Author: ron

We are sharing updates and fact sheets from the Guam Homeland Security | Joint Information Center to help prepare everyone for any possible national emergency.  For the latest update, please visit Guam Homeland Security website.

[learn_more caption=”Important TIPS in the Event that RED Condition Is Called | 1:45 p.m., Thursday, April 11, 2013“]

Release No. JIC-10

Important TIPS in the Event that RED Condition Is Called

1:45 p.m., Thursday, April 11, 2013

For Immediate Release

The Joint Information Center released four fact sheets over the past three days about what Guamanians can do to prepare for a North Korean emergency. If one does occur:

1.      The military immediately will call the Governor, who then will simultaneously place the island in RED condition.

2.      The Joint Information Center immediately will notify the people of Guam via media partners, email, government alert systems, the alert siren system, the consulate offices, the school systems, and the mayors that an emergency is upon the island and that everyone is to shelter in place.

These are the most important tips of what to do as soon as you are aware of the RED condition:

–          IF YOU ARE AT HOME: Shelter in place. Follow the steps outlined in Fact Sheet 2, including closing and locking all windows and doors, and closing any blinds. Take your family and pets with you to a room without windows or with the fewest windows. Keep a phone with you, preferably a land line. Keep a battery-operated radio with you and stay tuned to official reports from the Joint Information Center.

–          IF YOU ARE AT WORK: Shelter in place at work. Do not leave the office. Do not send away customers or co-workers in your office. Close and lock all windows and doors. Stay as far away from windows as possible. Keep a phone with you, preferably a land line. Keep a battery-operated radio with you and stay tuned to official reports from the JIC.

–          IF YOUR KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL OR DAYCARE: Do not pick them up. School staff & teachers will help students shelter in place. They are safer in school than on the road. Schools know what to do to keep your children safe.

 

–          IF YOU ARE ON THE ROAD: Pull over. Stay in your car. Keep your body clear from the windows. Keep the radio on, and wait for the ‘all-clear’ from the JIC.

RED condition means the threat level is high. In this case, it may mean North Korea launched a missile. It does not necessarily mean the missile is coming this way. RED condition is a precaution taken because we should not take chances, and we should protect ourselves from the worst. This is why it is so IMPORTANT to pay attention to media partners before, during, and after RED condition.

Press Release No. JIC-09

The Current Situation as of 11 a.m., Thursday, April 11, 2013

For Immediate Release

(Hagatna, Guam) The Government’s transmission of the signal for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was 100 percent successful; however, not all stations broadcasted the alert within the time frame mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. The Joint Information Center executed all protocols at 10 a.m. KSTEREO (the EAS broadcaster) and the National Weather Service (NWS) transmitted the signal to all television and radio broadcasters. The Federal Communications Commission requires all TV and radio broadcasters to retransmitt the alert within 15 minutes of transmission.

The other part of the EAS that was tested was a text message (SMS) alert to select phone numbers (only a sample group of subscribers from each carrier) from all mobile phone carriers. All were successful.

The Emergency Operations Center is working with the carriers, where the emergency alert system was not broadcasted to resolve the gap. The Governor’s Chief of Staff has ordered a second test today, and has directed the EOC to resolve the gaps for 100 percent success.

Condition YELLOW: No Change in Threat Level

There is no change in the threat level on Guam since yesterday. The island remains in YELLOW condition; the Governor placed Guam in YELLOW condition yesterday. Again, this means we should continue with our daily lives while preparing ourselves for any potential of an emergency. It also means the government pulls its resources together through the Emergency Operations Center to ensure we are prepared to respond to emergencies.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is now operating under color-coded threat levels (for security threats like the one posed by North Korea), 24-hours a day. This is similar to warning levels during a typhoon, when the EOC uses the terms “Condition of Readiness-1” through “-4.”

These are the color codes, comparable to the meanings of the three colors on a traffic light:

Ø  GREEN means all is well. Green on a traffic light means everything is okay to move forward. In emergency planning, green is the normal, everyday color and means there is a low risk of any type of situation. During a GREEN condition, government operations continue as normal.

Ø  YELLOW means be careful. A traffic light that is yellow means to continue moving forward, but do so carefully. This is the same color used by government agencies to indicate there is a medium risk for the island. During a YELLOW condition, the government will continue to operate like normal with a few government agencies participating in emergency preparedness and planning.

Ø  RED means stop what you’re doing, and prepare yourself immediately for the impending emergency. Government officials use red to indicate there is a high risk to the island from a security threat, such as a foreign military attack. During a RED condition, emergency operations are in full swing.

The Joint Information Center (JIC) has released Fact Sheet Number 1: Be Informed.  It is important that members of our community be prepared for any natural or man-made disasters.  The fact sheet focuses on having access to the most current information.  Government of Guamand military partners are working through the JIC to provide the most accurate and timely information possible to the public through the avenues identified on the fact sheet.

The public is encouraged to rely on information sources identified in the fact sheet for their preparedness and response level.  The community is encouraged to be informed, make a plan and build a kit.  The fact sheet will be available on-line, your village mayor’s office, and via email by request.  Stay tuned for Fact Sheet No. 2 which will focus on making a plan, building a kit and shelter in place tomorrow.

“We are asking the community to do their part and stay informed.  Listen to the news, visit our website or give us a call at the JointInformation Center,” said Dee Cruz, Acting Public Information Officer for Guam Homeland Security.