OEM Weekly Update ~ January 30

Office of Emergency Management Weekly Update ~ January 30

The topics included in the Office of Emergency Management Weekly Update includes:
  • Colorado Emergency Management Conference Registration Deadlines
  • Wirelessly Alerting Citizens Where and When They are in Danger
  • Tri-County Health Department: Exercise Volunteers and Medical Reserves
  • Job Opportunities
  • Kudos and Congratulations
    • Congratulations to Eagle County's Barry Smith
    • Colorado Information Analysis Center Honored by US Secret Service
    • New Public Information Officer groups organized 
  • Educational Resources
    • Larimer County Offers Prescribed Fire Map Online
    • Red Rocks Community College Emergency Management and Planning Degree Programs
    • Wildfire Preparedness Day of Service Event Scheduled for May 4
    • Fire Life Safety Educator I Certification
    • The CELL Invite to a Discussion on Gun Violence
    • CERT Train the Trainer Course
    • Red Cross to Offer 11 Free Preparedness Workshops at Neighborhood Hardware Stores
    • Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP) Meeting Reminder
    • Colorado Environmental Film Festival
    • Be Red Cross Ready Preparedness Class
    • Denver CERT and ARES District #13 February Face to Face Program
  • Training Information
    • NFPA's 5th Backyards & Beyond Wildland Fire Education Conference
    • Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) Coming to Colorado
    • Student Identification Number (SIN) Required for all EMI Applications
    • Free Trainings Offered by US Environmental Protection Agency
    • Training Course List - All training courses are now listed on our Division's website at www.DHSEM.state.co.us/preparedness/training-exercise/training-announcements.  
Items for the next update can be submitted to Micki Trost by email at micki.trost@state.co.us.

Gov. Hickenlooper Announces Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health Task Force, Wildland Fire Advisory Committee

Press Release from Office of Governor Hickenlooper

DENVER — Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 — Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two Executive Orders today that will reduce the risk of loss in wildland-urban interface, increase customer knowledge of insurance options and protect forest health. A third Executive Order signed today by the governor lifts the existing gubernatorial suspension of prescribed fires for only slash pile burn operations.

“More than 25 percent of Colorado’s population lives in the wildland-urban interface,” Hickenlooper said. “These new Executive Orders, along with a proposed fuels reduction grant program, detail actions that can help reduce the loss from wildland fires and increase protection for communities, first responders and property investments.”

Executive Order B 2013-002 creates the Task Force on Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health to examine how to best protect property and people within and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface and Colorado’s landscape, which is critical to the state’s economic health.

The task force will review issues regarding insurance coverage at the 2012 fires including replacement costs for destroyed homes, relocation assistance, accounting for lost personal property and the timing of insurance benefits. It will explore how to provide better understanding of insurance coverage for policyholders. Also, it will explore insurance policies that promote forest health, reduce wildland fire threats and help incentivize wise planning and stewardship and reduce loss of life and property.

Executive Order B 2013-001 creates the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Advisory Committee. The Committee will advise the Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control on all matters pertaining to wildfire preparedness, response, suppression, coordination, or management and prescribed fire.

Last March, Hickenlooper suspended the use of prescribed and controlled burning by state agencies or on state lands until protocols and procedures were reviewed and revised as necessary. Executive Order D 2013-002 amends that suspension to allow for slash pile burning under controlled conditions and new guidelines.

These new guidelines go above and beyond the recommended best practices for slash pile burning to ensure all such burns are conducted in a safe and effective manner.

“Although weather conditions across Colorado have changed over the recent months, for those Colorado residents living in the wildland-urban interface, there is still concern of disastrous wildfire,” the Executive Order says. “Pile burning operations in this area will reduce the risk of devastating wildfires, by reducing the hazardous accumulation of slash resulting from fuels treatment activities. These fuel treatment activities not only reduce wildfire potential, but work to increase the health of forests, by thinning forest strands and eliminating weak and diseased trees. Weaker trees that remain in the forest are prone to insect attacks and disease.”

