Hurricane Season is Upon Us
June 1st marks the “official” beginning of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Now is a good time to assess and evaluate your levels of preparedness both personally and professionally to ensure that you are ready in the event of an emergency or deployment or evacuation event.
Do you have an emergency kit ready for your home and car? Does it include items for your pets? Do you have a plan for communicating and meeting with your family when cell phones and internet access are down?
Are your 24 hour pack and 7 day “go kit” packed and ready to go? Is your “go kit” really operational and ready for deployment in the event you are asked to mobilize and provide disaster communications? Have you tested it?
There are many excellent sources of preparedness information o the internet. Take some time and review. The National Hurricane Center offers hurricane status updates by email or SMS/Text. Sign up at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/signup.shtml. As always, you can monitor http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ for the latest official forecast graphics.
AUXCOMM Is Growing!
AUXCOMM is growing. You’ll note that there are now 2 databases linked from this site, NC and SC. They are independent, but serve the same function in each State; that of aggregating contact information for Auxilliary Connunications operators and providing and validating training requirements. Other states are contemplating joining this effort.
Auxcomm follows the Auxilliary Communications concepts as described by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communications (DHS/OEC) and in that Agency’s Auxcomm training course.