By John Cornelison on
2/27/2012 6:27 PM
|
By John Cornelison on
2/26/2012 5:24 PM
Be prepared to help your community.... get CERT Trained. Learn how to prepare and care for yourself, your family, your animals, and help out your community in times of power outages, emergencies or disasters. Community Emergency Response Team training starts March 16th. The free training will be held March 16th to May 4th (Fridays 6:00PM - 10:00PM) at Vashon Island Fire and Rescue’s Training Center. To register or for more information, please contact certvashon@yahoo.com or 463-4558 or contact your nearest CERT member!
|
By John Cornelison on
2/21/2012 1:35 PM
This handy list (and mini-reviews) of iPhone apps for ham radio enthusiasts is courtesy of Keith Francisco – or more likely from http://www.k0nr.com/wordpress/2011/04/the-incomplete-list-of-ham-radio-iphone-apps/ – in either case, thanks! CallBook (Author: Dog Park Software, Cost: $1.99) Simple ham radio callbook lookup that accesses the WM7D database (or QRZ and Ham Call databases if you are a subscriber). Maidenhead Converter (Author: Donald Hays, Cost: Free)...
|
By John Cornelison on
2/21/2012 8:50 AM
Vashon Maury Island Radio Club announces an Amateur Radio (Ham) License testing session will be held on Vashon Island around the middle of March. Test costs about $14. Take advantage of these Technician, General, and Extra levels tests given on island.
Training for the exams will not be provided this time, so you’d have to study the ARRL manuals yourselves or go off island for training. Exact date, and location TBA. Please contact Sharon at kharazi@aol.com if you want to take any level test. Details on the Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club can be found at: www.w7vmi.org/
|
By John Cornelison on
2/21/2012 8:41 AM
Japan’s...
|
By John Cornelison on
2/8/2012 8:58 PM
Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage—A Practical Guide, Fourth Edition (FEMA E-74) Course Description Nonstructural components of buildings include all elements that are not part of the structural system; that is, the architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as furniture, fixtures, equipment, and other contents. During the recent earthquakes in Chile, New Zealand, Japan, Virginia and other earlier earthquakes in California, Washington, and other parts of the U.S., nonstructural failures have accounted for the majority of damage and injuries. In many cases, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other organizations had to spend excessive time and dollars for clean up and repair due to nonstructural failures; therefore impeding continued operations...
|
By John Cornelison on
2/8/2012 8:53 PM
ALL ISLAND FORUM listening, learning and working together for our community Welcome Vashon is holding an All Island Forum later this month’s whose purpose is to provide a collaborative, participatory and effective forum for community dialogue & action. It seeks clarity on issues, consensus on decisions, and community participation on solutions. All Island Forum invites ALL ISLANDERS to an interactive forum to explore VASHON: What really matters to you? Join friends and neighbors to share ideas about the character and future of Vashon. For each of us, what are the essential characteristics of a Vashon worth working for? We are asking for wide reaching community participation as we as we hone our skills at listening and expressing our opinions, and begin to build a process through which we can make more nuanced and consensual decisions about matters that effect our islands as a whole. Get to know your neighbors better, gain more appreciation for others’ views, and learn more...
|
By John Cornelison on
2/8/2012 8:48 AM
A...
|
By John Cornelison on
2/1/2012 2:46 PM
...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/31/2012 8:30 PM
Now Available for Android Users In an ongoing effort to save lives, About The Kids Foundation today announces the free release of the ICE Standard App for Google Android users. Currently rated “The #1 Most Downloaded Emergency Contact Information App” for Apple iPhone, the ICE Standard App protects users during an emergency by featuring critical information as a screensaver. In the event of an emergency, the ICE Standard App is designed to save lives by providing first time responders with immediate access to critical information about a patient. To help responders quickly identify a person’s condition, the App uses a tricolor system: Green (Good to Go), Yellow (Caution: Medications), and Red (Stop: Special Medical Condition or Life Threatening Allergies). In addition,...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/30/2012 11:06 PM
Due to the high demand, a SECOND series of Food Storage for Emergencies workshops will be held on three Monday evenings, 7-9 pm! See details below. Please pre-register and pass the word! Vashon’s Food Security Working Group will be hosting a series of workshops to help families learn to stock their pantries for all sorts of emergencies-from earthquakes to power outages to job layoffs. Three Food Storage for Emergencies workshops will take place every other Monday, beginning February 6, 7:00...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/11/2012 3:21 PM
…sometime in the next 500 years, according to a great blog a couple weeks back by the PSSN’s John Vidale, a regular contributor to their “Seismo Blog” How likely is it to go? Well you’ll have to read his blog that breaks down some of the inputs to evaluating the actual risk factor – which I think he never actually stated…
There’s a whole list of interrelated blogs on this topic which I saw after reading Ben Jervey’s nice post on the subject – which is a commentary of the NY Times post...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/11/2012 3:15 PM
Cascadia Subduction Zone
Example: the 1700 earthquake that caused shaking and a tsunami that inundated the Oregon coast and reached as far as Japan. ...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/11/2012 1:51 PM
|
By John Cornelison on
1/11/2012 1:34 PM
Doomsday clock moves closer to midnight
Numerous articles (including USA Today’s) note that scientists have moved the hands of the doomsday clock toward midnight – as a visible metaphor for our lessened security due to our fuelish ways. It is notoriously hard to change our social (i.e., automotive) ways, but the consequences of our not taking a long term view are increasingly resulting in massive storm and economic damage today to societies across the globe.
