Severe Weather Awareness Week 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2013

CONTACT: Megan Silverstrim

Commissioners Issue Severe Weather Awareness Proclamation

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania- Cumberland County Board of Commissioners proclaimed March 4-8, 2013 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Cumberland County during today's regular Board of Commissioner's Meeting.  The program is a coordinated effort between the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. National Weather Service.

The purpose of Severe Weather Awareness Week is to remind citizens to prepare for the expected and unexpected severe weather that can occur in Cumberland County.  Much like 2011, 2012 proved to be a year full of severe weather, including a late season hurricane named Sandy.  Forecasters expect 2013 to be just as active with severe weather, which means no one can afford to let their guard down when it comes to preparing.  With this in mind, DPS will be spending the week promoting preparedness at home and in the workplace, as well as educating the public on the various types of common and uncommon severe weather that can impact our area.

There will be a statewide weather exercise to coincide with Severe Weather Awareness Week, which will occur on March5, 2013.  For more information on the exercise, visit www.pema.state.pa.us or tune into your NOAA weather radios on March 5th.

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Cyber Predators

This week, as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, our staff had the opportunity to sit down with Senior Supervisory Special Agent (SSSA) Craig LeCadre from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and talk about Cyber Crime.  SSSA LeCadre has 24 years of law enforcement experience, starting out with the Harrisburg Police Department, and then transitioning to the Office of the Attorney General.  SSSA LeCadre’s primary focus is education and outreach and we are so very thankful to him for the great information he provided us!  He gave us some great data on cyber predators and we wanted to share it with you!    

What we learned about cyber predators…

-          Cyber/internet predators are an issue we face across Pennsylvania.  Currently the Office of the Attorney General has 8 agents and 2 attorneys that investigate individuals who target children online for victimization.  In 2005 alone their office arrested 313 offenders and to date have a 100% conviction rate!

-          The laws governing internet activities cannot keep pace with changing technology, making the fight against cybercrime and cyber predators challenging.

-          Cyber predators find their young victims in chat-rooms, social networking sites, live audio/visual sites like Skype and through online gaming. 

-          Cyber predators will work to find out personal information through seemingly harmless conversations, imitates emotional status in hopes of befriending child and fabricates mutual interests.

-          These predators use the internet to seek out their victims because it allows them to be anonymous and assume fake identities (such as other children).  It gives them easy access to personal information that children may have posted on sites and offers geographic locations through “geo tagging” markers on pictures and posts. 

-          Most cyber predators are male, often married with children, professionals and in good standing in the community, usually involved in activities that provide access to children, possess above average intelligence, and highly motive to get access to their victims (will travel far).

-          Children targeted by cyber predators are typically, BUT NOT ALWAYS those who spend a large amount of time online, has more technical skills that parents, has few friends and poor interpersonal skills, may not spend much “quality” time with parents, posts pictures, videos or private info online, and lack parameters regarding internet use.  

How to protect our children from cyber predators…

-          Use internet filters to block inappropriate or adult websites

-          Limit texting/camera features on kids cell phones

-          Use internet tracking software to see where your kids are surfing

-          Place computer in a visible location in your home, that allows you to frequently view what your child is doing

-          Monitor and periodically check your child’s social networking page for inappropriate photos or info

-          Maintain an open dialogue with your children so that they would feel comfortable enough to share something important with you

-          Establish parameters for responsible use of technology

-          Educate kids on cyber predators and the dangers that exist

SSSA LeCadre shared some other great information with us that we hope to share with you over the next week, so stay tuned!

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 1, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Megan Silverstrim, Cumberland County

                            717.218.2900

Cumberland County Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania– Cumberland County Board of Commissioner proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the county during an evening meeting in Lower Allen Township.  This month will be dedicated to highlighting the importance of cybersecurity at home and the workplace. 

Cumberland County Information Management and Technology Office and Department of Public Safety will spend October focusing on educating county employees, residents and businesses on the importance of cybresecurity through a variety of programs.  Each week will focus on a different theme that will address a assortment of topics including  general cybersecurity, cyber-crime, workforce cyber education and much more! 

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an initiative developed and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).   For more information on this DHS program visit www.dhs.gov.  For more information on Cumberland County’s cybersecurity efforts visit www.ccpa.net.

