By John Cornelison on
1/15/2011 8:39 AM
23-27 January
Washington State Convention Center
12:00–4:00 p.m
Free of Charge and Open to All!
Teachers, students, families! Mark your calendar for the American Meteorological Society’s 10th Annual WeatherFest, a cool, super-size science fair to teach you all about the weather, climate and related fields.
What is WeatherFest?
WeatherFest is an interactive science and weather fair designed to instill a love for math and science in children of all ages and to spark a young person’s interest in this area so they may consider...
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By John Cornelison on
1/14/2011 9:38 AM
California has more risk of catastrophic storms than any other region in the country – even the Southern hurricane states, according to a new study released Thursday.
The two-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey is the most thorough effort yet to assess the potential effects of a "worst-case" storm in California.
It builds on a new understanding of so-called atmospheric rivers, a focusing of high-powered winds that drag a fire hose of tropical moisture across the Pacific Ocean, pointed directly at California for days on end. The state got a relatively tame taste of the phenomenon in December.
The team of experts that developed the scenario can't say when it will happen. But they do say it has happened in the past and is virtually certain to strike again. ...
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By John Cornelison on
1/13/2011 10:02 AM
The declaration (noted at www.seattlepi.com/local/433304_emergency12.html) would presumably make affected homeowners and businesses eligible for low cost loans and other assistance.
Does anyone on Vashon know this process and how to best support locals seeking such assistance for this or any future disaster? If so, please contact me as I’m curious about this process.
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By John Cornelison on
1/6/2011 6:07 PM
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By John Cornelison on
1/5/2011 5:28 PM
enableUS & The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network Present:
The 2011 enABLED in Emergencies Conference
March 2-3, 2011 • Tacoma, WA
________________________________________
"If you are waiting for a situation to develop, you are going to lose your ability to change the outcome."
Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator
About This Conference
This day and a half conference is hosted by enableUS and the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) and will examine some of the greatest challenges that emergency management, disability, public health and human services communities face when responding to disasters and emergencies. This interactive and engaging seminar will focus on new FEMA sheltering guidelines, emergency evacuations for disability communities, jurisdictional liability issues and building collaborative community partnerships. Regional issues such as ice storms, flooding and earthquakes will be discussed as well as the effectiveness of special needs registries,...
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By John Cornelison on
1/5/2011 5:25 PM
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By John Cornelison on
1/4/2011 5:48 PM
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Report--We-re-Not-Ready-For-Bioterrorism/2010-12-28/Article.aspx?oid=1294626&fid= has the following of some interest:
If a major disease incident or bioterrorism attack were to occur today, the United States would not be read for it. That’s according to a new report supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
In fact, the report says “there’s an emergency for emergency health preparedness in the United States.” It calls attention to significant local, state and federal budget cuts and the impact they have had on public health departments’ ability to maintain staff capabilities, and their ability to respond to crises.
Key findings include:
* 21 states were not able to rapidly identify disease-causing E.coli O157:H7 and submit the lab results...
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By John Cornelison on
12/23/2010 1:52 PM
U.S. Geological Survey: Twitter Earthquake Detector (TED) reports that “the USGS is developing a system that gathers real-time, earthquake-related messages from the social networking site Twitter and applies place, time, and key word filtering to gather geo-located accounts of shaking. This approach provides rapid first-impression narratives and, potentially, photos from people at the hazard’s location.”
http://fcw.com/articles/2010/07/19/web-app-usgs-twitter.aspx indicates that the USGS will supplement their official data with photographs and...
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By John Cornelison on
12/15/2010 11:41 AM
The Sound Shake 2010 Incident Log entries have been removed from the Incident Log so they won’t get confused with whatever new records might eventually get put in next. An Excel file of these is available for download by EOC members from the document repository (under Planning | Msg Ctr | Incident Specific Docs). Note that the spreadsheet includes lots of additional columns and hasn't yet been formatted nicely, but all the data is there.
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By John Cornelison on
12/15/2010 10:25 AM
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By John Cornelison on
12/7/2010 5:22 PM
FEMA offers a great set of coursework you can take over the Internet. Now they’ve announced some new courses:
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. To get a complete listing of courses, click on Course List link above.
