(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) has scheduled a public meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2012, to present updates to the State All-Hazard Mitigation Plan.  The meeting begins at 6pm, and will be held in the DEMA Training Room.

The State All-Hazard Mitigation plan examines natural hazards and assesses their risks.  Updates must be conducted on a three year cycle, and the deadline for completion of the next update is August 27^th.  In order to continue eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Assistant (HMA) program funding, non-emergency categories of Public Assistance, and some Fire Management grants, DEMA has to assure that an updated plan is in place prior to the deadline.  Delaware has received millions of dollars through the programs in the past.

The Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment portion (HIRA) is a critical section of the Mitigation Plan, and the Mitigation Strategy maps out Delaware’s mitigation priorities for the next 3-5 years.

A Community Profile will be presented during the public meeting, identifying hazards throughout the state, and their risks.  An overview of changes and the prioritization of the hazards will also be shown.  The program will identify changes in capability assessment.  Completed actions and proposed new actions in mitigation strategy will also be presented during the meeting.

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency is located at 165 Brick Store Landing Road in Smyrna.  Attendees are to enter through the northeast door on the SR 1 side of the building.

 

(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, April 9, 2013.  Sirens will sound between 5:00PM and 9:00PM.

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) – Registration is open for the 6th annual Hazardous Materials Training Workshop, to be held on April 5 and 6 at the Delaware State Fire School in Dover.  Law Enforcement officers, EMS, Fire Service, HazMat teams, and other first responders are encouraged to attend the workshop, which will be presented by nationally-recognized trainers and experts.  The event is co-sponsored by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA).

 

Friday evening’s activities feature a dinner and address, with opening remarks by Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security Secretary, Louis Schiliro.  Frank Docimo, a HazMat expert, recently retired from the fire service in Stamford, Connecticut, will be the keynote speaker at the Friday evening dinner.  Mr. Docimo’s will deliver a “State of the HazMat Union Address”, which will summarize the early days of hazmat up to the present, including the effects of funding cuts and a lower number of incidents.

Saturday training sessions are scheduled from 8:30am until 4:15pm, with lunch on-site for participants.  Here is a schedule of training sessions offered on Saturday, April 6^th:

 

8:30-10am SESSION & INSTRUCTOR

*One Pot Meth Lab-A Strategic Approach (Jake Kelton, owner & instructor MERIT Training Programs, LLC)

*Introduction to Radiological Science (Cheryl Weaver-Docimo, 35-year veteran of emergency services)

*Rail Transport HazMat Incident Case Studies (William “Bill” Oertly, Hazardous Materials Compliance Officer-Norfolk Southern Railroad)

*Engine Company Response to HazMat Incidents (Glen D. Rudner, recently retired from Virginia Department of Emergency Management as Hazardous Materials Response Officer)

*Chemical Suicide: Information for Emergency Responders (Deputy Chief Jacob “Jake” Oreshan, III, New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control)

*Essentials of HazMat Medicine (Dr. David Hostler, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Pittsburgh)

 

10:15-11:45am SESSION & INSTRUCTOR

*One Pot Meth Lab-A Strategic Approach (Jake Kelton, owner & instructor MERIT Training Programs, LLC)

*Radiological PPE, Contamination Survey & Decon Lab (Cheryl Weaver-Docimo, 35-year veteran of emergency services)

*FBI: Improvised Explosives Threat (Tim Petrousky, Special Agent Bomb Technician and HazMat team leader, FBI)

*Engine Company Response to HazMat Incidents (Glen D. Rudner, retired from Virginia Department of Emergency Management as Hazardous Materials Response Officer)

*Chemical Suicide: Information For Emergency Responders (course developed by New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control)

*Essentials of HazMat Medicine (Dr. David Hostler, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Pittsburgh)

 

8:30-11:45am SESSION & INSTRUCTOR

*Can Your Response Team Use Rapid Risk Assessment Techniques (RRAT)™ 3-hour hands-on session (Frank Docimo, 40-plus year veteran of fire service, recently retired from fire service in Stamford, Connecticut.

*Hospital DECON Part 1 (Part 2 after lunch) (Joe Leonetti, instructor Delaware State Fire School & National Fire Academy)

 

1-4:15pm SESSION & INSTRUCTOR

*Transcaer® HazMat Cargo Tank Anatomy & Emergency Response (Jon Gragg, Northern Regional Manager for Safety and Operations, Dana Transport)

*Radiological Assessment and Mitigation Procedures™ (Cheryl Weaver-Docimo, 35-year veteran of emergency services)

*What Are You Thinking?  (Interactive Tabletop Panel Discussion)

*Grounding and Bonding and Transfer Operations: classroom & hands-on (Glen D. Rudner, recently retired from Virginia Department of Emergency Management as Hazardous Materials Response Officer)

*Explosive Ordnance Devices (Chris Ennis, Delaware State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team)

