Grover is Prepared. Are you?

Grover is many things to many people. He is a role model, a friend and now a spokesmonster for preparedness! In our haste to be prepared for emergencies, sometimes we forget to teach our very young children some of the most important things to know (parents names, phone number, etc). This interview comes to us from a compelling series called "What Should We Tell the Public" from InCaseofEmergencyBlog.com. Take a minute to listen to Grover and share it with a child that you love!

Senior Connections Fair this Saturday!

The 3rd Annual Senior Connections Fair is coming up this Saturday at the Cowlitz Expo Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This year's theme is "Live Happy, Live Healthy." Over 50 exhibitors will provide social connections, employment readiness, financial literacy, legal information, health screening, education, volunteer opportunities, and personal care or home care assistance. You’ll enjoy live entertainment, give-a-ways, door prizes and guest speakers. Test drive innovative medical equipment, sign up for a Spa Day or participate in dance and exercise. There will be seating for rest and snacks available. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted for CAP Food Warehouse. Stop by the DEM booth and say hello!

Will You Subscribe?

As you well know, the last week in April is National Karaoke Week. What, you didn't know that? Well, to celebrate this auspicious occasion, I have brought back a vintage post from last summer. As someone who has been told on numerous occasions of her complete lack of vocal talent, please take this opportunity to enjoy a wonderful karaoke song, not performed out loud by me.

Have you ever found something really cool on the Internet, but then you were never able to find it again? Well, if you are reading this blog, you've found something really cool. DON'T let it get away! So, how can you prevent this sad dilemma? You can subscribe! Subscribing to the blog is easy, it's free and it benefits both the blogger and the reader. It's beneficial for you to get updates automatically when a new blog entry is posted, thus making you happier, smarter and perhaps better looking*. It's beneficial for me because it gives me a nice reader base to show off to my superiors. See? Win-win. You can subscribe by entering your email in the box on the right hand side of the blog. It's right over there, shift your eyes to the right, scroll up...Yep, right there. You will receive an emailed link to confirm your subscription. OPEN THE EMAIL. READ THE DIRECTIONS. FOLLOW SAID DIRECTIONS. (I'm not yelling, I'm gently, yet firmly stating a directive.) This is the part that most people fail and then wonder why they never get email updates. Once you have confirmed the subscription, like a magical fairy bearing emergency info and updates, you will receive an email with any entries for that day. If that isn't enough to make you want to be a subscriber, 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!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Safe Kids Day

Looking for some free entertainment on Saturday, May 1st? If so, take the kids and check out Spring SAFE KIDS Day at the Longview Fire Department (740 Commerce Ave, Longview). The event features booths about fire safety, disaster preparedness, poisoning prevention and much more. There will be hourly prize drawings and LOTS of games and activities for kids of all ages.

Looking for a Good Book?

The three of us here in Emergency Management are always looking for good books that bring emergency planning, response and recovery to life. We found just that in The Day The World Came To Town, a fantastic book chronicling the lesser known stories of passengers affected by the events of September 11th. The story follows the passengers of flights that were diverted and made emergency landings in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. Gander is a small Canadian town with a population of around 9,000 residents. On that fateful day, 38 jetliners were directed to land at Gander "International" Airport, effectively doubling the population of this small town. When Gander became the recipient of these thousands of unexpected guests, its residents immediately rallied together and swiftly set up emergency shelters, opened their homes to complete strangers and offered the use of their vehicles, bedding and whatever else was needed. Local businesses emptied their shelves of food, supplies, clothing and toys. Pharmacists filled prescriptions from all over the world without cost. No call for assistance went unheard and no person struggled alone.
To put this in perspective, imagine an influx of over 6,000 unexpected people landing in the middle of Kelso at one time. How would we feed these people? Shelter them? Meet any medical and dietary needs? You can't answer every question with a resolute answer. That's the frustration with emergency planning, there is never a 100% correct answer that will work every time. That's why reading books such as The Day The World Came To Town help remind us not only as emergency planners, but as citizens that, while there is no perfect answer, there is the unexpected resolution that can never be written into any plan. With their hospitality, flexibility and quick thinking, the residents of Gander, Newfoundland have set a standard to which the rest of us should aspire to reach.

Gardening Class Coming Up

You may be wondering what gardening has to do with emergency preparedness. Gardening and canning your harvest is a great way to work up an inexpensive food supply! The Healthy Homes Program has teamed up with the Highlands Neighborhood Association to present "Food Gardening for Next to Nothing." with Master Gardener Glen Andresen. This even will be held on Monday, April 26th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at St. Helens Elementary School at 431 27th Avenue in Longview. If you have questions, please contact 414-5581.

Mind Your Business

The recent eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano got me thinking. It first got me thinking about what a weird name that Eyjafjallajokull is. Then it got me thinking about the only thing I know about Iceland, which is the singer, Bjork (who is also very weird). Then it got me thinking by that logic Iceland must be a weird place. (Seriously, this is how my mind functions) But THEN I got to thinking about how the ash fallout has caused complete travel chaos in northern Europe. The flight cancellations alone cost British Airways $16.04 million dollars per day. And that's just the airline industry. According to MSNBC, this is the worst air interruption since 9/11 as many countries near Iceland have closed or heavily restricted their airspace. Also hard hit are train companies, the hospitality industry and car rental outlets. For more information on this story, visit MSNBC by clicking here.

So, what does this mean for you? Probably nothing, but it does spring to mind that we have several volcanoes in our state, some that are prone to belching hot ash on occasion. If you are a business owner, or if you work for a small business, it is necessary to have a solid business continuity plan. The sad statistic is that nearly half of all businesses that must unexpectedly close for more than three days, never re-open. It doesn't have to be that way. There are many options in preparing for unexpected closures and business slow-downs due to unforeseen emergencies (i.e. extended power outage, snow, flood, etc). Many businesses chose to purchase business interruption insurance. This is the best way to keep your business afloat during an unexpected event. Even if you are not a business owner, an unexpected closure due to an emergency still affects you. If you are an employee of a small business, it may be prudent to talk to your employer about their emergency plans. If they go out of business, that means you are out of a job. In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't the opportune time to be unemployed.

There are many templates available to help you create a successful business continuity plan on your own. (http://www.ready.gov/ has a good one) However, if this is all too much for you, you are in luck. The Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments, Cowlitz Economic Development Council and the Small Business Development Council are here to help. For more information on individualized help on business continuity plans in case of disaster, please contact Jennifer Keene at Council of Governments at 577-3041 or jkeene@cwcog.org. Don't let your business become a statistic!