Personal / Family / Neighborhood / Workplace Preparedness

1. Personal / Family / Neighborhood / Workplace Preparedness

2. WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED • Our Community is potentially at risk for large scale emergencies • Natural • Technological • Human-made • There are steps that YOU can take now that will reduce the impact of these hazards • Before (Planning and Preparedness) • During (Response) • Recovery

3. Preparedness Overview • Disaster & Emergency Preparedness • Personal and Family Preparedness • Planning & 72-Hour Kits • Neighborhood & Community Preparedness • Boulder County’s Warning Systems

4. Preparing for an Emergency Individuals should prepare by: • Recognizing potential disaster events and understanding risk. • Identifying potential hazards in their homes and workplaces. • Reducing the hazards, where possible. • Developing a 72-Hour Kit (disaster supply kit).

5. Responding to an emergency Individuals can respond by: • Following the pre-plan in the event of an emergency. • Following emergency management instructions • Locating and turning off utilities, if safe.

6. Effects of an Emergency on the Community Lack of … or disruption to: • Communications • Food, water • Information • Transportation • Power • Community Services

7. Personal Safety Personal safety measures vary depending on: • The type of event. • The amount of warning available. • Location during the event (i.e., inside, outside, driving).

8. ARE YOU READY FOR A DISASTER? • Planning • Event Preparation • Follow Through

9. Home / Workplace Preparedness • Structural and nonstructural hazard mitigation • Individual preparedness: • Develop an emergency plan • Assemble disaster supplies • Identify a safe location

10. Winter Storm Preparedness • Understand the risk. • Prepare your home. • Assemble a 72-Hour Kit. • Identify an alternate heat source. • Fill your car’s gas tank. • Make sure all family members know your family emergency plan. • Dress appropriately • Pay attention to warnings.

11. If stranded in your car . . . • Stay in your car – unless help is visible. • Catch another driver’s attention. • Occasionally run your engine – 10 minutes every hour. • Keep the exhaust clear • Do minor exercises.

12. Power Outages

13. Flood Preparations • Know the flood risk for the area. • Have a battery-powered radio to obtain current information. • Obtain flood insurance. • Prepare a flood evacuation plan. • Keep documents in a water-proof box. • Have 72-Hour Kit assembled.

14. Protecting Property From Flooding • Elevate furnace, water heater, and electric panel. • Move furniture and other items to a higher level. • If building a new home, raise the home above flood level.

15. Neighborhood Preparedness Plan • Contact Numbers / Phone Trees • Identify Special Needs Population • Help Neighbors Can Provide • Children’s Schools and Childcare • Animals That Need Care • Phone Tree and Buddy System • Unique Considerations for Neighborhood

16. WARNING SYSTEMS IN BOULDER COUNTY

17. Emergency Warning System • Understand the strength and limitations of all the systems available to you. • None of our systems are fail proof. • Activation Time • Reliance on Technology • Human Error • Take advantage of available systems.

18. Radio and TV Types of messages that may be received: • Local, State & Federal Emergencies – with immediate danger to life or property • Severe Weather – with immediate danger to life or property • General News Pros: • Wide-area dissemination • No specialized equipment required • Special Needs Options Compliant Cons: • Must be tuned to an appropriate channel • Does not work with Satellite TV receivers if local stations are not received • Does not work with Satellite Radio receivers • Major impact to normal programming

19. Radio and TVThe Emergency Alert System "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System -- this is only a test...."

20. Cable TV and City Access Types of messages that may be received: • Severe Weather – posing immediate danger to life or property • Local Emergencies – posing immediate danger to life or property Pros: • City-wide dissemination Cons: • Must be a cable TV subscriber • Must be watching cable TV • City of Boulder access system – must be in the City of Boulder and tuned to cable channel 8 Cities that use this delivery method: • Voice Over-Ride Cable: Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette • City of Boulder Access System – City of Boulder on cable channel 8

21. Home and Business Phone Lines Types of messages that may be received: • Local emergencies – Fire/Law or other emergency • Evacuation Notification • Shelter In Place Notification Pros: • Area of notification and message can be defined. • Effective for an area of limited size - sends out 100’s of calls per minute. Cons: • Not setup to work with cell phones, pagers or voice-over-internet systems. • Message delivery is subject to phone being answered or answering machine/system. • Can take hours to send messages to large number of calls. • Reliant on phone system working.

