Community Preparedness Workshop

Dear Salt Lake City Community Members,

The 2nd Quarter 2014 Community Preparedness Workshop has been scheduled.  Please join us at the workshop on Saturday, May 10, 2014.  Continental breakfast will be offered at 8:00 am.  Welcome and opening address will begin at 8:30.

This workshop will be used as a public forum to discuss the Salt Lake City ShakeOut 2014 exercise that was conducted at Highland Park Elementary on April 17th.  This was the first Full-Scale Exercise conducted to integrate shelter/reunification operations, the CERT program, and Amateur Radio operators under the umbrella of the SAFE Neighborhoods program.

As introduced last year, in the event of a catastrophic incident that requires evacuation of a community neighborhood, individuals and families need a SAFE location to go for family reunification, temporary sheltering, and a place to receive emergency public information.

Salt Lake City, in partnership with the American Red Cross, and the Salt Lake City School District developed the SAFE Neighborhoods program which trains volunteers from each school neighborhood to open, staff, and run their own reunification shelters within their own school neighborhoods until outside resources arrive.  However, the sheltering/reunification operations are only one component the SAFE Neighborhoods program. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Amateur Radio are two additional critical components in our “Whole Communities” planning efforts.

As we move forward, coordination with faith-based and other volunteer, community, and/or non-governmental organizations will be incorporated.  Please come and participate in the discussion to learn about what is being accomplished and learn about how to become involved with Community Preparedness in your area!

Community Preparedness Workshop

Agenda

Saturday, May 10, 2014, 8:00 am – 11:30 am
Public Safety Building
475 S 300 E
Salt Lake City, UT 


8:00am      Sign-in & Light continental breakfast/ Welcome & Open Meeting
                  – John Flynt/Mayor’s Office

8:30am      ShakeOut 2014 Exercise – Review & Discussion
                 This session will review the details of the individual exercise activities: shelter,
                 CERT, and amateur radio.  Questions and input from exercise participants
                 are encouraged.

10:15am    Break

10:30am    Vigilant Guard Exercise
                  In this session, discussion will focus on the Vigilant Guard exercise to be
                  held on November 4th.  Though this exercise in conjunction with the Utah
                  National Guard, the community based portion of the exercise will consist
                  of the same functions as the ShakeOut exercise.  The primary difference will
                  be the conduct of exercise operations at two schools instead of just one.
                  Leaders from each of the respective disciplines (shelter, CERT, & amateur
                  radio) will have the opportunity to present discussion items concerning
                  exercise conduct.
                             
11:30am     Adjourn

 
Free parking is available immediately to the right as you turn on to Blair St. from 400 South, in the small parking lot to the east of Blair St. on the east side of the Public Safety Building, and on 500 South beside the Public Safety Building.
 
People with disabilities may make requests for reasonable accommodation no later than 48 hours in advance in order to attend this meeting.  Accommodations may include alternate formats, interpreters, and other auxiliary aids.  This is an accessible facility.  For questions or additional information, please contact Michael Stott, ADA Coordinator, at michael.stott@slcgov.com, (801) 535-7976, or TDD (801) 535-6021.

Sunnflair Deluxe Solar Oven Combo

Here is a solar oven that is new to me.  See what you think.

Here is the description as posted on Emergency Essentials website:

SUNFLAIR solar ovens are affordable, fun, and easy. They are the most portable and user friendly solar ovens. The stove cooks for 4-8 people and is great for camping (especially where fires aren’t allowed), boating, RV-ing, emergency preparedness, keeping the heat out of the kitchen on a summer day, or for crafts with the kids.

Specially insulated, oven reaches temperatures of up to 250 F (121 C). Compare to slow cookers that range between 180 – 300 F (82-149 C), and liken to a stovetop that reaches 212 F or 100 C (boiling) with simmering at 200 F (93 C). Four-season cooking below 40 degrees latitude, and three season above. A UV index of 4+ is best for solar cooking. For efficiency, align cooking chamber to full sun, making sure shadow is positioned evenly behind oven.

Pots are dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe.

Click the link below to see the Emergency Essentials website post:

Sunnflair Deluxe Solar Oven Combo

Should You Stay Or Should You Go?

"When a warning of impending doom or disaster is announced families have to make a quick decision. Do we leave our homes to find other shelter or do we stay? That is the million-dollar question but there are many variables which will help decide what is best to do.

