NPREP: Pre-Exercise Public Outreach Events

LOS ANGELES — The Coast Guard announces its National Preparedness Response Exercise Program (NPREP) pre-exercise Public Outreach events to be held Sept. 13, 2011 in Ventura, Calif., free of charge.

Government and Industry experts will be facilitating seminars on three topics of interest: Deepwater Horizon Response, Oiled Wildlife Care Network, and Sensitive Sites Strategy, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Static displays such as communications trailers, a HASS-like boat, Patch technology for vessels, off-shore deployment of a Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) from Coast Guard Cutter George Cobb, and others, will be available for viewing from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The seminars and displays will be held at Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center located at Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr, Ventura, Calif. Displays will be at the Harbor Cove parking lot across the street from the Visitor Center, and the seminars will be held in the auditorium.

The actual NPREP exercise will take place on Sept. 14 and 15 at an undisclosed location in the vicinity of Ventura County. For additional information on the public outreach events, contact Lt. Jennifer Osburn at (310) 521-3847.

Agencies/Organizations Participating include U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEMRE), Regulation and Enforcement), Patriot Environmental Services, Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), AeroVironment Inc., Clean Seas, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC), Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary (CINMS), Channel Watch Marine, National Parks Service (NPS), County of Ventura Office of Emergency Services, County of Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Services, NRC Environmental Services, O'Brien's Response Management Inc., Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) and more.

September is National Preparedness Month, and the NPREP is part of the committed effort to strengthen the Nations' response capabilities. The national preparedness architecture encompasses the full spectrum of prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts to prepare the United States for all hazards.

As of 2009, the Citizen Corps National Survey revealed that only 57% of Americans surveyed report having supplies set aside in their homes just for disasters, and only 44% have a household emergency plan. National Preparedness Month serves to encourage individuals across the nation to take important preparedness steps including: getting an emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan, being informed about the different emergencies that may affect them, as well as taking the necessary steps to get trained and become engaged in community preparedness and response efforts.

How quickly a company or organization is able to get back to business after an earthquake, a tornado, a fire, a flood, or a terrorist attack often depends on emergency planning and preparation done before the disaster strikes. The Ready Campaign highlights three steps to Business Disaster Preparedness: 1) Plan to Stay in Business; 2) Talk to Your People; and 3) Protect Your Investment. These steps underscore how important it is for businesses to document their property/equipment, back up business-critical information, and put a response team in place.