Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks

Daylight savings time begins on November 1 and the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management (OEM) reminds the public to refresh emergency supplies when changing your clocks with its “Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks” campaign.

“Make sure you have all of the necessary emergency supplies in your kits, and that the food, water and batteries for radios and flashlights haven’t expired,” said Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management MaryAnn E. Tierney. “If you haven’t put together a family preparedness kit for your home or a Go Bag of emergency supplies if you need to evacuate, now is the time to get ready.”

Be sure that you have at least a three-day supply of bottled water and non-perishable foods. You should also include any essential medications for each member of your family. Remember to include supplies for your pets, as well. And as always, don’t forget to check the batteries in your smoke alarms! As we prepare for the arrival of winter, make sure you and your loved ones are prepared for emergencies.

To learn how to be prepared for any kind of an emergency and for a list of supplies for your family preparedness kit and Go Bag, visit www.phila.gov/ready. You can also stay informed about following PhilaOEM on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

SEPTA Announces Service Interruption Guide for Possible Strike

Most Service In Philadelphia Would Stop

With the possibility of a transit strike this weekend, SEPTA is releasing a Service Interruption Guide to help customers prepare for possible disruptions to their commutes.

Transport Workers Union Local 234 threatened to strike by the end of the week if it has not reached a contract agreement with SEPTA for City Transit Division workers. Negotiations are ongoing, and SEPTA remains hopeful a deal will be reached and a strike averted.

A strike would bring most SEPTA services within Philadelphia to a stop, including all City Transit subway, bus and trolley service. Most bus and trolley service in Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware and Chester counties would continue and follow regular schedules. Frontier Division buses would not operate in the event of a strike.

Regional Rail service will also run in the event of a strike, and extra service on certain lines may be added to accommodate additional riders. Regional Rail customers are advised to purchase tickets well in advance of their trips, in as Regional Rail service will see an influx of thousands of riders.

The following services would not run in the event of a TWU Local 234 strike:

• Broad Street Line and Broad-Ridge Spur
• Market-Frankford Line
• All City Transit bus, trolley and trackless trolley routes
• Frontier Division bus routes

The following services would run in the event of a TWU Local 234 strike:

• Regional Rail
• Victory Division buses, the Route 101 & 102 Trolley Lines, and the Norristown High Speedline, with modifications for buses into Philadelphia
• LUCY service (Green and Gold), with regular routing from 30th Street Station to select University City destinations
• Paratransit CCT Connect service for registered ADA and Shared Ride customers

For SEPTA’s full Service Interruption Guide and other related information please visit www.septa.org/strike. Information is also available through SEPTA Customer Service by calling 215-580-7800.

UPenn Alert and Outdoor Siren System Test

The University of Pennsylvania Division of Public Safety (DPS) and the Office of Information Systems and Computing will conduct their annual test of the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System, in conjunction with a campus-wide Shelter-in-Place awareness drill, on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 beginning at 3:30 p.m.

The test will be conducted on all the delivery methods of the UPennAlert System, including personal electronic devices, the DPS website, and the Penn Siren Outdoor System.

The Outdoor System will emit a 15-second siren alert, along with a voice message that indicates that this is a test exercise.

This annual test is required for Penn to comply with the Philadelphia Fire Code and the federal Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

More information on the UPenn Alert System can be found at http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/PennReady/upennalert.asp

Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Stopping H1N1 and Seasonal Flu is in Your Hands

You can prevent yourself and your family from getting and spreading influenza with these simple tips:

• Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your sleeve (not your hand).
• Keep your hands away from your face (and don't touch your mouth, nose and eyes).
• Wash your hands with soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer often.
• Keep frequently used surfaces clean (like door knobs, countertops and desks).
• Stay home from work or school if you are sick.

For more flu information, visit the Philadelphia Department of Public Health at www.phila.gov/health or the Pennsylvania Department of Health's H1N1 website at www.H1N1inPA.com.

Philadelphia Prepared If Phillies Win the NL Pennant

If the Phillies clinch the National League Pennant, the Philadelphia Police will deploy additional officers for the safety of fans, property owners and businesses alike.

Property owners and businesses are asked to secure or temporarily remove any non-fixed items on their property, like planters, signs or bike racks. The City is replacing the solar trash cans with wire mesh cans chained to poles. Newspapers are asked to remove unsecured honor boxes. Restaurants and bars have been asked to refrain from serving take-out beverages in glasses or glass bottles and to use plastic instead.

Parking is restricted from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday along S. Broad St. from City Hall to Locust St., from 13th-15th streets and on the cross streets in between. Parking is also restricted on N. Broad St. from City Hall to Poplar St. from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.

Help the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management Win Best Non-Profit Use of Social Media

Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Know How to Survive a Fire

We all have role to play in keeping Philadelphia safe and secure. Take simple steps to be prepared for emergencies, such as getting trained in basic first aid and volunteering to help local emergency responders.

How can you participate?

Volunteer as a member of any of these agencies who are helping Philadelphia’s first responders get ready for emergencies:

• Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society
• Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association
• Philadelphia Fire Department
• Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps
• Second Alarmers Association of Philadelphia
• Southeastern Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters

Visit the Volunteer page of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management website for more information and contacts for becoming a member of the above agencies.

Homeland Security Sec. Napolitano Closes National Preparedness Month

On September 29, 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano discussed building a ready and resilient nation at the close of National Preparedness Month.