The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) partnered to designate March 3-9, check 2013, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and is calling upon all Americans to Be a Force of Nature.
West Pulaski Fire Department is committed to Being a Force of Nature and pledges to do so by: knowing our risk, taking action, and being an example for our families and community by sharing the steps we took. Because we live in an area prone to tornadoes, flash floods, severe thunderstorms the recent severe weather and icy thunderstorms reminded us that this weather can strike anywhere and at any time.
Just last year, there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries. Each time severe weather threatens we hear stories of ordinary Americans who do the extraordinary to save loved ones – a mother protecting her children by shielding them from flying debris, a homeowner opening up his storm shelter to neighbors, neighbors helping a senior in a wheelchair get to a safe shelter, individuals ensuring friends are aware of the current watch or warning in their area.
Tornadoes struck approximately 46 states, caused over $1.6 billion in damage and nearly 70 fatalities. There were more than 935 tornadoes in 2012, with 206 in April alone. While April and May are peak months, tornadoes happen all year round.
Building a Weather-Ready Nation requires that every individual and community take action because severe weather knows no boundaries and affects us all. Be a Force of Nature by making a public pledge to be prepared at ready.gov/severe-weather.
What can you do to Prepare?
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Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Dedication Nears
The honor of your presence is requested on Saturday, medical March 22, prostate 2014 at 1:00pm for the Dedication of the Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the Arkansas State Capitol.
1 Capitol Mall, State Capitol Little Rock, Arkansas
Arrive early for free tickets….just kidding, admission is free and we hope to see you there!
Continue reading Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Dedication Nears
In Memory of Conway Police Officer William McGary
Our prayers go out to the family, seek friends and colleagues of Officer William McGary that died on 2/1/2013.
Public servants continually go into dangerous situations and environments to do the job that must be done. This occurs so often that the simple acts of going into a burning building, performing a traffic stop, or directing traffic becomes “routine” . The danger never goes away just because you have done it a hundred times before. Your chances of being injured just increase continually because you have done this a hundred times and will keep doing the job to get it done. Unfortunately, Police Officer William McGary was fatally injured by a careless driver that struck him while McGary was directing traffic after a vehicle accident at the intersection of Dave Ward Drive and Exchange Street, in Conway
Resolve To Be Ready For Our Next Natural Disaster
Now that things are mostly back to normal, pilule please take a moment to evaluate how you and your family coped (survived) during the cold weather and extended power outage. WPFD was extremely busy responding to the emergency calls during our major weather event that cause or impacted our responses with downed trees and powerlines, blocked roads, several vehicle wrecks / passengers trapped in vehicles, trees on homes/cars, numerous medical calls and structure fires caused by candles, generators, and fireplaces. Have you thought about what you would do differently to be better prepared for our next major weather event or storm? Are you ready to “survive” blocked roads, lost utilities, extended stays at home without normal home heat and water? Please make a plan now to be ready before the next major event. Winter storms, heavy rains, impacts from gulf hurricanes, tornadoes, and more could happen at any time. Creating a safety plan to ride out the event and manage short-term safe survival on the road or in your home is key for anyone in rural areas. Get ready by visiting http://www.ready.gov/ to learn more. Resolve To Be Ready In 2013.
Get Connected With WPFD For Faster Updates By Becoming A Fan Of WPFD On Facebook
WPFD is also on Facebook. We recently used this facebook account to deliver timely community information during our Christmas Winter Storm. Using this public facebook page allowed us to push out timely reports on dangerous road conditions and utility outages. Our reporting is eyewitness and on-site reports from various sources that don’t usually make it to the TV news or as delayed like commercial utility websites. As a part of our community response, we are continually in communication across our large fire district area. Being aware or road and utility conditions is a part of how we are able to respond in emergency conditions. We are happy to share this public information in the the community interest for those of you that also need to know road accessibility and when utility contractors were working in the general areas for the major power restoration effort. Join us now so that you can be in the loop for general information and major storm incident conditions, should they occur again. Join up and share with your friends and neighbors in our area so that we can continue to build an informed network that is helpful and timely.
West Pulaski Fire Department is on Facebook. Choose this link to see our community page and become a FAN today with a “Like” at Facebook.com