Disaster risks are judged by multiplying the estimated...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/11/2012 1:11 PM
According to the inspector general (IG) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), state and local fusion centers and emergency operations centers could improve the response of their jurisdictions to terrorism and natural disasters if they talked to each other more often. Many fusion centers and EOCs surveyed do not exchange information.
While Washington State’s fusion center’s near-daily briefing tends toward being a fear based police blotter, extracting news...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/5/2012 8:18 AM
VashonBePrepared has been working with the Debi Richards and the Vashon Chamber of Commerce and a large number of local businesses this fall to promote business disaster preparedness. A useful new national program has just been announced that promises to provide some great guidance for all of us. The big aim:
Identify your risk
Make a mitigation project plan
Implement techniques for ensuring and enhancing business resilience
What a great new goal for Vashon businesses in 2012!
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)...
|
By John Cornelison on
1/5/2012 7:39 AM
The new Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) district cook book, “What’s Cookin’ at VIFR” is now here! Find a wide variety of savory and sweet treats inside with names such as Hanks’s Homemade Salsa, Duey’s Margarita, Milt’s Rib Roast for 1,000, and the infamous “Mom’s Hamburger and Biscuit Thing”! There are sections on appetizers, soups & salads, main dishes, breads and rolls, desserts, cookies and candy, and ‘this & that’.
The...
|
By John Cornelison on
12/14/2011 9:24 AM
The fall 2011 CERT Newsletter is out and contains a nice overview of CERT activities happening around the country. These serve as a good introduction to the wide range of purposes CERT volunteers are capable of. There is an emphasis in this newsletter of college campus CERTs - including an impressive photo of the Pasadena Community College (PCC) CERT trailer. Check...
|
By John Cornelison on
12/11/2011 6:51 PM
A car accident snapped off the power pole at Dockton and Pt. Robinson roads last night about 6 PM. Unfortunately the accident curiously snapped the pole up about 20 feet high and took out the island’s primary electrical power feed. While most of island only experienced a 10 second outage, about 500 PSE customers had a couple hour service interruption. 1200 Maury Island people didn’t have power (and Comcast service) fully restored until about 3:30 PM today.
During the event Rick Frye wrote the following note to the Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club’s email group, which I thought a great reflection on the event:
And while I don’t know anything about the particulars in this case, I do know that sometimes – especially when a pole breaks – a lower voltage line can come into contact with a higher voltage line and this will cause the lower voltage line to become hyper-energized leading to problems along that line that might wipe out a...
|
By John Cornelison on
12/8/2011 8:43 AM
|
By John Cornelison on
12/1/2011 9:47 AM
Here’s a reminder to attend the December 1st Community Dinner at the Vashon High School Common Room, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This month’s theme will be energy conservation, emergency preparedness and how to access and use the wonderful resources on this island to help in the event of an emergency. PSE will be handing out Take Winter by Storm ice scrapers, CFL bulbs, and low...
|
By John Cornelison on
11/10/2011 8:19 AM
There were serious issues that presented the first nationwide emergency alert from working uniformly across the county. Some folks reported 30 seconds of dead air, others garbled audio. Some folks instead heard Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’! It is good we had this test as it points out that there is lots of work to be done – likely in various state’s infrastructures. More at: ...
|
By John Cornelison on
11/8/2011 12:38 PM
CBS recently listed a number of sobering facts about earthquake insurance that anyone from a scesmicly active area - like those of us from the Salish Sea would do well to be familiar with. Most know it isn’t included in standard homeowner’s policies, but even with it beware of the large number of restrictions in comparison to fire or other policies.
The topics covered are:
Deductibles
Personal possessions
Exclusions
Loss of use
Uncovered losses don't count toward the deductible
Cost of coverage
Who suffers catastrophic claims
Mitigating risks
Read the article at www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-57319955/earthquake-insurance-8-things-you-need-to-know/...
|
By John Cornelison on
11/8/2011 11:34 AM
|
By John Cornelison on
11/3/2011 10:53 AM
The Fire District is sponsoring the community dinner at Vashon High School tonight. The school district puts on these dinners once a month to raise funds for the school’s lunch program. A suggested donation is $10 per person, but come by, enjoy a dinner and support this wonderful program. November 3rd Community Dinner Vashon High School Commons 5:30-7:00 pm $10 Suggested Donation Topics ...
|
By John Cornelison on
11/3/2011 9:12 AM
Join FEMA Tuesday, November 8th to learn how the recently released National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) provides a more inclusive, collaborative and comprehensive approach to addressing disaster recovery issues and challenges. The NDRF defines how we will work together as a nation to best meet the disaster recovery needs of individuals, families, communities, and states. The NDRF is based on the principle...
|
By John Cornelison on
10/31/2011 12:13 PM
Puyallup’s Emergency Management Department is hosting a free Emergency Preparedness Fair this Saturday at their fairgrounds. Learn to build an emergency kit, learn about their CERT, ARES & related citizen corps programs, fire safety and much more. www.cityofpuyallup.org/emergency-management/emergency-preparedness-fair/ ...
|
By John Cornelison on
10/21/2011 11:31 AM
Hazus is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that contains models for estimating potential losses from earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. Hazus uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to estimate physical, economic, and social impacts of disasters.
HAZUS-MH is software developed by FEMA that analyzes risk from natural hazards in communities. Although Hazus-MH itself is free, it requires the users to have ArcGIS with ArcView license level.
Existing HAZUS-MH runs for Vashon (i.e. those for our 2005 Earthquake Study,...
|
By John Cornelison on
10/21/2011 10:37 AM
|