"Call Before You Dig" --- whom to call before you excavate on your property |
| Q: What is 811? A: 811 is a new federally-mandated N-11 number designated by the FCC to consolidate all local "Call Before You Dig" numbers and help save lives by minimizing damages to underground utilities. One easy phone call to 811 quickly and easily begins the process of getting underground utility lines marked. Local One Call Center personnel will then notify affected utility companies, who will continue to mark underground lines for free. Q: Why should I call 811 before every dig? A: Calling 811 will help save lives and protect infrastructure. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before each digging project begins helps protect you from injury, expense and penalties. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in the same area. Even simple digging projects can damage utility lines and can disrupt vital services to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers, and potentially result in expensive fines and repair costs. Marked lines show diggers the approximate location of underground lines and help prevent undesired consequences. Q: I'm just a homeowner, not a contractor— is 811 for me? A: Calling 811 is for professional excavators and do-it-yourself homeowners. A recent national survey revealed that roughly half of Americans are "active diggers" who have done (or are planning to do) some type of digging project at home. Whether you are a professional excavator or an avid do-it-yourselfer, you need to call 811 before every dig every time. Q: Who is promoting awareness of 811? A: The national 811 campaign is a project of The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), working with its 1,400 individual members, member organizations, sponsors and 811 campaign national launch partners. CGA is a member-driven association dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. In recent years, the association has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to all underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. |
| Whom to call when a person really in needs help (a suggestion to give a panhandler on your doorstep)... |
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AUSTIN / TRAVIS COUNTY (2-1-1) Need help or information? Know someone who needs help? Find out where you can get the services you need. Contact 2-1-1 Texas by simply dialing 2-1-1 (or 512-973-9203, press option 2). Or search for services now via 2-1-1 Texas community resource database. 2-1-1 Texas, a service of United Ways of Central Texas, is a bilingual, telephone-based information and referral service. Trained, knowledgeable staff members answer the phones, listen, assess what service(s) the caller needs, then provide information and referrals regarding the most appropriate place(s) in the community to get help. All information is free and confidential and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CARITAS (472-4135) 611 Neches. E-mail. Caritas extends help in three major areas. (1) Basic Needs Services. Caritas' Basic Needs Services help people experiencing a financial crisis meet their most basic human needs: food and shelter. Caritas provides: hot meals to those who are hungry; take-home groceries for those struggling to feed their families; rent and utility assistance for those faced with losing their housing; and food, shelter, clothing and support for newly arrived refugees. (2) Self-Sufficiency Services (3) Best Single Source Project SALVATION ARMY (476-1111)
501 East 8th St.
E-mail. Between Red River and Neches, 1½ blocks west of I-35. Free parking is located at the corner of 7th St. & Red River off the alley between 7th Street and 8th Street. Please do not park in the staff parking lot. Thanks ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (454-2523) 4301 N. I-35. E-mail. See the downtown Trinity Center. |
| Our new District Rep is Officer Sheldon Salisbury, 974-4498 < sheldon.salisbury@ci.austin.tx.us > (Pictured below is the suspect, not Ofc. Salisbury!)  |
July 20, 2004 Contact: APD Public Information Office, 974-5017 SEXUAL ASSAULT The suspect is described as: This case remains under investigation by APD Sex Crimes detectives. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sex Crimes tip line at 974-5095 or CrimeStoppers at 472-8477. |
| A New Approach In Terror Readiness. Latest Efforts Address Specifics How People Can Respond to Attacks. Where to Find Shelter By Amy Dockser Marcus, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, July 20, 2004; Page D1 |
Too much detail? For a "short course" consider these versions: --g
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America Prepared Campaign Centers for Disease Control Council for Excellence in Government recommendations Department of Homeland Security George Washington University RAND Corporation Red Cross Trust for America's Health
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Wall Street Journal pieceIn the past three years, a lot of attention has focused on making sure hospitals, corporations and government officesఠare prepared for a terrorist attack. But a new push is under way to address the possibility that in the first hours after an attack, individuals may have to act on their own. Much of the first round of preparedness advice focused on basics, such as disaster kits and supplies like duct tape and bottled water. But several groups are now attempting to offer concrete advice about how to respond to a detailed range of possible attacks, from conventional weapons to biological and chemical agents to "dirty bombs" laced with radiological materials. The Bush administration has warned about the possibility of an attack timed to disrupt the upcoming political conventions, though it hasn't raised the official terrorist threat level. Much of the recent effort has focused on unconventional weapons such as biological and chemical agents, because it is these sorts of attacks in particular that may require quick action on the part of individuals to minimize risk. The goal is to offer guidance on how people can act in the critical hours after an attack, while the government is preparing its response. One problem is that many Americans don't know the difference between types of unconventional weapons, nor the very different responses that would be called for in each circumstance. And despite government recommendations, today only a small proportion of households have even a rudimentary disaster-preparedness kit. A public symposium being held today in Washington, sponsored by the American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security, among others, aims to explore why so many people are not prepared for the possibility of biological, chemical, nuclear or radiological attack, and what steps can be taken by individuals to help themselves survive. The Rand Corp., a Santa Monica, Calif.