Indiana | 2011 edition of Great Central US Shakeout to receive award for participation
Indianapolis | 18 Jan 2012
The 2011 Great Central U.S. Shakeout will receive a national award on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Of the more than 3 million participants across 11 states, Indiana led the way with about 600,000 people registered in April of 2011, many of which were K-12 students throughout the state.
“We are extremely proud of the ShakeOut participation in the Hoosier state last year and hope to have a successful event next month, in early February,” said Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) Executive Director Joe Wainscott. “By taking just a few moments to learn about and prepare for earthquakes, we can limit the injuries and damage that can be caused by earthquakes and other disasters.
“We also want to thank our in-state partners — the citizens of Indiana, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Geological Survey at IU, and the many emergency management and other public safety partners who participated.”
The award is part of the 2011 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. This honor is national recognition for the achievements of individuals and organizations who work every day to increase awareness about the earthquake hazard in the central United States and the promotion of greater preparedness efforts among its citizens, businesses and all levels of government.
“CUSEC is excited to represent our member and associate states in Washington for this distinguished honor. Our efforts to increase earthquake awareness and preparedness amongst all citizens of the region have been very successful because of the partnerships formed over the past two decades,” said Brian Blake, CUSEC Earthquake Program Coordinator.
The ShakeOut is an annual multi-state earthquake drill where participants from the eight CUSEC member states (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee) and three associate states (Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina) practiced the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” technique to prepare for an earthquake. The 2012 Great Central United States ShakeOut will be held on February 7th at 11:15 a.m. EST.
“Earthquakes are a reality in Indiana. All that we can control are the steps we take to reduce the amount of structural damage and loss of life. Those steps, if taken, can prepare citizens for all types of natural disasters,” said Walter Gray, Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Indiana Geological Survey.
The ShakeOut was designed as a way for the general public to learn about earthquakes and take specific actions to prepare themselves before the next damaging earthquake strikes. Through the coordination between CUSEC and its member states, the ShakeOut provided a wealth of educational and preparedness information about earthquakes and the potential for seismic activity in the central United States. The ShakeOut was selected for the award due to the creative approach to educate and promote earthquake readiness.
Indiana | IDHS hosts South Koreans for K-9 SAR training
Hejae Yang, one of a group of Korean Police now learning how to train search and rescue dogs at the Indiana Department of Homeland Security facility at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center from Jan. 2-20, said that one of things he has learned is that search and rescue dog transcend their roles as tools for search and rescue missions. He now describes the relationship between dog and handler to be much more of a “partnership.” (Photo by Staff Sgt. Matt Scotten, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs)
Indianapolis | 17 Jan 2012
Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) Search and Rescue Training Manager Lillian Hardy has trained thousands of individuals from various public and private organizations through the IDHS Search and Rescue K-9 Training Program located at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center in Edinburgh.
Her expertise in K-9 search and rescue has drawn interest from across the globe to learn how to properly train search dogs in a variety of techniques.
This month, IDHS is hosting three South Korean Police officers who are learning from Hardy’s expertise and knowledge about how to build and manage their own program based on the IDHS Mari Hulman George Search and Rescue Training Center at Camp Atterbury.
“Indiana is extremely fortunate to have a resource like the Mari Hulman George Search and Rescue Training Center, and knowledgeable individuals like Lillian Hardy to operate it,” said Joe Wainscott, executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. “We have a world-class facility created in partnership with Camp Atterbury and we are more than happy to share this resource to increase public safety throughout the world.”
The relationship between South Korean officials and Hardy with the IDHS Search and Rescue Training Center began in 2008, when a South Korean firefighter spent five months with Hardy learning the basics of maintaining a high-level K-9 training program. After his experience at the training center, the South Korean firefighter was able to return home and provide justification for the implementation of a similar training center in South Korea with the support of the Korean Kennel Club.