This decision should not be taken lightly. It’s a part judgment call and part inspiration."

Click on the following link for situations and ideas to consider.

Should you stay or should you go? 

Bugging out vs. staying home.

How bad could a Utah earthquake be?

Experts say that preparation is incredibly important to improving the chances of surviving a major earthquake.

Click below for a KSL newscast from April 16th, 2014 that shares some of the possibilities, and ways to prepare for them.

Prepping for the 'big one': 

How bad could a Utah earthquake be?

PS.  Once you click the link above, make sure you click on the video link (picture) on the KSL website for the full broadcast.

Special thanks to Bart Greenwell of New West Marketing for providing this link.  Bart is my source for all great solar products from Goal Zero.  Check out his online store at www.powerinapinch.com.

Text First. Talk Second.

"The September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 East Coast earthquake all share
something in common – each caused massive mobile phone service disruption for millions of Americans.

Mobile call volume simply overwhelmed provider capacity during these incidents.

The desire to call loved ones after an emergency or disaster is natural. However, preparedness experts universally agree that during an emergency and its immediate aftermath, communicating via SMS text messaging should be your first choice.

This is because non-essential calls often shutdown wireless phone service and prevent 911 calls from getting through and emergency personnel being unable to communicate with each other. In fact, just a single one-minute phone call takes up the same bandwidth as 800 short SMS text messages.

Also, unlike phone calls, text messages get through even when the network is congested.  Even if it gets a "busy signal" on its first try the text system will continue to keep trying to deliver your message. This makes text messaging perfect for sending non-emergency messages like “R U OK” and “I M OK.”

So remember, after a flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado or earthquake, use your wireless device to Text First. Talk Second.

Get the word out. Let your family and friends know if a natural or man-made disaster happens in your vicinity that the best way to check-in with you is to first try and contact you via text message."

Click on the link below for more useful information about Text First / Talk Second and learn how you can participate in a preparedness texting drill.

Text First. Talk Second.

Get Ready to ShakeOut!

Get Ready to ShakeOut!

On Thursday, April 17th at 10:15 am, many in Utah will “Drop, Cover, and 

Hold On” in The Great Utah ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill ever! Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill wherever you are!

Major earthquakes may happen anywhere you work, live, or travel. The ShakeOut is our chance to practice how to protect ourselves, and for everyone to become prepared. The goal is to prevent a major earthquake from becoming a catastrophe for you, your family, and your community.

Why is a “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drill important? As with anything, to act quickly you must practice often. You may only have seconds to protect yourself in an earthquake before strong shaking knocks you down, or something falls on you.

Here are simple things individuals can do to participate in the ShakeOut:

• Do a “hazard hunt” in your home for items that might fall during earth quakes and secure them.
• Create a personal or family disaster plan.
• Organize or refresh your emergency supply kits.

Visit www.ShakeOut.org for more information.

Visit www.SLCFoothillNet.blogspot.com  for neighborhood emergency prep packets and information.

LDS Church, Red Cross Join to Provide Extra Community Support

Article posted from KSL.COM
By Emilee Eagar, posted on April 5th, 2014


"The LDS Church has set a goal to offer 200 volunteers to the Red Cross by the end of 2014 through callings, church service and missionary assignments, said Kristy Denlein, volunteer services director for the charity's Utah region.

The initiative came from a conversation between the LDS Church and Red Cross leaders to take their national agreement and partnership to "the next level," Denlein said.

The volunteers will provide extra support in the local communities and respond to disasters to give "breadth in our services and some depth in our responses through disaster preparedness and response," she said.

The idea for the initiative came after Red Cross Utah Regional CEO Heidi Ruster and Bishop Gérald Caussé, first counselor in the LDS Church's Presiding Bishopric, met to discuss their long-term relationship and how to enhance services that both organizations contribute to the community.

So far, Denlein said, there are 18 volunteers through this new initiative, mostly from Utah County. The initiative also has potential to expand outside of Utah.

"The Red Cross and the LDS Church have a strong partnership nationwide, so I think it's something here, modeling that good relationship with a community partner like the LDS Church, that could definitely be modeled throughout the country," Denlein said."


Click on the link below to read the full articleL

LDS Church, Red Cross Join to 

Provide Extra Community Support