Blanco County Disaster Response Group (BCDRG): Web Links

WEB LINKS AND AREA CONTACTS

JOHNSON CITY AREA

CITY OF JOHNSON CITY, CITY HALL: (830) 868-7111. Fax: 830-868-7718; POB 369, 303 E. Pecan Drive, Johnson City, Texas 78636. Kermit Roeder-Mayor, Pat Dildine-City Secretary, David Dockery-City Administrator & Emergency Coordinator, E-mail: jc@moment.net

BLANCO COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT: (830) 868-7251. Web: www.co.blanco.tx.us (includes contact information and phone numbers for County Judge, Commissioners, Blanco County government offices as well as county information). County Judge Bill Guthrie.

BLANCO COUNTY, CONSTABLE, Precinct 1: (830) 868-4266, Larry Haley

BLANCO COUNTY, CONSTABLE, Precinct 4: (830) 868-4212, Ronnie Steubing

BLANCO COUNTY, SHERIFF'S OFFICE: (830) 868-7104. Sheriff Bill Elsbury

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: (830) 868-4691 at Courthouse

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, ROADWAY EMERGENCIES: 1-800-525-5555

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Johnson City, TX 78636. (830) 868-7166. (830) 868-7665

TEXAS STATE TROOPERS, JOHNSON CITY: 830-868-7104

NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER, TO REPORT CHEMICAL/OIL SPILLS AND CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL TERRORISM: 1-800-424-8802

EMERGENCY SERVICES AUXILIARY: (830) 868-2833. This special group of volunteers works every week of the year to collect, sort, price and sell donated goods, with the returns handed over to the Fire and EMS departments. They provide a much valued service to convert donated goods into the cash we need to help run our service. They have there facility in the same building as EMS, and are a joy to see. We thank them dearly for their contribution and friendship. For coordination on drop-off of donated goods, please contact Irma or Gus Sanchez at (830) 868-2833 or Tom Mills at 868-4857. The on-duty EMS crew may be on a call or otherwise not at the station at the time of your delivery, so you should plan on using your own power to unload your goods and stack them at the south end of the building, outside. Meets most Mondays at the EMS Station at 105 Bill Watson Drive, to sort, price and store the donated items. Tax deductible cash donations to ESA, c/o Joy Watson, POB 233, Johnson City, TX 78636.

JOHNSON CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: (830) 868-7900; POB 316, 300 Live Oak Drive, Johnson City, TX 78636, FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES. We provide fire and rescue services under contract to North Blanco County Emergency Services District, who provides tax supported revenue to us. We service 600 square miles of northern Blanco County, with a population of 4,000 people. Our response district encompasses Johnson City Independent School District & the communities of Johnson City, Round Mountain, Hye & Sandy. We are a volunteer based, non-profit organization. E-mail: jcvfd@moment.net, Web: www.jcvfd.org

NORTH BLANCO COUNTY EMS (North Blanco County Emergency Medical Service): (830) 868-7834. Fax: (830) 868-9234. POB 507, 105 Bill Watson Drive, Johnson City, TX 78636, THERE WHEN YOU NEED US. We provide pre-hospital emergency medical services under contract to North Blanco County Emergency Services District, who provides tax supported revenue to us. We service 600 square miles of northern Blanco County, with a population of 4,000 people. Our response district encompasses Johnson City Independent School District & the communities of Johnson City, Round Mountain, Hye & Sandy. We are a volunteer based, non-profit organization. Email: Director@NorthBlancoCountyEMS; Web: www.NorthBlancoCountyEMS.org. Map: Click NBCEMS Map

BLANCO COUNTY RESOURCES

ROUND MOUNTAIN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: (830) 825-3200; 10539 N. US Hwy 281, Round Mountain, TX 78663. Email: dcox@moment.net

STONEWALL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: (830) 644-5571. POB 224, St. Francis St. at US Hwy 290 E, Stonewall, TX 78671. Emergencies: 911

WILLOW CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: (830) 685-3376; 2553 RR 1323, Willow City, TX 78675

NORTH HAYES COUNTY (HENLY) VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT (South Station): (830) 833-1205; 268 Lakeside Drive, Wimberley, TX. www.moment.net/~henlyvfd

Blanco Volunteer Fire Department: Emergencies: 911; Non-emergencies: (830) 833-5009

Blanco Volunteer Ambulance: (830) 833-5239; 607 Chandler Street, Blanco, TX 78606

Canyon Lake Fire & EMS

Marble Falls Area EMS

New Braunfels EMS

Spring Branch Fire Dept.

