Emergency Management News

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Celebrating National Night Out #AltusOK #OKready #OKstrong

National Night Out logo
Are you ready for National Night Out? On August 2, 2016, join this annual campaign promoting police-community partnerships and camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer.

Building safer neighborhoods also includes preparing those communities for disaster. Celebrate National Night Out by volunteering with your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT),Citizen Corps, or its partner programs. Through these organizations, you can learn about opportunities to help support first responders during emergencies. There are Citizen Corps partner programs to fit a variety of interests, including
  • Medical Reserve Corps;
  • Neighborhood Watch & Volunteers in Police Service;
  • Civil Air Patrol; and
  • Veterans Active in Citizen Corps. 
For a full list of programs, and to learn more, visit ready.gov/volunteer. Then, enter your zip code to find local programs in your area today!

Saturday, July 30, 2016

August Climate Data for #AltusOK from @OKmesonet

Shown as August 2016
SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
Periods of Record
Temps#1903-2010
Precip#1903-2012
Snow#1903-2012
# - large gaps in record
1T Avgs: 98/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 13%
Extremes:
High T108* (1966)
Low T58* (1925)
Precip1.27 (1977)
2T Avgs: 98/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 9%
Extremes:
High T114 (1944)
Low T55 (1936)
Precip3.74 (1995)
3T Avgs: 98/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 9%
Extremes:
High T118 (1943)
Low T60* (1936)
Precip1.89 (1993)
4T Avgs: 98/71
Sig Prcp Freq: 13%
Extremes:
High T116 (1943)
Low T61* (1915)
Precip1.20 (1925)
5T Avgs: 98/71
Sig Prcp Freq: 5%
Extremes:
High T112 (1962)
Low T58 (1948)
Precip1.57 (1920)
6T Avgs: 99/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 9%
Extremes:
High T112 (1962)
Low T58 (1936)
Precip1.24 (1942)
7T Avgs: 98/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T110* (1962)
Low T60 (1997)
Precip1.63 (1966)
8T Avgs: 98/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 14%
Extremes:
High T110 (1962)
Low T54 (1989)
Precip0.98 (1942)
9T Avgs: 97/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 11%
Extremes:
High T112 (1943)
Low T56 (1989)
Precip2.42 (1972)
10T Avgs: 97/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 16%
Extremes:
High T115 (1936)
Low T62* (1974)
Precip3.22 (1974)
11T Avgs: 96/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T116 (1936)
Low T60 (1915)
Precip2.47 (1997)
12T Avgs: 96/69
Sig Prcp Freq: 15%
Extremes:
High T120 (1936)
Low T56 (1979)
Precip1.26 (1924)
13T Avgs: 97/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 7%
Extremes:
High T115 (1936)
Low T54 (1967)
Precip3.31 (1968)
14T Avgs: 96/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T110 (1930)
Low T58 (2002)
Precip1.04 (1926)
15T Avgs: 96/69
Sig Prcp Freq: 17%
Extremes:
High T110 (1952)
Low T58 (1992)
Precip2.70 (1926)
16T Avgs: 96/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 10%
Extremes:
High T110 (1943)
Low T57* (1992)
Precip0.72 (1996)
17T Avgs: 96/70
Sig Prcp Freq: 16%
Extremes:
High T108 (1951)
Low T59 (1948)
Precip1.73 (1944)
18T Avgs: 96/69
Sig Prcp Freq: 19%
Extremes:
High T109 (1945)
Low T55 (1943)
Precip2.08 (1920)
19T Avgs: 95/69
Sig Prcp Freq: 15%
Extremes:
High T108 (1930)
Low T58 (1948)
Precip3.75 (1990)
20T Avgs: 96/69
Sig Prcp Freq: 10%
Extremes:
High T108 (1943)
Low T55 (1992)
Precip1.55 (1937)
21T Avgs: 96/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T108 (1984)
Low T55 (1956)
Precip0.92 (1941)
22T Avgs: 95/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 13%
Extremes:
High T108 (1930)
Low T58 (1956)
Precip1.47 (1923)
23T Avgs: 95/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 9%
Extremes:
High T110 (1936)
Low T56* (1920)
Precip0.98 (1937)
24T Avgs: 95/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T110 (1936)
Low T54* (1961)
Precip2.30 (1966)
25T Avgs: 95/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 6%
Extremes:
High T110 (1936)
Low T53 (1945)
Precip0.56 (1996)
26T Avgs: 95/67
Sig Prcp Freq: 14%
Extremes:
High T107* (1943)
Low T54* (1928)
Precip3.50 (1992)
27T Avgs: 94/68
Sig Prcp Freq: 15%
Extremes:
High T108* (1943)
Low T55 (1962)
Precip4.44 (1979)
28T Avgs: 94/67
Sig Prcp Freq: 17%
Extremes:
High T106 (1982)
Low T56 (1992)
Precip1.38 (1914)
29T Avgs: 93/67
Sig Prcp Freq: 16%
Extremes:
High T109 (1943)
Low T50 (1917)
Precip1.63 (1960)
30T Avgs: 94/67
Sig Prcp Freq: 13%
Extremes:
High T108 (1943)
Low T51* (1915)
Precip1.84 (1924)
31T Avgs: 93/67
Sig Prcp Freq: 12%
Extremes:
High T108 (1952)
Low T49 (1915)
Precip2.40 (1986)
Key
* - Record since tied
Highlight = Aug record
All Temps in deg F
All Precip in inches
Sig Prcp Freq = Pct of
days with >= 0.1" precip
Aug. Averages
High Temp97 F
Low Temp70 F
Avg Temp83 F
Precip2.48"
Snow0.0"