These Executive Orders come at the same time the governor is requesting $10.3 million for the Department of Natural Resources in an amended budget request. The funding is for a grant program that would match local dollars for improving forest health and wildfire prevention in wildland-urban interface areas.

The full texts of the three Executive Orders are:

                                                                          ###

The members of the task forces and advisory committee named in the Executive Orders:

Task Force on Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health Members:

  • Barbara Kelley – Chair, Executive Director, Department of Regulatory Agencies
  • Jim Reisberg, Commissioner, Colorado Division of Insurance
  • Paul Cooke, Division of Fire Prevention and Control
  • Kevin Klein, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • Lisa Dale, Department of Natural Resources
  • Katherine Schaubert, Colorado State Forest Service
  • Cheri Ford, U.S. Forest Service
  • Robert Ferm, American Insurance Association
  • Kelly Campbell, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
  • Carol Ekarius, Coalition for the Upper South Platte
  • Meghan Storrie, Colorado Municipal League
  • Jenifer Waller, Colorado Bankers Association
  • Bruce Bowler, Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association
  • Amie Mayhew, Colorado Home Builders Association
  • Doug Monger, Colorado Counties Inc.
  • Doug Kemper, Colorado Water Congress
  • Dick Parachini, Water Quality, Department of Public Health and Environment
  • Mike Silverstein, Air Quality, Department of Public Health and Environment

Wildland Fire and Prescribed Fire Matters Advisory Committee:

  • Dan Gibbs, Colorado Counties Inc.
  • Bret Waters, Colorado Municipal League
  • Maj. Gen. Michael Edwards, Adjutant General, Colorado National Guard
  • James Fischer, Colorado Prescribed Fire Council
  • Bruce Dikken, Colorado Professional Firefighters Association
  • Jerrod Vanlandingham, Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association
  • John Decker, Colorado State Firefighters Association
  • Joseph Duda, Acting State Forester, Colorado State Forest Service
  • Joe Pelle, County Sheriffs of Colorado
  • Dave Hard, Director, Office of Emergency Management
  • Dave Parmley, Emergency Fire Fund Committee
  • Mike Babler, Nonprofit Conservation Community
  • Carole Walker, Property and Casualty Insurers
  • Ken Kerr, Colorado Fire Management Officer, Bureau of Land Management
  • Willie Thompson, Acting Fire Director, U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region
  • Dave Nuss, National Fire Protection Association
  • Bob Struble, Colorado Emergency Managers Association

Colorado Information Analysis Center Honored by US Secret Service

On January 24 the United States Secret Service honored the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) and eight analysts from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Patrol, for their dedication to identify threats to the 2012 Presidential Debate in Denver, Colorado.

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Bruce Ward, presented the CIAC and the affiliated criminal analysts with special recognition for their outstanding efforts and cited specific examples of the threats mitigated by the team.

During the 2012 debates, a multi-agency analytical team was composed in the CIAC to focus on potential threats to the candidates and the venue. The team identified dozens of threats in real time and quickly vetted the information before passing it to the command post at Denver University for immediate investigation. The CIAC team identified every threat against the event, including an unexpected mass of protestors advancing on the venue in violation of multiple laws.

Wirelessly Alerting Citizens Where and When They are in Danger

During Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the Northeast coast, New York City employed a new public alerting technology. Using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), New York City was able to send Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) directly to cell phone users warning them to evacuate an area, or shelter in place, or avoid driving on the roads depending on where they were located. Because WEAs are not subscription based, residents and tourists in New York City received WEAs during Hurricane Sandy.

Only authorized IPAWS alerting authorities can send WEAs. Federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local public safety officials can become authorized IPAWS alerting authorities through a simple four step authorization process. In addition to hundreds of states, counties, and cities across the nation that are currently authorized to use IPAWS, the National Weather Service (NWS) uses IPAWS to send WEAs to keep citizens aware of severe weather. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also uses WEAs to send AMBER alerts in the most serious child-abduction cases.

