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Message From Acting Director William P. Robertson

September 2018Illinois Emergency Management Agency

The month of September is, historically speaking, the most active monthfor hurricanes. While we, in Illinois, do not experience traditional hurricaneconditions, our first responders train year-round for all hazards, includingthose you find in a post-hurricane environment.

Our state’s first responders and emergency workers are devoted publicservants. They are dedicated to serving our communities. We have hadour share of storms, tornadoes and flooding over the years, but I greatlyappreciate and respect the work of those who answered the call to helpthose in need in North Carolina. Your countless hours of training are payingdividends and your expertise has been a valuable resource for the TarHeel state.

As Hurricane Florence came ashore, the images from this deadly stormserved as a sobering reminder why we, as Americans, should always beprepared for a disaster. Make sure you have an emergency kit with food,clothing and the necessary medicines for everyone in your family; learn life-saving skills such as CPR; checkyour insurance policy and coverage for floods, earthquakes and tornadoes; and create a family communicationplan. Don’t wait for a disaster to be at our door-step. Just as the theme to National Preparedness Monthsuggests, Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.

You can learn more about emergency preparedness by visiting www.ready.Illinois.gov.

In this issueIllinois Assists States Impacted by Hurricane Florence........2Ricker Delivers Update on NGA Grant Project ....................2Wabash County Recognized as StormReady Community ......3 National Cyber Security Awareness Month..........................3What You Need to Know: Presidential Alert.........................4Inside IEMA Info Corner .....................................................5Great Central U.S. Shakeout – October 18 ..........................6Grant Deadlines .................................................................6October 2018 Training Schedule.........................................72018 IEMA Training Summit Highlights...............................8

Illinois Assists States Impacted by Hurricane FlorenceIllinois first responders answered the call for help inSeptember 2018, to aid in recovery efforts in NorthCarolina following the aftermath of HurricaneFlorence. Governor Bruce Rauner authorized twodeployments of state assets to the Tar Heel statethrough an Emergency Management AssistanceCompact (EMAC). On September 12th, ten Illinois Army National Guardsoldiers and two helicopters deployed on a ten-daymission. The crews hailed from Peoria’s 138thAviation Battalion and Kankakee’s 1st Battalion, 106thAviation Regiment. The soldiers provided valuabletransport support for supplies and personnelthroughout the area.On September 14th, a 13-member Swiftwater searchand rescue team deployed to North Carolina to assistwith water rescues due to the catastrophic inland andcoastal flooding caused by Hurricane Florence. TheMutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) task force ismostly from northern Illinois and is comprised of

firefighters from various departments throughout thestate. The team provided more than a dozen waterrescues in the Reigelwood area, just northwest ofWilmington, NC. The team’s mission was extended,at the request of the state of North Carolina, to provideadditional assistance as the state’s rivers begin tocrest.“Illinois takes EMAC requests very seriously, and wealways look to help when called upon,” said ActingIEMA Director William Robertson. “You never knowwhen you may be on the receiving end of theserequest. EMAC allows states to help other states besafe, secure and resilient against all hazards. That’sthe beauty of the partnership and collaborationbehind EMAC.”Illinois and its public safety agencies stand ready toprovide assistance in response to further EMACrequests as the east coast continues to respond tothe aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

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(L) Illinois Army National Guard delivers supplies for a Wilmington, NC hospital. (R) MABAS IL-Task Force 1 Swiftwater Team performs waterrescues in flooded areas northwest of Wilmington, NC.

Ricker Delivers Update on NGA Grant Project The State of Illinois was awarded a National GovernorsAssociation Public Health and Preparedness technicalgrant in March of this year. A two-day workshop washeld in May where objectives were identified aimed atenhancing public health preparedness and responsecapabilities. Specific actions in support of thoseobjectives were developed and working groups havebeen meeting all summer to advance the project. On September 18, the state’s team lead, ActingDeputy Director Jennifer Ricker, joined team leadsfrom the other five states at the Centers for DiseaseControl (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta to report on

progress. Illinois’ goals and objectives relate to thefollowing areas:• Plan deconfliction• Scope of practice• Policies and procedures• Crisis communications• Legislative caucusWhile at the CDC, team leads also met with staff frommultiple CDC programs and received a tour of theCDC’s emergency operations center.

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Countless hours of hard work and dedication havepaid off for the Wabash County EmergencyManagement Agency and its volunteers. On Monday,September 17th, the National Weather Service (NWS)recognized Wabash County as a StormReadycommunity. The NWS StormReady is a voluntary program thathelps communities with the communications andsafety skills needed to save lives and property –before, during and after a weather-related event. Theprogram encourages communities to improve theirhazardous weather operations by: • Establishing a 24-hour warning point and

emergency operations center;• Have more than one way to receive severe

weather warning and forecast and to alert thepublic;

• Create a system that monitors weather conditionslocally;

• Promote the importance of public readinessthrough community seminars; and

• Develop a form hazardous weather plan, whichincludes training severe weather spotters andholding emergency exercises.

