Preparing for Sandy

October 26, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:    Megan Silverstrim, Cumberland County

                        717.729.7019

Cumberland County Emergency Management Officials Urge Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Sandy

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania– The Cumberland County Department of Public Safety (DPS) is urging residents to take time this weekend to prepare for Hurricane Sandy.  While forecasters are still uncertain of Sandy’s path or impact, the potential exists for Cumberland County to see large amounts of rain and high winds. 

If this storm tracks into Central Pennsylvania, widespread utility outages are possible.  Area utility companies are already busy preparing for potential outages and have auxiliary crews on standby ready to respond.  Residents should take the time before the storm to prepare for these outages by stocking their disaster supply kits with items including but not limited to flashlights, water, non-perishable foods, prescription medications, blankets and spare batteries. 

The threat of flooding exists with this storm, so residents are also urged to avoid traveling through flooded areas and have an evacuation plan in place if they live in a flood prone area.  DPS staff is preparing for this event and will be providing important updates and safety tips to residents.  For more information visit www.ccpa.net, www.twitter.com/ccpa_net_dps911, or www.facebook.com/CumberlandCountyDPS.

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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.

It's National Preparedness Month

It’s September, which means… It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!  Ok, so maybe National Preparedness Month (NPM) wasn’t what Andy Williams was signing about, but it is what we’re talking about this month!  NPM is a nationwide initiative that aims to promote personal, home, community and business disaster preparedness!  Try as we might, we can never stress enough how important preparedness is!  The impact a disaster has on you, your family and your workplace can be diminished significantly with even a small amount of preparedness.  Not sure what you need to do to prepare?  We’ve got you covered!  We’ll be spending the month posting important tips that will get you, friends, family, co-workers and neighbors disaster ready!  We encourage you to engage in the discussion all month, ask us questions and help spread the preparedness message!  The fun begins today!  Happy National Preparedness Month…GET A KIT, MAKE A PLAN, BE INFORMED!

PennDOT Traffic Advisory- August 25, 2012

PennDOT Traffic Advisory

Aug. 22, 2012

PennDOT to Remove Bridge over I-83 Near Harrisburg, Aug. 25I-83 to be Detoured through Lemoyne Saturday Night into Sunday

Harrisburg – PennDOT District 8 today announced that on Aug. 25 crews will begin to remove the bridge that originally carried Lowther Street over Interstate 83 in Lemoyne Borough, Cumberland County. A temporary structure was set in place on July 21 to carry Lowther Street over I-83 while the existing bridge is demolished and a new bridge is built.

This work is part of a nearly $8 million contract that was awarded March 28 to Susquehanna Valley Construction Corporation of New Cumberland, Cumberland County, and includes: installation of a temporary bridge, removal of the existing Lowther Street bridge, and construction of a new two-span bridge large enough to accommodate four lanes of mainline I-83 as well as three ramps underneath with 20-feet 10-inches of vertical under clearance.

PennDOT advises motorists traveling I-83 and Route 581 in Lemoyne that Aug. 25, weather permitting, they will first encounter a traffic shift and single-lane restrictions in each direction after 9 p.m. followed by a six-hour overnight detour starting around 11 p.m. as crews begin removal of the Lowther Street bridge over I-83. The detour will be in place until 5 a.m. the following morning. However single-lane restrictions may remain in place until 6 a.m. for the removal of barricades and signs.

I-83 North will be directed off at Brandt Avenue, turn right onto Lowther Street through Lemoyne back to I-83 North. I-83 North traffic headed to Route 581 West will also follow Brandt Avenue to Lowther Street and continue on I-83 North across the Susquehanna River into Harrisburg and be directed off at Exit 44-A for 13th Street to I-83 South back across the Susquehanna River to Route 581 West.

I-83 South will be directed off at Exit 42 for Lemoyne, follow Lowther Street over the interstate, turn left at 10th Street and back to I-83 South.

Route 581 East traffic headed to I-83 South will be directed to I-83 North to Exit 41-B for Highland Park, turn right onto Lowther Street through Lemoyne over the interstate and turn left at 10th Street to I-83 South.

Throughout the course of construction it will be necessary to detour I-83 traffic on five occasions: to set the temporary structure, to demolish the existing bridge, twice to set new bridge beams, and finally to remove the temporary structure. PennDOT will issue travel advisories when this work is scheduled.

The existing single-span concrete bridge that carries Lowther Street over I-83 was built in 1952 and is considered functionally obsolete. This structure is a major contributing factor to the bottleneck on I-83 North approaching the City of Harrisburg and Route 581 West. I-83 cannot be widened until this structure is removed.

Once the original structure is demolished a new bridge will be constructed over I-83. 

PennDOT expects work on the new Lowther Street bridge to be completed by the end of May 2013.

For more information on the Lowther Street bridge replacement project over I-83 in Lemoyne go to www.penndot8.com.

Preparedness Month Proclamation

August 20, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Megan Silverstrim, Cumberland County

                            717.218.2900

Cumberland County Proclaims Preparedness Month

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania– Cumberland County Board of Commissioner proclaimed September as Preparedness Month in the county during their regular meeting today.  This is Cumberland County’s 6^th year participating in this nationwide initiative that promotes personal, home and disaster preparedness. 

The Cumberland County Department of Public Safety (DPS) will spend September presenting various disaster preparedness programs to groups around the county as well as providing preparedness tips and statistics on their various social media sites.  This year DPS will also be hosting it’s first ever Disaster Chef Cook-Off on September 14^th at their facility.  Disaster Chef’s will work to prepare a culinary delight using only preselected non-perishable items.  Chef’s will also only be allowed to use a gas grill for cooking purposes, as there are no ovens, stove tops and microwaves during disasters!  Their dishes will then be put to the test by a panel of judges who will crown a Cumberland County Disaster Chef 2012.  Community members and first responders are invited to attend and watch the cook-off.

National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign, a Homeland Security initiative.  For more information on this program visit www.ready.gov.  For more information on Cumberland County’s preparedness efforts visit www.ccpa.net.

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Disaster Chef Cook-Off

National Preparedness Month (September) is right around the corner and we have some exciting stuff planned.  This year we will be hosting our first ever Disaster Chef Cook-Off!  There’s no reason you can’t eat well during a disaster and our Disaster Chef’s will try prove it!  Each chef will be given a list of non-perishable ingredients to work with and will prepare a meal that will be taste tested by a select panel of judges!  The winner will be crowned the 2012 Cumberland County Disaster Chef! 

Over the coming weeks we will need your help in preparing the list of ingredients!  We will be taking to Twitter and Facebook to get your feedback on the list, so feel free to join the fun and we hope to see you at the cook-off on September 14^th! 

Stay Tuned!