WEAs are free messages broadcast directly to WEA-capable cell phones and can ensure that life-saving information, whether it is about a missing child, evacuation, chemical spills, severe weather, or other hazardous situations, reaches the public in time to respond. WEAs attract attention with a unique sound and vibration, which is particularly helpful to people with hearing or vision-related disabilities, but will not interrupt calls in progress. WEA technology is available nationwide and is already on dozens of wireless cell phones or other wireless devices.

WEAs are broadcast to mobile phones in a geographically targeted affected area down to the county level. Future technology developments will make it possible for alerting authorities to refine targeting capabilities.

Every WEA has an expiration date/time and will be resent within the affected area until it expires; however, each individual wireless device will display the alert only once. If a wireless customer travels into the affected area after the WEA was originally sent, and the alert has not expired, they will still receive the alert.

WEAs are limited to 90 characters and look like text messages, but unlike existing text messaging that uses Short Message Service Point-to-Point (SMS-PP), WEAs are broadcast to devices by the SMS-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB) in a one-to-many service, which simultaneously delivers the message to multiple recipients. The WEA therefore avoids network congestion issues experienced with traditional SMS and will be received by WEA-capable phones even if individuals can not send or receive calls or texts.

WEAs are products of the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) which is a partnership between Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and wireless carriers. IPAWS alerting authorities can use FEMA’s IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN) to send out geographically targeted alert and warning messages through a variety of disseminators, including the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which sends warnings to television and radio via broadcast, cable, satellite and wireline communication pathways, CMAS/WEAs, public feed service to enhance internet services, unique alerting systems such as road signs and large voice sirens, and emerging technologies.

Currently all major cell phone carriers, as well as numerous smaller carriers, are participating and selling mobile devices that have CMAS/WEA capability. Not all phones currently in the market are capable of receiving WEAs, but it is anticipated that by 2014 all commercially available phones will be WEA-enabled. Carriers list the devices currently WEA-capable on www.ctia.org/WEA as well mark phone and wireless devices boxes with the Wireless Emergency Alert logo.
To learn more about IPAWS or about becoming an IPAWS alerting authority, go to www.fema.gov/ipaws. The FEMA IPAWS Program Management Office can be reached at ipaws@dhs.gov.

Information submitted by Caitlyn Stephenson, CACI, Federal Civilian Solutions' Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS),DHS/ FEMA National Continuity Programs

Brief WebEOC Outage on January 26

On January 26 around 9:30 a.m. there will be a brief outage of WebEOC to allow our OIT staff to complete work at our facility.  OEM's Elizabeth Ownsby will be onsite as the work is being completed.  She will also check for connectivity after the work is complete.

The outage is expected to last than 30 minutes.


Colorado Emergency Management Conference Deadline Approaching

Deadlines for Lodging and Registration

The Colorado Emergency Manageament Conference is only a month away.  The conference runs from February 26-28, 2013 in Loveland, Colorado.


Lodging Deadline

Lodging reservations must be made no later than Monday, January 28 at 5 p.m. The conference block for rooms will expire and be released to the public after that time. If you miss the deadline we can put you on a wait list or refer you to another hotel.

Registration Deadline

Conference registrations are encouraged by February 12 so we can plan the rest of the conference for participants. Registration and payments are completed on the CEMA website at www.cemacolorado.com.

If you have a reservation or payment issue we can assist you.  Any registration cancellations must be received by the morning of February 20 to qualify for a refund or you can replace yourself with a co-worker.

Please call Amy Shish, Colorado Office of Emergency Management, at 720-852-6600 for additional information.

Conference Flyer

Download an updated copy of the Colorado Emergency Management Conference Flyer.

Sign up for Emergency Alerts: Early Notification can Save Lives

Early Notification Can Save Lives

If you are not currently signed up for emergency alerts in your county you can use the links below to sign up today.