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PROCLAMATION

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 2012

WHEREAS, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of cyber safety and to encourage all Americans to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their information;

WHEREAS, every American has a stake in securing our networks and personal information against a multitude of potential threats and cyber incidents, such as unauthorized changes to hardware and software, social engineering, phishing, or unauthorized access to data that may result in extensive damage to cyber infrastructure, disruption in services, major security breaches, and may cause other adverse impacts upon the general population of Cumberland County;

WHEREAS, The Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign (www.stopthinkconnect.com) is a national effort coordinated by a coalition of private companies, non-profits and government organizations to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online;

WHEREAS, the Commissioners of Cumberland County along with the Information Management and Technology Office, the Department of Public Safety and other Federal, State, County, and local officials participate in and support month-long Cybersecurity Awareness designed to raise awareness and the need to take protective actions to secure  information, networks and cyber infrastructure;

WHEREAS, in recognition of the need to adequately secure, call upon the people of Cumberland County to recognize the importance of securing and observe this month by participating in cybersecurity awareness events, activities, and programs at home and in the workplace;

NOW THEREFORE, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim October 2012 as CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Commissioners Proclaim EMS Week

Today, during their regular Monday afternoon meeting the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners proclaimed May 20th- May 26th as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week!  The purpose of this week is to recognize those in all steps of the EMS process from the dispatcher taking the initial call and offer pre-arrival instructions, to the EMT's and Medic rendering pre-hospital care, then the Emergency Room staff at hospitals.

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have a well trained, creative and top notch EMT and Paramedic force and is known for this across the nation.  T his top notch force is the product of Pennsylvania's large rural population.  There are not hospitals around every corner in most areas of our state, in fact for many people it's a 20-30 minute ambulance ride to a hospital.  That being said, patient care and a patients life is often in an EMT and paramedic's hands for sometime, meaning they have to be on top of their game and confident in their skills.

Cumberland County EMS units were dispatched to 29,419 calls in 2011.  These calls were not only in Cumberland County, but also to provide mutual aid services to several neighboring counties.  The EMS force in Cumberland County is comprised of volunteer and career EMS staff and firefighters and police officers with varying levels of EMS training.  Cumberland County is currently served by 11 EMS companies which staff 22 individual stations.

In light of EMS Week, the Board of Commissioners also recognized 10 EMT's who will soon be receiving Clinical Save Commendations from the Emergency Health Services Federation.
The following EMT's were recognized:

East Pennsboro Ambulance Service

Christopher Bowers, EMT (2 Clinical Save Commendations)

Jonathan House, EMT

John Myers, EMT

West Shore EMS

Mark Boland, EMT-P

Dewitt James Cline, EMT

Janette Cota, EMT

Devin Flickinger, EMT-P

Robert Houser, EMT

Steven Stilo, EMT-P

Charlene Wood, EMT-P (2 Clinical Save Commendations)

A “clinical save” as defined by the Emergency Health Services Federation must meet the following criteria to be considered for commendation.

-          Must be primarily involved in the pre-hospital clinical care of a patient

-          Patient initially presented to pre-hospital personnel pulseless and/or apneic

-          Appropriate ALS and/or BLS intervention and treatment were rendered

-          Patient was transported to the hospital and subsequently discharged from the hospital without significant neurological impairment

Be sure to thank an EMS provider next week!  Twitter hashtag #ThankAnEMT

Angry Sky

May 26, 2011 – 7:10 PM

Central Cumberland County is in chaos. A severe thunderstorm is plowing across the county. Several minutes ago, it struck the Carlisle area, leaving behind a large damage path of toppled trees, downed power lines, and localized flash flooding.

As the storm moves to the east-northeast, a small tornado touches down somewhere in the vicinity of Route 114 and Willow Mill Park in Silver Spring Township. The tornado remains on the ground for the next four minutes, tearing down more than 100 trees and destroying an outbuilding before dissipating somewhere in the area of Sears Run and Wertzville RD in Hampden Township. No lives are lost or injuries reported. The thunderstorm continues across Cumberland County leaving more wind damage behind. Despite the damage, the county dodged a bullet.

Late May's tornadoes are nothing new to Pennsylvania. Two large outbreaks occurred on May 31^st in previous years, one in 1998 and a larger, more deadly one nearly three decades ago in 1985.

My family was affected by the 1985 tornado outbreak. This is my family's story of that day and is one of thousands of stories from those who experienced nature's wrath.

As most Pennsylvania's slept during the early morning hours of Friday, May 31, 1985, a warm front surged north across the Commonwealth. Warm, moist air streamed in behind it. By the afternoon, many weather recording stations were reporting temperatures well into the 80's.

Sometime during the sunny morning, my family piled into our Ford station wagon for a day trip to Kinzua Dam state park, near the Pennsylvania/New York border. While we were there, we did the typical activities you would associate with a visit to a state park: hiking, sight seeing, and picnicking. I remember the heat that day – it was stifling.