Bexar-Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department

Austin-Travis County Star Flight

Austin Travis County EMS: www.atcems.org

San Antonio AirLife

Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS)

TDSHS Links Page (Excellent)

REGIONAL, STATE and FEDERAL RESOURCES

Texas Baptist Men:

Salvation Army:

United Way:

Mobile Loaves and Fishes (Austin): Miracles on Wheels; food, clothing and dignity

Presbyterian Disaster Response:

United Methodist Committee on Relief:

Episcopal Relief & Development: www.er-d.org

Catholic Charities:

Society of Saint Vincent De Paul:

Food Banks:

Capital Area Council of Governments: 512-916-6014. www.capcog.org. Robin Wiatrek, Regional Homeland Security Coordinator, Austin, TX. rwiatrek@capcog.org

Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response: 512-458-8848, www.tidr.org; 5207 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751, Email: info@tidr.org, Amy BeVille Elder buzz@tidr.org

Texas - Governor's Division of Emergency Management

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA)

National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS):www.tdh.state.tx.us/hcqs/ems/emshome.htm

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

NIMS: National Incident Management System

National Weather Service Houston/Galveston

National Hurricane Center

American Red Cross: Hill Country Chapter: (830) 257-4677; 333 Earl Garrett, Kerrville, TX 78028; Mary Beth Haney, Emergency Services Coordinator, Email: marybethhaney@yahoo.com. A humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

HILL COUNTRY HOSPITALS

See www.hillcountryportal.com/hillcountryhospitals.html

PUBLIC HEALTH, THREATS and PREPAREDNESS

US Government: www.pandemicflu.gov

Texas Dept of State Health Services: www.dshs.state.tx.us/preparedness/flu_public.shtm

Eden Extension Disaster Education Network: http://eden.lsu.edu/Issues_View.aspx?IssueID=D1B8635B-6B6A-4326-8BBF-FF6FCEC0EA5C

City of Austin: www.ci.austin.tx.us/pandemicflu/plan.htm

Dorthy Dawson, RN,DSHS: 830-693-8424, Marble Falls;dorothy.dawson@dshs.state.tx.us

OTHER TRAINING PROGRAMS

American Red Cross - Kerrville: Call 830-257-4677 to register, or go to http://hccarc.redcross.org/classes

American Red Cross - Austin: www.centex.redcross.org/classes

American Red Cross - San Antonio: Call 210-224-5151 or go to www.saredcross.org/class.asp?SN=2100&OP=2102&IDCapitulo=3GB144PVAK

Simplified CPR Training, On-Line Course: https://depts.washington.edu/learncpr

The Alabama Department of Public Health has archived a couple of years' worth of online training sessions and courses (not all health-specific) on their website at www.adph.org/alphtn. You have to register, but it's free and you can take what you want when you want.

This isn't training -- but, then, it is -- the disaster folks in the European Union have devised a city risk-management game which you can play on line. You play a mayor developing a new section of your city over a period of years. Problem is, the area is subject to a variety of natural hazards. You're expected to protect against some -- and respond to some -- while the calendar rolls. Further problem is, you have to take into account costs of preventive measures and of the potential disasters; you also have political pressures from taking preventive measures and from letting disaster happen without them. As in real life, you're right -- and wrong -- no matter what you do. Go to www.e-oikos.net/gmap/oikos.htm and read the guide before hitting the start button.

George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services has a webcast module you can watch (free) on civilian responses to bioterrorism attacks. Includes surveillance and actions civilian healthcare providers are likely to take. Go to
www.gwu.edu/~iits/asap/high/presentation.html.

An audio-only offering is from Texas A&M. Campus radio station KAMU has a new weekly program...a collection of short interviews with people involved in Homeland Security...and offered through iTunes, the Mac electronic media site (it also works for PCs). Go to www.apple.com/itunes/overview, then to iTunes U, select Texas A&M under Providers, then Homeland Security, and the program itself, "Homeland Security Inside and Out". You can download them to your iPod or your computer (yes, even a PC) and listen when you like.

The University of Colorado at Boulder sort of offers an upper-level sociology course called "Hazards, Disasters and Society" online. I say "sort of" because there's no video nor transcript of the lectures, and the syllabus is just that: a syllabus, not a summary. What is remarkable is the reading list, which offers the full text of lots of articles from a study of children after Katrina to why general panic is a problem only in the movies. Read 'em on line or download for your digital library or print 'em and file 'em...there's lots of good stuff.