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Emergency Management Director:  Heather McDermott
Emergency Management Coordinator:  Ryan Doyle
Emergency Management Coordinator:  Jason Finehout
Office: 720-523-6600
Emergency Management Contact:  David R. Osborn
Office:  719-589-6639 - 24 Hr Phone:  719-588-5600

Emergency Management Contact:  Lieutenant Greg Palmer
Office: 720-874-3802 - 24 Hr Phone:  303-795-4711 
Emergency Management Contact:  Drew Petersen
Office: 303-579-1199

Emergency Management Contact:  Harold Self
Office: 719-523-6796 - 24hr Contact: 719-523-6677
Email: bacaeoc@yahoo.com 

Emergency Management Contact:  Rick Stwalley
Office: 719-456-0796 - 24hr Contact:719-456-1365

Emergency Management Contact:  Mike Chard
Office: 303-441-3390 - 24 Hr Phone: 303-441-4444 
Emergency Management Contact:  Kent Davies, Deputy Director 
Office:  720-887-2078 - 24 Hr Phone: 303-438-6400

Emergency Management Contact:  Lisa Ortega, Director 
Office:719-539-6856 -  24 Hr Phone: 719-539-2596 

Emergency Management Contact:  Darcy Janssen 
Office: 719-346-8538 - 24 Hr Phone: 719-767-5633

Emergency Management Contact:  Kathleen Krebs
Office: 303-679-2320 - 24 Hr Contact: 303-679-2393

Emergency Management Contact:  Rodney King 
Office: 719-274-5178 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-589-5804

Emergency Management Contact:  Matthew Valdez 
Office: 719-672-9109 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-672-3302 

Emergency Management Contact:  Larry Reeves  
Office: 719-267-5555 x230 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-267-5555 x1 

Emergency Management Contact:  Christe Feldman
Office: 719-783-2410 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-783-2270

Emergency Management Contact:  Rob Fiedler 
Office: 970-874-2004 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-874-2015
Emergency Management Contact: Scott Field
Office: 720-865-7604 - 24 Hr Contact: 720-865-5500

Emergency Management Contact:  Todd Parisi
Office: 970-739-5654 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-677-2500 

Emergency Management Contact:  Tim Johnson
Office: 303-660-7589 - 24 hour contact: 303-660-7589
Emergency Management Contact:  Barry Smith 
Office: 970-328-3545 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-479-2201

Emergency Management Contact:  Cory Stark
Office: 303-805-6132 - 24 Hr Contact:  303-660-7500

Emergency Management Contact:  Patricia Baxter
Office: 719-575-8401 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-390-5555 

Fremont County - Fremont Alerts
Emergency Management Contact:  Steve Morrisey  
Office: 719-276-7422 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-276-5555
Emergency Management Contact:  Chris Bornholdt
Office: 970-945-0453 - 24 Hr Contact970-625-8095

Emergency Management Contact:  Jim Crawford
Office: 720-536-2853 - 24 Hr Contact: 303-582-5500

Emergency Management Contact:  Trevor Denney
Office: 970-887-2732 - 24 Hr Contact:  970-725-3311

Emergency Management Contact:  Scott Morrill
Office: 970-641-2481 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-641-8000

Emergency Management Contact:  Jerry Gray
Office: 970-944-2806 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-641-8201

Emergency Management Contact:  Diego Bobian
Office: 719-738-1600 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-738-1044

Jackson County
Emergency Management Contact:  Kent Crowder 
Office: 970-723-4660 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-723-4242

Emergency Management Contact:  Clint Fey
Office: 303-271-4900 - 24 Hr Contact: 303-277-0211
Emergency Management Contact:  Casey Sheridan
Office:  719-438-5411    719-456-1365  24hours
Email: CSheridan@ciowaso.net

Emergency Management Contact:  Darcy Janssen
Office: 719-346-8538 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-346-8934

Emergency Management Contact:  Mike McHargue
Office:  719-486-0246 - 24 Hour: 719-486-1249