FEMA’s Independent Study Program offers courses that support the nine mission areas identified by the National Preparedness Goal.
Incident Management
Operational Planning
Disaster Logistics
Emergency Communications
Service to Disaster Victims
Continuity Programs
Public Disaster Communications
Integrated Preparedness
Hazard Mitigation
New Courses Launched
IS-18.11 - FEMA EEO Employee Course 2011...
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By John Cornelison on
10/25/2010 5:10 PM
This is (nearly) the title of the latest USGS fact sheet #3023 summarizing what could happen if a 7.1 earthquake happened along the Tacoma Fault Zone, as recently modeled by scientists.
"The U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating scientists have recently assessed the effects of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Tacoma Fault Zone in Pierce County, Washington. A quake of comparable magnitude struck the southern Puget Sound region about 1,100 years ago, and similar earthquakes are almost certain to occur in the future. The region is now home to hundreds of thousands of people, who would be at risk from the shaking, liquefaction, landsliding, and tsunamis caused by such an earthquake. The modeled effects of this scenario earthquake will help emergency planners and residents of the region prepare for future quakes." - Report’s...
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By John Cornelison on
10/5/2010 8:42 PM
Forward, from an email to SKCOAD partners:
I wanted to pass along a free training opportunity that we received notice about from the Snohomish COAD. “Hands on Diversity” is a series of cultural workshops being offered at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue in downtown Everett and are open to the public:
Saturday, Oct. 9: Native American culture: 9 a.m. to noon & Latin American culture: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 16: Asian Pacific culture: 9 a.m. to noon & African American culture: 1 to 4 p.m.
To register, please contact Therese Quinn or register ONLINE http://everettwa.org/CityNews.aspx?ID=1&nID=928
Therese Quinn-Burke
Snohomish County Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator
3509 - 109th Street SW
Everett, WA 98204
(office) 425-388-5075
therese.quinn@snoco.org
tquinn@shd.snohomish.wa.gov...
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By John Cornelison on
9/26/2010 7:51 AM
The WA State Emergency Managers Association annual conference was held this last week and some of the materials from that are now available online for any of us who were unable to make the conference.
Presentation slides and photos from the conference are available at the WSEMA website at www.wsema.org . See "2010 Conference Presentations" on the left side menu.
The videos embedded in Claire Bonilla's Microsoft presentation were too large to load onto the WSEMA website. For more information,...
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By John Cornelison on
9/18/2010 8:33 PM
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By John Cornelison on
9/12/2010 8:52 AM
Cliff Mass’ long-term forecast points to a cold and wet winter ahead
“There is a strong correlation between the temperature of the tropical Pacific and the general character of our weather”
The fall is forecast to be significantly wetter than normal and the winter somewhat so. Fall temperatures are predicted to be normal, but the winter should be cooler than normal.
While the mountains will have the heaviest snows, more than average is forecast for our lowlands too.
- http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2010/09/long-term-forecast.html
Deals on ski area passes have another week or two to run, so don’t delay! ...
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By John Cornelison on
9/11/2010 11:24 AM
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By John Cornelison on
9/11/2010 4:00 AM
Historically Vashon has had a few major wildfires:
1893: in August 1893 a fire began in the logged off area near the present high school where the first saw mill was located. The fire rages for two days and nights, "nearly a hundred" volunteers "fought desperately against apparently hopeless odds, with shovels and hoes and rakes, to save the new Baptist Church and the Presbyterian Church at Center, and the Fuller store across the street. With the flames within two hundred yards of Center, the wind shifted to the north on the evening of the second day, allowing fire fighters finally gain control of the fire. ...
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By John Cornelison on
9/10/2010 12:56 PM
My sister/brother-in-law live in Boulder, CO (to the west of Broadway), and here are a couple news releases detailing what to do in a fire situation that they received yesterday afternoon. Can you imagine what our PI Team would have to write up as a notice in a rush, if we had a wildfire here on Vashon some August afternoon?
...
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By John Cornelison on
9/9/2010 5:25 PM
"Prepare Because You Care"
Are you ready ..... for the unthinkable?