-based think tank has created a succinct reference card (3MB). designed to fit in a handbag or pocket, that summarizes a recent report it published on steps people can take in response to various types of terrorist attacks. The card is free and can be downloaded. The Council for Excellence in Government, a Washington think tank, has issued its own report with advice for individuals. Some groups have emphasized breaking a terror attack down into only few simple strategies to remember. In the event of a chemical attack, for example, Rand says the overarching goal is to find clean air very quickly: Take shelter in the closest building if the attack is outdoors; open windows if the attack is indoors. Remove clothing and shower once you are protected. For radiological attack, people should avoid inhaling dust that could be radioactive. A dust mask or even a shirt can be helpful. In the case of nuclear attack, the main goal is to avoid radioactive fallout. Go as far underground as possible -- or high up in a multistory building -- until evacuation is possible. One problem of course, is how to find out what type of attack is under way. For that, the Rand report suggests adding a battery-operated radio to any emergency-preparedness kit to monitor government announcements. The report, which costs $15, says a terrorism-preparedness kit doesn't need to be elaborate and requires only a few items over and above the first-aid supplies and canned goods that might already be in someone's emergency kit. In addition to the radio, the report suggests a dust mask with a N95-rated particulate filter that can be readily purchased to protect against radiological dust or fallout and biological agents, as well as duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal openings in a shelter. Duct Tape Duct tape has been alternatively recommended and ridiculed as a protective measure. But while it can't completely seal a home from contaminants, it can be helpful, the Rand report says. "What we found is that the most critical steps are simple to do and not hard to understand, but can make a tremendous difference," says Lynn Davis, senior political scientist at Rand Corp. and co-author of the organization's report. In general, preparedness experts aren't counseling people to stock up on medications or gas masks, which have very limited value in an emergency. Cipro and other antibiotics, for instance, have a short shelf life, and indiscriminate or incorrect use of them could leave someone worse off. Gas masks need to be on at the time of an attack, or within a minute, and therefore are impractical since there is rarely sufficient warning of an attack. Potassium iodide, which has a five-year shelf life, can be beneficial in protecting against the thyroid cancer that can result from a nuclear or radiological exposure. "But it has a very limited use" because it works only if certain types of radiation were used, says Christina Catlett, medical director of the Center for Emergency Preparedness at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington. Some of the groups examining the issue of individual preparedness have studied the example of Israel, a country which has a long history of experience with terrorism and relies heavily on individuals to be vigilant against threats. Israelis are regularly reminded in public-service announcements to be on the lookout for suspicious objects or people. Most communities have citizen guards that take turns patrolling neighborhoods. Many schools have parent volunteers who help bolster security efforts. And nearly all homes have a designated "sealed room" with supplies and a phone jack where a family could retreat in an attack. Convincing individuals to prepare for an attack hasn't been easy. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security launched its Ready campaign, urging individuals to stockpile supplies such as water and canned goods and create a family emergency plan in the event of a terror attack. In a report to be presented at the Washington symposium today, the Red Cross found that only one in 10 people have made a disaster plan, prepared an emergency kit and received some kind of training in CPR or basic first aid. The Council for Excellence in Government has sponsored town halls in seven cities, including St. Louis, Miami and Seattle, and this year published a "citizens' agenda" of actions individuals can take, such as lobbying for the creation of one telephone number, similar to 911, for citizens to report security threats and learn emergency information. The full report can be obtained at www.excelgov.org2. Preparing Hospitals Meanwhile, amid concerns about an attack timed to the election, efforts to insure that there is an ample national supply of smallpox vaccinations and antibiotics continue. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control said it had shipped thousands of so-called "ChemPaks" to Boston and New York containing Cipro and other antibiotics, medical supplies and masks, and other supplies and medicines. For use by hospitals, the packs are meant to ensure that hospitals have supplies necessary to deal with biological, chemical or nuclear attacks. |
Some steps you can take to prepare for a possible terror attack:- Take an emergency-preparedness course: The American Red Cross and some hospitals and community groups offer emergency-preparedness courses. For a list of courses, contact: American Red Cross at www.redcross.org4; George Washington University's Response to Emergencies and Disaster Institute at www.readi.gwu.edu5. - Prepare an emergency kit: Checklists with helpful tips such as don't forget an extra set of prescription eyeglasses and medications can be found at: Department of Homeland Security at www.ready.gov6; America Prepared Campaign at www.americaprepared.org7. - Learn in advance about potential chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers fact-sheets with information about illnesses associated with unconventional terror attacks at www.bt.cdc.gov8. The sheets include helpful information, such as the fact that anthrax isn't contagious; that many effects of chemical agents such as sarin can be minimized by removing contaminated clothing and showering with soap and water; and how to recognize symptoms of various exposures. - Identify gaps in public preparedness and lobby for changes: The Council for Excellence in Government published a report of suggestions of how emergency preparedness can be improved, such as creating one telephone number that people can call for information, available at www.excelgov.org. Trust for America's Health published a report about gaps in public-health infrastructure in each state and plans to update it later this year, available at www.healthyamericans.org9. How to Respond If there is an attack, here are some simple steps individuals can take to improve the odds of survival. |
Type of Attack TipsRadiological Nuclear Biological Chemical |