hot weather is here (well, warmer anyway). Don't forget to take special precautions when playing in the water.
From www.tdn.com
KENNWICK, Wash. — Darla Gambill sat in the late morning sun in Howard Amon Park on Monday with children splashing in a wading pool behind her and recounted the worst day of her life - the day her 2-year-old daughter drowned in her swimming pool.
Gambill of Kennewick lost her daughter Brooklynne on June 28, 2009, when the little girl climbed out of bed and somehow made it out of her parents' locked house in Medford, Ore., into the backyard while they were asleep.
"We had all the safety precautions we could have," Gambill said. "It was a fluke accident. ... I should have been picking out her wedding dress, not her burial dress."
She never wants another parent to feel the horror of finding a child face down in the water, so when she moved to the Tri-Cities about two months ago, she contacted the Kadlec Foundation and asked how she could work with it and the Benton Franklin Safe Kids Coalition to tell parents how to prevent drowning accidents.
"Don't turn your back," she said. "Don't answer your phone. Don't read a magazine. Don't drink alcohol. I want to see that no more children drown. It only takes a second."
Mark Allen, a member of the Safe Kids Coalition and a former longtime rescue diver, said drownings are preventable if parents take precautions around pools.
A child can drown in 20 seconds. And it takes just one inch of water for someone to drown.
"It happens really fast, and it's quiet," Allen said.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 300 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools and spas each year. Another 3,200 end up in emergency rooms being treated for submersion injuries.
Among the tips offered are:
•Teach children to swim.
•Never leave a child unwatched or unsupervised near water.
•Know basic water safety skills, including CPR in case of a water emergency.
•Install a four-sided barrier around a pool or hot tub that includes a self-closing and self-latching gate.
•Use pool alarms and covers, especially if a house is the fourth side of a barrier preventing access to a pool.
Allen said when it comes to swimming in the region's lakes or rivers, wearing a life jacket always is crucial.
Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel agreed that life jackets would have saved the lives of two to three of the victims who drown in his jurisdiction each year.
"It's mainly because they're not wearing life jackets," he said. "I have never pulled someone out of the water who drowned wearing a life jacket."
From www.tdn.com
KENNWICK, Wash. — Darla Gambill sat in the late morning sun in Howard Amon Park on Monday with children splashing in a wading pool behind her and recounted the worst day of her life - the day her 2-year-old daughter drowned in her swimming pool.
Gambill of Kennewick lost her daughter Brooklynne on June 28, 2009, when the little girl climbed out of bed and somehow made it out of her parents' locked house in Medford, Ore., into the backyard while they were asleep.
"We had all the safety precautions we could have," Gambill said. "It was a fluke accident. ... I should have been picking out her wedding dress, not her burial dress."
She never wants another parent to feel the horror of finding a child face down in the water, so when she moved to the Tri-Cities about two months ago, she contacted the Kadlec Foundation and asked how she could work with it and the Benton Franklin Safe Kids Coalition to tell parents how to prevent drowning accidents.
"Don't turn your back," she said. "Don't answer your phone. Don't read a magazine. Don't drink alcohol. I want to see that no more children drown. It only takes a second."
Mark Allen, a member of the Safe Kids Coalition and a former longtime rescue diver, said drownings are preventable if parents take precautions around pools.
A child can drown in 20 seconds. And it takes just one inch of water for someone to drown.
"It happens really fast, and it's quiet," Allen said.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 300 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools and spas each year. Another 3,200 end up in emergency rooms being treated for submersion injuries.
Among the tips offered are:
•Teach children to swim.
•Never leave a child unwatched or unsupervised near water.
•Know basic water safety skills, including CPR in case of a water emergency.
•Install a four-sided barrier around a pool or hot tub that includes a self-closing and self-latching gate.
•Use pool alarms and covers, especially if a house is the fourth side of a barrier preventing access to a pool.
Allen said when it comes to swimming in the region's lakes or rivers, wearing a life jacket always is crucial.
Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel agreed that life jackets would have saved the lives of two to three of the victims who drown in his jurisdiction each year.
"It's mainly because they're not wearing life jackets," he said. "I have never pulled someone out of the water who drowned wearing a life jacket."
Selling Emergency Management
Below is an interesting article that Columbia County Emergency Management shared with us. The article describes how emergency management professionals must, in essence, "sell" the concept of emergency preparedness. That is, undeniably, the toughest part of an emergency management position--you are responsible for selling a product (preparedness) that no one honestly wants to think about (disasters). You must convince people to be ready for situations of which you do not have any specific details. You can't give them concrete facts or figures about what will happen. You can only convince them that something will happen sometime and it may affect them to some unspecified degree and they would do well to be ready for it (whatever it may be). While sometimes I feel that it would be easier and less stressful to sell cut-rate cleaning supplies door-to-door, I know that it would be nowhere near as satisfying...Selling Emergency Management: An Unspoken Job Function (Column)
by Eric Holdeman, Emergency Management Magazine, on June 24, 2010
When you look at job descriptions in emergency management you find titles like program manager and director. The responsibilities might include disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. However, the unspoken job function that comes with every emergency management position is that of marketing.
Put more crudely, it means you must “sell emergency management” to a variety of people and organizations. The list is endless and there isn’t an element of your public or private community that doesn’t need what emergency management has to offer.
You might be scratching your heads at this notion that you are a salesperson with a job of having people buy into emergency management so let’s start with the basics:
by Eric Holdeman, Emergency Management Magazine, on June 24, 2010
When you look at job descriptions in emergency management you find titles like program manager and director. The responsibilities might include disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. However, the unspoken job function that comes with every emergency management position is that of marketing.
Put more crudely, it means you must “sell emergency management” to a variety of people and organizations. The list is endless and there isn’t an element of your public or private community that doesn’t need what emergency management has to offer.
You might be scratching your heads at this notion that you are a salesperson with a job of having people buy into emergency management so let’s start with the basics:
• No one wants to be sold anything — they want to be buyers. The good thing about being in your position is that people won’t immediately recognize that you’re selling something and they’re the potential buyer. That will remove a few barriers to making the sale.
• Remember that you’re selling the benefits and not the features of emergency management. Think about trying to sell four-wheel drive or air conditioning in a car. The wrong thing to do is talk about how it works, what it costs and how to operate it. Instead, the idea is to describe what it can do for you.
• Before you start selling emergency management, you must know what the buyer wants. You do this by first listening and then working to build a relationship with the buyer. It may take some time to build rapport with a particular individual or organization. The key is maintaining contact. Add them to your e-mail lists for information on grant programs, informational seminars and the like. Doing this will help build trust. Without trust, the sale will never be made.
• Think about timing and when it’s best to have a sale. The answer is when people are motivated to buy. When is that in emergency management? When there’s a disaster. Anytime there’s a catastrophe anywhere in the world is a good time to push your emergency management wares.
• Update your Web page with information on how people can help with disaster relief efforts. Some emergency management organizations also use Facebook and Twitter to disseminate information.
If you’re a part of a government organization, one of your customer segments is your jurisdiction’s elected officials and senior appointed policymakers. Your job is to make them look good all the time. Here are few tips for keeping them engaged:
• Keep them informed on incidents happening in their jurisdiction and neighboring ones. People like to be in the loop, and you can build a strong relationship just by keeping them informed with an occasional phone call or e-mail.
• Include them in every public event you have. If you’re having a disaster presentation in an elected official’s district, invite them to attend. Offer them an opportunity to give opening remarks and provide them with a few talking points to make it easy for them.
• Include a quote in your news releases (coordinated of course) from the elected official on the topic you’re addressing.
Lastly in these circumstances, the media is often your friend. They provide free advertising by covering your messages. Get to know the assignment editors and news directors for your local television and radio stations.