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

How Does #AltusAFB support #AltusOK #OKready

Defense Department Seeks Preparedness Partnerships

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) hosted a week-long workshop on ways it can work with local, state, and federal governments to provide assistance for emergencies.
“The Department of Defense brings capabilities that no other federal agency has, and it’s important for us to be able to work together, so that we can link capability to need,” said Deanne Criswell, director of operational coordination at FEMA.
DoD officials led discussions on best practices and how to identify areas of improvement, while stressing the importance of DoD in building relationships within the disaster relief community.
For more information, check out the article “Defense Support of Civil Authorities Stressed at EPLO Workshop.”

Saturday, July 23, 2016

National Parents Day is July 24 #AltusOK #OKready #PrepareAthon

Family Preparedness

image of family
Have you heard?  National Parents’ Day is July 24. In observance of this occasion, we encourage you to take specific actions to prepare your family for emergencies. America’s PrepareAthon! and the Ready Campaign highlight several ways you can prepare for the unexpected.

Some of these actions include: 
  • Creating a family emergency communication plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it’s important to plan  ahead about how you will connect with each other;
  • Building a disaster supply kit.  A disaster supply kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. You may need to survive on your own after a disaster. This means having your own foodwater, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days; and
  • Practicing your emergency response plan. Making emergency plans is great, but practicing your plan by conducting drills will help your family’s response time when seconds count. 
Disasters can be stressful for kids. Try to make emergency planning fun for children in your family! Visit ready.gov/kids for exciting games, quizzes, and other resources to help young children and teens understand the importance of being prepared.   

Disasters also impact older adults. Visit ready.gov/seniors to learn more about preparing older Americans for the unexpected.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Finding Shelter After a Disaster #AltusOK @RedCross

Emergencies can abruptly change your living and sleeping situation.
You may be in need of temporary living quarters. To find a local shelter near you, text SHELTER and your zip code to 43362 (4FEMA) on your mobile phone.
The American Red Cross and other voluntary, faith-based, and community-based organizations provide inclusive shelters in cases of emergency evacuations.
The shelters are free of charge and provide meals, essential relief supplies, emotional support, and health services like first aid. When planning for possible evacuation, also:  
  • Create a pet emergency plan, as many public emergency shelters don't permit pets in their facilities for health and space reasons. However, shelters are required by law to accept service animals.
  • Have an emergency supply kit with essential items for each member of your family with or without disabilities and your pets or service animal that can be ready to go if you need to leave home and seek refuge in a shelter.
  • Plan ahead for transportation that you may need for evacuation. Work with local services, public transportation, or paratransit to identify local or private accessible transportation options.

For information on emergency immediate needs – including shelter – check the Disaster Assistance Improvement Program’s website. You can also find more information about emergency preparedness, including evacuation, for people with disabilities. 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Preparing Your Business for Emergencies #OKready #Open4Business


FEMA business
There are many ways business owners can prepare their organizations for emergencies. The Ready Campaign can assist entrepreneurs in developing a preparedness program by providing tools to create a plan that addresses the impact of many hazards. The five steps in developing a preparedness program are Program ManagementPlanning,ImplementationTesting and Exercises, and Program Improvement.

For example, your business’ program management plan should include short and long-term objectives that protect the safety of employees, visitors, contractors and others at risk from hazards at the facility. The objectives of a preparedness program include:  
  • Establish a program committee that includes wide participation from your company;
  • Conduct a business impact analysis to identify the operational and financial impacts from an interruption or disruption of your business;
  • Protect the safety of your employees by developing evacuation, sheltering and lockdown plans. Conduct employee training and drills;
  • Upgrade the protection of the facility by installing a fire sprinkler system; and
  • Build a culture of preparedness in the workplace and encourage employees to have a plan at home.
Visit ready.gov/business for more information on how you can prepare your business for an emergency. You can also check out the Prepare Your Organization playbooks from America’s PrepareAthon! Find a playbook for each of the campaign’s featured hazards on page 2 when you click on the link.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The FEMA App Can Help You Stay Safe #AltusOK #OKready

FEMA app
The FEMA app can help Americans through emergencies. The app provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and Disaster Recovery Centers, and tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters.

The app also will enable users to receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the nation. This feature allows users to receive alerts on severe weather happening anywhere they select in the country, even if the phone is not located in the area, making it easy to follow severe weather that may be threatening family and friends.

The FEMA app also offers a “Disaster Reporter” feature, where users can upload and share photos of disaster damage.

The latest version of the FEMA app is available for free in the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices. Download the app today!

Users who already have the app downloaded on their smartphones should download the latest update for the new alerts feature to take effect. Information on the app is available in English and Spanish.