ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- If a disaster were to occur, would you know where to get the necessary information such as what to do and where to go?
Communication has never been more readily available than it is today. In fact, the International Telecommunications Union reports that there are more than 270 million cell phones in the United States, which is nearly 90 percent of the population. With that in mind, many local, county, state, and federal organizations are using these methods of communication to ensure affected people receive emergency information.
Some of the more recent innovations include social media sites such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and of course, organizational Web sites. These Web sites offer an individual the opportunity to not only learn what each organization has to offer but also what the current conditions are in the local area. Some organizations offer options to get e-mails and texts to warn of possible disasters.
So, how do you find out what your community uses to disseminate information? The answer is fairly easy with the application of key information and making use of Internet searches. For example, if "Alaska Emergency Management Twitter" is searched for, the results produced the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Web site. At that point I noticed that Homeland Security and Emergency Management offers services on Twitter.
Being familiar with hazards that are typical for your area is another very important tool for learning what type of information you might need to know in the event of a disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Web site has the most current information on emergency and disaster declarations. This is also a great resource to find out what kind of disasters can happen in your geographic location. Organizations that can help you understand what types of disasters are common to your location are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, World Organization of Volcano Observatories and your city, county, and state government Web sites. In addition, you need to know what FEMA region you live in so you can get information for that region. Of the 10 regions, Alaska is included in Region X. You can find on the FEMA Web site.
In a crisis situation many professionals believe in the venerable adage of Murphy's law: if something can go wrong, it will. The proverbial "if" becomes when, and then suddenly you are left without Internet or cellular service wondering what happens now? This is why communities still have public address systems in place. The Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau is responsible for oversight of the Emergency Alert System which still conducts tests on radio and television to "alert the public about imminent dangerous weather conditions."
Another method is Integrated Public Alert and Warning System which is the nation's alert and warning network. This network is used during an emergency to provide the public with life-saving information quickly. IPAWS not only uses radio and television but also integrates the internet, cellular, and even residential phones to alert the public at anytime, anywhere. Many organizations, such as NOAA, National Warning System, Geo-Targeted Alerting System, Web Alert and Relay Network, and AMBER Alert, are integrating with IPAWS to enable even more capability to communicate hazards prior to, during, and after an emergency or disaster situation.
For those of us in Anchorage, here are some resources for you to get the information you need when you need it most -- prior to a disaster.
Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management - http://www.ak-prepared.com/ or http://www.ready.alaska.gov/ Twitter
Alaska State Emergency Coordination Center Web site - http://www.ready.alaska.gov/ Twitter
AK Quakes Twitter - http://twitter.com/akquakes
AVO Web site - http://www.avo.alaska.edu/ Twitter
APD Web site - http://www.muni.org/ Twitter
Anchorage School District Web site - http://www.asdk12.org/ Twitter and Facebook
Anchorage School District Closure Notice Twitter - http://twitter.com/ASD_Closures
Anchorage Fire Department Status Web site - http://afdstatus.org/ Twitter and Facebook
U.S. Coast Guard District 17 Web site - http://www.uscgalaska.com/external/index.cfm?cid=780 Twitter
Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.org Twitter and Facebook
Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 10 Web site - http://www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionx/ Twitter
FEMA Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/FEMA
American Red Cross Web site - http://www.redcross.org/ Twitter and Facebook
Elmendorf AFB's 3rd Wing Public Affairs Office -
Elmendorf AFB - http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/