Join us today for the last weekly saltwater intrusion update call. (See the call information below)
Please contact us if you have any questions at info@labeoc.org.
Thank you,
LABEOC Team
Join us today for the last weekly saltwater intrusion update call. (See the call information below)
Please contact us if you have any questions at info@labeoc.org.
Thank you,
LABEOC Team
August 23, 2023 The Beauregard Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness is asking for the following donations to aid firefighters and personnel responding to active wildfires in southwest Louisiana.
(Photos courtesy of Walmart.com) If you can help or would like more information, please contact:
Steven Buchholz, LEM Logistics Program Manager LA Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Office: (225) 925-7556
Please remember to check out our news alerts on LABEOC.ORG and follow our social media for updates @LABEOC. Thank you for your continued support. LABEOC Response Team |
August 18, 2023 As we rapidly approach the halfway point of the hurricane season (September 10, 2023), we can get a feel for why the forecasters have increased the expected numbers for this year in spite of the strong El Nino effect. Figure 1. 7-day outlook, August 18, 2023 There are four (4) areas to watch for development over the next seven days. Please monitor your weather forecaster of choice, especially as you can see that Louisiana could potentially feel some effects from one of the blobs. Recent history says that anytime these get over warm water, they can rapidly intensify, and the Gulf of Mexico’s surface temperature is warmer than average. Things can change quickly, so awareness will be vital.Here are a few things you can do to prepare. 1. Stay alert to changes in the forecasts. 2. Review your hurricane plans with family, friends, employers, or employees. 3. Check your emergency supplies kits and restock them as necessary. Have a great weekend, but keep an eye on the weather for next week. Respectfully, Jim Williams, MBA Public-Private Partnership Operations Officer Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center Informatics Research Institute University of Louisiana at Lafayette – A Carnegie R1 Research University (Office: (337) 482-0633 (Cell: (337) 422-9169 | |||||
Get prepared with these helpful links!
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Louisiana faces an increased risk of severe weather and tornadic activity this evening and into the overnight hours. Please make sure that you have ways to receive weather alerts overnight.
The National Weather Service graphics for severe potential in your area.
A strong cold front will move into the state on Thursday, causing temperatures to drop into the 20s as early as that afternoon. Strong winds with gusts up to forty miles per hour will accompany the front, resulting in wind chills into the teens. Cold temperatures will last into the Christmas weekend. Potential impacts include freezing weather. In some areas, minor snow accumulations cannot be ruled out for Thursday afternoon and night.
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You may unsubscribe at any time.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month!
The session is open to small and medium-sized businesses that are interested in an introduction to cybersecurity concepts. If you own a small business, don’t miss this webinar about what you can do to ramp up your cybersecurity efforts.
Speaker Bio
Mr. Tannehill is the manager of the Trust & Safety team at Lumen Technologies. He is very passionate about cybersecurity.
As a retired US Air Force veteran, he works full time as an Information Security (InfoSec) leader with 24 years of progressive experience. His education includes an Associate’s degree in Information Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mr. Tannehill has numerous IT industry standard certifications including CCNA, Project+, GSEC, CEH, as well as, CISSP (which remains in good standing).
Special thanks to our sponsors for creating this event as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
NIMSAT Institute | Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center | Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Join our Network! Our September newsletter goes out tomorrow!
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Your information is confidential except for internal use and will not be sold, used to contact you with a sales pitch; or shared publicly except as required by law.
Your information is confidential except for internal use and will not be sold, used to contact you with a sales pitch; or shared publicly except as required by law.
Welcome to the inaugural LABEOC newsletter. We are excited to provide this document to you monthly. Let’s continue to hope that the 2022 season remains quiet, but hope is not a method. Preparation is key.
Content for this newsletter will follow the READY.GOV calendar, which makes the focus for August, Back to School Preparedness, and Extreme Heat Safety Month. September’s newsletter will be Fall Safety and National Preparedness Month and will contain tips and content supporting those awareness topics.
We are heading into the heart of the active period of the hurricane season, so please do not let your guard down. We will strive to improve communications with our private sector partners before, during, and after any event (this newsletter is one improvement).
