Preparedness

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Donald Eshleman Jr. said he has been poring over stacks of disaster plans a few feet high since he took over as Franklin County's emergency management coordinator last month. The Greencastle, Pa., native brings years of experience in fire service and emergency preparedness to the position, which is essentially responsible for keeping Franklin County braced to handle any kind of disaster from chemical spills to terrorism to the current drought.

Boy Scout Troop 14 in Smithsburg recently held its quarterly Court of Honor at Smithsburg Town Hall. Scoutmaster Roland Sorensen presented the following Scouts with awards: o Matt Cumblidge -- Emergency Preparedness Award, Emergency Preparedness, Disabilities Awareness and Public Health merit badges, Second Class Rank o Zack El-Mohandes -- Emergency Preparedness Award, Emergency Preparedness, Disabilities Awareness and Public Health merit...

The following Web sites may be accessed for emergency preparedness information. www.ready.gov (Department of Homeland Security) www.fema.gov (Federal Emergency Management Agency) www.ncpc.org (National Crime Prevention Council)

In observation of September as National Emergency Preparedness Month, the Washington County Emergency Management Office is partnering with Washington County Public Schools to distribute tote bags filled with preparedness materials and resources for elementary school teachers. Schools receiving the materials are Cascade, Conococheague, Fountaindale, Fountain Rock, Funkstown, Greenbrier, Hickory and Winter Street. The information teachers are receiving will serve a dual purpose.

The Washington County Emergency Management Agency will hold two informational meetings for people interested in taking Community Emergency Response Training through Project Aware. The Wednesday, Dec. 14, meetings will be at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Washington County Health Department auditorium at 1302 Pennsylvania Ave. CERT training is free and covers disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operations, terrorism preparedness, crime prevention, special population needs, animals in disaster, light search and rescue and basic incident command.

FUNKSTOWN - Emergency preparedness in the home and community will be the topic for the Funkstown Senior Citizens' meeting Monday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. Verna Brown, emergency management agency coordinator for Washington County, will be the presenter. The group meets in the fellowship hall of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Funks-town. Guests are welcome.

The Washington County Division of Emergency Services, Emergency Management Agency, recently graduated 25 volunteers who completed 20 hours of Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). The training, offered through Project Aware, is designed for volunteer citizens who have little or no experience. It covers disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operations, terrorism preparedness, crime prevention, light search and rescue, special population needs, animals in disaster and basic incident command.

Commissioners honor national marbles champ The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday presented a Certificate of Award to John Hulse, a county youth who recently took the top honor in the 79th Annual National Marbles Tournament in Wildwood, N.J. John said he practiced two to five hours a day for a year to hone his skills. He is the second Washington County youth in the past two years to win first in the national competition. Aug. 17 to be Emergency Preparedness Day The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday proclaimed Aug. 17 to be Citizens Emergency Preparedness Day. Joe Kroboth, director of emergency services, Verna Brown, emergency management administrator, Elaine Rose, Washington County Health Department representative, and Peggy Martin, chair of the Disabilities Advisory Committee, received the proclamation.

By mid-September, Washington County will begin using an emergency notification system that communicates with thousands of businesses and residents in minutes during an emergency situation, a Washington County official said Tuesday. The Everbridge Aware Citizen Alerts system will be used to alert residents about severe weather, fires, floods, toxic environmental issues and other emergencies, Emergency Services Director Kevin L. Lewis said. The messages can be sent to residents via cellphone, land line phone, email, text message, fax, pager and Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA, based on the recipient's preference, he said.