CERT basic training. Good intro to disaster response, good connection to Austin activity. Go to www.ci.austin.tx.us/oem for a list of all the classes in the series. No pre-registration required.

There's a good course on Managing Volunteers in Disaster online at www.communityarise.com/CMManagingVol.htm, offered by Community Arise, put together by Church World Service for disaster ministry.

New York State University's University at Albany School of Public Health has an online course: County Animal Response Team, at www.ualbanycphp.org/learning/registration/tab.cfm?course=cart&s=Overview. It's specific to New York's structure of state and county teams that deal with animals in disasters, but the issues and needs are the same ones we'll face here. You'll have to register, but the course is free.

State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health Online, anytime -- Forensic Epidemiology...ever wonder how the experts know when a bioterror attack is under way? Give them six hours online, and they'll teach you what they do and how they do it. If you're a CSI fan, this is your course. You have to register and establish a personal account, but it's all free. Start at www.ualbanycphp.org/learning/registration/tab.cfm?course=bioterror&s=Overview.

TEEX: Texas Engineering Extension Service at Texas A&M offers several online courses on weapons of mass destruction and terrorism...free, short and at your convenience. Start at their website at

NY State Health Dept Psychological First Aid -- a great followup course to Spiritual and Emotional Care (or prep course for those planning to take S&EC in October). Online and free, although they want you to register. Start at www.nylearnsph.com/Public/default.aspx.

The Center for Public Health at SUNY Albany, one of our favorite sources of online webcast short courses, is doing one on make-do medical care standards in a major disaster. For them, it means where you can and can't cut corners with medical care in the face of a super- catastrophe. For us, it may mean almost any significant disaster, because it would take so little to overwhelm our limited medical resources. You have to register, but it's free. Go to http://ualbanycphp.org/GRS/eventCurrent.cfm?id=104

Core Disaster Life Support (CDLS) by American Medical Association. How to plan for and respond to mass casualty incidents. Designed for the intelligent laymen; medical background not necessary. Go to http//ama.learn.com/custom/vangentama_customloginpage.asp to register.

Disaster Ministry by Community Arise. Teaches ministers, church staff and lay members how to prepare for and respond to disaster through their churches. Pretty good overview. Go to www.communityarise.com/online.htm to sign up.

Impact of Pandemic Influenza on Public Health by Johns Hopkins University. This is the Open CourseWare version of the course taught JHU medical and public health students, so expect heavy lifting. Go to www.jhsph.edu/preparedness/training/online/pan_flu.html to register.

Basic Disaster Ministry (Community Arise): www.communityarise.com/online.htm

Effect of Disasters on Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (Iowa Dept of Public Health): www.prepareiowa.com/Public/Catalog/Default.aspx

Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance (FEMA) - Where survivors can get what kind of aid: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is7.asp

ANIMALS IN DISASTER. You can watch an online webcast discussing handling of animals affected by disaster, both sheltering the pets of human evacuees and caring for animals directly endangered or injured by a disaster. By the State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health. It's free but you have to register. Start at www.ualbanycphp.org/GRS/eventCurrent.cfm?id=100 and it will take you to the University of Iowa for registration, but don't let that confuse you. The schools cooperate.

The Texas State Animal Resource Team: www.txsart.org.

TRAINING VIDEOS. Our little BCDRG library of DVDs is expanding. Ask George Barnette about the available titles.

The University of Minnesota Center for Public Health offers training for volunteers at mass pharmaceutical dispensing sites...think flu shots...now think bird-flu pandemic or bio- terrorism immunization centers. The vaccine will be in short supply if there's a pandemic or terrorist attack, but health workers -- including volunteers -- get high priority. Free course online at https://cpheo1.sph.umn.edu. Or go to www.ama.learn.com/ecdls for the American Medical Association's free online course: Electronic Core Disaster Life Support. This course elevates first aid to a disaster level...mass casualties...overwhelming numbers...in which non-professionals like us will be asked to step in and help. This is where you learn how.

The State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health offers online webcasts of programs on disaster topics, most on public health issues, though not all. Watch 'em on your computer. "Mass Evacuation to Rural Communities". The content is what rural communities must expect if major metro areas have to be evacuated to or through them...exactly our situation if something happens in Austin or San Antonio. See details at www.ualbanycphp.org/GRS/eventCurrent.cfm?id=95. You'll need to register on line and create an account for yourself, but it's all free.

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