DERT INFORMER

“While natural disaster capture

headlines and national attention

short-term, the work of recovery

and rebuilding is long-term.”

Sylvia Mathews Burwell

President of American University

In This Issue

• Community Partners in Recovery

• Outdoor Warning System Testing

• Flu Season is Coming

• National IPAWS Test

• 2019 Public-Private Partnership Symposium

• Training Links—Weather Links—Helpful Hints—Other Resources

• Active Shooter Summit

Prostitution Diversion Initiative

For the past several years, prostitution has

been a major problem for law enforcement

along interstate I-20 in the southern sector of

Dallas County. Prostitution has become a

big business across Dallas County. Deputies

say with it comes other violent and drug-

related crimes keeping officers busy. Several

organizations are working hard to break that

cycle.

The Dallas County Sheriff's Department has joined forces with the Dallas Police De-

partment, Dallas County Health and Human Services, and other area support and

advocacy groups to help these women get off the streets and repair their lives. Once a

quarter, Dallas Police and Sheriff’s deputies join forces on a unique prostitution sting

called the Prostitution Diversion Initiative (PDI).

Their focus is not on taking people to jail. Organizers say this initiative is about getting

them help. Contrary to popular belief, prostitution is not a victimless crime. With prosti-

tution comes a plethora of other crimes; in some cases, these crimes are violent and

are drug related. In all cases, the victims are the sex workers themselves who are

trapped in this vicious cycle. The sex workers can accept this treatment offer or go to

jail. The PDI is a 100% volunteer-based program.

Instead of treating sex workers like criminals, this program offers a helping hand from

one of many agencies like Nexus, Homeward Bound, ABC Behavioral Health, and the

Salvation Army along with other faith-based organizations. By being proactive, sex

workers are provided the necessary tools to benefit the sex worker and the surround-

ing communities, as well as allowing law enforcement to take less of a reactive ap-

proach to prostitution.

This program also holds the STOP School (Solicitors, Traffickers, & Offenders of Pros-

titution) to provide quality programming to those individuals who have been arrested

for soliciting or purchasing sex. In an effort to meet more of the community needs, the

curriculum has expanded to include those who are arrested for trafficking individuals

into sexual slavery/prostitution as well as those who are soliciting prostitution.

To learn more about the Prostitution Diversion Initiative, go to https://www.dallascounty.org/department/sheriff/pdi.php.

Downtown Dallas, Inc. October 2018

Community Partners in Recovery

OEM is in the process of rolling out a new program in conjunction with our Disaster Prepared Resident program and Public-Private Partnership programs to help our communities return to a sense of normal faster after a disaster occurs. This program is geared to-ward businesses of all sizes and gets them involved of thinking beyond the disaster into recovery.

This program gets our private sector partners thinking in terms of “Now what?” The business has been impacted by an event, how do they contact their employees, suppliers, and customers when they’re back open for business? Do they have the tools and re-sources needed to reopen for business? Do you have other busi-nesses you can work with to pool re-sources?

OEM is reaching out to Chambers of Commerce and industry professional groups for their input and partnership in how to make this program the best it can be. It’s vital that our business com-munity has the tools and resources to get back to normal soon after a disaster to better help our resident return to that sense of normal.

FEMA estimates 40% of small businesses don’t reopen after a dis-aster, and of those that do? Over 60% of those that reopen fail within two years. That means only about 20% of small businesses survive and thrive after a catastrophic event. We want to make sure our business community is more than just a statistic.

For more information on this program, contact Rhonda Simpson at rhonda.simpson@dallascityhall.com.

Outdoor Warning Siren System Testing

The Office of Emergency Man-agement (OEM) tests the Out-door Warning Siren System on the first Wednesday of each month at noon in accordance with regional guidelines. When it comes to testing, OEM utilizes one of two types of tests.

Audible Tests

Audible tests are when we sound the siren system at the same decibel level as an actual activation. We do this to demon-strate how they would sound in the event of an actual emergen-cy. However, we only conduct audible tests when the weather is clear.

