Fire restrictions begin July 2 for BLM Grand Junction, Colorado River Valley Field Offices

From the Garfield County Emergency Communications Facebook Page and from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit:  Fire restrictions begin July 2 for BLM Grand Junction, Colorado River
Valley Field Offices.

This includes BLM lands in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa and Pitkin counties. Some portions of southern Rio Blanco and Routt counties and northern portions of Delta and Montrose counties are also included within these BLM field office boundaries and covered by these restrictions.

Fire managers base decisions about fire restrictions on specific moisture measurements in vegetation. Hot, dry weather has increased fire danger to high levels at elevations below 8,000 feet.

BLM will be enforcing temporary restrictions of:

• campfires are only allowed within designated fire grates in developed
• campgrounds (fire pans are not acceptable)
• no fires of any type including charcoal outside of developed areas
• no smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed
• recreation site or in a barren area free of vegetation
• no use of explosive materials
• no welding or operation of an acetylene or other similar torch with
• open flame
• no operation of any internal combustion engine without a spark
• arresting device properly installed and in working order
• no fireworks on federal lands

The White River and Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests are not enacting fire restrictions at this time because of generally higher elevations and variability in fuel moisture conditions.
Forest officials remind visitors, however, that a fire danger is always present and urge visitors to be very careful with fire, smoking, chainsaws and vehicle exhausts and converters – all of which can cause
fires.

Restrictions on these BLM lands will be in place until further notice. Violation of federal fire restrictions is punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000 or imprisonment for not more than 12 months or both.
Those found responsible for starting wildfires will also face restitution costs of suppressing the fire.

For more information about fire restrictions in these areas, log on to http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2gjc/ or call the Grand Junction Field Office at (970) 244-3000 or the Colorado River Valley Field Office at (970) 876-9000.

2010 Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) Conference - Registration and Info

2010 Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) Conference
Vail, Colorado - September 8, 9, 10, 2010

What
The Colorado Emergency Planning Commission (CEPC) has planned this 2 day conference for Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) members, first responders, and local, state and federal partners who are responsible for hazardous material response planning. We will host a LEPC101 on Wednesday afternoon focused on new members.

When
Wednesday, September 8 - 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. - LEPC101
Thursday, September 9 - 8:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Full Day
Friday, September 10 - 8:00 - 12:00 p.m. - Half Day

Where
Manor Vail Lodge 1-970-343-6110
595 East Vail Valley Drive
Vail, CO 81657

Lodging
LEPC members are eligible for lodging by contacting Cindy VonFeldt at 720-852-6628 or cindy.vonfeldt@state.co.us by no later than August 9, 2010. The individual attendee can make a lodging reservation by calling 1-800-950-8245 and identifying themselves as part of the Colorado Emergency Planning Commission or CEPC group. The group discount will apply to all reservations made before August 9, 2010.

Register
Registration is required by August 20, 2010. You can access the registration form on http://www.dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/75EZ.cfm

Fill out all the information on yourself, complete the course name as “LEPC Conference” and click on the “submit query” button at the bottom of the application form when completed. We will send a confirmation via e-mail by August 27, 2010.

For more information: Cindy VonFeldt 720-852-6628 or cindy.vonfeldt@state.co.us

Fire Safety on San Juan Public Lands - Good Reminder for Holiday Weekend Backcountry Safety

In a release this morning from the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center, authorities remind backcountry visitors that, while the "fire danger is not yet extreme on Bureau of Land Managment and San Juan National Forest lands in southwestern Colorado... warm temperatures, low relative humitites and windy days can make trees and grassses more susceptible to ignition."  Fire authorities also add that, so far this year, there have been 154 human-caused fires in Colorado.

As we head into this holiday weekend, their release applies to all of us (including myself!!!) that are planning to head into the backcountry for some fun. In particular,

• Confine campfires to established fire rings, grates or areas cleared of flammable materials.  Have a shovel and water on hand in case of emergency.
• Never leave a campfire unattended for any amount of time. Before leaving a campfire, pour water on it, and stir and mix the ashes until cool to the touch.
• Make sure spark arresters on chainsaws are in working condition. Carry a shovel and bucket of water with you in case of emergency.
• Do not park hot vehicles in dry grass – hot engines can ignite dry flammable materials.
• Smoke only in areas cleared of flammable materials. Dispose of cigarette butts in a safe and responsible manner.
• Remember that it is illegal to light or use fireworks on all National Forest and BLM lands.

For specific information regarding this release or activity in the San Juan Public Lands, call (970) 247-4874.  For info about locales into which you, your friends and family might be heading this weekend, check out the local emergency management contacts on the DEM main site at http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/localem.htm

Have fun and be safe!!!

Public Health Emergency - PHE.gov

I wanted to pass along, if you had not seen it already, a site rolled out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, called PHE.gov - "for Public Health Emergency" - that you should check out.  Broken down into target areas to assist public health and emergency management officials, the site contains a wealth of vetted links and info for health and med services support, specific info for fed/state/local planners, medical countermeasures, international prep and response, context docs for public health emergency response and detailed info on a wide range of subjects for responders, clinicians and practitioners.

In addition, the PHE coordinators are rolling out a complement of social media sites to augment the "hub" of PHE.gov including a PHE Facebook site, PHE Twitter Feed, PHE YouTube.  One of the cooler things the site has accomplished is tackling the problem of a central resource for links to other State public health social media sites and outlets (which can be found at http://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/multimedia/Pages/statesocialmediasites.aspx).  As a state agency involved in emergency management and operating in close coordination with our Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, it is very interesting to have a one-stop to see what our colleagues around the nation are doing with social media and online outreach and emergency notification.

Too, on the site, you will find links to the the latest National Situation Update and info regarding declared disasters and emergencies.  Whether you are interested in all-hazard health threats, food safety, air and water quality info or mental health issues and support, related to emergency management, there is something for you here.

So, take a minute and check out PHE.gov.

NWS Survey

One of our most vital resources and providers of information is the National Weather Service.  It seems that each day, there is a new report, analysis or accessibility option that makes their work even more integral to our business of emergency management.  In that spirit, I hope you join us here at the Division is completing a short survey for the NWS to help them see how users are getting weather information and how they might refine or find new means to make the weather info we need accessible.  The survey can be located at https://svy.cfigroup.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=3XRBCG