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Virginia Emergency Preparedness Videos

longwatch

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I don't think I am the only one whose emergency plans and equipment, include having a firearm for self defense. Why can't the government ever acknowledge that?
If the system breaks down enough for people to have to rely on prepositioned supplies, I think there is a good possibility the normal police services we expect won't be there.

Duct tape alert. Kaine is pictured in the article and videos.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030500201.html

State Posts Clips About Preparedness On YouTube

[size="-1"]By Bill Brubaker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 6, 2008; VA03
[/size]
Hoping to grab an audience it might otherwise miss, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has begun offering clips on YouTube, a Web site known for videos such as "Star Wars According to a 3 Year Old," "Snow Day in Fairfax Virginia Schools" and "1-900-NERD-GIRL."

"Just about everybody looks at YouTube nowadays," said Bob Spieldenner, VDEM's public affairs director. "But our big thing is to try to reach the young generation with our messages. We want the kids who are going out there on the Internet to see what we're doing."

YouTube.com is the three-year-old Web phenomenon that allows people to watch and share videos -- some serious, some sassy, some downright silly. VDEM's YouTube channel leans toward the serious side, focusing on the agency's bread-and-butter issue: emergency preparedness.

"I'm Governor Tim Kaine," one clip begins. "Unexpected disasters can happen at any time with little or no warning. So act now to get ready, Virginia."

Kaine (D) is seated in what appears to be an elegant room, with blue walls and an ornately framed painting.

"Three simple low-cost steps will go a long way toward making sure your family is prepared for any emergency," he continues. "Get an emergency kit, make a plan and stay informed. Three ways to make a difference in your family's life."

The YouTube initiative arose out of a partnership the state forged with the site's owner, Google, in the spring. Google said it added tens of thousands of URLs from Virginia government sites to its search engine, making them easier to find.
VDEM's challenge is to make its YouTube clips appealing to younger residents, in the hope that they will take emergency preparedness more seriously and urge their parents to do the same, said Spieldenner, who unveiled the channel in a Feb. 27 newsletter.

VDEM's clips are heavy on "Governor Knows Best," delivering straight-to-the-point messages from Kaine.

Other videos attempt a little humor.

One, titled "Ready Virginia: Emergency Food Supply," depicts a husband and wife at home, with their two young sons, discussing the family's level of preparedness.
Wife: "We're in an emergency situation. We don't have extra. We have a little bit of water and a little bit of food." (She appears to be speaking hypothetically, because she was smiling at the beginning.)

Son: "I don't think we have a first-aid kit." (He also is smiling.)
Wife: "We have tuna fish. We have beans. We have, um, um, canned tomatoes, you know."
Husband: "True. That's true. But that's really not survival food -- tomato paste."
The clip ends with the words: "Is your plan any better? Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency." The state's emergency management Web site and phone number are offered.

Spieldenner said he has become a YouTube fan in recent months, trolling the site for disaster clips that can be posted on the new channel.

"When we have emergencies and disasters in Virginia, we want to capture activity with video cameras and put it up on our YouTube channel, even if the video was not shot by us," he said. "So if we find a video that somebody else has shot and posted on YouTube, we'll ask them if we can link to it."

Virginia might be for lovers, but it seems determined to also become a destination for YouTubers. Other Virginia government organizations that are building YouTube channels include the Tourism Authority, the Library of Virginia, Old Dominion University and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

VDEM's channel can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/VAEmergency.
 

Mike

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longwatch wrote:
I don't think I am the only one whose emergency plans and equipment, include having a firearm for self defense. Why can't the government ever acknowledge that?
make a video and ask the state to post it - like they discuss.
 

longwatch

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Thats a good idea. I could see it as a nice exposee.
What the government doesn't tell you and why you should be armed in case of disaster.
 

ChinChin

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Loudoun County, Virginia, USA
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Why would I want to listen to Tim on any preparedness issues after the infamous capitol beltway mixing bowl 8-hour traffic jam in which his offices and VDOT didn't take any preparations or pre-treat roads because THE WEATHER GIRL ON TV said not to worry.

Kaine handing out preparedness advice is like giving plastic fruit to a homeless person.
 

longwatch

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Out of curiosity does anybody think it would it would be useful to write a white paper on the usefulness and necessity of open carry as it relates to emergency preparedness.

I have a few thoughts on the subject that could be fleshed out.

-Upwards of 2/3 thirds of first responders in an urban county like Fairfax, live outside of the county. In a large scale disaster or emergency, these personnel may not be able to reach their posts and some may not be willing to appear. This is not to say there would be New Orleans level of desertion, just that police may not be there or unable to respond to all calls.

-Cell phone networks may be overloaded or shut down making calls for help difficult.

-For those without permits, open carry will be there as an option to carry a defensive arm.
 
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