22. Home and Business Phone Lines What occurs when an emergency message is sent to your phone: • Your phone will ring and a pre-recorded message will be on your phone. • Listen to the entire message and follow the directions on the message. • If you only have a cell phone or VoIP you will not receive call back notification.

23. E-mail / Internet – Local Source Types of Warning: • Local Emergency and Preparedness Information Pros: • Current information regarding a local event • Published and Sent Locally • Free Cons: • Not set up to provide immediate evacuation information • Computers being on in severe weather is not recommended • Reliant on an internet connection Boulder Emergency Management (www.ci.boulder.co.us/oem/statuspage.htm) Boulder Emergency Preparedness E-mail System (Under Development)

24. Email / Internet – Commercial Source Types of Warning: • Local, State and Federal Emergency Information • Severe Weather Information and General News Pros: • Wide variety of customized information can be received • Some venders offer basic services free of charge Cons: • Reliant on vender’s technology to pull local events from other warning systems. • Computers being on in severe weather is not recommended • Reliant on internet connection A Few Venders: • http://www.emergencyemailnetwork.com/ • http://www.stormwarn.com/

25. Cell Phone and Pager – Text Messaging (Commercial Vender) Types of Warning: • Local, State and Federal Emergency Information • Severe Weather Information and General News Pros: • Wide variety of customized information can be received • Some venders offer basic services free of charge if your device has an email address • Compatible with most commercial cell phone and pager service providers Cons: • Reliant on vender’s technology to pull local events from other warning systems A Few Venders: • http://www.emergencyemailnetwork.com/ • http://www.stormwarn.com/

26. Public Phone Trees Types of Warning: • Local Emergency Information Pros: • Deliver message with 2-way communication • Special Needs Options Available Cons: • The further down the phone tree a recipient is, the more likely a message will be incorrect. • Time required to make phone calls • The possibility of someone not picking up and breaking the chain • Reliant on working phone service Groups that could benefit from an emergency phone tree:

27. Public Phone Trees Suggestion: • Build a body system into the phone tree for redundancy

28. Public Warning Sirens Types of Warning: • Local Emergency Information – with immediate danger to life or property • Severe Weather – with immediate danger to life or property Pros: • Sirens placed in hazard areas • Most sirens can deliver voice message • Messages can be prescripted or recorded at time of event • Sirens use solar power and are connect by radio • Sirens have back-up batteries Cons: • Not audible throughout entire county • Will not hear sirens if inside structure • Siren is directional – if you can’t understand the message, wait 30 to 60 seconds for speaker to turn your way. • Can only provide a short message

29. Public Warning Sirens Also: • Eldorado Springs • Erie • Lafayette • Longmont • Louisville • Lyons

30. NOAA All-Hazard Radio Types of Warning: • Local, State and Federal Emergency Information • Severe Weather Information Pros: • Using SAME technology, location specific warnings can be heard. • Using SAME technology, a receiver will activate when a warning is issued • Receivers can be setup to receive only certain kinds of warning • Special Needs Options Available Cons: • Reliant on adequate signal strength • Reliant on radio set-up • SAME technology divides warning to the county level only (currently) For more information: • http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/awebphp/nwrnoaa.php • http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwrrcvr.htm

31. Delivery Methods that are not Currently Supported • Cellular Phone Voice Emergency Call Back • Voice over Internet

32. Recommendations • Subscribe to a wireless email alerting system if you carry an alphanumeric pager, cellular phone or wireless PDA. • Rely on the sirens only for outdoor warning. • If you have an adequate signal, purchase an All-Hazard Alert Radio. • After receiving a warning, turn to broadcast radio or television for details and follow-up information.

33. Session Summary • Be prepared to care for yourself, your family and help your coworkers. • Create personal, family, neighborhood and workplace preparedness plans. • Select warning devices that work for you. • Decide if you want further training. • Decide if you want to volunteer before an emergency occurs.

34. Questions? Thank You

35. Symposium Web Linkswww.readybouldercounty.comwww.co.boulder.co.us