National Preparedness Month, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

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

Jackson State Community College CERT

Jackson State Community College became the first institution of higher learning in the Tennessee Homeland Security District 10 to form and train a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Members of the Jackson State faculty and staff underwent a rigorous 20 hour training course in disaster preparedness, first aid / triage, light search and rescue, small fire suppression, disaster psychology, terrorism and documentation. This was followed by a realistic drill on campus on Friday August 15th simulating an earthquake in the Classroom Building to test and hone the CERT Team's skills.

Leah Gray, JSCC Human Resources Director, organized the Jackson State CERT Team and their training. The CERT Program is part of the Department of Homeland Security Citizen Corps program and is administered in District 10 by the Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Agency.

Leah and her team did a great job and as a result, Jackson State Community College is better prepared to deal with an emergency should one occur.

For more information about the CERT Team at Jackson State Community College, please contact Leah Gray at 731-424-3520 ext. 342.

If you are interested in more information about a CERT Team in the neighborhood where you live, please contact:

G. Michael Winslow, CERT Coordinator
Jackson-Madison County EMA
Tennessee Homeland Security District 10
731-616-8599
gmwinslo@bellsouth.net

FEMA close to adopting standard for emergency alerts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to adopt the Common Alerting Protocol 1.1 for the national emergency warning and alert system by early next year, FEMA officials said today.

The goal is to create a national infrastructure so digital messages can be sent seamlessly to televisions, radios, computer desktops and other elements of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, said Lance Craver, program manager for the system.

“We are working with our partners to create the infrastructure and interoperability,” Craver said.

The protocol is an open-source technical standard developed by volunteers seven years ago. It was accepted by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) in 2004, and later refined by that organization. It has been widely adopted among emergency managers and broadcasters as well as disaster managers at FEMA. It has long been anticipated that FEMA would make it an official standard.

Under law, participants in the Emergency Alert System (EAS), including broadcasters and emergency managers, will be required to be in compliance with the CAP 1.1 standard in 180 days after FEMA makes the standard official. One reason the process has been extended over time is to ensure that the participants are fully ready to take that step, said FEMA spokeswoman Mary-Margaret Walker.

Over the next six months, FEMA officials are working with several federal and industry partners, including OASIS, to clarify how certain optional parts of the CAP are to be used, and to iron out some interoperability issues, Craver said.

During that time, FEMA and its partners will be developing specific formats, or profiles, for messages to be shared in the EAS, Craver said. Additional formats may be created for specific types of emergencies, such as health care events or events that originate with a chemical sensor reading, he said.

FEMA, in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is working on creating a testing structure so that vendors can evaluate whether their CAP messaging software and hardware products are aligned with the profiles and are interoperable with one another, Craver said.

“Arriving at standards and protocols that work for everyone is a complex process,” Martha Rainville, assistant administrator of FEMA’s National Continuity Programs Directorate, which oversees the warning system, said in a news release.

But FEMA intends to formally adopt and publish a profile in line with CAP 1.1 early next year. "We are working closely with partners across the government, private sector and nonprofit community to develop a CAP profile that ensures the interoperability needed to deliver alerts and warnings to more people in more locations through more paths,” Rainville said.

Do You Have A Weather Radio?

Federal and state officials encourage people to stay tuned to their weather radio. Buying a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio now could be a wise and affordable investment in a family's safety if severe weather threatens. A few extra dollars could buy a few extra minutes for a family to get out of harm's way.

During life-threatening weather conditions, NOAA Weather Radios send out a special alarm tone to signal a watch or warning alerting listeners to take appropriate safety measures. The signal transmits anytime day or night, even if a family is not listening to the broadcast. Early warning is critical because weather can quickly turn deadly.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing comprehensive weather and emergency information.

In conjunction with federal, state, and local emergency managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards - including natural events, such as earthquakes or avalanches; environmental events, such as chemical releases or oil spills; and public safety warnings, such as AMBER alerts or 911 telephone outages.

"A weather radio should be part of a well-stocked disaster kit," said Alec Watson, Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mississippi Transitional Recovery Office. "They are a valuable resource not just during hurricane season but throughout the year."

These all-hazards radios are equipped with various features including a choice of voice, siren or tone alert, full alarm clock display, emergency power back-up, seven NOAA channels, and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) localized reception. With SAME technology, a radio can be programmed to sound an alert for specific counties.