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NEWS ABOUT: emergency preparedness

British Columbia Preps Citizens for Zombies

If you're ready for the undead, you're ready for anything

(Newser) - You've picked on the wrong little girl, zombie! That's the message a feisty British Columbian has for a walker who aims to eat her brains in a video produced by the province to prepare its citizens for an invasion of the undead. Actually, not really. It's a... More »

Verizon 'Emergency' Text Spooks New Jersey

Customers ordered to 'take shelter now,' but it's just a test

(Newser) - Verizon sparked panic in central New Jersey yesterday by sending thousands of customers a text message reading: "Civil Emergency in this area until 1:24 PM EST Take Shelter Now US Govern." Verizon says the message, which caused 911 dispatchers to be swamped with calls, was part of... More »

CDC: Get Ready for Zombie Apocalypse

Or, you know, a hurricane

(Newser) - The CDC wants to make sure you’re prepared … for a zombie apocalypse. In a blog posting Monday that quickly became the organization’s most popular ever, Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan offers helpful tips to prepare for the invasion of “flesh-eating zombies.” Conveniently enough, many of... More »

Fukushima's Disaster Plan: A Stretcher and a Fax

Plant was woefully unprepared for natural disaster

(Newser) - Tokyo Electric Power Co. had a disaster plan in place at its Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, but certainly not a very thorough one: It only involved one stretcher, and relied heavily on a satellite phone and fax machine for emergency communications. In a look at the plan, the Wall Street ... More »

Madoff Family's New Gig: High-End Disaster Planning

Catherine Hooper and Andrew Madoff run 'Black Umbrella'

(Newser) - Are you prepared in the event of a disaster? Well, if you have tons of excess cash, don’t worry: The Madoff family can help. After his father was arrested, Andrew Madoff helped fiancée Catherine Hooper launch a high-end disaster planning service, ABC News reports. Dubbed “Black Umbrella,... More »

Recession Endangers Emergency Response Plans

Report cites progress but warns of state budget cuts

(Newser) - States are more prepared than ever to respond to public emergencies, but the recession is putting all those gains at risk, an annual assessment warns. The report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gives states their highest marks since the report's inception in the... More »

2-Way Tweeting Helps Louisiana Monitor Spill

Emergency agency makes good use of give-and-take with followers

(Newser) - Like a lot of other government agencies, Louisiana's emergency-preparedness office uses its Twitter feed to keep citizens updated on issues like the Gulf oil spill. In a neat twist, the office is following thousands of its own followers, "something that a lot of government agencies in the emergency area... More »

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