There are more than 30 counties in Illinois that arecertified as StormReady communities, with even moredistinctions made at the local, commercial anduniversity level. To learn more about how yourcommunity can become StormReady, visitwww.weather.gov/stormready.

Wabash County Recognized as StormReady Community

Congrats to Wabash County EMA! Wabash County is the latestStormReady community in Illinois.

Most people spend several hours each day online forwork, pleasure or both. The widespread usage ofcomputers, laptops, smartphones and tablets offerscountless opportunities to connect with informationand people around the world. It also provides myriadopportunities for cyber criminals. During October, theIllinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) isjoining with county and municipal emergencymanagement agencies to increase awareness ofonline risks and provide tips on what people can do toprevent problems.

The Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.govprovides links to information and tips to help peopleminimize the risk of being a cybercrime victim. Someof those tips include the following:

• Configure your computer securelyUse privacy and security settings in your software,email system and web browsers. Regularly update

your anti-virus software to identify and thwart newstrains of malicious software.

• Keep software and operating systems updatedInstall all software updates as soon as they areoffered; using the “auto update” setting is the bestway to ensure timely updates.

• Use strong passwordsCybercriminals use automated programs that willtry every word in the dictionary in a few minutes.When creating a password, use at least 10characters, with a combination of uppercase andlowercase letters, numbers and symbols.

• Be cautious about links and attachmentsEven communications you receive that appear tobe from friends and family may contain links tomalicious sites, so be careful when clicking onlinks in those messages. When in doubt, delete it.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA),along with its state partners at the Illinois State Police(ISP) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) arenotifying residents on an upcoming test of theemergency broadcast alert system. The FederalEmergency Management Agency (FEMA) and theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) plan toconduction a first-of-its-kind test of the nation’semergency communications infrastructure via a testcalled a “Presidential Alert.”

On Wednesday, October 3 a nationwide test of theWireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system willcommence at 1:18 p.m., followed by a national test ofthe Emergency Alert System (EAS) at 1:20 p.m. The WEA test message will read:

THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency AlertSystem. No action is needed.

The EAS message will include a reference to the WEAtest:

THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System.This system was developed by broadcast and cableoperators in voluntary cooperation with the FederalEmergency Management Agency, the FederalCommunications Commission, and local authorities tokeep you informed in the event of an emergency. If thishad been an actual emergency alert, an official messagewould have followed the alert tone you heard at the startof this message. A similar wireless emergency alert textmessage has been sent to all cell phones nationwide.Some cell phones will receive the message; others willnot. No action is required.

This is the first time the Wireless Emergency Alertsystem has been tested on a national level. WEA isused to warn the public about dangerous weather,missing children, and other regionally criticalsituations through alerts on cellular phones. WEAallows most customers to receive geo-targeted alertsof imminent threats to safety in their area. The October3rd WEA test will be sent through the Integrated PublicAlert and Warning System (IPAWS). Cell towers willbroadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes.During this time, cell phones that are switched on andwithin range of an active cell tower should be capableof receiving the message. Cell phones should onlyreceive the message once. Some older phones maynot receive the test message.“The test is intended to ensure public safety officials

have the methods and systems to deliver urgentwarnings and alerts to the public in times of anemergency or disaster,” said Acting IEMA DirectorWilliam Robertson. “Periodic testing is a way toaccess the operational readiness of the infrastructureand determine whether technological improvementsare needed.” While each message will clearly state THIS IS A TEST,and will make note that no action is needed, IllinoisState Police will work with local law enforcement and9-1-1 call centers prepare for the possibility of anincreased call load. Additionally, the Illinois StateBoard of Education is working with schools to ensureparents and school children are aware that the test willoccur during school hours."The continuity of communications during anemergency is a vital component of public safety," saidISP Director Leo P. Schmitz. "Testing our resourcesregularly ensures the abilities of first responders tosave lives. The upcoming national test will help identifyand repair deficiencies in keeping the publicinformed." In 2006, President George W. Bush signed anexecutive order to create an effective, reliable,integrated, flexible and comprehensive system to alertthe American people in situations of war, terrorism,natural disaster or other hazards of public safety andwell-being. This task fell to the responsibility of theDepartment of Homeland Security, and resulted in theFederal Emergency Management Agency’s creationof the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System(IPAWS). The law requires a nationwide EAS test atleast once every three years. The last test of the EASsystem was in 2017. For more information about the upcoming test of theemergency alert system, including a list of frequentlyasked questions (FAQ), visit ready.illinois.gov.

