The week of June 16-22 is National Small Business Week. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and small businesses create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. 

During this special week as we recognize the contributions and importance of small businesses, owners and employees at small businesses are encouraged to take a few moments and answer the question: Is my business prepared to stay in business if my community floods?

Businesses can do much to prepare for the impact of the many hazards they face in today’s world, including natural hazards like floods; widespread serious illness such as a pandemic; human-caused hazards and acts of terrorism; as well as technology-related hazards such as the failure or malfunction of systems, equipment or software.

Ready Business can assist businesses in developing a preparedness program by providing tools to create a plan that addresses the impact of many hazards. Learn more about flooding, one of the most common hazards in the U.S., from Ready.gov.

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

A line of severe thunderstorms with heavy winds affected many areas of the National Capital Region on Thursday, June 13, causing downed trees and widespread power outages. As residents clean up from the storm, here are important safety tips from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. 

Travel Safety

• • Use caution while driving. Where traffic signals are not operating, treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
• • Watch for storm debris, downed power lines and tree limbs on the roads.
• • Watch for police who may be directing traffic as well as road and power crews who are cleaning debris and fixing power lines.

Electrical Safety

• • Portable generators should only be run outside. Keep them at least 10 feet away from your home. Connect appliances directly to the generator. Never connect a portable generator to building wiring systems. Follow manufacturer’s directions exactly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock and fire.  
• • Don’t use candles for light. Flashlights are safer when the power is out.
• • Avoid loose or dangling electrical wires. All wires should be considered live. Even wires that normally would not hurt you, such as telephone or cable wires, could have come in contact with energized wires or equipment.

Food Safety

• • Refrigerators will store food safely for up to four hours without power if the door is unopened.
• • Freezers that are half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours without power; a full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.
• • Throw away any thawed food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. When in doubt, throw it out.

Chainsaw Safety

• • Accidents during storm cleanup are frequent and often lead to severe injuries. Be especially careful while using chainsaws:
• • Wear hard hat, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather work gloves, cut-resistant leg wear with two-inch boot overlap, and sturdy steel-toed boots.
• • Make sure the chain brake is on when starting the saw, when both hands are not on the saw or when taking more than two steps.
• • When starting the saw, place it on the ground and place the toe of your boot through the back handle to hold the saw down. Hold the front handle with your left hand; use your right hand to pull the start cord.

Personal Safety

• • If you have medication that requires refrigeration but you lost power, check with the pharmacy on the label. They can advise if it still can be used.
• • Empty outdoor containers, tarps and other items around your house that may be holding water from the storms. These create breeding sites for mosquitoes and other insects. Remember to use repellant when outside.
• • During cleanup, avoid overexertion and strain in lifting and moving heavy objects or loads. Check with your locality to learn how to properly dispose of storm debris.

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has released new mobile services and open data (APIs) for the the Washington, D.C.-area operating status. This release is part of OPM's efforts to carry out the administration's Digital Government Strategy, set to transform public-facing government services in line with 21st Century expectations.

OPM Alert is the official operating status app of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the only official OPM status app for the Washington, D.C. area. This free app provides a real time look at the current operating status for federal government offices in the Washington, D.C. area. This app allows you to instantly view the current and active operating status and sign up for optional push notifications when status changes occur. You can also review previous status updates and take a look at OPM's dismissal and closure procedures for the Washington, D.C. area.

With OPM's official operating status app you can:

• • View the current and active status of federal agencies in the Washington, D.C. area.
• • Sign up for notifications of status changes.
• • Review an archive of previous status updates.
• • Get the Washington, D.C.-area dismissal and closing procedures issued by OPM.

OPM also is releasing a set of operating status Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that will make it easier for organizations, including federal agencies, to make full use of operating status data.

Visit the apps store for your operating system or OPM's Alert Mobile App page. To download the app:

• • Download the iOS version on the App Store.
• • Download the Android version from Google Play.
• • Download the Windows version from the Windows Store.
• • Download the Blackberry version from Blackberry App World. 