Growl Tests

If the weather is not clear, we still test the siren system, but it’s a low decibel “growl” test—it’s sometimes referred to as a “silent” test. This test sends out a shorter sound signal to the sirens but allows us to gather functionality and operational data. We have the low decibel test option for inclement or cloudy weather to prevent con-fusion with a real emergency.

We don’t make the decision on which type of test to do on our own. We make an assessment of conditions and reach out to our regional partners for con-sensus. This allows us to test consistently and not confuse residents near jurisdictional boundaries.

Community Partners in Recovery

FLU SEASON IS COMING

The time for flu prevention is now. The flu can lead to seri-ous complications including hospitalization and even death for those at high risk. Take steps to protect yourself from the flu now.

Get a Flu Shot. This pro-tects yourself and those around you.

Wash your hands thor-oughly and frequently with warm, soapy water.

If you are running a fever or feel ill, stay home if at all possible.

Avoid touching your eyes and face to prevent spreading germs.

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze—with a tissue is best. Throw away the tissue after use.

National IPAWS Testing

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducted a test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) on Wednesday, October 3rd beginning at 1:18 p.m. This was a rescheduled date from Septem-ber 20, 2018.

This test began with a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) sent out at 1:18 p.m. to cellphone carriers who participate in WEA. It was followed by an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message to broadcast media stations at 1:20 p.m. The purpose of the test was to assess the opera-tional capabilities of the alert system.

This system was designed to provide the President with the ability to address the country in times of emergency. WEA and EAS messages are most often used on the state level for Amber Alerts and National Weather Service during dangerous weather, as well as other critical situations. Users could not opt out of this test.

This test was required by law and was only received by WEA compati-ble cellphones that are turned on and in range of a cell tower whose carriers participate in the WEA program.

OEM is in the early planning stages of next year’s symposium. We are planning on holding the 5th Symposium in early May of 2019. We are very excited about continuing this half-day event with all our partners.

We are actively planning topics that are important to the public and pri-vate sectors when it comes to emergencies. In the past, we discussed active shooter scenarios, what to do immediately after a scenario, and how private partners work with public agencies during an event. If you have any suggestions for topics or speakers, please send them in. We want your input and feedback.

To suggest ideas or to get information on how to be an event sponsor, contact Rhonda Simpson at rhonda.simpson@dallascityhall.com.

2019 Public-Private Partnership Symposium

—Training Links—

http://www.preparingtexas.org

http://www.fema.gov

http://www.nctog.org/ep/training

—Weather Links—

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/radio.html

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/skywarn.html

—Other Resources—

http://www.knowhat2do.com

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit

http://www.dallasalert.org

http://www.dallascert.com

http://www.domesticpreparedness.com

Training Links—Weather Links—Helpful Hints—Other Resources

—Helpful Hints—

Emergency supplies to keep handy:

•Flashlights with extra batteries

•First Aid kit

•Food/water for employees and customers

to use during a period of unexpected

confinement at your business

•Plastic to cover expensive equipment and

furnishings

•Hard hats, gloves and boots

•NOAA weather radio with batteries

•Communication plans.

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events, and openings!

Active Shooter Summit

Office of Emergency Management

1500 Marilla, Room L2AN

Dallas, TX 75201 Tel: 214.670.4275 Fax: 214.670.4677

oem@DallasCityHall.com

Mark your calendars for January 23,

2019, to join us for an Active Shooter

Summit at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

The City of Dallas Office of Emergency

Management is hosting this event to

bring all our partners together to discuss

recent national tragedies and how to best

prepare for them.

Speakers will discuss processes and

challenges we face as a community

when attempting to return our city and businesses back to normal. We will hear first-hand accounts

from speakers from Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Orlando, and more. Their experiences help bring

us closer to creating effective plans and processes for the days, weeks, and months following an ac-

tive shooter event.

The Active Shooter Summit will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with lunch provided by Crystal Ter-

race. Seating for this FREE event is limited and expected to fill up quickly. To reserve your space, go

to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/active-shooter-summit-tickets-50532211204. For more information on

the event, contact Tiffany Reid at tiffany.reid@dallascityhall.com.