First Community Readiness Week Planned in Howard County

Saturday, October 1, 2005

(The Business Monthly) -- Howard County Executive Jim Robey has proclaimed Oct. 16-23 as the county's first Community Readiness Week. The event will heighten awareness about the importance of both individual and family disaster preparedness.

The effort, which is being conducted in cooperation with the Community Emergency Response Network (CERN), has been in the planning stages since late spring; however, Robey acknowledges that the timing is especially right in the wake of the recent hurricanes.

"Like so many other local jurisdictions in the Baltimore-Washington region, Howard County takes emergency preparedness very seriously," Robey said. "Whether the disaster is manmade, as it was on Sept. 11, 2001, or natural as it was with Hurricane Katrina, they can strike quickly and, in some instances, with little or no warning. As local elected officials, it is our responsibility to make sure those who work here, those who call Howard County 'home' and even those who are visiting, are prepared and protected."

Outreach for the awareness effort asks the question, "What's Your Plan, Howard County?" Various community partners, all members of CERN, will host activities throughout the week concentrating on ways individuals can and should accept some of the responsibility for their own safety

and that of their families, should disaster strike.

According to CERN Chairman Richard Krieg, the awareness effort underscores that organization's efforts to support government disaster planning through coordination of its member's emergency plans and resources.

"Howard County is light years ahead of many other communities in a number of preparedness areas," Krieg said. "One of those is full engagement of the broader community in joint planning with front line responders.

"By communicating a consistent message of readiness across the county through the vast network of CERN members, we hope to amplify our government's preparedness message," he stated. "Working in concert with key agencies toward strategies that will make us a stronger community in times of disaster helps Howard County ensure a coordinated, countywide approach to its disaster response plan."

CERN was established in 2002 in response to the county's escalated disaster planning efforts in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Designated by Robey as the official Citizens Corps for Howard County, CERN's membership includes representatives from county government, the public school system, the public library system, Howard Community College, Howard County General Hospital, nonprofit human services organizations, the business community and more.

The organization has been recognized several times by the Federal Office of Homeland Security for "best practices," in terms of similar groups operating nationwide. For more information about CERN, visit www.cern.us.