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What You Need to Know: Presidential Alert

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Ionization Smoke AlarmsOctober is National Fire Prevention Month.According to the National Fire ProtectionAssociation (NFPA), approximately two-thirds ofU.S. household fire deaths result from fires in homeswith either no smoke alarms or smoke alarms withold or missing batteries. Simply stated, smokealarms are critical to saving lives and minimizingproperty loss.

There are three types of smoke alarms: ionization,photoelectric, and combination devices that includeboth technologies. Ionization smoke alarms aregenerally more responsive to flaming fires, whereasphotoelectric smoke alarms are generally moreresponsive to smoldering fires. For best protection,the NFPA recommends use of both ionization andphotoelectric smoke alarms.

Ionization smoke alarms contain two metal plates,an ionization chamber, a power source, and a smallamount of radioactive material.

The metal plates are connected to the powersource. The metal plates function as electrodes tocreate a circuit pathway. The ionization chamber isan air-filled spacebetween the twoelectrodes. The smallamount of radioactivematerial, commonlyamericium-241, isencased in ceramicand foil. Whenamericium-241 decays,it yields neptunium-237and emits both an alphaparticle and a weakgamma ray. The alphaparticles pass throughthe ionization chamberand ionize the airmolecules, allowingpositive and negative

ions to flow between the electrodes creating asmall, constant electric current, which completesthe circuit or path of electricity.

When smoke or soot enters the ionization chamber,it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow ofcurrent and activating the alarm.

Can the radiation emitted from an ionization smokealarm harm my family?

The use of americium-241 in ionization smokealarms is considered a beneficial use of radioactivematerial by the U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission, because ionization smoke alarms areproven to save lives and they pose no radiationhealth risks if they are not tampered with and if theyare used only as directed.

How do I dispose of an ionization smoke alarm?

There are no special instructions for disposal ofionization smoke alarms; however, the manufacturermay accept old alarms as part of a recyclingprogram.

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It’s not too late for you to register your office, school orfamily to participate in the upcoming Great CentralU.S. Shakeout earthquake drill. Millions of peoplearound the world will practice this life-saving techniqueat 10:18am on October 18th.

While most people are familiar with earthquakehazards on the West Coast, many are surprised tolearn that one of the most powerful earthquakes to everoccur in the continental United States was centered inthe Midwest. In fact, southern Illinois lies between twoactive seismic zones: the New Madrid and theWabash Valley. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake alongthe Wabash Valley seismic zone occurred in April 2008and could be felt in Chicago, Memphis andeverywhere in between.

Learning how to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” during aShakeout drill can help people prevent injury duringan earthquake. The phrase reminds people to dropdown to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk, tableor other furniture, and hold on to that object and beprepared to move with it until the shaking ends.

An earthquake can strike at any time whether you areat home, at school, at work or on vacation. While thereis no way to prevent an earthquake from occurring,there are steps we can take to limit its devastatingimpact. For that reason, IEMA will continue to helpcommunities and individuals prepare throughplanning, training, exercise and public awarenesscampaigns.

Register your participation in the Great Central U.S.Shakeout on October 18th by visitingwww.shakeout.org.

Great Central U.S. Shakeout – October 18

Grant DeadlinesFlood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA)Opening Date for Applications: October 1, 2018Applications Due: December 18, 2018Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM)Opening Date for Applications: October 1, 2018Applications Due: December 18, 2018For additional information, contact Sam Al-Basha, the State Hazard Mitigation Officer, at sam.m.al-basha@illinois.gov

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October 2018 Training Schedule AWR 356 Community Planning for DisasterRecoveryLocation: Hanover ParkDate: October 15-16Course Description: Learn key concepts fordisaster recovery planning, including thebenefits of pre-disaster planning, wholecommunity approach to planning, key elementsof plans, and the plan development process.Increase your knowledge to initiate disasterrecovery plans and participate in the long-termrecovery planning process in your owncommunity. Enhance your ability to support yourcommunity's overall disaster readiness throughpre-disaster planning for post-disaster recovery.Registration:https://public.iema.state.il.us/iema/Training/OnlineReg/classes.asp

G 205 Recovery from DisasterLocation: JolietDate: October 17-19Course Description: This course coversfoundational concepts in disaster recovery andthe latest guidance on recovery planning.Participants will either assess their own recoveryplan or a sample against this national planningguidance. Following that, participants willdiscuss how a disaster recovery effort can beorganized, managed, and led along with thetypes of challenges faced by recoverymanagers. Scenario activities throughout thecourse give participants the opportunity totarget information strategies, and address localcapabilities and challenges. They will alsoanalyze lessons learned from Joplin, Missouri.Understand local community responsibilities andchallenges associated with disaster recovery.Discuss lessons learned in disaster recovery atthe local level. Develop and implement a pre-disaster recovery plan.Registration:https://public.iema.state.il.us/iema/Training/OnlineReg/classes.asp