After the catastrophic earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in April 2011, officials in South Korea saw the need for specialized search dogs to assist in the response effort, but lacked the infrastructure or expertise to train search and rescue dogs. South Korean officials again reached out to Hardy who travelled to Seoul, South Korea just a short time after the earthquake and tsunami to begin the process of developing a program for local public safety officials.
Korean officials were so impressed with what Hardy had to teach that they asked to visit the IDHS Search and Rescue Training Center to continue learning.
“Training search and rescue dogs is not an overnight process,” said Hardy. “It takes time, and they need to be properly trained to ensure they can perform when called upon.”
This month, the visiting Koreans are learning about the 1-2 year process of fully training a dog to perform search and rescue assistance. The instruction provided by Hardy at the IDHS Search and Rescue Training Center will help Korean officials ensure dogs in their program are properly trained.
Annually, about 1,500 individuals and dogs from across the country use the IDHS training center to gain practical search and rescue experience which cannot be found elsewhere.
Groups from across the United States who have trained at the center include community emergency response teams, volunteer civilian search teams, national guard units from several states, police departments, fire departments, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, various teams and individuals from U.S. military forces as well as K-9 handlers from the federally organized disaster response team Indiana Task Force One.
The IDHS K-9 Search and Rescue program consists of structured classes of varying levels and disciplines from basic foundation training to advanced skills. Subjects include: water recovery operations, building search, visual tracking, search management, land navigation, cadaver search, and K-9 training such as scent theory. The IDHS Mari Hulman George Search and Rescue Training Center also offers workshops, individual instruction and opportunities for search organizations to utilize training areas at the center.
For more information about the K-9 Search and Rescue Training Center, visit http://www.in.gov/dhs/2651.htm.
Indiana | Flood hazard maps for Rush County released
Rush County IN |
Preliminary flood hazard maps for Rush County have been released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to the DNR and county officials.
When final, the maps will show flood risk throughout the county and determine whether property owners, with a federal or federally insured loan, are required to carry flood insurance.
The first new such documents for the county in 29 years came as the result of FEMA, DNR, and the county completing an extensive multi-year study of the area’s floodplains using state-of the-art technologies and risk-modeling techniques.
These flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) identify property as having high, moderate or low flood risk. In addition to affecting property owners, FIRMs allow community planners, engineers, permit officials, builders, and others to determine if, where and how new structures and developments should be built.
The preliminary maps may be viewed at: http://www.floodmaps.IN.gov/ (you may experience a long download time).
An open house will be held in Rushville, on Dec. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m., in the Assembly Room of the Rush County Courthouse, 101 E. Second St., for those who would like to learn more about how this new mapping may affect them. Stations will be set up for property owners to review the maps and discuss any concerns with engineers who are knowledgeable with the map development process. There will be no formal presentation at the open house.
Additional stations will be available during this time for property owners to obtain information and discuss any concerns regarding flood insurance or related issues with knowledgeable staff from DNR.
A 90-day public comment period will start at a date to be announced by FEMA after the public meeting. During that period, property owners can submit appeals and protests. Once the feedback is received and addressed, the maps are expected to be adopted in 2012, when the new insurance requirements will take effect.
The Rush County project is part of FEMA’s larger effort to modernize the nation’s aging flood maps to reflect the most current flood risks and areas of recent growth.
Indiana | Three-vehicle crash leaves two people in critical condition
Bartholomew County IN | On November 21, two people were transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries following a three-vehicle crash on I-65 near the 76-mile marker.
According to State Police, a van and a car collided in the southbound lanes, causing the car to cross the median into the northbound lanes of the interstate where it was struck by a semi-tractor-trailer rig. The car and the semi-rig came to rest in the median.
The female driver and a male passenger in the car were transported to Columbus Regional Hospital and later transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with life-threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. The State Police were assisted by Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputies, Columbus Police Department, Columbus Fire Department, German Township Fire Department, and Columbus Regional Hospital EMS.
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