Last month we welcomed a new director for the National Incident Management System and Advanced Technologies (NIMSAT) director here at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Dr. Shannon Strother. She is no stranger to the LABEOC; she worked with NIMSAT when the LABEOC started. The NIMSAT director will provide a monthly article in the newsletter giving updates on initiatives and research being conducted at the university.
Monitor critical supplies and services needed to stay resilient this season. Just a reminder that the guidance has changed, businesses and homeowners should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 5-7 days post storm for small to medium-sized events and ten days or more if the storm was catastrophic.
While hurricanes remain a threat, it is always cyber season. It is never too late to discuss your company’s cyber posture with your employees. Case history has proven that the vast majority of attacks result from people letting the hackers in by clicking on links in emails. Take the time to discuss this with employees. With your IT department (or person), ensure your anti-virus software is updated and your spam filters are active.
Stay safe.
James “Jim” Williams
Public Private Partnership Operations Officer
As we continue through this hurricane season, it is never too late to review your insurance policy, especially if there are any changes to your underwriter. It is useful to remember that there are two important entities that support the Louisiana Insurance consumers. The Louisiana Guaranty Association (LIGA) was designed to create a safety net for insurance consumers if the insurance company becomes insolvent. The Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is a nonprofit organization created to provide insurance products for residential and commercial property applicants who are in good faith entitled, but unable, to procure insurance through the voluntary insurance marketplace.
Both organizations provide a vital service to consumers. Please take a few moments to review and become familiar with their sites and the services they provide.
https://www.laiga.org/history/covered-by-liga/
Stay safe partners.
Prep for #HurricaneSeason2022
1. Register for the LABEOC Business Network – https://wordpress.com/view/labeoc.org
2. Download the Hurricane Toolkit for Business – https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/ready_business_hurricane-toolkit.pdf
3. Visit http://getagameplan.org
Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration
August 29, 2021
REGIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION
No. 2021-008
ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE, TEXAS
The Regional Field Administrators for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s
(FMCSA) Southern and Western Service Centers hereby declare that an emergency exists that
warrants issuance of a Regional Emergency Declaration and an exemption from certain
regulatory requirements in Part 395 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety (FMCSRs), except as
otherwise restricted in this Emergency Declaration. Such emergency is in response to Hurricane
Ida, and the current and anticipated effects on people and property, including immediate threat to
human life or public welfare from heavy rains, high surf, flooding, and strong winds. This
Declaration addresses the emergency conditions creating a need for immediate transportation of
supplies, goods, equipment, fuel, and persons and provides necessary relief. Affected States
(Affected States) included in this Emergency Declaration are: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
By execution of this Emergency Declaration, motor carriers and drivers providing direct
assistance to the emergency related to Hurricane Ida in the Affected States are granted
emergency relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles,
and 49 CFR § 395.5, maximum driving time for passenger-carrying vehicles, subject to the
restrictions and conditions set forth herein.
The Emergency Declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle
operations while providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts transporting
supplies, goods, equipment, and fuel into the Affected States, and transporting persons into
and from the Affected States, or providing other assistance in the form of emergency services
during the emergency related to Hurricane Ida in the Affected States.
Restrictions and Conditions
By execution of this Emergency Declaration, motor carriers and drivers providing direct
assistance to the emergency related to Hurricane Ida in the Affected States are granted
emergency relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles,
and 49 CFR § 395.5, maximum driving time for passenger-carrying vehicles, subject to the
following restrictions and conditions:
1. Nothing in this Emergency Declaration shall be construed as an exemption from any
portion of the FMCSRs for which relief is not specifically granted herein. Motor carriers
and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency related to Hurricane Ida in the
Affected States shall comply with all applicable FMCSRs, including but not limited to:
Regional Emergency Declaration No. 2021-008 Page 2 of 3
A. 49 CFR § 392.2 related to the operation of a commercial motor vehicle in
accordance with State laws and regulations, including compliance with applicable
speed limits and other traffic restrictions.
B. 49 CFR § 392.3 related to the operation of a commercial motor vehicle while a
driver’s ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through
fatigue, illness, or any other cause, as to make it unsafe for him/her to begin or
continue to operate the motor vehicle.
