Is it me or is the Earth acting up lately?

Here is a link to a very interesting article from MSNBC regarding the massive earthquake in Chile that occurred earlier today. Though the article's title makes me laugh, "Big Quake Question: Is Nature Out of Control," (um, hello, when could we EVER control nature?) it does raise some significant questions about the many natural disasters of late. It seems that the Ring of Fire is becoming a bit more active. Guess who that affects....yep, the Pacific Northwest. Please take a minute to read the article and make your own conclusion. Is Nature out of control? Maybe. Is it a good time to make an emergency plan, get an emergency kit and learn more about disasters in your area? You bet your sweet bippy it is. For more information on earthquake preparedness, click here.

Does Your Business Recovery Plan Look Like This?

Don't forget: a“meet and greet” for area business owners will be held February 22, 2010 at 5:30 PM at the Cowlitz PUD auditorium, Longview. It is being hosted by the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce, Cowlitz Economic Development Council, American Red Cross and Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Cowlitz-Lewis Economic Development District. Refreshments and a door prize will be available. If you are a business owner and would like more information on disaster resiliency, this is event for you!

Map Your Neighborhood

Map Your Neighborhood is a simple program that greatly increases your safety immediately following a disaster. “Map Your Neighborhood” (MYN) is a program designed to help neighborhoods prepare for disasters.

A single disaster causes many individual emergencies at one time. Unfortunately, the police or fire department may not be able to respond to your call for help in a timely manner. Fire departments are mandated to perform Damage Assessments of their entire districts and then to respond to the situations where crews can do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Professional emergency response to your situation may be delayed for hours, even days. Of necessity, you and your neighbors become the first responders to your emergencies.

Preparing your neighborhood is vital. Neighbors that are prepared are more effective in their response to a disaster and have an increased capacity to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours after a disaster. Neighborhoods that are prepared for emergencies and disaster situations save lives, reduce the severity of injuries and trauma, and reduce property damage. In addition, working together as a team and contributing as an individual develops stronger communities.

There will be a FREE Map Your Neighborhood class offered on March 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the LifeWorks Building at 906 New York Avenue in Longview. You will receive all the information and materials to help get your neighborhood prepared for a disaster. Participants will learn:

* The 9 steps to take immediately following a disaster
* How to develop invitations and an agenda for a neighborhood meeting
* How to develop a neighborhood skills and equipment inventory
* How to map your neighborhood and identify areas of concern
* Plus much, much more!

To take advantage of this FREE learning opportunity, please email DEM@co.cowlitz.wa.us or call Jennifer at 577-3130.

Preparedness Comes In Many Forms....

Wilderness First Aid Basics

March 2nd there will be a FREE Wilderness First Aid Basics class offered at REI in Hillsboro. For all the details, click here. While this class is geared toward backpackers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts, first aid skills are good for everyone to know. Even if you don't see yourself ever trudging around the woods on purpose, first aid skills can be used in a variety of situations, especially following a disaster when first responder resources are overwhelmed. And, as the Schoolhouse Rock theme song says, "It's great to learn, 'cause knowledge is power!"

Disaster Resiliency for Businesses

A Federal Way consulting firm, Pearce Global Partners, will hold a series of meetings with local business owners who have experienced natural and man-made disasters that disrupted their business. Pearce Global is seeking information regarding possible stumbling blocks or frustrations they’ve had with recovery processes. They will also be surveying businesses regarding their experiences. The goal is to identify opportunities to better coordinate and assist businesses with disaster preparedness and mitigation.

A “meet and greet” for area businesses will be held February 22, 2010 at 5:30 PM at the Cowlitz PUD auditorium, Longview. It is being hosted by the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce, Cowlitz Economic Development Council, American Red Cross and Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Cowlitz-Lewis Economic Development District. Refreshments and a door prize will be available.

Pearce Global will be meeting with local businesses through the chambers of commerce throughout the month of February to discuss the project. The schedule is as follows:

February 9- Woodland Chamber of Commerce
February 11- Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce
February 23- Kalama Chamber of Commerce

The chambers and staff will assist businesses in preparedness measures, ranging from protecting inventory, documentation security, updating insurance and business continuity planning. The Cowlitz-Lewis Economic Development District hired Pearce Global Partners to assist with the Business Disaster Resiliency Project with a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

If you are a business owner and are interested in more information, please contact Jennifer Keene, assistant planner for the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments at 577-3041.

Don't Be Left Out in the Cold!

Picture this: it's dark, it's rainy (go figure), you're in your car alone and you unwittingly run over a giant nail. After the string of expletives dies down, you realize that your cell phone is in your other purse (or pants, or bag, or whatever). Now what? Does this sound like the beginning of a B-list horror movie? It doesn't have to be. Check out this article from MSN.com about the 10 things you should keep in your car (stale french fries and Legos did not make the list or else I'd be set!) It is not only a great idea to have the tools and the know-how to change a tire, but also to be ready to spend some quality time in your car in case of an emergency. You never know if you'll be stranded due to an earthquake, flood or any other disaster that we may have. Be sure to check out the article and see how many of the 10 essential items that you have. If you don't have any, it may be time to do some shopping.