My next memory from that day was the point where we decided to leave – the point where Mother Nature was beginning to throw out hints at what was in store.

By mid-afternoon, a strong cold front was plowing east from the Midwest. Tornadoes were already developing across the Canadian Provence of Ontario. Five tornadoes ranging in intensity from F3 to F4 ripped across Ontario that day. The first thunderstorms began to form over Ohio by 4PM and weather officials in the Northeast knew a major tornado outbreak was becoming nearly inevitable.

An Angry Sky

My father tells me I called it “an angry sky” and as I remember that day, I suppose that is an accurate statement – at least coming from a five-year-old boy. I certainly didn't know what I was looking at, but it must have unsettled me.

I can remember the clouds. They appeared so low you could reach up and grab them. As the clouds thickened, the color of the sky changed from a dreary gray to a yellowish-green hue. The clouds swirled and rolled and the breeze was warm; so warm it took your breath away. I remember the air felt heavy, adding to the unsettling environment that was quickly enveloping us.

This was the first clue the bad weather was coming, although I'm told there was no indication that tornadoes were a possibility. It was probably just an afternoon thunderstorm, common across Pennsylvania on hot and hazy days. We elected to cut our day short and return home. A couple of hours after we left, a large F4 tornado would tear across the Allegheny National Forest, 4 miles south of the dam. The tornado eventually struck the town of Kane, just before sunset at approximately 8:15 PM. Three people were killed.

A Town Wiped from the Map

About 50 miles south of Erie, PA is the small farming community of Atlantic, the place my grandmother called home. Situated at a rural cross roads, the town is bisected by a railroad and surrounded by working farms of various sizes.

At the center of town lies the intersection of the two two roads, one running north-south and the other east-west. From those two main roads, perfectly straight rural roads form a grid, more reminiscent of a Midwestern town than one in Pennsylvania. A large Amish and Mennonite community resides in the area and it isn't uncommon to have more horse-and-buggy combinations traveling up and down the roads than cars.

A large feed mill sits along the east-west road along the railroad. It's tall grain elevator and silos adorned with the Purina red and white checkered flag tower over the village. For a while it was the tallest structure around, until the 300 foot high AT&T transmission tower was built on the eastern outskirts of town.

Like many others across the western half of the state, the residents of Atlantic enjoyed an early taste of summer. Temperatures rose into the mid-80s. By 5:00PM, the National Weather Service office had issued a tornado watch, advising residents of the possibility of tornadoes. Minutes later that danger would become realized.

At 5:20 PM, a tornado was spotted several miles west of Atlantic, just outside the town of Jamestown. At the point of touchdown, the tornado is estimated to have been an F2 – with winds topping out at 157 MPH. Atlantic had only moments to prepare. At the same time the tornado was spotted, meteorologists in Erie, PA spotted the “hook echo” signature on radar – at that time it was the only way meteorologists had of remotely spotting tornadoes. A “hook echo” shows rain and debris swirling around the tornado's center of circulation, giving it the appearance of a fish hook on radar. A tornado warning was broadcast, but many homes did not have the necessary weather radios to receive such a warning. Televisions would be the only other way to receive warnings – until the storm cut the power.

Minutes prior to the tornado, Atlantic residents recalled hail the size of golf balls falling around them. Then the tornado appeared. To the west of Atlantic was a long ridge that ran from north to south. Residents looking to the west likely never saw the tornado coming until it topped the ridge. At that point, only seconds remained to react.

By the time to twister crested the ridge, it swelled to an F4 with estimated wind speeds up to 260 MPH. Some residents were lucky enough to get to shelter, others were not. In one home alone, five people were killed. Others died in a mobile home park, unable to get to adequate shelter. The tornado was over in minutes, as it exited the town it toppled the red and white striped 300 foot communications tower which was built to withstand 200 MPH winds.

My grandmother lived across the street from the feed mill. Just down the hill from the railroad crossing. Fortunately, she was not home at the time; rather, since it was the last day of school, she was attending a graduation party a few miles from town.

I don't remember how we found out about the Atlantic tornado. But I remember my mother was talking on the phone and crying. Such a memory sticks with a five-year old.

My mother left immediately for Atlantic. She was not allowed in and resorted to leaving the car and walking to the property where she grew up. I never saw the house after the tornado, we kids weren't taken to Atlantic until my grandmother received her new double-wide home. I'm told the tornado didn't directly hit her house, but it managed to throw a tree through the middle of it. The house crashed down around the tree. I'm also told my the tree didn't come from my grandmother's property.

