New ‘Code Red’ System Alerts Local Residents of Emergency

Great story and example of how some areas are taking the lead in community readiness and preparedness. Instead of calling 911 for an emergency, what if 911 called you? While it may sound weird, it’s based in reality. In Lawrence County, there’s a new program to alert citizens to an emergency. Called “Code Red,” it’s a program that is urging people to sign up so they’re not left out.

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Code Red will notify residents through an alert by phone, through texting, or e-mail, about the need to evacuate, shelter in place, or give them instructions to find shelter or food in case of a problem.

“The Code Red System will be able to highlight certain areas of the county, or the county as a whole,” Slone said. “This is going to truly be a step, a big step in the direction of being prepared.”

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Code Red Website

FCC Releases Report On Emergency Preparedness

The FCC has released a report on its ability to respond in natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and other events. The report, “FCC’s Preparedness for a Major Public Emergency,” was put together by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau in response to a 30-day review launched by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

“The FCC has an important role to play in ensuring that our nation’s communications infrastructure serves our public safety needs,” Genachowski said. “The Public Safety Bureau’s thorough review concluded that the agency is ready to respond to emergencies, but there is more work to do to maximize the agency’s readiness. The public safety challenges we face are ongoing, dynamic, and growing. Today’s report outlines concrete steps the FCC can and will take to better support public safety communications and protect our nation.”

The report, while concluding that the FCC is prepared to keep essential communications open in an emergency, found that the commission could improve its planning and response in the areas of education and training, outreach and collaborations, emergency operations and alerts, and network analysis.

Recommendations include a plan for improving the Continuity of Operations and Pandemic plans, and reviews and revisions as needed for emergency procedures in the FCC’s 24/7 operations center. The EAS system is also being reviewed with other agencies to account for “next-generation technologies.”

Source

Report

Oregon Preppers Stockpile And Prepare For Calamity

Veterinarian Richard Kimball of Burns has noticed a disturbing trend among some of his friends. A Rockaway Beach couple has stockpiled food and assembled survival backpacks for their three adult children in Portland and Eugene. “If chaos arises, they can put the backpacks on so they can get home,” said Kimball, 72. “There is a pistol in each of the backpacks.”

Another longtime friend, a Harney County cattle rancher, recently bought an AK-47 assault rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. “Does that tell you anything?” Kimball asked. “He’s scared.”

La Grande welder and gunsmith Jim Rector, meanwhile, said he has supplies and a jetboat at the ready to carry him and his wife to a secluded hideout along the Snake River.

They’re all signs that the survivalist movement, slumbering since the Y2K scare and, before that, Jimmy Carter’s bumpy presidency, has been shaken awake.

Government officials, academics, authors and others  in addition to those doing the stockpiling  say a growing number of people are independently building caches of food, weapons and precious metals such as gold.

As in earlier movements, survivalists are centered in conservative, rural areas such as eastern Oregon. Only this time, many prefer to be called “preppers for preparedness and are driven by fears, stoked by Barack Obama’s presidency, that economic catastrophe, sweeping technological failure and societal upheaval are just around the corner.

And though the movement intersects with a wave of weapon and ammunition hoarding among some who fear that Obama will clamp down on gun rights, there’s little talk of forming militias as in past survivalist movements.

“People fear change; people get angry when they don’t understand something,” said La Grande City Councilman Steve Clements, 52, who teaches finance and information systems at Eastern Oregon University. “I think there is a lot of fear associated with having the first black president.”

La Grande’s Mike Sirrine, a Vietnam veteran and retired human resources manager who has added guns to his arsenal and is stockpiling beans and rice, said it’s not that clear-cut.

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Surviving Disaster Premieres Sept 1st – Spike TV

Surviving Disaster Premieres Sept 1st on Spike TV. What will you do when disaster strikes? Spike TV’s new original series Surviving Disaster, led by Navy SEAL Cade Courtley, vividly takes viewers through catastrophic scenarios and arms them with the knowledge needed to survive the unthinkable. Courtley tackles worst-case scenarios and equips viewers with the practical information needed to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Whether the threat is natural or man-made or on a national or personal level, Courtley speaks directly to the viewers and guides them through a comprehensive, step-by-step process to not only survive the big picture disaster, but endure the many dangerous obstacles that may occur within each catastrophic event. While leading viewers out of danger, Courtley not only provides helpful tips and hands-on instruction, but swiftly points out common misconceptions and fatal mistakes. Unlike any other series, Surviving Disaster may actually save lives by providing actions that anyone can perform.

Having had the opportunity to assist in the research for an upcoming episode I can attest that “Surviving Disaster”, is unlike anything you’ve seen on television.  The show will have you on the edge of your seat as you’re instructed step-by-step, how to stay alive when disaster strikes. It’s a show you won’t want to miss and as stated, “could save your life”.

