Preparedness Failings of the Wizard of Oz

Plus your Week 7 Shopping List!
Last year when I first debuted the Week 7 Shopping List it happened to be the 70th Anniversary of the release of The Wizard of Oz. I'll just keep with that scenario since I already wrote the post and don't feel like writing a new one. A major thematic element of this film is a tornado, so obviously it has many ties to the field of emergency management. Right? Yes. Let’s recap the emergency management failings:

*Uncle Henry and Aunty Em’s house did not have proper foundation. If it was up-to-code, it might have weathered the tornado better. Since it was their house that killed the Wicked Witch of the West, they could been charged with involuntary manslaughter or sued for negligence maybe.

*Had Dorothy received proper disaster training, she would have known to stay away from the window and thusly, would not have been knocked unconscious.

*Uncle Henry and Aunty Em should have been consulting their NOAA weather radio and monitoring updates on weather conditions and warnings in their area. Had tornado sirens been in place, they would have had more warning.

*If Dorothy had a portable 72-hour kit ready for evacuation situations, she would have been much better prepared for her journey down the yellow brick road. Also, since she obviously loved Toto, she should have had a pet emergency kit as well.

Let’s all learn from Dorothy and be better prepared citizens. I’m sure that I have now ruined a childhood classic for you, but there’s no excuse not to be prepared for emergencies!

So, with that segue, let’s get to your weekly 72-hour kit shopping mission! This is a light week, so your wallet will thank you. On your next jaunt to the market, toss in some pain-reliever (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, whatever works for you), some anti-diarrhea medicine (seriously, a disaster situation is not a good time for this particular ailment) and an extra supply of any important prescription medications.

This last part can be tricky, as most insurance providers and pharmacies are reluctant to give any extra than what you need. The best thing to do is talk to your pharmacist and tell them your situation and that you want to be prepared in the event you can’t get to the pharmacy to refill your prescription. Even if the best that they can do is give you 3 or 4 days worth, it’s better than nothing! That’s all you need to add this week. I bet that kit is looking pretty awesome by now. You’ll be the envy of all your neighbors and their little dog too!

Social Media vs. The Volcano

Not really. But since I'm on a social media and technology tangent, I figured I'd link to my posts from a year ago documenting the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens and some thoughts of what the differences might have been had it happened today with the advent of 24-hour newsmedia, social media and other newer technologies.
Pearls of Wisdom
What if It Happened Today?
What if It Happened Today Part II
What if it Happened Today, Part III
What if it Happened Today, Part IV

Reporting Suspicious Activity

Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Homeland Security officials are reminding citizens to be extra-vigilant in the wake of this new development. Please check out the CRESA (Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency) blog here for more information on what to look for and how to report potential terrorist activity.

Happy Volcano Awareness Month!

Ahhh....spring. When a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of....volcano awareness. Right? The catastrophic eruptions of Mt. St. Helens 31 years ago are a reminder that Cascade volcaoes hold potential to disrupt our communities. Eruptions and lahars at Mt. St. Helens took the lives of 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. Here's a breakdown of our five active volcano neighbors.

• Mt. Baker, located in Whatcom County erupted last in the mid-1880s. River valleys are prone to landslides and lahars. Small stream plumes near the summit are observed frequently.


• Glacier Peak, is located in Snohomish County. This volcano last erupted in the 18th or 19th century. Large explosive eruptions in the past spewed ash to the east into Montana. Lahars threaten river valleys to the west.


• Mt. Rainier, located in Pierce County, produced small eruptions in the 19th century. Numerous large landslides flowed down the volcano's flanks into river valleys over the past 6,000 years. More than 150,000 people live on lahar deposits in river valleys around the volcano.


• Mt. St. Helens, is technically located in Skamania County. It is one of the most explosive and active volcanoes in the Cascades. The eruption on May 18th, 1980, was the most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. history.


• Mt. Adams, located in Yakima County, is referred to as the "quiet giant." Mt. Adams produces lava flows, and is also prone to large landslides and lahars in the river valleys to the south, west, and north.

How can you prepare?

*Get a NOAA Weather Radio
*Develop an emergency plan with your family. For tips on how to create a plan, visit the DEM website.
*Prepare for ashfall with goggles and dust masks for all family members.
*Follow authorities' instructions.
*Text Follow CowlitzDEM to the number 40404 to get emergency information by text on your cell-phone.
*Make sure your cell-phone is registered to receive Emergency Community Notification System messages (landlines are automatically in the system). You can sign up by clicking the "Alert Cowlitz County" icon to your right along the side of the blog.

Social Media Matters, Not Just Because I Say So

(or alternatively titled, Jennifer Rants to No One In Particular, Part 1)

I had the opportunity last week to attend the Partners in Preparedness Conference in Tacoma. The conference is two days of non-stop emergency planning, preparedness, public education, technology sessions plus the opportunity to meet other emergency management-types from around the Northwest. This is the second time I’ve been able to attend the conference and I learned a great deal. What I found most interesting was how much more emphasis there was this year on social media and technology.

