The Mobile Way to Go #AltusOK

In this day and age, technology is rapidly changing and improving. Every day we are finding new ways to communicate and improve communication response times – especially during a disaster. The most incredible part is that everything we need fits right in our hand. 

You may be one of the many people across the country who rely more on a mobile phone than a traditional house-hold land-line; therefore, in emergency situations, it is vital to understand how your mobile or smartphone can get you critical information instantly. The following are ways to receive emergency information on your mobile or smartphone:

• The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is the nation’s alert and warning system that saves time when time matters most. Check to see if your city participates in IPAWS.
• Use social media outlets like Twitter for your emergency alert needs! @Citizen_Corps and @PrepareAthon provide valuable disaster preparedness information on a daily basis!
• A number of mobile apps are available for getting prepared for, and keeping track of, emergency events; these apps include the FEMA appand host of apps by the American Red Cross.

One way to reduce the effects of disasters in your community is to invest in enhancing resilience through mobile technology. Using the above resources, we can start preparing for disasters and learn how to manage and mitigate emergency situations now, so that we don't wonder what to do later! For more information regarding mobile alerts and text messaging visit http://www.ready.gov/get-tech-ready.

Please don't forget the local alerting process, @AltusReady on Twitter, and the City Facebook page.

Fall Back and Do This… #AltusOK #OKready

It’s that time of year again! As we prepare our clocks to “fall back” for the end of Daylight Saving Time on November 2, use this opportunity to also prepare your home for fire emergencies by changing the batteries in your smoke alarm. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, most alarms need a new battery at least once a year. In addition, if your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new alarm and a new battery.

And with colder temperatures on the way, you may want to review heating safety techniques with your family and create a fire escape plan. Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening. These steps include:

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as a furnace, fireplace, or portable heater;
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed; and
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected yearly by a qualified professional.

Making a fire escape plan and practicing a fire escape drill are important elements of home fire safety. Start planning today! This toolkit from the National Fire Protection Agency has everything you need to get started.

Thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for this suggestion.

Here's your November weather summary from the Oklahoma MesoNet #AltusOK

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Periods of Record Temps #1903-2010 Precip #1903-2012 Snow #1903-2012 # - large gaps in record	Key * - Record since tied Highlight = Nov record All Temps in deg F All Precip in inches Sig Prcp Freq = Pct of days with >= 0.1" precip	Nov. Averages High Temp 65 F Low Temp 38 F Avg Temp 52 F Precip 1.23" Snow 0.3"				1 T Avgs: 70/44 Sig Prcp Freq: 14% Extremes: High T 91 (2001) Low T 26 (1991) Precip 2.25 (1928)
2 T Avgs: 69/43 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 88 (1924) Low T 19 (1966) Precip 1.77 (1961) Snow 0.2 (1951)	3 T Avgs: 67/42 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 91 (2005) Low T 16 (1991) Precip 1.24 (2004)	4 T Avgs: 68/41 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 91 (2005) Low T 20 (1936) Precip 1.60 (1990)	5 T Avgs: 68/41 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 91 (1924) Low T 25 (1939) Precip 1.20 (1964)	6 T Avgs: 68/41 Sig Prcp Freq: 10% Extremes: High T 91 (1945) Low T 20* (1959) Precip 0.60 (1983) Snow 1.5 (1938)	7 T Avgs: 68/40 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 90 (1980) Low T 22 (1993) Precip 1.47 (1920) Snow 1.5 (2000)	8 T Avgs: 67/41 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 88 (2005) Low T 21 (1991) Precip 0.85 (1916) Snow 0.3 (2000)
9 T Avgs: 67/40 Sig Prcp Freq: 7% Extremes: High T 90 (1988) Low T 25 (1955) Precip 1.07 (1919)	10 T Avgs: 66/39 Sig Prcp Freq: 4% Extremes: High T 87 (1995) Low T 23 (1950) Precip 1.00 (1929)	11 T Avgs: 66/38 Sig Prcp Freq: 3% Extremes: High T 83* (1949) Low T 13 (1950) Precip 0.27 (1923)	12 T Avgs: 66/39 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 84* (1938) Low T 22 (1919) Precip 0.48 (1922)	13 T Avgs: 66/40 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 85 (1967) Low T 15 (1940) Precip 0.64 (2010) Snow 3.0 (1976)	14 T Avgs: 66/40 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 84 (1927) Low T 14 (1916) Precip 0.82 (1924) Snow trace* (1920)	15 T Avgs: 64/39 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 83 (1965) Low T 18* (1940) Precip 2.71 (2004)
16 T Avgs: 63/37 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 86 (1963) Low T 16 (1932) Precip 1.94 (1931)	17 T Avgs: 64/37 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 81 (1999) Low T 13 (1959) Precip 1.15 (1964)	18 T Avgs: 64/38 Sig Prcp Freq: 10% Extremes: High T 83 (1999) Low T 14 (1951) Precip 1.36 (2001)	19 T Avgs: 63/37 Sig Prcp Freq: 16% Extremes: High T 83* (1950) Low T 19 (1921) Precip 1.15 (1963)	20 T Avgs: 64/35 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 83* (1949) Low T 18 (1937) Precip 2.98 (1994)	21 T Avgs: 63/36 Sig Prcp Freq: 3% Extremes: High T 85 (1970) Low T 21 (1926) Precip 1.01 (1916) Snow 2.0 (1972)	22 T Avgs: 62/36 Sig Prcp Freq: 5% Extremes: High T 84* (1927) Low T 22 (1945) Precip 0.44 (1963) Snow trace (1971)
23 T Avgs: 61/34 Sig Prcp Freq: 5% Extremes: High T 82 (2005) Low T 19 (1970) Precip 0.60 (1983)	24 T Avgs: 60/34 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 81 (1946) Low T 14 (1938) Precip 0.82 (2000) Snow 1.0 (1918)	25 T Avgs: 62/35 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 86 (1965) Low T 18 (2003) Precip 1.24 (1940) Snow 3.0 (1918)	26 T Avgs: 61/35 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 89 (1970) Low T 12 (1993) Precip 1.11 (1935) Snow 0.5 (1918)	27 T Avgs: 60/34 Sig Prcp Freq: 7% Extremes: High T 81 (1960) Low T 17 (2002) Precip 0.64 (1968) Snow 1.0 (1918)	28 T Avgs: 58/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 80 (1927) Low T 16 (1976) Precip 0.46 (1968) Snow 3.5 (2001)	29 T Avgs: 58/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 84 (1975) Low T 12 (1976) Precip 0.82 (1996) Snow 2.0 (2001)
30 T Avgs: 60/32 Sig Prcp Freq: 5% Extremes: High T 79* (1924) Low T 14 (2001) Precip 0.71 (1981) Snow 2.0 (2006)