Your motel is on fire #AltusOK #OKready #OKfire

While on vacation, you smell smoke, you hear a fire alarm ... what do you do?

Our friends at the United States Fire Academy offer this information:

Plan Ahead

• When making your reservations, ask if the hotel or motel has smoke alarms and an automatic fire sprinkler system.
• When traveling, take a flashlight with you.
• Read the fire evacuation plan carefully. If one is not posted in your room, request one from the front desk.
• Locate the two exits nearest your room.
• Count the number of doors between your room and the exits. This will assist you in the need of an emergency evacuation.
• Locate the fire alarms on your floor.

Life Safety Steps

• Never smoke in bed.
• If the fire is in your room, get out quickly. Close the door, sound the alarm and notify the front desk.
• Always use a stairwell, never an elevator. The elevator could stop at the floor of the fire.
• If the fire is not in your room, leave if it is safe to do so. Be sure to take your room key with you in case fire blocks your escape and you need to re-enter your room.
• To check the hallway for fire, touch the door with the back of your hand to test the temperature. If the door is cool, get low to the floor, brace your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. Be ready to close it quickly if there are flames on the other side. Crawl low in the smoke to the nearest exit; the freshest air is near the floor.
• If your room door is hot, do not open it. Instead, seal the door with wet towels or sheets. Turn off the fan, heater, and air conditioner. Call the fire department to give your location. Signal from your window.

Hotel and Motel Fire Safety List

The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 was enacted by Congress to save lives and protect property by promoting fire and life safety in hotels, motels and other places of public accommodation. The law mandates that Federal employees on travel must stay in public accommodations that adhere to the life safety requirements in the legislation, those being:

• hard-wired, single-station smoke alarms in each guestroom in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 72; and
• an automatic fire sprinkler system, with a sprinkler head in each guest room in compliance with NFPA standard 13 or 13R. Properties four stories or higher must have an automatic fire sprinkler system.

The Hotel-Motel List isn't just for Federal employees! USFA encourages the traveling public to use the list when making reservations for lodging accommodations, be they for business or pleasure.

Fire destroys Altus motel room - KSWO, Lawton, OK- Wichita Falls, TX: News, Weather, Sports. ABC, 24/7, Telemundo -:

Are you ready for the next motel fire?

Get #OKready with your cellphone #AltusOK

The internet and social media are the third most popular way for Americans to gather and share emergency information with loved ones. With effective planning, it is possible to take advantage of technology before, during and after a crisis to communicate with family and friends. Here are some ways to incorporate technology into your emergency plans:

• Learn how to send text updates from your mobile phone to your contacts in case voice communications are not available;
• Program “In Case of Emergency” contacts into your cell phone so emergency personnel can contact those people for you if you are unable to use your phone;
• Purchase a solar powered or hand crank charger to keep your electronics running if you lose power at home; and
• If you do not have a cell phone, keep a prepaid phone card to use during or after a disaster.

FEMA offers several ways to be tech savvy for disaster preparedness. The FEMA smartphone app contains an interactive emergency kit list, emergency meeting location info and more to help you get started. It’s available for Apple, Blackberry and Android devices.  Increase your technological know-how by joining the text message program to receive regular safety tips for specific hazards and to search for open shelters and disaster recovery centers.

Thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for this information.

How does Hazard Mitigation help? #AltusOK

What does a disaster on the other side of the State mean to #AltusOK?  The attachment is a graphic from a recent FEMA briefing.  

It shows Hazard Mitigation Statewide.  That can mean $$$ to jurisdictions with a current and approved Hazard Mitigation plan.  

Since Altus and Jackson County have approved plans, Federal dollars can help with mitigation projects identified in the plan.