Homeland Security Evaluation and ExercisePlanning (HSEEP)Location: Germantown Hills Date: October 18-19Course Description: This two day courseprovides a basic overview of the HSEEPexercise process. The goal of the course is toprovide professionals with a set of guidingprinciples for exercise programs, as well as acommon approach to exercise programmanagement, design and development,conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.Through the use of HSEEP guidance andprocesses, exercise program managers candevelop, execute, and evaluate exercises thataddress the priorities established by theirorganization's leaders. Registration:https://public.iema.state.il.us/iema/Training/OnlineReg/classes.asp

G 288 Volunteer and Donations ManagementLocation: ChicagoDate: October 30-31Course Description: The purpose of thiscourse is to introduce the skills and planningconsiderations that are required to managelarge numbers of people who are not affiliatedwith an experienced relief organization, but whowant to help in disasters. These "spontaneousvolunteers" are generally well motivated andsincerely want to help, but if their efforts andresources are not coordinated effectively, theirpresence may be counterproductive and anadded strain on the disaster area. Registration:https://public.iema.state.il.us/iema/Training/OnlineReg/classes.asp

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2018 IEMA Training Summit Highlights TRAINING

SUMMITSEPT. 4-6

2018

(Above) Deputy Director Jennifer Ricker welcomes nearly one thousand attendees to the2018 IEMA Training Summit.

(Above, Left) Caleb Cage, chief of NevadaEmergency Management and Homeland SecurityAdvisor, discusses the lessons learned following theshooting at a Las Vegas concert in October 2017, thedeadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

(Above left) Deputy Director Jennifer Ricker thanks Major General Richard Hayes for his contribution to the 2018 IEMA Training Summit. TheAdjutant General delivered an informative lecture on Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure on the opening day of the Training Summit.

(Above right) The 2018 IEMA Training Summit drew nearly one thousand first responders of multiple disciplines from throughout Illinois to networkand learn how to prepare for disasters, emergencies and topical issues in our world today. Many of the breakout sessions offered at the IEMATraining Summit required additional seating to accommodate last minute registrations.

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2018 IEMA Training Summit Highlights TRAINING

SUMMITSEPT. 4-6

2018(Left) Dawn Cook,president of the IllinoisEmergency ServicesManagementAssociation (IESMA),and (Left below) IEMA’sDoug Downey addressthe crowd assembled towitness friends andloved ones receive theirIllinois ProfessionalEmergency Manager(IPEM) and ProfessionalDevelopment Seriesaccreditation.

(Above) Dawn Cook (IESMA), IEMA Deputy Director Jennifer Ricker and IEMAOperations Manager Darryl Dragoo pose for class photos prior to the IPEM/PDSceremony at the 2018 IEMA Training Summit.

(Left) GovernorBruce Raunerattended the 2018IEMA TrainingSummit to thankfirst responders andemergency workersfor their hard work,dedication andsacrifice. GovernorRauner also issueda gubernatorialproclamationdeclaringSeptember 2018 asPreparedness Monthin Illinois.

(Right) MargoEmpen, Dixon U.S.D.#170 Superintendent,Mark Dallas, Dixon

H.S. School ResourceOfficer and KathySpellman, IEMA

Region 2 Coordinator,share lessons

learned during theMay 2018 shooting atDixon High School.

Here threeperspectives are

represented:educator, school

resource officer andparent.

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2018 IEMA Training Summit Highlights

(Below) A big thank you, again, to all of the vendors and sponsors participating in the2018 IEMA Training Summit.Series accreditation.

TRAININGSUMMITSEPT. 4-6

2018

(Right) Media fromthroughout the Midwestcame to Springfield tocover the 2018 IEMA

Training Summit and itsexceptional lineup offeatured speakers and

topics.

State of IllinoisIllinois Emergency Management Agency

For more information on this newsletter, contact:Rebecca Clark (Rebecca.B.Clark@Illinois.gov)

IOCI 19-0049 9-18 Web

Previous issues of Inside IEMA are available at:http://www.illinois.gov/iema/Info/Pages/Newsletters.aspx.

2018 IEMA Training Summit Highlights TRAINING

SUMMITSEPT. 4-6

2018

(Left) Michael Hingsonrecounts how he and hisguide dog, Roselle,escaped the 78th floorof the World TradeCenter on 9/11. Hismessage to those inattendance: We neverknow what we arecapable of until we’reput to the test. Nevergive up.

(Above) Various members of the Illinois General Assembly attended a VIP Legislative Summit on September 4. The day included a briefing atIEMA headquarters in Springfield and a visit to the IEMA Training Summit to interact with local emergency managers from throughout the state.