FEMA Teams Up With Minor League Baseball And Boy Scouts To Help Families Prepare For Emergencies

On the heels of the 2009 All-Star Games, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is joining with Minor League Baseball and the Boy Scouts of America to kick off the second half of their campaign to ensure fans and their families are Ready when emergencies strike. In partnership with FEMA's Ready Campaign, Dozens of baseball teams and local Boy Scout councils across the nation are stepping up to the plate and encouraging fans to prepare for all types of emergencies and disasters. The Ready Campaign is a national public awareness effort designed to help all Americans prepare their families before the next emergency or disaster, by making a kit and getting a plan.

"As we enter hurricane season, the partnership with Minor League Baseball will help educate thousands of baseball fans about the need to prepare our families now, before disaster strikes," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "Preparing your family now, will have an impact on the outcome of the next disaster. That's why through FEMA's Ready Campaign we are encouraging all Americans to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan and be informed about the different types of emergencies that can occur in their areas We appreciate the continued support of Minor League Baseball, the Boy Scouts and all of the organizations helping us to spread this critical message to American families."

"Minor League Baseball is proud to team up with the Boys Scouts of America in advancing the Ready Campaign," said Minor League Baseball President Pat O'Conner. "Through the years we have seen Minor League Baseball communities seriously impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters. We are convinced the Ready Campaign is a valuable resource to citizens in harms way and our teams enthusiastically support spreading this important message."

Throughout the 2009 season, Minor League Baseball teams are participating in a variety of ways, including featuring the Ready public service advertisements on their monitors and in game programs as well as partnering with local Boy Scouts, Emergency Management Agencies, and Citizen Corps Councils to distribute Ready's emergency preparedness materials. These brochures and educational materials provide valuable information to help individuals and families prepare for emergencies and are also available at www.ready.gov.

Local Boy Scouts taking part in this effort can work toward earning their Emergency Preparedness merit badge and a Good Turn for America Award, which fosters joint community service projects between the Boy Scouts and organizations like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

"Personal preparedness is a fundamental principle we teach all of our scouts, so it makes great sense that our scouts would help share that message with others through our partnership with the Ready Campaign," said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America.
To learn more about how your local team can get involved and to find out what teams are doing, please visit www.ready.gov.
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Evaluation Shows Significant Improvement in Local Hospitals' Disaster Preparedness

U.S. hospitals are significantly better prepared for disasters and
public health emergencies now than they were in 2001, but much work
remains to be done, according to a University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center study.

The study by the university's Center for Biosecurity was released today
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The study was
produced under contract with the agency.

The center was charged with conducting an independent evaluation of the
HHS Hospital Preparedness Program and the program's impact on health
care preparedness for mass casualty disasters. The program was
established by the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006
after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to improve hospitals'
preparedness for all types of disasters.

"Hospitals are the foundation of the local health care response to
man-made and natural disasters. Each community's success in responding
and recovering depends in no small part on how well prepared the local
hospital is to withstand and respond to disaster," said Dr. Craig
Vanderwagen, HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response, and
a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service. "The HHS Hospital
Preparedness Program (HPP) has continually worked with states and local
communities to bolster that planning and response capability across the
country."

The study evaluated the first five years of the program from 2002 to
2007. It found that the most useful indicators for measuring the
preparedness of hospitals are ability to surge to accommodate additional
patients during disasters, how well hospitals do in training their staff
for disasters and realistic exercises, and how well hospitals perform
during actual disasters.

Hospital senior leaders now actively support and participate in
preparedness activities, hospital emergency operations plans are more
comprehensive and better coordinated with community emergency plans and
local hazards, and disaster training has become more rigorous, the
report said.

As additional indicators of improvement, hospitals have stockpiled
emergency supplies and medicines, have improved communication systems
and conduct more frequent and higher quality disaster exercises than in
the past, the study said.

The study showed that HPP has been the catalyst for new health care
coalitions throughout the country. As a result, it said, many
communities can now respond more effectively to disasters. Through these
coalitions, hospitals are now working collaboratively on disaster
preparedness with other hospitals, public health departments and
emergency managers.

