South King Fire deputy chief earns emergency title
South King Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Jerry Thorson has earned the title of “Certified Emergency Manager.”
The certification was awarded by the International Association of Emergency Managers and signifies that Thorson is prepared to prepare for, mitigate, respond and provide recovery for disasters — attacks, man-made or natural — as part of a federal, state and local partnership, spokeswoman Donna Conner said.
National Weather Service proclaims city ‘Storm Ready’
It’s hard to think about rain with summer here, but the City of Federal Way has officially earned earned StormReady Community designation.
The National Weather Service designed the voluntary StormReady program in 1998 to prepare cities and counties across the nation with the communication and safety tools necessary to save lives and property.
There are 1,370 StormReady communities in the country, only 39 are in Washington state. Federal Way is the fourth community in King County to be designated. The others are Seattle, Shoreline and Kent.
To qualify, Federal Way had to meet the following criteria:
• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
• Have more than one method of receiving severe weather forecasts and warnings and alerting the public;
• Create a system that monitors local weather conditions;
• Promote the significance of public readiness through community seminars;
• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding exercises.
To maintain the StormReady designation the City of Federal Way must host a Weather Spotter Course through the National Weather Service every other year and take part in the NWS’s SkyWarn program which trains volunteers to spot severe weather.
The City’s StormReady recognition will be valid for three years.
Lakota news
Lakota Middle School will host three evenings for families to come and get ready for the next school year from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 26, 27 and 28. Sixth-graders are invited to come on Aug. 27. Seventh-graders are invited on Aug. 28 and eighth-graders are invited on Aug. 26.
Students and their parents are encouraged to come during those times to return forms, pick up student schedules, have pictures taken, purchase PE uniforms, purchase ASB cards, purchase yearbooks and pay fees.
For more information, call (253) 945-4800 or visit http://schools.fwps.org/lakota.
Home-school news
Academy Northwest, a private school extension program, is accepting enrollments for the 2008-2009 school year. The non-profit organization works with families who are home-schooling their children. For more information, call (800) 877-4586.
