(Dover) – The 11^th annual Family Emergency Preparedness Day event will be held on Saturday, September 19^th at the Delaware Agricultural Museum in Dover, from 10:00AM until 2:00PM, with important information and fun activities for the entire family.

The event is co-sponsored by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), Delaware Citizen Corps, Kent County Office of Emergency Management, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services-Division of Public Health, City of Dover Office of Emergency Management, Delmarva Power, American Red Cross, Sussex County Volunteer 50+, Dover Air Force Base Emergency Management, and Paws for People.

Activities and demonstrations include live radio broadcasts on Cool 101.3 and Eagle 97.7, the Preparedness Train Ride for children, Delaware State Police child identification, Kent County Paramedics, Red Cross Emergency Response vehicle, Delaware 87ers basketball hoop, and more.  Bayhealth and Walgreens will conduct health screenings.  Ten Citizen Corps Disaster Kits will also be raffled off during the day, and a free slapwrist flashlight for completion of the Preparedness Scavenger Hunt.

Exhibitors will have free giveaways, and there will be free lunch for the first 500 visitors to register.  Admission to the event is free.  The Delaware Agricultural Museum is at 866 N. Dupont Highway in Dover.

(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) reminds residents that National Preparedness Month runs throughout the month of September.  It is particularly appropriate for Delaware, as September has been the most active month tropical storms and hurricanes along the mid-Atlantic coast.  The national theme this year is “Don’t Wait. Communicate.  Make Your Emergency Plan Today”.

While residents are often encouraged to make sure an emergency kit for home, office or vehicle is stocked and up to date, emergency management officials are also stressing the importance of having a plan and knowing what to do in an emergency.  That plan includes having an updated contact list of the people someone might need to contact in an emergency and establishing alternate means of communication in the event that traditional means of communication are unavailable.

Emergencies do not always occur when all family members are at home and together in one location.  Established reunion points at which all family members will gather can be reassuring if members are apart when the emergency event occurs.  Plans should also take into account evacuation routes and potential destinations in the event of an evacuation.  Parents should be aware of school emergency plans in the event of evacuations or other incidents.  College students should also find out about emergency plans at their institution and make sure parents and other family members also know the plans.

Today Lewis D. Schiliro, Delaware’s Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security, announced the retirement of Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) Director Jamie Turner and the appointment of his successor, Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Fire Chief Abel J. Schall Jr.

“Jamie Turner has dedicated much of his life to the service of our citizens. His impact on our public safety community extends beyond his years as DEMA director. He has touched hundreds of firefighters as an instructor at the Delaware Fire School and as DVFA Executive Secretary. He has served his community of Clayton as a member of the fire department since 1966. The citizens of our great State are forever grateful for his commitment to public safety,” said Governor Jack Markell.

“After 13 years of protecting the people and visitors to Delaware, we owe Jamie a great debt of gratitude for his long-standing public service as he moves toward retirement,” said Schiliro. “AJ Schall, who will succeed Jamie, has the experience and stands ready to take over the reins at DEMA to ensure the continued safety of Delawareans.”

Schall began his public safety service more than 20 years ago as a volunteer with the Kane County Office of Emergency Management in Illinois. He continued his public safety service when he relocated to Delaware and joined the Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company in 1999. He is currently Chief of Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder and has served at the helm since 2013.

“As a member of our public safety community for more than two decades, AJ has responded to countless emergencies often providing lifesaving aid to our citizens. The wealth of experience and knowledge gained as a fireman, certified emergency medical technician and incident commander will prove invaluable as he leads our State emergency management agency,” said Governor Jack Markell.

As Chief, Schall currently oversees and manages 10 full-time firefighters and emergency medical technicians, 30 part-time firefighters and EMTs and more than 80 active volunteers. He has held many other leadership positions at Aetna Hose including Captain, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief and Safety Officer.

“AJ brings the expertise and experience needed to lead DEMA, coordinate with our county and municipal emergency management officials, and partner with FEMA. He is well respected within the public safety community and is a proven leader with the skills necessary to handle an event that could impact our State,” said Secretary Schiliro.

He has served as incident commander for several large emergency incidents including the Interstate 95 MCI/tour bus crash with entrapment, a semi-truck accident with 20 million bees, and a tornado response to the Robscott Community.

Schall has received multiple awards in his time with Aetna, including Top 10 Responder for multiple years and the Valor Award in 2000 after he and two other firefighters were momentarily trapped in a townhouse fire in Pike Creek. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from St. Ambrose University and has earned numerous fire officer and fire instructor certifications from the National Fire Professional Association.

“I’m truly excited and honored to be part of a team devoted to the Safety and Homeland Security of our State. I look forward to the opportunity to lead DEMA in its day-to-day operations and work with our public safety partners,” Schall said.

In addition to his role as Aetna fire chief, Schall has been employed by Bank of America since 1998. He will begin at DEMA on August 24, 2015.

(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and Delaware State Police will conduct a quarterly test of the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations Alert and notification system on Tuesday, July 7, 2015.  The sirens will sound between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

The 37 sirens located within ten miles of the Salem/Hope Creek (New Jersey) plants will be activated for three to five minutes.  The siren tests will be followed by a test message of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on local radio stations.

Sirens that will be tested are the same sirens that would alert the public in the event of an actual emergency at either the Salem or Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.  In such an emergency, the public would be alerted by the sirens to tune radios to one of the local EAS stations for important emergency instructions.

(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) reminds residents that hurricane season along the Atlantic coast begins on Sunday, June 1^st, and runs through the end of November.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center says there is a 70% chance that the Atlantic hurricane season will bring six to eleven named storms, and that three to six will become hurricanes with two of them coming between categories 3 and 5.

While the prediction is for a below-normal season, forecasters cannot predict exactly where any of the anticipated storms will impact the Atlantic coast.  The time to prepare for seasonal storms is now, before a storm arrives.  Preparatory actions taken in advance will help save lives and property if a tropical storm or hurricane affects Delaware in 2015.

Emergency Preparedness kits should be in every household. The basics of food, water, and supplies should be included.  Important information such as insurance policies and physician phone numbers need to also be included.  Power outages may render credit cards and ATMs useless so a supply of cash should be in the emergency kit.

Residents of coastal or flood-prone areas need to have an evacuation plan.  Make arrangements now to stay away from the affected areas with friends or relatives, or at a hotel.  If a shelter is the only option, make sure to have the basic supplies for a few days in the shelter.  Take sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and personal hygiene supplies.  If sheltering with children, games that do not require batteries and books can help pass the time.  Baby foods and diapers should be included if appropriate.

Home supplies include water – at least a gallon per day for a minimum of three days.  Food supplies should include at least a three-day supply of non-perishable items.  Since there may be power outages that could last for several days following a storm, it is a good idea to stock canned foods, dry mixes, and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water, or special preparation.  Be sure to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.  Paper plates and plastic utensils are disposable and do not require washing.  Make sure to refill prescriptions that are about to expire before the storm arrives, as pharmacies may be closed due to power outages.

For a listing of supplies that should be part of an emergency kit, go online to www.ready.gov and click on “Build a Kit”.

Families should prepare a communication plan since members may be separated during the storm.  The communication plan may include a means of letting friends and relatives know that people have arrived safely at their destination in the event of an evacuation.

An emergency kit containing the recommended items is ready for use in all types of emergencies, including hurricanes and tropical storms.  Regular utilities such as electricity, gas, sewage treatment, and telephone service, may be unavailable for several days, so the emergency kit will help people get through any outages.

For more tips on how to prepare your family and home for tropical storms or hurricanes, log on to http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.