Believe it or not, Cowlitz County is somewhat ahead of the curve in employing social media and new technologies in emergency management. Many counties, especially smaller ones are slow to warm up to Twitter and blogging as a legitimate form of disseminating public information. A lot of that has to do, not with the county emergency management’s reluctance to dip their toe into the waters of social media, but with the county powers-that-be fearing litigation, bad press, or other perceived ills of these new-fangled technologies.

Our humble office didn’t encounter much friction when beginning our social media adventures, probably because we are a rag-tag motley crew of outsiders and we shoot first and ask questions later, all maverick-y like. Yeah, you know how Cowlitz DEM rolls.

Anyway, we don’t have a huge reader base for this blog or a huge following on Twitter, but when it counts, I know the public will be there. Whenever I give a presentation on preparedness or emergency management, people roll their eyes at Twitter and scoff at reading a blog (yes, I see you in the back) but you know what? I don’t care. I don’t care because Facebook, Twitter, blogs, all of it, are valid. They are becoming more valid with every hour that passes. Did you see the live-tweets of the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound? Yes, it’s happening people.

Here’s my take. Technology doesn’t move backward. Ever. There has never been an Industrial De-evolution. Sure, the same technologies don’t stay around forever (VCR’s, bag phones, cassettes, MySpace) but they also don’t go away, they get improved upon (Blu-Ray, Cell phones, MP3s, Facebook). Don’t discount Twitter or blogs because you don’t get them, you don’t want them, you hate technology or you think you’re “too old for such nonsense.”

Guess what, I'm not crazy about technology either, I’m too cheap for a Smart Phone, have no use for Twitter outside of emergency management purposes and I still don’t fully comprehend Facebook. But, I know enough to know that these are important. Especially if in the course of my day, I need to get really important information out to a lot of people in a short amount of time. With Twitter and the blog, I can do that. Now, I know we don’t have a Facebook page, but I promise we’re working on it. We messed up the first one and are working on making a better second attempt. But, see we’re learning. We’re all learning together. It’s nothing to be afraid of.

At the conference, I had an interesting and somewhat infuriating conversation with an emergency manager from a small county about social media. He stated that he was 65years old and too old to learn about Twitter and blogs and who-z-whatzits and all that nonsense. He was happy to send out press releases to the local newspaper and TV and call it a day. That is what he has always done and that’s what he would always do. I tried to give my two-cents , but it fell on deaf, obstinate ears. Being obstinate just for the sake of being obstinate is an attitude I cannot abide by.

I liken it to the Aztecs sacrificing someone before daybreak each morning to ensure that the sun would rise that day. How many people had to die needlessly before they realized the sun rose anyway, no matter what they did? Not that anyone is dying by not employing social media in their arsenal of information dissemination, but the moral is sometimes just because it’s your tradition doesn’t mean it’s the best thing. Think outside of what you normally do and one day it might make a difference. Or spend an hour with a teenager and see how they obtain and process information. I can bet you it’s not from a press release.

Oh, and if the Aztecs would have had a Twitter account on that first day they realized the not-killing people vs. sunrise thing, I bet it would have gone a little something like this. "Totes slept thru alarm, 4got human sacrifice this a.m. @tezcatlipoca is gunna b so mad LOL." Then later, "Hmm, sun up what duz it all mean? lulz 4 real." Yes, for what it's worth, I think Twitter is killing the English language.

-End Rant-

Ham Exam

Now, that's an exam I could pass with flying colors! Oh, it's not about Honeybaked Ham? Well, that's a different matter then.

There will be an FCC Amateur Radio Exam session in Longview coming up on May 21st from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. at the LCARA Clubhouse at 966 Lone Oak Road. The exam fee is $15, cash only. All three license exams will be given--Technician, General and Extra. For more information about what you need to study, what to bring and how to register, contact Judi at 274-3480 or by email at k7hrwjudi@live.com

National Pet Week

According to the reader board in front of my vet's office, today is the beginning of National Pet Week. That makes a great segue into today's topic: pet preparedness!

Many pet owners do not realize that in the event of a disaster and evacuation, Red Cross shelters are not able to accept pets. It is also not safe to leave your pets behind, as they depend on you for survival. Leaving companion pets behind could result in them being lost or harmed.

The best way to ensure your pet is safe in the event of an evacuation is to have a disaster plan! Taking time now to develop a plan and prepare a disaster kit for each pet will provide you with comfort in knowing that your pets will be safer because of your preparedness.

Ask friends, relatives and other pet owners outside of your area if they would be willing to provide shelter for your pets in the event of an evacuation. Nearly all of the hotels in the area are willing to let patrons have small pets in their room during a disaster (Yes, I did call all of them!). The Humane Society can also foster pets during evacuations, provided you have a current shot record (you can call the vet and they'll print one out for you), a labeled pet crate and a list of any medications or special needs your pet may have (like Fluffy is allergic to wheat or Coco only speaks German).

Prepare a list of places, including phone numbers, that your pet(s) could go. Keep this information in your disaster kit. The kitty pictured was just told that his owner hasn't done anything to get him prepared for a disaster. Don't let this be YOUR pet!