Contents Volume 12, Number 4 August 2010 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Special features Departments Partners report schedule 1 News 13 Selling emergency management 3 Websites 16 FCC & first responders tussle over communication pie 4 Publications 15 NASA demonstrates tsunami prediction system 4 Conferences/exercises 16 Tsunami Society International journal 5 Classes, training 16 Tsunami and flood shelter system 21 Material added to NTHMP Library 17 Tremor tracker 22 IAQ 20 Earthquake tests...Aberdeen schools 23 Video reservations 24 NOAA Center for Tsunami Research publications 20 Regional reports 6 Family emergency preparedness plans 19 International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement 23 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It has been reported that emails to the editor ([email protected]) have been bounced back or have received an error message. It is still the correct work email address. (If you type the address, make sure there are two L’s in my last name.) However, if you still encounter problems contacting me via email, try the alternative route via [email protected]. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ VIDEOS The list of videos available for loan (VHS, CD and DVD) are listed on page 24. The list is included in every issue. ____________________________________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT In compliance with the results of the NTHMP Partners survey asking that TsuInfo Alert feature reports from all the geographic areas covered by the program, TsuInfo Alert will begin leading each issue with a report from a different locale. Since the Partners do not meet that often, it was decided to assign them issues/dates and get started. The report can be on any aspect of your emergency management mission or program for tsunami mitigation and preparedness...whatever you think is important about the work you do, or is valuable for other readers, or is just a good topic for discussion. Send it as a WORD document, please. Deadlines will usually be the 20th day of the month prior to the issue’s release. Here is the assigned schedule: 2010 October issue Alabama Emergency Management Deadline for submission: Sept. 20 December issue Alaska Emergency Management Deadline for submission: Dec. 1 (editor on vacation) 2011 February American Samoa Deadline for submission: Jan. 20 April California Deadline for submission: Mar. 21 June Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Deadline for submission: May 20 August Connecticut Deadline for submission: July 20 October Guam Deadline for submission: Sept. 20 December Florida Deadline for submission: Nov. 21 (continued on page 3) TsuInfo Alert is prepared by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on behalf of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, a State/Federal Partnership funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is assembled by Lee Walkling, Librarian, and is published bi-monthly by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources. This publication is free upon request and is available in print (by surface mail), and at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyPublicationsLibrary/Pages/tsuinfo.aspx Participants in the TsuInfo program can request copies of reports listed in this issue from: Washington Geology Library Washington Department of Natural Resources Division of Geology and Earth Resources 1111 Washington Street SE, MS 47007 Olympia, WA 98504-7007 360/902-1473 fax: 360/902-1785 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NOAA, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, or other sponsors of TsuInfo Alert. ISSN 1938-5064 TsuInfo Alert, v. 12, no. 4, August 2010 2 (continued from page 1) that people won’t immediately recognize that you’re sell- ing something and they’re the potential buyers. That will 2012 remove a few barriers to make the sale. February Georgia Remember that you’re selling the benefits and not the April Hawaii features of emergency management. Think about trying to June Louisiana sell four-wheel drive or air conditioning in a car. The August Maine wrong thing to do is talk about how it works, what it costs October Maryland and how to operate it. Instead, the idea is to describe what December Massachusetts it can do for the buyer. Before you start selling emergency management, you 2013 must know what the buyer wants. You do this by first February Republic of the Marshall Islands listening and then working to build a relationship with the April New Jersey buyer. It may take some time to build rapport with a par- June New York ticular individual or organization. The key is maintaining August North Carolina contact. Add them to your e-mail lists for information on October Oregon grant programs, informational seminars and the like. Do- December Palau ing this will help build trust. Think about timing and when it’s best to have a sale. 2014 The answer is when people are motivated to buy. When is February Puerto Rico that in emergency management? When there’s a disaster. April Rhode Island Anytime there’s a catastrophe anywhere in the world is a June South Carolina good time to push your emergency management wares. August Texas Update your Web page with information on how peo- October U.S. Virgin Islands ple can help with disaster relief efforts. Some emergency December Virginia management organizations also use Facebook and Twit- ter to disseminate information. 2015 If you’re a part of a government organization, one of February Washington your customer segments is your jurisdiction’s elected of- April Delaware ficials and senior appointed policymakers. Your job is to June New Hampshire make them look good all the time. Here are a few tips for August Micronesia keeping them engaged: October Mississippi Keep them informed on incidents happening in their December Pennsylvania ♦ jurisdiction and neighboring ones. People like to be in the _____________________________________________ loop, and you can build a strong relationship just by keep- ing them informed with an occasional e-mail or phone Selling emergency management call. By Eric Holdeman Include them in every public event you have. If you Emergency Management, v. 5, no. 3, p. 64 are having a disaster presentation in an elected official’s Reprinted with permission district, invite him/her to attend. Offer them an opportu- nity to give opening remarks and provide them with a few When you look at job descriptions in emergency talking points to make it easy for them. management, you find titles like program manager and Include a quote in your news releases (coordinated, director. The responsibilities might include disaster of course) from the elected official on the topic you’re mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. How- addressing. ever, the unspoken job function that comes with every Lastly, in these circumstances, the media is often emergency management position is that of marketing. your friend. They provide free advertising by covering Put more crudely, it means you must “sell emergency your messages. Get to know the assignment editors and management” to a variety of people and organizations. news directors for your local television and radio stations. The list is endless and there isn’t an element of your pub- Happy selling—and sorry, there are no sales lic or private community that doesn’t need what emer- commissions. gency management has to offer. You might be scratching your heads at this notion About the author: that you are a salesperson with a job of having people buy Eric Holdeman is the former director of the King County, into emergency management so let’s start with the basics: Washington, Office of Emergency Management. His No one want to be sold anything—they want to be blog is located at www.disaster-zone.com ♦ buyers. The good thing about being in your position is TsuInfo Alert, v. 12, no. 4, August 2010 3 FCC and first responders set to tussle over newest “It’s got to be a system that is run by public safety,” piece of communication pie former FEMA director and Alliance founder R. David Reprinted from Disaster Research 549, June 17, 2010 Paulison told Politico. “We’re selling our souls and the future of our first responders.” Contentiousness is in the air today as groups rep- The push and pull between the two groups might not resenting emergency responders and the Federal Com- be the only issue driving the debate, however. There are munications Commission prepare to tell Congress why indications that large telecommunications companies the other shouldn’t control of a key piece of the wireless might be trying to throw the match, according Bloomberg broadband spectrum. Businessweek. By throwing their hats and wallets into the At issue is a new block of the spectrum—often re- ring with the Public Safety Alliance—whose membership ferred to as the D Block—that the FCC is attempting to is made up of organizations such as the International As- auction to private communication companies, according sociation of Fire Chiefs, the National Sheriffs' Associa- to a New York Times article. The FCC is hoping to capi- tion, the Association of Public-Safety Communications talize on wireless providers looking for bandwidth