USGS Open House to Commemmorate the 35th Anniversary of Mt. St. Helens Eruption

May 18^th marks the 35th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.  In commemoration, the U.S. Geological Survey–Cascades Volcano Observatory opens its doors to the news media and public on Saturday, May 2, 2015, from 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. for a one-day open house.

 Visitors can talk to volcanologists about their research, learn about the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, and watch videos of the changes that have occurred inside the crater over the past 35 years.  Scientists will demonstrate monitoring equipment such as thermal imaging, earthquake detection, and how to track ground deformation by satellite.  See what a remote volcano monitoring station looks like and watch a scientific “spider” do its job.  A robotic arm will be operating in the sediment laboratory and scientists will be on hand to talk about how they collect and process sediments, and how rivers respond to dam removal. 

 

Learn more about landslides and volcanic hazards including whether or not you live in a hazard zone.  There will be hands-on science activities and you can have your picture taken in front of a green screen that places you in the crater of an exploding volcano.  Continuing a USGS–CVO open house tradition, visitors are invited to bring their mystery rock to be identified by a geologist.

 

What:         Open House at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory

 

When:        Saturday May 2, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

 

Where:       1300 SE Cardinal Ct., Building 10, Suite 100, Vancouver, WA 98683 (located on the east side of Vancouver, WA, in the Columbia Tech Park)

Help Support Cowlitz Dive Rescue

The Cowlitz County Dive Rescue Team will be hosting a Bunco fundraiser on May 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the American Legion Post 155 (1250 12th Ave in Longview).  $20 per person gets you a great Bunco night with fun prizes and raffles.  All proceeds go to help the dive team with training and equipment maintenance costs!  For more information contact Tracy at 430-5173 or visit www.cowlitzdiverescue.com.

Safe Kids Day

Looking for some family fun this weekend?  Check out Safe Kids Day this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the YMCA in Longview.  There will be informational booths, games and prizes.  We'll be there promoting disaster preparedness!

First Aid for Your Finances

Being ready for a disaster is more than storing extra water and supplies. It is equally important for you and your family to be financially ready for disasters.  April is Financial Literacy Month. Now is a good to time to ensure you have adequate insurance, a plan to pay bills, and an alternate way to access financial and personal records. Taking these preparedness steps will help with disaster recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Operation HOPE created the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK). Use the EFFAK to identify important documents, medical records, and household contracts. 

When completing the kit, you will be guided to include pictures or a video of your home and belongings, and to store them in a safe place. Storing critical documents is also one of the ten ways to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! so be sure to register your actions on the campaign website.

The 2014 EFFAK is available in English, Spanish, and reader enabled English versions that can be filled out online.

To learn more about the EFFAK and other tools you can use to prepare your finances, check out this blog post from Gwen Camp, Director of FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division and a public service announcement from FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Operation HOPE CEO and founder John Hope Bryant.

Public Safety Career Fair

Have you ever thought about a career in public safety, such as law enforcement, fire, corrections, paramedic or 9-1-1 dispatcher?  If so, check out the Public Safety Career Fair on May 15th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton at 301 W. 6th Street in Vancouver. For more information visit www.publicsafetytesting.com/career-fair.

THANK YOU DISPATCHERS!

Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators.   Like other emergency service workers, they frequently give up Christmas mornings, birthday parties and family functions and instead choose to serve their community by answering emergency calls.

Our 9-1-1 dispatchers are responsible for handling all 9-1-1 emergency calls generated in Cowlitz County. Many people are not aware that they also handle the receipt, disposition, and the documentation of telephone and radio calls in both routine and emergency matters for Law Enforcement and Fire Services. These are busy people!

The Cowlitz County 9-1-1 Communications Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is the responsibility of the dispatcher to accurately, and quickly, identify the nature of your call and assist in solving the problem.

Of course, you don't need a special week to honor your public safety dispatchers for excellence! You can write them a commendation, mention their "good job" at a shift briefing, or just give them a pat on the back.

Help Support Cowlitz Search & Rescue and Have Fun Too!!

EAST SIDE STORY--MURDER AT THE SOCK HOP

What:  Murder mystery fundraiser dinner for Cowlitz County Search and Rescue
When:  Saturday, May 2nd
Time:  6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:30)
Where:  Kalama Community Building, 126 N. 2nd Street in Kalama
Price:  $40 per person
What it covers:  Murder mystery fun, dinner, non alcoholic drinks, 1950's sock hop

To purchase your tickets please contact cowlitzcountysar@gmail.com, call 360-562-0279 or on Cowlitz County SAR's Facebook Page.

How it works:

*When you purchase your tickets, you choose a character to portray.
*You come to the event dressed as your character and act as that character throughout the evening
*You will receive a packet of information about your character and who to share what clues with.
*The guests mingle during the evening sharing clues and trying to solve the "murder" that occurs during scene 2.
*At the end of scene 3, everyone gets to guess the murdered before they are revealed!