MDEM Newsroom - Page 32 MDEM Newsroom
MEMA Encourages Safety and Awareness during Jewish High Holiday Celebrations
September 25th, 2012The Jewish high holidays are in full swing. During the holidays, it is important to take extra precautions with traditional cooking and candle rituals in the home. Here are some safety tips to keep you safe during the holidays.
In the Kitchen
- Do not leave cooking food unattended
- Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing that could be caught on pot handles or catch on fire
- Limit distractions while in the kitchen
- Keep children at least three feet away from stove
- Do not use water to smother a fire! Keep a pot lid and baking soda nearby to put out a pan fire
- If you do get burnt, treat immediately with running water and seek medical attention
When burning candles
- Use sturdy candle-holders, with flame-protective non-combustible (glass or metal) shades or globes.
- Place candles at least four feet away from flammable materials
- Place candles out of reach of small children and pets
- Extinguish candles when they burn within two inches of the holder
- If you must leave burning candles unattended, place them in the kitchen sink
- When handling candles make sure your sleeves and hair are secured
- Keep candles, matches and lighters, including lit memorial containers and Chanukah menorahs, out of reach of children
Do not forget to check your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors. Have a safe and happy holiday!
“Maryland Prepares” Social Media Challenge Rules
August 31st, 2012Launch Date: September 1, 2012
The idea for this challenge came from Washington State’s Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (@cresa) “30 Days, 30 Ways Challenge” and their creativity in making preparedness interactive.
Who Can Play?
We encourage everyone to participate in this challenge. Winners will be chosen from Maryland.
How Do I Play?
Every day in September a different challenge will be posted for you to view on Youtube.com. You can participate on Facebook, Twitter or via email.
- Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarylandPrepares/videos
- Facebook Page: Maryland Emergency Management Agency https://www.facebook.com/MDMEMA
- Twitter: @mdmema http://twitter.com/MDMEMA
- Gmail: [email protected]
At the end of the month, the points and names of participants will be tallied into a spreadsheet. Make sure you use the same name for each challenge so your points can be tallied under the same name at the end of the month. If you are participating on twitter, please use the hashtag #MDPrepares with your answer.
The daily challenge will be posted every morning at 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time. Each challenge is worth one point unless stated otherwise. Some challenges will be worth more points than others so even if you miss a few, you can make up some points by participating in other daily challenges. Not all questions have a “correct” answer and will vary person to person; however, some questions have specific answers we will be looking for as responses. All questions will close for participation on September 30th at midnight.
Disclaimer: All inappropriate comments/posts will not be counted for the challenge and will be deleted immediately from the site.
What Will I Win?
The prize for the person(s) with the most points will be a tour of our State Emergency Operations Center.
September Is Campus Fire Safety Month
August 29th, 2012PIKESVILLE, MD (August 27, 2012) – The beginning of a new term means classes, homework, friends and parties. With such hectic lives, students often do not pay attention to one thing that could seriously injure or kill them: Fire. As a new semester begins on college campuses throughout the state, the State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard reminds students to take actions to protect themselves and their friends from the devastating effects of fire. An estimated 86% of fire deaths occur in off campus apartments and homes, which is where three-fourths of college students live. This is the primary reason why the State of Maryland has declared September as ‘Campus Fire Safety Month.’ “Unfortunately, most college students do not fully realize how quickly a fire can grow out of control,” said the State Fire Marshal “Studies have shown you have an average of three minutes from when the first smoke alarm sounds to escape the effects of fire. Students need to realize they are not invincible, fires do happen in campus related settings and they can take proactive steps to protect themselves no matter where they live.”
Many fatal fires involving college students have four common elements: Missing or disabled smoke alarms, careless disposal of smoking materials, alcohol consumption and a lack of automatic sprinkler systems.
Carelessly disposed of smoking materials are a contributing cause of fatal fires in all residences including rental properties where college students live. Students also fall victim to fires started by unattended open flame devices, such as candles.
Missing or dead batteries are the leading cause for smoke alarms not working properly.
The influence of alcohol, although not condoned by college administrators, is sometimes a factor in college related activities. Studies show alcohol decreases inhibition and impairs judgment, which can increase a student’s risk of not waking to the sound of a smoke alarm and potentionally not surviving the effects of fire.
The State Fire Marshal offers these safety tips for both parents and students when heading off to college:
- Check for the proper installation of working smoke alarms. These devices provide early warning no matter where the fire starts, giving more chance for escape.