Several months later, my grandmother was contacted by a family in New York state. They found some of her canceled checks in the woods behind their house.

There were 23 confirmed tornadoes that touched down across Eastern Ohio, Southwestern NY, and Western and Central PA.  Of the 23 tornadoes, 21 struck Pennsylvania.  9 of the 21 tornadoes were fatal and 8 were classified as violent, ranking F4 or F5 on the Fujita scale.

In Pennsylvania, 65 people were killed and more than $300 million in damage occurred.  On tornado, which struck Wheatland, PA  was classified at the top of the scale - F5 and is still believed to be the strongest tornado ever to strike the state. 

The May 31, 1985 tornado outbreak remains the worst recorded in the history of the state.

Growing up, I studied tornadoes and weather as much as I could, reading books and watching documentaries. I applied to and was accepted by the University of Oklahoma to become a severe storms forecaster. However, in the end, I opted to stay in Pennsylvania. Instead, I eventually chose to develop a career in Emergency Management – I credit that terrible day for setting me on this path.

We often hear about such calamities in the Midwest – in that zone that stretches from Texas north to Kansas called Tornado Alley. But here is evidence that it can happen here in Pennsylvania and by all accounts, I believe one day it will happen again.

In the 21^st century, we're a more storm ready community. The 1985 tornado outbreak helped local weather forecast offices realize the need for better radar and warning systems. Today, you can receive weather alerts on your smart phone and in your email. Weather radios are widely available and often work where cell phones do not. Even advances in radar imagery has increased tornado warning time from a mere handful of minutes to 10-15 minutes, depending on the situation.

It's important to realize that devastating tornadoes can occur anywhere at anytime. We've been relatively lucky in South Central PA. The worst tornado in recent memory, an EF3, struck Campbelltown in 2004. Since then, the tornadoes that have occurred were relatively weak, causing only minor damage.

With this being Severe Weather Awareness Week, we want you to be informed and learn how to prepare for a devastating weather event. Preparation could save the lives of you, your family, and your friends. Be prepared.



By Guest Blogger Jon Anschutz is a 9-1-1 dispatcher with DPS as well as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Monroe Township. Jon also guest blogs on weather for www.agweb.com!

Severe Weather Awareness Week- ICE

Today we need you to stop!  Collaborate and listen…because we’re talking about ICE!  And not everybody’s favorite 90’s rapper!  There’s nothing fun about the ice we’re talking about.  It’s the kind that makes roads slick, tree limbs break and power outages!  More specifically today we are talking about black ice.  It’s what happens when a thin glaze of ice freezes on road surfaces.  This ice can occur as the result of a brutal winter storm or mild precipitation on an exceptionally cold day!  It can cover an entire road surface, or just a small section.  Either way it often goes unseen leaving drivers unprepared and in danger!  Our guest blogger today is John Sheaffer, 9-1-1 Operations Manager Senior Manager.  John has been with DPS for 38 years and has seen a lot during his time!  We asked him to share a severe weather experience with us and here it is…

On Thanksgiving Day in 1996 we experienced a minor snow shower event in Cumberland County.  Just after lunch, the snow shower occurred and melted upon contact with the ground and roadways. Temperatures were hovering around freezing that day and with the mild nature of the snow shower, PennDOT and other road crews were not out at the time treating the roads.  A sudden change in temperature and wet roads became a dangerous combination as black ice formed on roadways all around Cumberland County. Theses icy conditions quickly triggered an influx of 9-1-1 calls to our Communications Center. We had approximately 200 9-1-1 calls in a 2 hour period.  This almost equaled the amount for a slow 24 hour period at the time. We had a staff of 8 on duty and we were completely inundated with calls reporting accidents all across the County.

We estimate that we had approximately 50+ automobile accidents of various degrees.  This number obviously does not count minor accidents that were not reported to us during this event.   Interstate 81 was littered with crashes between Carlisle and Shippensburg. The first call we received was just north of Route 233 for a car in a field. Remarkably, it was called in again approximately 45 minutes after the original call due to the Fire Department stopping at other crashes in the vicinity and never arriving at the scene of this initial crash.  At that point, we started taking vehicle descriptions from the callers to help coordinate responses as needed and make sure that units were finding the correct incident.  This event was probably one of the busiest in our history.

Don't forget to comment and share your severe weather experiences!

It's Severe Weather Awareness Week

It's Severe Weather Awareness Week in Cumberland County and throughout Pennsylvania, so you can guess what we'll be blogging about all week!  We were going to spend all week telling you about the severe weather that can happen in Pennsylvania, but instead we are going to take a look at what has happened!  Because when it comes to severe weather, lightning can strike the same place twice (yes, we're pun-ny like that!).