Emergency Management Contact:  Butch Knowlton
Office: 970-375-6270 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-385-2900 
Emergency Management Contact:  Erik Nilsson 
Office: 970-498-5310 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-416-1985
Emergency Management Contact:  Kimberley Chavez
Office:  719-845-2566 - 24 Hr Contact:  719-846-2211
Email: kimchavez1010@yahoo.com

Emergency Management Contact:  Kenneth Morrison
Office: 719-743-2337 - 24 Hr. Contact: 719-743-2426 

Emergency Management Contact:  Bob Owens 
Office: 970-522-9700 x114 -24 Hr Contact: 970-522-3512 

Emergency Management Contact:  Andrew Martsolf 
Office: 970-244-1763 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-242-6707

Emergency Management Contact:  William Fairchild
Office: 719-658-2600 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-658-2600

Emergency Management Contact:  Tom Soos 
Office: 970-824-9153 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-824-6501 

Emergency Management Contact:  Paul Hollar
Cell:  970-759-1734          24 Hr Contact: 970-565-8441

Emergency Management Contact: Debra Veo
Office: 970-209-8213 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-864-7333

Emergency Management Contact:  Steve Enfante 
Office: 970-867-8506 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-867-8531 
Emergency Management Contact:  Chris Johnson 
Office: 719-384-5941 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-384-5941

Emergency Management Contact:  Alan Staehle 
Office : 970-325-4823 - 24 Hour Phone : 970-252-4020

Emergency Management Contact:  Brian Foltz
Office: 719-836-4372 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-836-4121

Phillips County
Emergency Management Contact:  Randy Schafer 
Office: 970-854-3778 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-854-3144 

Emergency Management Contact:  Tom Grady
Office: 970-920-5234 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-920-5300 

Emergency Management Contact:  Staffon Warn 
Office: 719-336-2674 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-336-3977 

Emergency Management Contact:  Karen Ashcraft
Office: 719-583-6202 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-583-6250 

Emergency Management Contact:  John Hutchins
Office: 970-878-9623 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-878-9620

Emergency Management Contact:  Todd Wright
Office:  719-657-4000 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-657-4000

Emergency Management Contact:  Bob Struble
Office: 970-870-5551 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-846-1552

Emergency Management Contact:  Jim Felmlee
Office: 719-850-1516 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-655-2525

Emergency Management Contact:  Kristina Maxfield 
Office: 970.387-5531 - 24 hour phone: 970-387-5531

Emergency Management Contact:  Jennifer Dinsmore
Office: 970-728-9546 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-728-1911

Emergency Management Contact:  Mark Turner
Office: 970-474-2312 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-474-3355
Email: sedgwickcoem@yahoo.com

Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Emergency Management Contact: Kathi Gurule
Office: 970-563-0100 ext. 2449, Fax:  970-563-4853
Email: kgurule@southern-ute.nsn.us

Emergency Management Contact:  Joel Cochran
Office: 970-423-8911 - 24 Hr. Contact: 970-668-8600

Emergency Management Contact:  Steve Steed
Office: 719-686-7990 - 24 Hr Contact: 719-687-9652
Email:  steeds@co.teller.co.us

Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Emergency Management Contact: John Trochek
Office: 970-564-5441
Email: jtrochek@utemountain.org
Emergency Management Contact:  Mike McCaleb
Office: 970-554-2008 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-345-2244 

Emergency Management Contact:  Roy Rudisill
Office: 970-356-4015 x3990 - 24 Hr Contact: 970-304-4015 x2700 
Emergency Management Contact:  Roger Brown 
Office: 970-848-3799 - 24 Hr. Contact: 970-848-0464 
email: yumaoem@wycomm.org

Other Information Sources

You can also received news, preparedness, response, training info and partner information direct from the Colorado Division of Emergency Management via sms/text by texting follow coemergency to 40404. Obviously, you must have a capable phone and an applicable data plan from your service provider. (NOTE: once you subscribe, you can always stop receiving messages by texting off coemergency to 40404).