- Test smoke alarms monthly and replace the batteries as needed.
- Look for housing that is equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. Not every residence hall or rental property has them.
- Know at least two ways out of every room and the building.
- If smoking is allowed, designate an area outside. Properly dispose of smoking materials in sturdy ashtrays and ensure they are completely extinguished. Just in case, always check cushions in chairs and sofas for smoldering cigarettes.
- If using extension cords, use only approved laboratory listed cords such as UL®, and don’t overload the electrical outlets.
- Consider using flameless candles or battery operated lights instead of regular wax candles.
- If using regular candles, never leave them or other open flame type devices unattended and keep combustibles away from their location at all times. Always extinguish the flame prior to leaving the room.
- Cooking should only occur in permitted locations. Never leave cooking food unattended.
- If using a barbeque grill, fire pit, chiminea or other outdoor open flame device, check out the local regulations beforehand. When these items are used improperly, an enjoyable time can quickly turn into a tragedy.
For more information about campus fire safety related issues, please see the following websites:
http://www.campusfiresafety.wikispaces.com/
(See signed Maryland Governor’s Proclamation for Campus Fire Safety Month on page 3).
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Media contact: Bruce D. Bouch, Deputy State Fire Marshal; 443-324-6876
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: www.mdsp.org/firemarshal and/or http://facebook.com/MarylandStateFireMarshal.
Private Nonprofit Organizations May Be Eligible for Disaster Aid
August 29th, 2012REISTERSTOWN, MD—Kenneth Mallette, Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, is urging all private nonprofit organizations who incurred costs from the severe storms and straight-line winds, which impacted Maryland beginning on June 29, 2012, to apply for disaster assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Public Assistance Program.
Here are some qualifiers to help determine eligibility:
- Private nonprofit organizations must hold tax exempt status under Section 501 (c), (d) or (e) of the IRS Code or have State certification that your organization is a non-revenue producing nonprofit entity, organized or doing business under State law.
- Organizations must have incurred costs related to the June storm. These costs could be for debris removal and clean-up, emergency protective measures (emergency response services, evacuation) or permanent damage to your facility.
- The service or facility being claimed must be open to the public.
- The organization must provide essential government-like services, and be in a county designated under the Federal disaster declaration. The designated areas are Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery and St. Mary’s Counties and the Independent City of Baltimore.
- Eligible damage must meet the $1,000 threshold.
If private nonprofit organizations feel they qualify and may be an eligible applicant, they should contact the Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program office at 410-517-3604 or 1-877-636-2872.
An Applicants’ Briefing will be held at the Rice Auditorium, located on the grounds of Spring Grove Hospital Center, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend. The Request for Public Assistance (RPA) and PNP Questionnaire (attached) must be completed and received by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency by 09/01/2012. Forms may be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 410-517-3610.
SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private Non-Profit Organizations in Maryland
August 9th, 2012ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in Maryland that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available as a result of a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by severe storms and winds that occurred from June 29 through July 8, 2012.
PNPs located in the following counties that provide non-critical services are eligible to apply: Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery, Saint Mary’s and the independent City of Baltimore in Maryland. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
“PNP organizations are urged to contact the Maryland Emergency Management Agency at www.mema.maryland.gov to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. The information will be used to submit a Request for Public Assistance, which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a “critical facility.” Based upon that conclusion, FEMA may provide the PNP with a Public Assistance reimbursement grant for their eligible costs or refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance.
PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.
The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to PNP organizations of all sizes to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.
Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets the loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to [email protected]. Loan applications can be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is October 1, 2012. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 2, 2013.
Applicants’ Briefings Scheduled for Maryland Jurisdictions
August 7th, 2012REISTERSTOWN, MD – Officials from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that Public Assistance applicants’ briefings are scheduled for areas included under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for Maryland.
The briefings will help representatives from the state, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (not households and individuals) apply for federal disaster assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 8, 2012.
After the severe storms, a presidential major disaster declaration was issued for 6 jurisdictions for the Public Assistance Program. As a result, federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the storms in the counties of Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery and St. Mary’s in addition to the Independent City of Baltimore.
Below is a listing of locations, dates and times for the meetings:
August 9, 2012 – 10:30 a.m.
Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties
Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Main Conference Room
29449 Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
August 10, 2012 – 10:30 a.m.
Kent County
Kent County Public Works Building
709 Morgnec Road, Chestertown, MD 21620
August 13, 2012 – 9:30 a.m.