Watch A 7 Minute Preview

Related post on Spike TV’s Surviving Disaster

SteriPEN Handheld Emergency Water Purifier – Review

Steripen is a “must have” for any 72 hour kit, go bag or emergency kit. In almost any emergency, having an available supply of safe, clean water is a top priority.

It’s the perfect tool to insure you and your family have safe drinking water in an emergency. The SteriPEN uses ultraviolet light to purify water so there is no chemical taste, odor or risky side-effects. I’ve tried a number of purifiers and while most work as promised in purifying the water, the taste is often times so bad the water is virtually undrinkable.

SteriPENs are validated by the most extensive library of testing of any portable water treatment method. Multiple laboratories have proven that it’s ultra-violet light eliminates viruses, bacteria, and protozoa to keep your drinking water safe in an emergency. In fact, every unit is tested before packaging to insure that it exceeds the UV output standard to keep your family safe.

SteriPEN is easy to use in baby bottles, a glass in your hotel room or restaurant, or commercial water bottles and it will protect your pet’s water as well. Most people are not aware that pets won’t drink chemically treated water. With a SteriPEN, you’re carrying hundreds of gallons of pure water in your pocket, purse , glove box, or emergency kit.

It weighs just 8 ounces with four AA, disposable batteries and will purify 16 ounces of water in 48 seconds, or 32 ounces in 90 seconds. The ultraviolet light (UV)  actually destroys the DNA of microorganisms, making  them unable to reproduce and cause illness. It’s effective against outdoor microbes like giardia and cryptosporidium; pathogens that cause diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionnaire’s Disease; household germs such as bird flu, E. coli, and salmonella; staph and strep; and natural-disaster risks like botulism, cholera, smallpox, and typhoid.

No pumping, no chemicals, no test strips, no timekeeping, no lubricating, and no replacement filters are required. All that is required is to push the water purifier’s button (once for 32 ounces, twice for 16 ounces), place the pen-like lamp in clear water, and stir until an indicator light turns green. Water has no aftertaste after being purified.

It’s simple to use, easy to store and could save your life in an emergency.

For more information, or to order ;

Steripen Info and pricing at Amazon.com

Free Shipping via Nitro-pak using this link

FEMA Releases Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the release of the final Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: “Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local Government Emergency Plans.”

CPG 101 completes the requirements of HSPD-8, Annex I to develop a “national integrated planning system.” Combined with the Integrated Planning System (IPS) guidance provided by the Department, the vision of a vertically integrated planning system providing for a consistent planning process across all levels of government is realized.

While IPS focuses on Federal planning, CPG 101 was developed by a team of state, tribal and local officials from across the United States working together to develop guidance that can aid State, tribal, local, and territorial officials in protecting their citizens.

CPG 101 is the first in a series of publications developed through the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate’s CPG Initiative. Future CPGs will discuss planning considerations for a variety of emergency functions, hazards and special preparedness programs including; special needs planning, household pets and service animals, fusion center / emergency operations center interface, and hazard-specific guidance.

CPG 101 serves as the emergency plan foundation for both public and private sector planning in the United States. Planners in all disciplines and organizations may find portions of the guide useful in the development of their emergency response plans.

The CPG 101 document can be found online at www.fema.gov/about/divisions/cpg.shtm. For more information on other FEMA initiatives, visit www.fema.gov.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters.

Link

Emergency This Book Will Save Your Life

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, a new book by author Neil Strauss was released today. The book follows the “lessons learned” by Strauss as he spent several years researching individual emergency preparedness and what to do in a worst-case scenario.

Terrorist attacks. Natural disasters. Domestic crackdowns. Economic collapse. Riots. Wars. Disease. Starvation.

What can you do when when there is no one to turn to, no one to help…. You’re on your own in a major crisis or emergency?

You can learn to be self-sufficient and survive without the system.

**I’ve started to look at the world through apocalypse eyes.** So begins Neil Strauss’s harrowing new book: his first full-length worksince the international bestseller The Game, and one of the most original-and provocative-narratives of the year.

After the last few years of violence and terror, of ethnic and religious hatred, of tsunamis and hurricanes–and now of world financial meltdown–Strauss, like most of his generation, came to the sobering realization that, even in America, anything can happen. But rather than watch helplessly, he decided to do something about it. And so he spent three years traveling through a country that’s lost its sense of safety, equipping himself with the tools necessary to save himself and his loved ones from an uncertain future.

It’s one man’s story of a dangerous world–and how to stay alive in it.

I’ll review the book within the next couple of weeks and possibly give away a few copies in an upcoming promotion on the Homeland Security Response Network site.

We’ve also added a discussion in the forum.

Available at Amazon.com