*Hospital DECON Part 2 (continues Part 1 that was part of the morning session) (Joe Leonetti, instructor Delaware State Fire School & National Fire Academy)

 

A vendor exhibit hall will also be available on Saturday, as well as a continental breakfast.  There is no cost for the 6^th Annual Hazardous Materials Training Workshop, but pre-registration is required.  Class sizes are limited, so early registration is advised.  To register, contact Lois Mathews at DEMA, 302-659-2225 or email to lois.mathews@delaware.gov.  The Delaware State Fire School is located at 1461 Chestnut Grove Road in Dover.  Visit this website for complete registration information: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/SERC/Pages/What’sNew.aspx

 

The workshop is sponsored jointly by DEMA, State Emergency Response Commission, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the City of Wilmington, Kent County Levy Court, Sussex County Emergency Operations, Delaware State Fire School, Local Emergency Planning Committee, and Delaware CST.

 

(Smyrna) The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) stood down its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as of 12noon today, as the winter storm that blew its way through Delaware yesterday and this morning has moved out of the state, leaving behind minimal damage. Some areas of the coast are still experiencing flood conditions, and officials at the National Weather Service say that continuing strong winds and tides could cause flooding to continue until at least Saturday.

Weather forecasts continue to include winds at 15 to 20 MPH, with stronger gusts, especially along the shore.  More precipitation may occur but no accumulation of snow is expected. Temperatures will rise over the weekend with daytime highs in the 50s.  A Coastal Flood Warning remains in for Kent and Sussex Counties until 9am Friday.

There are still some road closures to report:

Kent County:

Route 9 north of Hay Point Landing Road, Closed due to flooding

Cypress Branch Road at branch crossing, Closed due to flooding

Port Mahon Rd Closed due to flooding

South Market St Frederica Closed due to flooding

 

Sussex County:

Primehook Road is closed due to flooding
Back Bay Cove Rd Gate is closed due to flooding

Fowler Beach Road is closed due to flooding

Route 1 is closed in both directions between Bethany Beach & Dewey Beach due to flooding

Rd 297 at the Fire House closed due to flooding

Road 297 at Chief Clark Road is closed due to flooding

River Road at both ends of Chief Clark Rd and Shorts Marine is closed due to flooding

Broadkill Road is closed due to flooding

New Road is closed due to flooding

 

(Smyrna) The remnants of a winter storm made its way through Delaware during the night with small amounts of precipitation but continued winds.  Some neighboring states were hit hard with varying amounts of snow, but higher temperatures limited the bulk of the precipitation in Delaware to rain.

Snow did not materialize in Delaware, so problems in the state centered on wind and flooding.  Rivers appear to be swollen in but are not yet at flood stage.  While tidal gauges are indicating high levels of water at coastal locations, only two of the gauges exceed critical levels: Indian River at Rosedale Beach, and Rehoboth Bay at Dewey Beach.  The critical stage is achieved when the water reaches a height at which coastal flooding is likely to occur.

Winds continued strong overnight but as of 5am Thursday morning, all wind advisories had expired or been cancelled.  A Coastal Flood Warning remains in effect until 8am this morning for Kent and Sussex Counties.  The warning covers the areas along the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent back bays, and the Delaware Bay and tidal tributaries.

The Indian River School District will open two hours late.  All other school districts across the state are operating normally on Thursday.

Roads in Delaware are wet, but above-freezing air and road surface temperatures prevented icing.  Drivers should still be cautious in the morning commute and watch out for water ponding on roadways, flooded roads, or debris being blown around by winds that continue in the 20 to 30 mile per hour range, with gusts up to 50 MPH.  The speed limit on Interstate 95 is reduced to 55 MPH, and on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the speed limit is down to 50 MPH.

Shortly before 4am, a total of 602 power outages were reported statewide.  60% were in New Castle County, and the remainder in Sussex County.  Crews from Delmarva Power and the Delaware Electric Cooperative are working to restore power to affected areas.

There are 15 road closures to report this morning in Delaware:

New Castle County:
Bayview Rd & Silver Run Rd is closed due to Flooding

Old State Road at causeway is closed due to Flooding
Kent County:

Route 9 north of Hay Point Landing Road, Closed due to Flooding

Route 9 between South Little Creek Road and the fire house, Closed due to Flooding

Cypress Branch Road at branch crossing, Closed due to Flooding

Ponderosa Road at Plain Dealing Road, Closed due to Flooding

Port Mahon Rd Closed due to Flooding

 

Sussex County:

Primehook Road is closed due to Flooding
Back Bay Cove Rd Gate is closed due to Flooding

Fowler Beach Road is closed due to Flooding

Route 1 closed between Bethany Beach & Dewey Beach is closed due to Flooding

Road 297 at Chief Clark Road is closed due to Flooding

River Road at both ends of Chief Clark Rd and Shorts Marine is closed due to Flooding

Broadkill Road is closed due to Flooding

New Road is closed due to Flooding