September 11th, 10 am - 3 pm
Chapel Hill Church
7700 Skansie Avenue
Gig Harbor, 98335
Neighbors are having info on home earthquake retrofit, anatomy of a disaster response, Dutch oven cooking, fire extinguisher operation, sheltering, food and water management, emergency supplies you can make at home, Rotary Shelter Boxes, Neighborhood emergency teams, and more.
Cathy Rogers has their brochure; they have 53 sponsors listed, including schools, CenturyLink, radio club, FEMA, PEP-C (Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Committee, grocery stores, churches, military, etc.) and you may be able to catch a ride with her.
More info at www.chapelhillpc.com
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By John Cornelison on
9/9/2010 5:37 AM
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By John Cornelison on
8/17/2010 1:17 PM
A pair of loud sonic booms heard around the Seattle area shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday were caused by two F-16 jets, according to Allen Kenitzer, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. By Seattle Times staff A pair of loud sonic booms heard around the Seattle area shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday were caused by two F-16 jets, according to Allen Kenitzer, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The F-16s were being "scrambled" because someone flew a plane inside the "temporary flight restrictions" area set up around Boeing Field, he said. President Obama landed at Boeing Field as part of his tour of Seattle Tuesday, which includes a stop at a bakery, the Westin Hotel, and fundraisers. The airspace can be restricted for up to a 30-mile radius around an area, and up to 18,000 feet high, according to the notice. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012647005_sonicbooms18m.html
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By John Cornelison on
7/17/2010 11:08 AM
In a Report and Order (R&O) released Wednesday, July 14, the FCC stated that under new guidelines, amateurs employed by non-governmental agencies, such as hospitals, may participate and operate in drills sponsored by their employer. Specifically, the FCC will now permit Amateur Radio operators "to transmit messages, under certain limited circumstances, during either government-sponsored or non-government sponsored emergency and disaster preparedness drills, regardless of whether the operators are employees of entities participating in the drill." More information will be posted on the ARRL Web site.
-- www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2010-07-15
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By John Cornelison on
7/8/2010 5:13 AM
Red Cross Encourages Safety During Excessive Heat American Red Cross
As the temperature continues to increase as it is predicted to this week, the American Red Cross encourages individuals and families to take the necessary precautions for excessive heat. The very young and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the heat so it is important that families and friends check on them regularly. People with chronic health issues are also at greater risk and need to take special care to stay healthy in the heat.
Preventing Heat-Related Illness
There are several precautions you can take to avoid heat-related injury and illness.
• Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing (light colors reflect away some of the sun's energy) and use a hat or an umbrella.
• Carry water or juice with you and drink frequently, even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
• Make sure to check on youth and elderly to make sure they have enough fluids....
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By John Cornelison on
7/7/2010 5:07 PM
Date: Sunday, 11-Jul
Time: 1400 – 1700
Where: Pt Robinson Lighthouse upper parking lot
Equipment: CERT helmet and safety vest. Long sleeve shirts and long pants with closed toe shoes or boots suitable for uneven terrain.
If you have an FRS, hand-held radio please bring it, if not we will have radios you can borrow.
We have run two of these events before - once in December, it was cold and rainy, but fun. Once at the end of May, it was heavenly. We expect this weekend to be very enjoyable and we will learn a lot.
If you have any questions, please call Catherine at 463.4558. She can send you the Training Authorization for this Sunday's training. It contains many details such as time, place, agenda, equipment, communication. ...
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By John Cornelison on
6/23/2010 3:21 PM
The Nominations Committee has started considering nominations for the VashonBePrepared Board of Directors upcoming election. If you are interested in serving as an At-Large candidate, please contact anyone on the nominations committee: May Gerstle, Jan Milligan, and John Cornelison. Presidents of our member organizations () will also be asked to serve as ex officio representatives – or appoint a representative.
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By John Cornelison on
6/18/2010 7:30 PM
www.soundshake2010.com is the spot if find everything out about “Sound Shake 2010, a Regional Catastrophic Earthquake Exercise Series being designed and implemented by Washington State Region Six - Homeland Security to build and test response and recovery plans.”
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By John Cornelison on
6/18/2010 12:16 PM
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:51 PM
John is setting up a future meeting with Verizon Wireless for later in June/July. Contact Tom Nicolino or John for updates on this.
