Preparedness

September 1, 2007 -- Getting prepared starts with talking. Talking with your family, talking with your neighbors, talking with your local officials.

* Plan Together for an Emergency
* Build a Disaster Supply Kit for Your Home
* Make a Family Communications Plan
* Stay Informed

September is National Preparedness Month, and Governor John Baldacci will highlight it as Preparedness Month in Maine as well. But MEMA Director Rob McAleer sees it as an opportunity to highlight the year-round focus of emergency management on disaster preparedness.    » read more »

'Next generation' system will help ensure reliable, efficient communication to citizens in the event of hurricanes, other potentially catastrophic events

August 28, 2007 -- ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. and LIVERMORE, CALIF. —In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Sandia National Laboratories is designing and deploying a pilot alert and warning system that will provide a robust, multi-faceted path to ensure effective public communications during a federal, state, or local emergency.    » read more »

New plan outlines collaborative approach, coordinated action among nations

22 August 2007 -- Washington -- As the human toll from avian influenza rises to 321 cases, with 194 deaths worldwide, leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico have released a plan that outlines how the three countries will work together if the highly pathogenic virus makes its way to North America.    » read more »

August 21, 2007 -- As peak hurricane season arrives, the Maine Bureau of Insurance and FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are urging consumers to consider purchasing or renewing a flood insurance policy. More than 2,500 flood policies in Maine are up for renewal before the current hurricane season ends. With experts predicting another above-average hurricane season, now is the time for people to protect their home and property against flooding--the most frequently occurring natural disaster in the United States.    » read more »

Aug. 21, 2007 -- AUSTIN – With Hurricane Dean tracking southward, sparing Texas from any major impact, Texas Governor Rick Perry today ordered the state to begin withdrawing resources that had been pre-deployed to South Texas. Approximately 1,600 buses, Texas Military Forces search and rescue aircrafts and 4,500 personnel, Texas elite search and rescue teams, and 80 refuelers were staged in the Rio Grande Valley region and San Antonio to support communities’ preparedness efforts for potential storm effects.    » read more »

Aug. 20, 2007 -- AUSTIN – Texas Governor Rick Perry today advised Texans to keep a wary eye on Hurricane Dean, despite current projections that it will strike Mexico rather than the Texas coast.

“Texans can be confident that we have activated the resources necessary to handle whatever Dean throws at us,” Perry said at a briefing, where he was joined by Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw and Jack Colley, chief of the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management.    » read more »

75 soldiers, two helicopters responding to emergency in southeast Minnesota

August 19, 2007 -- St. Paul - Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty ordered 75 soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard to Winona County at 2:00 a.m. today to help in emergency response efforts required because of extensive flooding in the area.

The soldiers, members of the Quick Response Force, are currently assisting the Winona County sheriff’s department in providing security for the evacuated towns of Elba, Stockton, and Pickwick.    » read more »

August 20, 2007 -- ATLANTA - Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that more than 40 Georgia National Guard members will deploy this week to Texas to provide emergency relief efforts for citizens affected by Hurricane Dean, should the storm's course move northward. Georgia is also preparing for the possible deployment of several aircraft, including Dobbins-based Black Hawk helicopters and heavy lift CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, if they are needed.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Friday, August 17, 2007 — As the American Red Cross monitors the track of Hurricane Dean in the Caribbean, we urge everyone to take steps to prepare their families and homes for a disaster.

Prepare for High Winds
Give yourself enough time before a storm to conduct a home hazard hunt and perimeter search, in which you inspect your home for items that can move, fall, break or cause a fire.

* Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs    » read more »

Resources deployed to Valley Region in Anticipation of Effects from Hurricane Dean

Aug. 19, 2007 -- AUSTIN – At the request of local officials, Texas Governor Rick Perry today deployed a fleet of buses, both school buses and commercial, to the Rio Grande Valley Region to aid in the possible evacuation of special needs residents. Texas Task Force 1 and 2 were also deployed and pre-positioned in South Texas for assistance in response and recovery efforts from potential flooding.    » read more »

Activates State Resources as Dean Approaches the Gulf

Aug. 17, 2007 -- AUSTIN – Texas Governor Rick Perry today declared Hurricane Dean an imminent threat to Texas, initiating full-scale state hurricane preparedness efforts. Perry activated state resources, including search and rescue teams, as National Weather Service projections show Hurricane Dean could impact the Texas coast by the middle of next week.    » read more »

08/19/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger announced today that members of California’s Urban Search and Rescue program are on their way to Dallas, Texas to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Dean along the shores of Texas. A total of 43 personnel are on their way with specialized equipment to support rescue operations. They will stage in Dallas until the storm arrives, then mobilize into the impacted areas.    » read more »

August 16, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded New York more than $55 million in supplemental Fiscal Year 2007 funds to enhance transit and port security systems and emergency management capabilities.    » read more »

Governor Discusses Homeland Security Goals; Highlights Core Capacities for Maryland First Responders

OCEAN CITY, MD (August 16, 2007) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today met with local emergency managers, lead security personnel and elected officials from every region of our state to discuss Maryland’s homeland security goals and core capacities.

Tomorrow, Governor O’Malley will offer remarks on homeland security at the Maryland Association of Counties general session on homeland security in Ocean City.    » read more »

Aug 16, 2007 -- ALEXANDRIA - Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco joined Louisiana State University and other officials to break ground today for the Louisiana Emergency Shelter at the LSU AgCenter's Dean Lee Research Station.

Located just south of the LSU-Alexandria campus, the $26 million climate-controlled shelter is being built to provide a place for citizens seeking refuge during emergencies such as hurricanes and other disasters. The 230,000-square-foot facility is designed to accommodate 3,500 people.    » read more »