Happy selling — and sorry, there are no sales commissions.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
ECNS used for SWAT situation in Longview
The Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management was asked to activate the county’s Emergency Community Notification System (ECNS) to warn nearby residents of the SWAT activity at 38th and Oak Street in Longview yesterday afternoon. ECNS is a reverse-911 system that allows emergency officials to send a recorded emergency message directly to the residents of an affected area via landline phones. If you do not have a landline phone, you are able to register your cell-phone or VOIP phone by clicking on the “Alert Cowlitz County” icon on the right-hand side of the screen and following the prompts.
The emergency call went out at approximately 2:30 p.m. to 301 residents of 38th Avenue and the surrounding area. A pre-recorded message alerted residents that there was a SWAT incident in progress and to stay in their homes until further notice. Residents were advised that police were on-scene and certain roads were closed. A second call an hour later advised residents that the incident was over, roads would be reopened and it was safe to exit their homes.
This is the first time that ECNS has been used in an active SWAT incident in Cowlitz County.
The emergency call went out at approximately 2:30 p.m. to 301 residents of 38th Avenue and the surrounding area. A pre-recorded message alerted residents that there was a SWAT incident in progress and to stay in their homes until further notice. Residents were advised that police were on-scene and certain roads were closed. A second call an hour later advised residents that the incident was over, roads would be reopened and it was safe to exit their homes.
This is the first time that ECNS has been used in an active SWAT incident in Cowlitz County.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Suspicious Package Alert
From Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency Blog:Given today's news reports that white powder was found at Federal Office Buildings within Washington State, we wanted to take a moment to remind people to pay attention for suspicious packages.
In 2001, the United States Postal Service created the following poster which is available online to download and print.
What makes a piece of mail suspicious?
It's unexpected or from someone you don't know.
It's addressed to someone no longer at your address.
It's handwritten and has no return address or bears one that you can't confirm is legitimate.
It's lopsided or lumpy in appearance.
It's sealed with excessive amounts of tape.
It's marked with restrictive endorsements such as "Personal" or "Confidential."
It has excessive postage.
What should I do with a suspicious piece of mail?
Don't handle a letter or package that you suspect is contaminated.
Don't shake it, bump it, or sniff it.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Notify local law enforcement authorities.
In 2001, the United States Postal Service created the following poster which is available online to download and print.
What makes a piece of mail suspicious?
It's unexpected or from someone you don't know.
It's addressed to someone no longer at your address.
It's handwritten and has no return address or bears one that you can't confirm is legitimate.
It's lopsided or lumpy in appearance.
It's sealed with excessive amounts of tape.
It's marked with restrictive endorsements such as "Personal" or "Confidential."
It has excessive postage.
What should I do with a suspicious piece of mail?
Don't handle a letter or package that you suspect is contaminated.
Don't shake it, bump it, or sniff it.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Notify local law enforcement authorities.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
US Army Corps to discuss Mt. St. Helens Sediment Management
The US Army Corps of Engineers is presenting their sediment management progress report on Wednesday, June 23rd at Toutle Lake High School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Multi-Purpose room of the High School at 5050 Spirit Lake Hwy in Toutle. Experts will discuss the agency's plans to continue managing the sand and ash debris in the North Fork Toutle River, as well as efforts to maintain reduced flooding risk to the communities along the lower Cowlitz River. For more information about Corps projects on Mt. St. Helens, go to: http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/srs
Thursday, June 10, 2010
NWS Says Rivers High, But No Flood Risk
According to the National Weather Service, the local rivers are much higher than normal, but will remain well below flood stage. See statement below:
..SPECIAL RIVER STATEMENT FOR HIGH LEVELS ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA AND LOWER WILLAMETTE RIVERS...
RIVER LEVELS ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA AND LOWER WILLAMETTE ARE RUNNING HIGH DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER BASINS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
RIVER STAGES AT PORTLAND...VANCOUVER...ST. HELENS...AND LONGVIEW/KELSO WILL STAY BELOW FLOOD STAGE BUT ARE UNUSUALLY HIGH. THERE MAY BE SOME IMPACTS ON PORT OPERATIONS OR RIVER TRAFFIC...AND SOME LOW AREAS ALONG RIVER REACHES WITH NO LEVEE PROTECTION MAY BE INUNDATED.
RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGH THROUGH SATURDAY AND THEN DROP 1 TO 2 FEET ON SUNDAY AND GRADUALLY FALL NEXT WEEK.
..SPECIAL RIVER STATEMENT FOR HIGH LEVELS ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA AND LOWER WILLAMETTE RIVERS...
RIVER LEVELS ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA AND LOWER WILLAMETTE ARE RUNNING HIGH DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER BASINS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
RIVER STAGES AT PORTLAND...VANCOUVER...ST. HELENS...AND LONGVIEW/KELSO WILL STAY BELOW FLOOD STAGE BUT ARE UNUSUALLY HIGH. THERE MAY BE SOME IMPACTS ON PORT OPERATIONS OR RIVER TRAFFIC...AND SOME LOW AREAS ALONG RIVER REACHES WITH NO LEVEE PROTECTION MAY BE INUNDATED.
RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGH THROUGH SATURDAY AND THEN DROP 1 TO 2 FEET ON SUNDAY AND GRADUALLY FALL NEXT WEEK.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sorry to Rain on Your Parade But....
We got a new weather alert from Portland's National Weather Service...it..umm..puts a damper on things, so to speak:
..ANOTHER UNSEASONABLY COOL AND WET WEATHER SYSTEM ON THE WAY...
AFTER ONE RELATIVELY WARM DAY TODAY...SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON WILL TRANSITION BACK TO COOL...CLOUDY...AND WET WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SNOW WILL EVENTUALLY BE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADES.
LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING WELL OFF THE COAST WILL SPREAD RAIN ONSHORE THIS EVENING. ONCE RAIN DEVELOPS...EXPECT STEADY RAIN FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS THIS SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN TAPS INTO A PACIFIC JET STREAM WHICH IS RICH IN MOISTURE. RAINFALL TOTALS UP TO ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS...WITH UP TO AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO ON AND OFF SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WEDNESDAY. A CLAP OR TWO OF THUNDER IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE AIR MASS BECOMES MORE UNSTABLE. COLDER AIR WILL BE MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...WITH TEMPERATURES LIKELY TO FALL TO AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW EARLY JUNE NORMALS.
THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO CAUSE SNOW LEVELS TO LOWER TO UNSEASONABLY LOW ELEVATIONS. DURING THE COLDEST PORTION OF THIS EVENT...LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...SNOW MAY FALL AS LOW AS THE CASCADE PASSES. ONLY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT PASS LEVELS...BUT A FEW INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET.
CAMPERS...HIKERS...AND OTHERS PARTICIPATING IN OUTDOOR RECREATION IN THE CASCADES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CONDITIONS WHICH ARE MORE TYPICAL OF EARLY SPRING. RECENT HIGH ELEVATION SNOW HAS ALSO INCREASED THE AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATION PEAKS SUCH AS MOUNT HOOD...MOUNT ST HELENS...
AND MOUNT JEFFERSON.
So sorry to shower you with this lousy forecast. I hate raining down bad news. I've hit my four pun limit, I'm done now.
..ANOTHER UNSEASONABLY COOL AND WET WEATHER SYSTEM ON THE WAY...
AFTER ONE RELATIVELY WARM DAY TODAY...SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON WILL TRANSITION BACK TO COOL...CLOUDY...AND WET WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SNOW WILL EVENTUALLY BE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADES.
LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING WELL OFF THE COAST WILL SPREAD RAIN ONSHORE THIS EVENING. ONCE RAIN DEVELOPS...EXPECT STEADY RAIN FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS THIS SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN TAPS INTO A PACIFIC JET STREAM WHICH IS RICH IN MOISTURE. RAINFALL TOTALS UP TO ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS...WITH UP TO AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO ON AND OFF SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WEDNESDAY. A CLAP OR TWO OF THUNDER IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE AIR MASS BECOMES MORE UNSTABLE. COLDER AIR WILL BE MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...WITH TEMPERATURES LIKELY TO FALL TO AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW EARLY JUNE NORMALS.
THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO CAUSE SNOW LEVELS TO LOWER TO UNSEASONABLY LOW ELEVATIONS. DURING THE COLDEST PORTION OF THIS EVENT...LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...SNOW MAY FALL AS LOW AS THE CASCADE PASSES. ONLY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT PASS LEVELS...BUT A FEW INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET.
CAMPERS...HIKERS...AND OTHERS PARTICIPATING IN OUTDOOR RECREATION IN THE CASCADES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CONDITIONS WHICH ARE MORE TYPICAL OF EARLY SPRING. RECENT HIGH ELEVATION SNOW HAS ALSO INCREASED THE AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATION PEAKS SUCH AS MOUNT HOOD...MOUNT ST HELENS...
AND MOUNT JEFFERSON.
So sorry to shower you with this lousy forecast. I hate raining down bad news. I've hit my four pun limit, I'm done now.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
5 Stages of Weather Grief
Every morning when I check the weather forecast I fall into an ever deepening abyss of rain-soaked depression and malaise. But no more! Let's be done being mad at something we can't change. I went through an accelerated 5 stages of grief while watching the weather this morning. It went a little something like this...1. Denial – "But it was kinda sunny the other day. This can't be happening, not again, it's JUNE!"
2. Anger – "Are you KIDDING me?! This is ridiculous! Whose fault is this?"
3. Bargaining – "Just one sunny day, please! I'll do anything...just a few hours even."
4. Depression – "I'm not getting out of bed today. What's the point? I hate it here. I quit."
5. Acceptance – "Whatever, the Twilight books/movies made being pale cool, so I guess the lack of sun makes me supercool. Also, I get to keep wearing my favorite sweatshirt, so I guess it's all ok."
Another Weather Alert
From the PDX National Weather Service:An unusually strong and wet Pacific storm system will impact SW Washington and NW Oregon today. Another Pacific storm expected late Thursday night through Friday morning. This strong late spring Pacific jet stream will aim a band of moisture at our area through Friday with two storms developing throughout this evening.
The first storm will likely drop 1 to 1.5 inches of rain in our area. The heavy rain will also lead to significant rises on rivers in SW Washington tonight. Several rivers have the potential to be near bankfull . Some small streams and urban areas may experience localized flooding.
The storm will also cause quite strong winds for this of year, our area may see wind gusts between 25-35 mph today.
After a brief break on Thursday ANOTHER storm system will arrive later Thursday evening. This storm will bring another wet period Thursday night and Friday morning.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Rain, Rain....
PLEASE go away! Yes, it's true, there's a lot more rain in store. See National Weather Service update below:There is a strong storm system that will move into northwest Oregon and southwest Washington late this evening and Wednesday (Jun 1-2), that will produce very heavy rainfall during the next 36 hours.
While there is no mainstem river flooding is expected at this time, this storm has tapped into some sub-tropical moisture and has some characteristics of a strong winter storm that may cause localized rural and urban street flooding and sharp rises on smaller creeks, rivers and streams. Strong winds (gusts to 50 mph on Coast and 25-35 mph in valleys) are also possible with this storm.
We want to bring attention to this storm for several reasons listed below:
(1) Unusual storm for springtime (winter-like characteristics).
(2) Heavy rainfall potential (2 to 5 inches in coast/coast range/cascades, 1 to 1.5 inches valleys).
(3) The ground is saturated from recent rains.
(4) Reservoir systems are full.
(5) Rivers, creeks and streams already running higher than normal.
International Festival
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Come down to the LCC campus and check out the Ethnic Support Council's International Festival this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is the 20th year of the festival and there is a little something for everyone to enjoy! There will be informational booths, free games, prizes, international vendors, live entertainment, delicious food and NO admission fee. Stop by the Department of Emergency Management table and say hello!
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