Information on Hurricane Gustav

If you are interested in more information about Hurricane Gustav including forecast, prediction paths, and other related information, visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend.

Gustav

Tropical Storm Gustav (scheduled to become a Hurricane some time this evening) is currently projected to hit the Gulf Coast states (perhaps even New Orleans) some time Monday or early Tuesday. While this storm system is not a direct threat to Johnson County it is of great concern to the entire country. We all remember 2005 when many people in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina. A significant number were evacuated to various parts of the country including the Kansas City area. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the situation and will activate our response systems if needed.

JOCO Affirms National Preparedness Month

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners affirmed local support for National Preparedness Month through a formal proclamation at their general meeting this morning. Nick Crossley, Interim Director, was there to receive the proclamation and provide our appreciate and support for the continued countywide efforts toward making Johnson County -- A Community Prepared!

A picture of the ceremony will be included in a future copy of "Good Morning, Johnson County" and available in the Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security offices.

Upcoming Preparedness Activities

Johnson County Emergency Preparedness personnel will be at two upcoming events.

First, personnel will be at a table during the Old Settlers Days, September 4-6, 11 AM to 8 PM. Please stop by and say hello!

We will also be present at Science City's Family Safety Day on September 6, 9 AM to 3 PM. We will have interactive stations to make your own personal or family preparedness plan as well as a station for kids to plan interactive games that promote emergency preparedness. Come say hello here as well!

What's your RQ?

I just came across a cool interactive website that measures your readiness quotient--or more simply RQ. It can be found at www.whatsyourrq.org. It's a simple ten question survey that assesses how prepared you are as an individual. Check it out and let me know how prepared you are!

National Preparedness Month

NPM 2008 is a mere five days away! This is an exciting month in emergency management because it is a time where we can truly spotlight important issues such as personal and family preparedness. In Johnson County, we are also taking September as an opportunity to share with the public all the great emergency preparedness activities that the county performs on a regular basis. Most of these programs are the responsibility of agencies other than Emergency Management, which just emphasis the cooperation and communication necessary to truly make Johnson County -- A Community Prepared.

How prepared do you think the county is right now? Are you aware that departments such as public health, environmental, and public works routinely provide emergency preparedness programs to the community?

Emergency Management Blogs

What do you think about our new blog? Would you like to continue to receive information about what our office is involved with? Do you think you could help us make Johnson County a MORE prepared community through feedback and review of our site?

Let us know what you think!

Regional Cooperation

Many of you may not realize how important partnerships are to emergency management and preparedness. Many Johnson County departmetns work together everyday to find ways to improve the overall readiness of our local citizenry. Many department representatives are also involvement in KS regional and Metro KC regional committees that promote partnership and cooperation both for response and the distribution of resources.

Keep a keen eye out for things in your community that have been provided through this collaborative partnership. Tell us what you've seen!

Would you panic?

Emergencies and disasters are very stressful events. However, have you ever considered how you would respond during such an event? The news media always presents a community of panic during disasters, but social science research indicates that panic will not exist as long as the public is given accurate and reasonable information.

How would you respond?

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

Many emergency responders and emergency management personnel from throughout the KC Metro area are meeting today to exercise the communication and participation of local, state, and federal partners in response to pandemic flu. Is pandemic flu still a concern to you? Are you aware that new flu strain viruses continue to arise throughout the world? Do you feel Johnson County is a prepared community for pandemic influenza?

14 days and counting...

It's 14 days until it's National Preparedness Month. Johnson County EM&HS will be participating in NPM by highlighting current preparedness activities as well as annoucing new and exciting ventures that will continue to improve the county's preparedness efforts.

How prepared are you? How prepared do you think the county is to emergencies and disasters?

To be or not to be...PREPARED!

What does it mean to be prepared? We educate the public on how to be prepared for emergencies, but is that process really any different than being 'prepared' for life? Let us know your thoughts!

The Importance of Partnership

Partnership is critical in all areas of life, but it is particularly important in emergency preparedness. No agency or organization has the resources, equipment, or personnel to respond to disasters. Rather instead, multiple organizations with day-to-day resources have to be leveraged together to create a prepared community, resilient against hazards and built on sustainable practices. Do you know what organizations and agencies partner together to help make Johnson County -- A Prepared Community?

Shelter in Place

How many of us know how to shelter in place? Or for what purpose? Can you tell me what you or your family would do to be safe in response to a tornado? A fire? A chemical explosion?

...For Whom the Blog Tolls

This is the first entry for the "Johnson County -- A Community Prepared" blog, because frankly Johnson County is a community prepared. The problem is information sharing. Many people, organizations, and departments all play a vital role in keeping our community prepared. As much as we would like to think, Johnson County is not covered by a protective bubble. However, we are "covered" by the time, energy, and resources that we all put into being ready and prepared to mitigate disasters (when possible) and to respond and recovery when they do. Let me know your thoughts...