Ben’s Chili Bowl

Ben’s Chili Bowl will host a 50th Anniversary Press Conference & Block Party on Friday, August 22, 2008 from 10:30am- 2pm. The events will take place on U Street between 12th and 13th Streets. Please keep this in mind when traveling near the area on Friday.

Tropical Storm Fay No Longer Threat to DC

National Weather Service has advised that Tropical Storm Fay is no longer a threat to affect Washington D.C.

However, it remains essential to make general hurricane preparations, as August to October is the peak of hurricane season in our area.

Have disaster supplies on hand.
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water supply
• Non-electric can opener
• Essential medicines and prescriptions
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes

Monitor Media Updates.
Stay tuned to local radio for information on evacuation routes and shelter locations. The primary radio stations for news and traffic are WTOP 103.5FM, WMAL 630 AM, WJZW 105.9FM, WKYS 93.9 FM, WHFS 99.1FM and WPGC 95.5FM

Make shelter arrangements for pets.
Pets may not be allowed into emergency shelters for health and space reasons. Contact the D.C. Animal Shelter (24 Hour) (202) 576-6664 or the Government of the District Columbia Citywide Call Center (202) 727-1000 for information on local animal shelters.

Protect your windows.
Permanent shutters are the best protection. A lower-cost approach is to put up plywood panels. Use 1/2-inch plywood--marine plywood is best--cut to fit each window. Remember to mark which board fits which window. Pre-drill holes every 18 inches and install screws. Complete this action well before arrival of the storm.

Protect your property.
Trim dead or weak or weak branches from trees. Remove or secure lawn furnishings, trashcans and other items, which could become airborne causing damage or personal injury.
Get adequate insurance coverage. Be certain you have adequate home insurance coverage. Your standard home policy does not cover damage from the flooding that accompanies a hurricane. Contact the D.C. Floodplain Coordinator, 202-535-2248, to learn more about FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. Normally, there is a 30-day waiting period before a new policy becomes effective.

Develop an emergency communication plan.
In case family members are separated from one another during a disaster (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

Hurricane Watches and Warnings.
A hurricane watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours. A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions (winds of 74 miles per hour or greater, or dangerously high water and rough seas) are expected in 24 hours or less.

National Capital Region Selects Homeland Security Projects to Fund

Today, officials said they will use the region’s federal homeland security funds for medical and law enforcement projects to detect and respond to terror attacks.

There are two focused goals for this year’s funding. The first is to increase the ability of health and medical systems to treat large numbers of critically injured people following an attack, such as a dirty bomb. The second is to invest in technology to help police prevent homemade or radioactive bomb attacks.

Technology investments will include advanced monitoring, detection and information sharing systems, such as radiation detection, automated license plate recognition, video camera data integration, traffic monitoring, biometric identification of suspects in the field and regional law enforcement record sharing. These systems will help police to find a bomb or bomber before anattack.

The announcement came from local and state officials in the National Capital Region (NCR), representing the District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine.

In July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded the NCR $59.8 million, and some of the projects to be funded include:

· Hospital Surge Capacity and Tracking ($3.9 million): The region will buyadditional hospital beds, equipment and medicines to treat 300 critically injured patients for three days without outside help. New software will allow emergency rooms to track the real-time location of ambulances from every hospital in the region. ERs also will be able to monitor the treatment capacities at every hospital.

· Metropolitan Medical Response System ($4.4 million): The MMRS system will be expanded into the District of Columbia and Maryland. This program brings together hospitals, doctors, firefighters and others to plan and train to treat mass casualties.

· Radiation Detectors ($3.9 million): Police officers across the region will beoutfitted with radiation detectors, and the devices will be networked to a central monitoring station. They will help police to detect a “dirty” or nuclear bomb as far from its target as possible. Stationary detectors also will be positioned at key highways across the region.

· License Plate Readers ($4.4 million): The cameras allow police to comparelicense plates against local, state and federal databases. These tag readers will be placed at airports, highways and in police cruisers. The devices will help police quickly identify vehicles and track their movement across the region.

· Bomb Squad Upgrades ($5.6 million): Local bomb squads will receiveadditional training and equipment. For example, squads will get advanced training in disarming improvised explosive devices. Private-sector security officials also will receive basic training.

The National Capital Region — which is comprised of 11 local jurisdictions, two states and the District of Columbia — prepares for disasters collaboratively. This unique regional structure, in the area that is home to the nation’s capital with the associated elevated risks, requires an equally complex system to determine how to best and most equitably allocate scarce resources such as UASI funds.

The NCR’s elected officials, emergency management, law enforcement, fire and public health personnel, along with the nonprofit and private sectors, work together across the region’s jurisdictional boundaries to identify and prioritize projects to improve the region’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Past UASI grants have been used to prepare, train, and equip law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, transportation, public health and other first responders, improving their capabilities to prevent and respond to a wide range of potential hazards in the NCR.

The funding has also been used to assist public safety officials to communicate across jurisdictional boundaries by enhancing interoperable communications; offer emergency alerts and notifications to the public; educate the public on disaster preparedness; assist special needs populations to prepare for major emergencies; increase medical readiness; and equip first responders to respond to all types of hazardous situations.

The National Capital Region invests in disaster preparations in an efficient, regionally coordinated manner, and focuses the region’s homeland security spending on the greatest risks and needs.

How Will You Get Notified During an Emergency?

The Alert DC system provides rapid text notification and update information during a major crisis or emergency. This system delivers important emergency alerts, notifications and updates on a range of devices including your:

- e-mail account [work, home, other]
- cell phone
- pager, BlackBerry
- wireless PDA

When an incident or emergency occurs, authorized DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management personnel can rapidly notify you using this community alert system. Alert DC is your personal connection to real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what to do, or what not to do, who to contact and other important information.

Alert DC is available to citizens of the District of Columbia as well as individuals traveling to or working in the District. Sign up for an account to receive alerts and emergency notifications today at 72hours.dc.gov!

National Preparedness Month

The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), in conjunction with Serve DC are planning a series of events during National Preparedness Month.

National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to be informed, make a plan, make an emergency go kit, and be aware. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action.

If you would like to participate, have suggestions, or need additional information, please feel free to contact Donneshia Taylor at Donneshia.Taylor@dc.gov.