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Public Safety Building, Conference Room #1
100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
August 13, 2012 – 1:30 p.m.
Baltimore City
City Hall – City Stat Room
100 North Holliday Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Representatives from local governments and private nonprofit organizations (in the above counties and Baltimore City) are encouraged to participate in the applicants’ briefings. Additional information about this disaster is available on FEMA’s website at http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4075#tabs-2
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Governor O’Malley Seeks Federal Disaster Aid in Wake of Derecho Storms of June 29-30
July 30th, 2012Six jurisdictions included in request for assistance for local and state agencies
ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 27, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for six jurisdictions in Maryland in the wake of the derecho storms that swept across Maryland on June 29 and 30. The request is for Public Assistance, which will reimburse county and municipal governments for up to 75 percent of the costs associated with response to and clean up of the storms.
The local jurisdictions included in the request are Baltimore City and Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery and Saint Mary’s counties. Other counties could be added later as they continue to calculate their costs from the storm. The request also seeks state-wide hazard mitigation funds, to help government agencies reduce the threat of future events.
“In the aftermath of the historic storms in June, local governments around Maryland, and especially those in the jurisdictions included in this request, took extraordinary measures to remove debris, direct traffic at intersections without power and provide cooling centers for the many thousands of residents without power during a prolonged heat wave,” said Governor O’Malley. “That’s why we are seeking assistance from our federal partners to help our State recover from the unanticipated costs of these storms.”
Early in the morning of June 30, just after the last of the storms moved off shore, more than 1 million electric customers around the state were without power, some for more than a week. And in the days following the storms, temperatures in Maryland were in the upper 90s and low 100s, creating a health risk for those without access to air conditioning.
“We hope that federal reimbursement will help cushion the economic blow of these storms for the local agencies in these six jurisdictions,” said Ken Mallette, Executive Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. “Local governments have already been suffering financially in recent years, so this federal assistance will be crucial to help them balance their budgets.”
Baltimoresun.com: Tornadoes, derecho meant a whirlwind start to job for MEMA Director Mallette
July 19th, 2012State’s top emergency official started role in May, will call for more outage information from utilities
One afternoon in early June, Ken Mallette was in Jacksonville driving from a funeral when he got a text message about severe storms striking Maryland. One of the storms’ 11 tornadoes had just ravaged nearby Fallston.
In his second week as executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Mallette arrived in Fallston in a matter of minutes rather than head back to the state’s emergency command center in Reisterstown. He surveyed the damage and met with Harford County Executive David Craig.Read more about this Story here >>
Deadline to Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans in Virginia is August 14
July 12th, 2012ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding businesses in Virginia that working capital loans are still available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations affected by Tropical Storm Lee that occurred on Sept. 8 – 9, 2011.
“Businesses that suffered economic losses as a result of the disaster and want to apply forlow-interest loans from the SBA are urged to do so before the Aug. 14, deadline,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) up to $2 million are available at 3 percent for private non-profit organizations of all sizes and 4 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The loans are intended to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other expenses that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. To be considered for this assistance, disaster survivors need to apply by the deadline.
These EIDLs are available to small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following:
Fairfax and Prince William counties; the neighboring counties of Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun and Stafford; the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia; Charles, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland; and the District of Columbia.
To obtain disaster loan information and application forms, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or send an email to [email protected]. Loan application forms can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov.
Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
The deadline for economic injury applications is August 14, 2012.
Maryland Defense Force Assists “At Risk” Baltimore City Residents During Heat Wave
July 7th, 2012On July 7, 2012 Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) personnel will conduct door to door health and welfare assessments of Baltimore City residents who have been identified as “at risk” given the ongoing heat wave. Approximately 30 MDDF personnel will work in conjunction with members of the Baltimore Emergency Management Agency (BEMA) during the residential visits. Special attention will be given to residents without electrical power who do not have access to air conditioning or cooling fans.
In addition to preliminary health screenings, at risk residents will be provided with water, ice, food transportation to Baltimore City cooling stations if necessary. Emergency medical personnel will also be on hand to support the mission. Brig. Gen. (MDDF) Brian R. Kelm, the commanding general of the MDDF noted that, “This is an essential mission and we look forward to bringing some needed relief to our fellow citizens.”
The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the State’s uniformed volunteer military unit providing professional and technical assistance to the Maryland Military Department. Established in 1917, the MDDF consists of nearly 450 personnel who perform legal, engineering, finance, medical, chaplain, field support and ceremonial services for the State of Maryland. For more information: www.mddf.maryland.gov.