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), over the past two years our region has seen numerous major hurricanes and tropical storms. In 2011 Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee brought fierce winds and heavy rains. Last year Hurricane Sandy brought battering storm surge to coastal and bay areas, and heavy snows to inland areas.

Hurricanse season starts June 1, and lasts until Nov. 30, however, the greatest potential for storm activity is during August and September.

Take time now to ensure that your family, household and/or business is properly prepared for a potential hurricane or tropical storm. Residents should also communicate and interact with their local emergency officials. By talking to local officials, you can gain valuable insight, lend input and develop relationships for planning and communications before a storm. 

FEMA recommends that you have enough supplies to last at least 72 hours (3 days). Emergency supply kits should include essential items like bottled water, battery-powered radio, flashlight, batteries, medicines, toiletries, non-perishable food items, manual can opener and first-aid supplies. Copy and store your important documents in a waterproof bag. These may include medical records, deeds, leases, banking records, insurance policies and birth certificates.

When planning, think about the potential needs of everyone in the household during an emergency. If your household includes a person with a disability, an infant or a senior citizen, be sure to take the necessary steps to assist and make them comfortable during an emergency.

Pets are part of the family too! It is up to pet owners to research pet boarding options and pet friendly emergency shelters within your area in case of an evacuation. Be aware that animals may not always be welcome at some public shelter facilities. 

Finally, hurricane season is an appropriate time to assess your risk of flooding and consider purchasing a flood insurance policy. Most homeowners’ policies do not cover flooding, so evaluate whether a flood policy is right for you. Don’t delay though, flood insurance policies take thirty days to take effect. To assess flood risk for your home or find a local agent selling national flood insurance, visit floodsmart.gov or call toll-free at 888-379-9531.

For more preparedness information, visit fema.gov, ready.gov and nhc.noaa.gov.

Reprinted from FEMA

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate reminds us that getting the warning is only the first part of staying safe during severe weather.

Learn more at Ready.gov and Weather.gov.

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.

The Washington, D.C., area is one of the areas where a new Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system is now active. This system provides federal, state and local officials with the ability to send textbased wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) to most mobile phone users in a specific location throughout the United States during an emergency.

You could possibly receive a WEA alert during an emergency. The National Weather Service also has the capability to send weather-related messages and may broadcast a WEA message regionally.

There are three types of WEA warnings:

• - Presidential Alerts: Issued by the president in the event of a nationwide emergency.
• - Imminent Danger Alerts: Issued about civil danger, civil emergency message, evacuation, hazardous materials warning, local area emergency, radiological hazard warning, shelter in place, etc.
• - Amber Alerts: Issued about the disappearance of minors.

How WEA Works

If an alert is necessary, it will be written in 90 characters or less and then transmitted to cellular providers for dissemination. Because each message will be geo-tagged, it only will be sent to the people who are in the vicinity of the impacted area. If you receive a WEA, you are within the geographical location being affected by a safety threat. You should review the information in the alert carefully and proceed as directed.

There may be instances where you are within the targeted geographic alert zone but your phone does not receive the alert. In these cases, your phone may have been receiving its signal from an adjacent area cell site that was not targeted. Most alerts will be re-broadcast several times to reach the maximum number of devices. Once a device has received the alert, it will not accept duplicate or identical alerts.

Is Your Phone Ready for Wireless Emergency Alerts?

If you have an older model phone, you may not receive the wireless emergency alerts (WEA). Check with your service provider to find out if your phone is WEA-capable. AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all have information about the new alert system on their websites. Search for WEA, wireless emergency alerts, CMAS or commercial mobile alert system to find your provider’s list of WEA-capable phones.

To learn more, contact your local Office of Emergency Management or your wireless service provider. Additional information is on the FEMA WEA Web page.

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About the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a collection of sovereign jurisdictions, including cities, counties, states and the District of Columbia. This website and the efforts of the region's communicators and public information officers will focus on regional collaboration between the region's homeland security partners to achieve a safe and secure National Capital Region.