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:47 PM
Public Health Seattle & King County & the King County Healthcare Coalition will be offering our free Business Resiliency Workshop for Healthcare Providers this summer.
Due to the complexities that H1N1 Pandemic presented, and possible flooding of the Green River Valley, we will be focusing the content more closely on preparing, responding and recovering from these events. Registration is open to all healthcare organizations who provide direct patient care in King County.
If you have not registered yet, there is still space available! Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible.
The workshop will be held in Shoreline on June 29 - June 30, 2010.
Further details will be sent upon registration.
Thank you!
King County Healthcare Coalition
Public Health – Seattle & King County
HCC@kingcounty.gov
Fax: 206-296-0166
Visit us at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/hccoalition.aspx
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:39 PM
NOTE: Vashon EOC and CERT volunteers are generally NOT Emergency Responders, so do not attend the following presuming you’ll be ready to jump into action locally! Instead consider this as a way to learn what the professionals will be doing and use the opportunity to learn the proper vocabulary and potential situations that can arise around this type of accident.
There are openings still available for July/September Emergency Responder Training
The course provides information firefighters, police and other emergency response personnel will find useful when confronted with an incident involving natural gas or high-voltage power-lines. The half-day training session will provide an overview of the properties, equipment and emergency procedures necessary to identify hazards and reduce the risk to people and property. Program format will include classroom instruction using energized high-voltage equipment and video re-enactments of natural gas incidents and response scenarios. Training held at PSE's Seattle...
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:27 PM
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:20 PM
Of interest on KCTS-9:
Cascadia: The Hidden Fire
Tuesday, 6/8/10, at 8:00 p.m.
Seismic events around the globe offer insight into the super-quake-prone areas along the Pacific Rim. Producer Michael Lienau will join us in studio.
Also note that KUOW, 94.9 FM, local NPR affiliate also hosted a series on Earthquakes this last week to apparently coincide with the KCTS show.
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 10:14 PM
EMACS is both the King County Emergency Management Advisory Committee and the Homeland Security Region 6 Homeland Security Council. The latest org chart lists the key players. This is also available long range on the wiki at: http://vashoneoc.org/Reference/KingCounty.aspx
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By John Cornelison on
6/15/2010 3:14 PM
Of interest on KCTS-9: Cascadia: The Hidden Fire Tuesday, 6/8/10, at 8:00 p.m. Seismic events around the globe offer insight into the super-quake-prone areas along the Pacific Rim. Producer Michael Lienau will join us in studio. Also note that KUOW, 94.9 FM, local NPR affiliate also hosted a series on Earthquakes this last week to apparently coincide with the KCTS show.
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By John Cornelison on
6/1/2010 10:56 PM
We now have limited access to the evolving King County SharePoint web site that they will be using for situational awareness. Details on this will be maintained in the wiki, but let John know if you are interested in finding out more as it expands.
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By John Cornelison on
4/1/2010 10:41 PM
Camp Murray, Wash. – Washington state will observe Disaster Preparedness Month in April. Disaster Preparedness Month activities will include a statewide earthquake drill between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. on April 21.
“I encourage all citizens to increase their knowledge and awareness of proper safety measures to follow before, during and after a disaster” during Disaster Preparedness Month, said Gov. Chris Gregoire. She added that programs offered by city, county and state emergency management agencies will promote the value of preparedness throughout the state.
A regular monthly test of the Emergency Alert System will initiate the statewide drop, cover and hold earthquake drill. In addition, King County and the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila will test their Code Red and reverse 9-1-1 notification systems.
As part of the campaign, emergency preparedness information will be sent to schools across Washington. Preparedness information for schools, businesses and homes also will be available...
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By John Cornelison on
10/25/2009 8:45 AM
Copies of the Log Summary Page from the 24Oct09 Blizzard Exercise have been posted (and subsequently moved to the Document Exchange - under Planning | Msg Ctr | Incident Specific Docs - that only registered EOC volunteers can access). Use the .MHT file if you are on Windows, as it has a couple (minor) embedded graphics files - which won't show up on the .HTM version.
Do note that links on either page won't work - at least not outside VIFR's firewall, and likely not unless you are on one the VashonEOC computers.
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