FEMA/NOAA News Photo



We have several guest bloggers lined up for the week with some pretty interesting stories to tell you!  We hope you will comment through out the week and share your severe weather experiences!

Commissioners Proclaim Severe Weather Awareness Week

March 21, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:    Megan Silverstrim, Cumberland County

                        717.218.2913

Cumberland County Commissioners Issue Severe Weather Awareness Proclamation

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania– Cumberland County Board of Commissioners proclaimed March 26^th- March 30^st Severe Weather Awareness Week in Cumberland County during today’s regular commissioner’s meeting.  The program is a coordinated effort between The Cumberland County Department of Public Safety (DPS), The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. National Weather Service.    

The purpose of Severe Weather Awareness Week is to remind citizens to prepare for the expected and unexpected severe weather that can occur in Cumberland County.  Unexpected weather certainly describes 2011, with historical flooding, fall snow storms and even an earthquake occurring!  Forecasters expect 2012 to be just as active when it comes to severe weather, which means no one can afford to let their guard down when it comes to preparing!  With this in mind, DPS will be spending the week promoting preparedness at home and at the workplace as well as educating the public on the various types of common and uncommon severe weather that can impact our area!      

The culmination of Weather Emergency Preparedness Week is the statewide weather exercise, which will occur on March 29, 2012.  For more information on the exercise visit www.pema.state.pa.us or tune into your NOAA weather radios on March 29^th! 

   

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Wildfire Prevention Week

It’s Wildfire Prevention Week in Pennsylvania, and with 85% of PA wildfires occurring in March, April and May we couldn’t resist talking about it!  We won’t steal Smokey Bear’s famous line, but it is true that the actions you take can seriously reduce the risk of these devastating and expensive fires.

Wildfires are a costly disaster in various ways.  Wildfires can not only destroy our beautiful forests and habitat for Pennsylvania wildlife, but they can be disruptive to people as well.  Businesses or homes may be destroyed or individuals may need to be evacuated from their homes for extended periods of time.  Wildfires can shut down major highways, close schools, and contaminate the air we breathe.  Wildfires are expensive to battle as well, often requiring large amounts of man power and equipment for extended periods of time.  We must also consider the biggest cost during wildfires and that is the loss of life. Not only do these fires place civilians at risk, but wildfires place fire crews into dangerous situations and sadly claim the lives of firefighters each year.  As you can see the impact of wildfires can grow as quickly as the fire itself, making prevention of the utmost importance! 

Let’s first talk about responsible debris burning!  It is not uncommon in our area for people to burn debris in their yards.  Though they seem harmless and “controlled” these small fires can turn into major problems if we don’t take a few precautions.

1.      Be sure to comply with local burning regulations.  These rules are in place for a reason and protect you and your neighbors!

2.      Check the weather forecast before starting your fire.  Windy days are NOT good for burning as they can cause fire to spread quickly!

3.      Chose a safe site to burn.  That means avoiding areas close to low lying tree limbs, buildings or cars.

4.      Take a few steps to prepare your burn site.  Burn in an area surrounded by gravel or dirt (free of dried vegetation).  Also wet down the area around your burn site to prevent potential fire spread.

5.      Always stay with your fire!  Unattended fires often become out of control fires.

6.      Only burn materials that you are supposed to burn.  Plastic, tires and hazardous waste are not to be burned. 

The risk doesn’t stop at debris burning, so there are a few other things to keep in mind!  Be responsible when visiting and traveling through forests or wild land areas.  Extinguish and dispose of cigarettes properly.  Throwing a cigarette out the window in a forest area is NEVER a good idea.  Be responsible with campfires and only build them in approved places and be sure to extinguish them properly!  Never use any type of fireworks in woodland areas and avoid using flammable liquids as well. 

For those living in and around forests and wild land areas there are a few actions you can take to protect your home.  First, consider investing in landscaping that consists of fire resistant shrubs and trees.  Consider using fire resistant materials in the construction of your home or when replacing roofs, windows or siding. Have a garden hose that can reach all areas around your house so that you can wet down your property in the event a fire is approaching your home.  Rake leaves, dead limbs, twigs and all other flammable vegetation and remove from your property.  Also remove tree limbs that extend over your roof line and store firewood away from your house. 

The final and possibly most important lesson we want you to remember when it comes to wildfires, if you see any signs of a fire report it immediately and move to safer ground.  The sooner you report a wildfire, the sooner fire crews can work to get the flames under control! 

-Meg Silverstrim