The report also found that health care planning for catastrophic
emergencies at the individual hospital level is still in the early
stages and that a large-scale emergency could "overwhelm the medical
capabilities of communities, regions or the entire country and require
drastic departures from customary health care practices." The report
concluded that bridging this gap would require significant changes in
the way health care is delivered.

"Hospitals have made tremendous improvements with the funding and
guidance the program provides, and we recognize that much remains to be
done for our nation to become fully prepared for catastrophic public
health and medical emergencies," Vanderwagen said. "Continual progress
requires a sustained commitment and partnership among all levels of
government, private industry and non-government organizations."

The study's findings are based on a year of research and analysis,
including interviews with 133 individuals involved with hospital
preparedness in every state and at local levels across the country.

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Red Cross Help for Those Returning Home After the Storm

With close to 800,000 people without power and many with wind and water damage, Hurricane Gustav continues to make life hard for the people of the Gulf Coast. After the storm, the American Red Cross is offering assistance and information to keep people safe as clean-up efforts begin.

The Red Cross will provide emergency assistance in the following ways:

-- Sheltering for people who have lost power or otherwise find their homes unlivable

-- Mobile feeding trucks and kitchens in the hardest hit areas for people who need water and a meal while cleaning up or because they have lost power

-- Emergency financial assistance based on significant structural damage to someone's home. Assessment teams will start visits to the affected areas, surveying the damage. That damage assessment will become the basis for our emergency financial assistance.

-- Clean-up kits including: mop, broom, cleaning supplies, work gloves and similar items.

-- Emotional counseling and support. We recognize this has been a very difficult time for the people of the Gulf Coast.

Red Cross will be cautious not to duplicate any services the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be providing, but will help people register for FEMA assistance.

"When people come back home, the Red Cross will be there too," said Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. "If shelters are needed, we will provide them. Our mobile kitchens will feed those who have lost the food they had on hand. We will hand out clean-up kits. And, if someone needs to talk to someone, we will have counselors available."

All American Red Cross assistance is provided free, made possible by donations from the American people.

Those who have evacuated are advised to return home only after authorities advise that is safe to do so. Follow these suggestions to stay safe when you return:

-- Drive only if absolutely necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed-out bridges.

-- Use telephone only for emergency calls. Keep phone lines open.

-- Wear protective shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirts and gloves to protect you from sharp edges and other hazards.

-- Avoid loose or dangling power lines, reporting them immediately to the power company, police or fire department.

-- Before entering, check the outside of your home for damage such as cracks in the foundation or broken utilities that make it too dangerous to enter.

-- Enter your home with caution. Look for sagging in the ceiling that may indicate water trapped there. Check for loose flooring.

-- Smell for gas. If you detect a natural gas or propane odor or hear a hissing noise, leave immediately and contact the fire department or utility company.

-- Avoid using sinks, showers and toilets if you suspect sewage lines are damaged.

-- Beware of snakes, insects or animals driven to higher ground by floodwater.

-- Open windows and doors to ventilate and dry your home.

-- Throw out all food, beverages and medicine exposed to floodwaters and mud, including canned goods, capped bottles and sealed containers. When in doubt, throw it out.

-- Take pictures of the damage to the house and its contents for insurance claims.

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Bush Proclaims September as National Preparedness Month

GPSN Note: Peachtree City urges its citizens to be prepared. Let's all do our part in Fayette County and in the rest of Georgia to be ready for any emergency. This week's rain as the remnants of Fay has come through our area has underscored the need to be prepared.

During National Preparedness Month, we underscore the important responsibility Americans have to be ready for emergencies in our homes, businesses, and communities.

The Department of Homeland Security's Ready campaign highlights preparedness steps, including having an emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan, and becoming informed about different types of emergencies. After preparing themselves and their families, Americans can take the next step and get involved in helping to prepare their communities for all types of emergencies. For more information, citizens may visit www.ready.gov and citizencorps.gov.

During National Preparedness Month, we also honor our Nation's police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel for their hard work and commitment to protecting others. As first responders, they have demonstrated the true meaning of heroism by taking great risks to safeguard our communities, and all Americans are grateful for their efforts.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2008 as National Preparedness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the importance of preparing for potential emergencies and to observe this month by participating in appropriate events, activities, and preparedness programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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It’s Only a Test -- Clayton State Trying Out New Emergency Alert Siren System, July 14

It’s just a test.

