Monthly Newsletter

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May preparedness focuses on National Wildfire Awareness Month, National Hurricane Awareness Week and Don’t Fry Day. We will also be highlighting our Community Reception Center Exercise from April 29th. 


 

National Wildfire Awareness Month 



Wildfires in Pennsylvania 

A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland or prairie. The greatest danger of wildfires in Pennsylvania occurs during the spring months of March, April, and May, and the autumn months of October and November. In Pennsylvania, 99 percent of all wildfires are caused by people. Over 1,000 wildfires were reported during the 2022 calendar year burning 2,700 acres of land. 604e9a83b4829.image

Wildfire Prevention 

You can reduce your risk of wildfire by creating a fire-resident zone. This is a zone free of leaves, debris or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from your home. A vital part of prevention is education. Whether it is properly extinguishing a campfire or keeping your vehicle maintained to prevent sparks, following just a few simple steps can help prevent wildfires. Learn how to properly use outdoor equipment; burn debris safely; start, maintain, and extinguish a campfire and maintain a vehicle and tow safely. MicrosoftTeams-image (8)

Wildfire Preparedness 

There are several resources for wildfire preparedness including the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources posts daily Wildfire Danger Map. Other resources include the National Fire Prevention Association, the FEMA Ready Campaign and the Smokey the Bear Campaign. 


National Hurricane Awareness Week


Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage from storm surge, wind damage, rip currents and flooding. They can happen along any U.S. coast or in any territory in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Storm surge historically is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States. 

Pennsylvania falls within the Atlantic Hurricane Season: June 1st-November 30th. 


Hurricane Threat and Hazards



May Training Opportunity 

Our training calendar has a new look! We have moved over to lancastercountypa.gov. Here you can find training opportunities by selecting “Calendar” on the left-hand column then select Public Safety Training Calendar under the “Jump To” section.  

Training Opportunities from Lancaster County Emergency Management and Lancaster County Public Safety Training Center can be found here.  

May 2023: May Training Calendar



April Highlights  


Community Reception Center Exercise


On April 29th Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, along side Pennsylvania Department of Health, conducted a Community Reception Center Exercise.  What is a Community Reception Center or CRC? When it is safe to evacuate, following potential radiation exposure, emergency response officials may instruct you to go to a community reception center (CRC). At CRCs people, service animals, and sometimes pets will: 

  • Be screened for radioactive contamination. 
  • Receive first aid services, if needed. 
  • Be provided resources and instructions to decontaminate, if needed. 
  • Register information for follow up. 

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Volunteers were screened for radiation.

CRC3

After being screened, volunteers went to registration.


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Volunteers waiting to walk through the CRC. 


Thank you to all of our Volunteers and Lampeter Strasburg High School!