Happy Tuesday!

As you know, last weekend a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Napa Valley area in California, catching residents off guard. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported as a direct result of the earthquake.

Almost three years ago to the day, Virginia experienced a magnitude 5.8 - earthquake that rocked the ICMA headquarters here in Washington, D.C.  Shortly after the earthquake, cell towers and 911 centers in the D.C. Metro area were clogged with traffic, making communications for the public and emergency responders nearly impossible.

These events raise a warning flag: Local governments need to develop more than one emergency response plan. What if a water main is broken and fire hydrants are not operational? What if cell towers have been damaged or the networks are too clogged with traffic to communicate with first responders? What if the batteries in the radios used by first responders have been damaged? Planning for these and many more scenarios helps governments effectively manage the situation. The Knowledge Network has several resources to help you evaluate your emergency preparedness. Here are a few:

• “Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness, and Recovery” details the programs and projects that ICMA International has been involved in around the world in the past few years.
• This article provides well over a dozen resources for managers looking to improve their natural disaster preparedness.
• The Emergency Management topic page is filled with expert resources to help you be prepared when disaster strikes.

Do you have a nearly foolproof emergency management plan for your local government? Share it with us! As always, I look forward to you questions, comments, and funny stories.

Jesse Himes
Knowledge Network Intern
jhimes@icma.org