Clayton State University’s Office of Public Safety is planning to test the campus’ newly-installed emergency alert siren system today, Monday, July 14. Times are yet to be determined.

Two sirens will sound, preceded by a voice message to the effect that this is a test of the campus alert system.

The sirens are placed in two locations on the Clayton State campus, one near the Athletics & Fitness Center on the west side of campus, and the other near the Maintenance Building on the far eastern side of the campus.

NTSB to Investigate Incident Involving Midwest Airlines Plane Carrying Senator Obama

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in which a chartered Midwest Airlines airplane carrying Senator
Barack Obama made an uneventful precautionary landing due to a suspected flight control anomaly.

At about 9:30 a.m. CDT this morning, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 airplane (N804ME), operated by Midwest Airlines as Flight 8663, diverted to St. Louis, Missouri, during a flight from Chicago, Illinois to Charlotte, North Carolina. There were no injuries to the 48 passengers and crew.

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated Todd Fox as the Investigator-in-Charge for this incident. Fox is expected to arrive on scene this afternoon.

Post-flight inspection of the airplane revealed an in-flight deployment of the aft emergency exit slide within the tail cone.

Preliminary information indicate that the crew disconnected the autopilot during climbout from Chicago, while being vectored around thunderstorms, when they reportedly felt
elevator control forces that were heavier than normal. They therefore elected to make a precautionary landing at St. Louis. After landing, it was learned that the aft emergency exit slide had deployed within the tail cone. The tail cone did not separate from the airplane.

UGA Workshop Helps Counties Handle Animals During Disasters

After Hurricane Katrina, Don Hamilton and other University of Georgia employees took care of 3,000 abandoned animals for 10 days at a shelter in Mississippi. The experience sparked them to develop a workshop to help keep Georgia animals and citizens safer during disasters.

They’re now taking the “Handling Animals during Disasters” planning workshop to counties around Georgia.

“If you don’t have a place to shelter animals in disaster, people aren’t going to evacuate,” said Hamilton, homeland security coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Georgia requires that each of its 159 counties have a local emergency operations plan. This plan contains a section on agriculture and natural resources, which includes handling companion animals. This is also required through the national Pet Evacuation Transportation Standards Act.

“After evacuation and disaster, there’s a tremendous problem with abandoned animals – dogs, cats, birds and livestock,” said Jeff Doles, director of Peach County’s Emergency Management Agency. “Before you can re-inhabit an area or allow citizens to return, you have to control the animal population. Now the encouragement is to take your animals with you so they don’t have to take care of themselves.”

Through the workshop, UGA experts helped Peach County research and develop its plan and guided various county players through mock disaster situations.

“They did a lot of groundwork where the rubber hits the road,” Doles said. “I can’t tell you how much help they were to us. We’re a small county. It would be virtually impossible for us to accomplish a plan of the magnitude we’ve got using our local resources.”

In February, Dole, UGA Cooperative Extension coordinator Frank Funderburk and others from the Fort Valley area tested their on-paper plan for handling animals in a disaster situation.

The two mock disasters “taught us to adapt,” said Doles, who is also the county’s fire chief. “We had some problems that we identified in our exercises, but we had a lot of strengths. I think it’s some of best training done in a while.”

The Georgia Department of Agriculture was a key player in the effort. UGA’s Fanning Institute helped facilitate it.

The county’s board of commissioners has since added the animal plan to the local emergency plan, which the city and county use to respond to and recover from any manmade or natural disaster.

As part of the plan, Doles is the first person county officials will call if there is a disaster. The third person on that list is Funderburk, who keeps a copy of the plan close by, ready to grab in case a tornado hits a veterinarian’s office or a hurricane sends evacuees up I-75, pets in hand, looking for shelter.

“I hope we don’t ever have to use it, but at least we’ve got a plan,” he said.

Hamilton is now helping emergency management officials in Brooks and Houston counties develop their own plans. These counties were chosen because of their proximity to Georgia’s interstates, their willingness to participate and their local resources.

The workshops are funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

By Stephanie Schupska
University of Georgia

Stephanie Schupska is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.