Weather Data for #AltusOK from @OKMesonet

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Periods of Record Temps #1904-2011 Precip #1904-2012 Snow #1904-2012 # - large gaps in record	Key * - Record since tied Highlight = Feb record All Temps in deg F All Precip in inches Sig Prcp Freq = Pct of days with >= 0.1" precip	Feb. Averages High Temp 58 F Low Temp 31 F Avg Temp 44 F Precip 1.00" Snow 1.4"				1 T Avgs: 53/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 86 (1963) Low T -2 (1951) Precip 0.98 (1983) Snow 4.0 (2011)
2 T Avgs: 53/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 5% Extremes: High T 87 (2003) Low T -1 (1951) Precip 0.22 (1944) Snow 0.5 (1996)	3 T Avgs: 55/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 81* (1934) Low T 2 (1996) Precip 1.20 (1960) Snow 0.5* (1929)	4 T Avgs: 56/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 78* (1928) Low T -1 (1996) Precip 3.23 (1964) Snow 0.5* (1983)	5 T Avgs: 55/30 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 82 (2008) Low T 5 (1989) Precip 0.67 (1987) Snow 2.5 (1998)	6 T Avgs: 56/29 Sig Prcp Freq: 10% Extremes: High T 78* (1925) Low T 10 (1914) Precip 0.72 (2005) Snow 3.0 (1961)	7 T Avgs: 56/27 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 82 (1932) Low T -3 (1933) Precip 1.45 (1934) Snow 6.0 (1933)	8 T Avgs: 57/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 10% Extremes: High T 80* (1925) Low T -6 (1933) Precip 1.10 (1927) Snow 2.0 (1929)
9 T Avgs: 55/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 88 (1932) Low T 7 (1933) Precip 0.59 (1965) Snow 3.0 (2011)	10 T Avgs: 57/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 82 (1922) Low T 4* (1929) Precip 0.80 (1993) Snow 2.0 (1986)	11 T Avgs: 56/28 Sig Prcp Freq: 3% Extremes: High T 93 (1962) Low T -7 (1986) Precip 0.70 (1977) Snow trace (1993)	12 T Avgs: 57/30 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 90 (1962) Low T 9 (1948) Precip 0.92 (1978) Snow 2.5 (1948)	13 T Avgs: 59/30 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 87 (1962) Low T 9 (1958) Precip 1.19 (1950) Snow 2.0 (1968)	14 T Avgs: 59/31 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 88 (1954) Low T 5 (1936) Precip 0.92 (1969) Snow 2.5* (1951)	15 T Avgs: 57/31 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 88 (1924) Low T 11 (2007) Precip 0.88 (1993) Snow 2.5 (2004)
16 T Avgs: 57/29 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 78 (1927) Low T 9 (1936) Precip 0.80 (1940) Snow 7.0 (1928)	17 T Avgs: 58/29 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 83 (1970) Low T 12* (1928) Precip 0.62* (1998) Snow 2.0 (1978)	18 T Avgs: 58/31 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 84 (1986) Low T 2 (1978) Precip 1.12 (1921) Snow 10.2 (1921)	19 T Avgs: 59/31 Sig Prcp Freq: 5% Extremes: High T 86 (1986) Low T 10 (1929) Precip 0.97 (1998) Snow 1.0 (1921)	20 T Avgs: 61/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 90 (1981) Low T 12 (1918) Precip 2.15 (1997) Snow trace* (1929)	21 T Avgs: 60/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 90 (1996) Low T 11 (1939) Precip 1.74 (1997) Snow 1.5 (1968)	22 T Avgs: 60/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 16% Extremes: High T 93 (1996) Low T 14 (1976) Precip 1.12 (1994) Snow 3.0 (1973)
23 T Avgs: 61/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 91 (1918) Low T 7 (1914) Precip 0.74 (1941) Snow 4.5 (1941)	24 T Avgs: 60/33 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 92 (1918) Low T 10 (1965) Precip 0.79 (2001) Snow 2.8 (1953)	25 T Avgs: 61/33 Sig Prcp Freq: 10% Extremes: High T 93 (1917) Low T 9 (1960) Precip 0.88 (1933) Snow 1.0 (1960)	26 T Avgs: 60/33 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 86 (1996) Low T 12* (1934) Precip 0.36* (1915) Snow 1.0 (1945)	27 T Avgs: 61/33 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 86 (2009) Low T 10 (2002) Precip 0.65 (1948) Snow 7.0 (1945)	28 T Avgs: 60/33 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 88 (1972) Low T 11* (1922) Precip 1.40 (1990) Snow 2.7 (1922)