C. 49 CFR §§ 392.4 and 392.5 related to the prohibitions on drivers using or possessing
alcohol, drugs, or other substances.
D. 49 CFR §§ 392.80 and 392.82 related to the prohibitions on texting while driving
and using a hand-held mobile telephone while driving.
E. 49 CFR §§ 395.8(a), 395.8(k), and 395.11 related to driver’s records of duty status,
supporting documents, and retention of driver’s records of duty status and supporting
documents, and subpart B of Part 395 related to electronic logging devices. Drivers
will record their duty status for each 24-hour period using the method normally used
by the driver when not operating under this Emergency Declaration. Motor carriers
and drivers subject to the ELD requirements must continue to use ELDs, maintain
ELD records and data for 6 months from the date the electronic record is generated,
and produce, transfer and make ELD records and data accessible to law enforcement
and safety officials upon request.
F. 49 CFR §§ 396.7 and 396.9 related to the prohibitions on operating a vehicle in a
condition likely to cause an accident or breakdown of the vehicle and operating a
vehicle declared and marked out-of-service until all repairs required by the out-ofservice notice have been satisfactorily completed.
G. 49 CFR § 390.15(a) related to making all records and information pertaining to a
crash available to FMCSA, State and local enforcement agencies and providing
assistance in the investigation of a crash, as requested. A motor carrier whose
driver is involved in a crash while operating under this Emergency Declaration
must report any recordable crash within 24 hours, by phone or in writing, to the
FMCSA Division Office where the motor carrier is domiciled. The carrier must
report the date, time, location, driver, vehicle identification, and brief description
of the crash.
2. Motor carriers shall not require or allow fatigued drivers to operate a commercial
motor vehicle. A driver who informs a carrier that he/she needs immediate rest shall
be given at least ten consecutive hours before the driver is required to return to service.
3. Nothing in this Emergency Declaration shall be construed as an exemption from the
controlled substance and alcohol uses and testing requirements (49 CFR Part 382); the
commercial driver’s license requirements (49 CFR Part 383); the hazardous material
safety permit requirements (49 CFR Part 385); the financial responsibility (insurance)
requirements (49 CFR Part 387); the hazardous material regulations (49 CFR Parts
100-180); or vehicle size, length, width, and weight limitations, as well as route
Regional Emergency Declaration No. 2021-008 Page 3 of 3
designations administered by the Federal Highway Administration (23 CFR § 658; 23
U.S.C. 127; 49 U.S.C. §§ 31111-31115).
4. Motor carriers or drivers currently subject to an out-of-service order are not eligible for
the relief granted by this Emergency Declaration until they have met the applicable
conditions for its rescission and the order has been rescinded by FMCSA in writing.
5. This Emergency Declaration provides for regulatory relief from 49 CFR §§ 395.3 and
395.5 for commercial motor vehicle operations while providing direct assistance
supporting emergency relief efforts to the emergency related to Hurricane Ida in the
Affected States. Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor
vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are
not in support of emergency relief efforts related to Hurricane Ida in the Affected
States as set forth in this Emergency Declaration, or when the motor carrier dispatches
a driver or commercial motor vehicle to another location to begin operations in
commerce. (49 CFR § 390.23(b)). Upon termination of direct assistance to
emergency relief efforts related to Hurricane Ida in the Affected States, the motor
carrier and driver are subject to the all requirements of the FMCSRs, except that a
driver may return empty to the motor carrier’s terminal or the driver’s normal work
reporting location without complying with 49 CFR §§ 395.3 and 395.5. When a driver
is moving from emergency relief efforts to normal operations a 10-hour break is
required when the total time a driver operates conducting emergency relief efforts, or a
combination of emergency relief and normal operations, equals 14 hours.
In accordance with 49 CFR § 390.23, this Emergency Declaration is effective immediately and
shall remain in effect until the end of the emergency (as defined in 49 CFR § 390.5) or until 11:59
P.M. (ET), September 28, 2021, whichever is earlier. FMCSA intends to continually review the
status of this Emergency Declaration and may take action to modify or terminate the Emergency
Declaration sooner if conditions warrant.
Darrell L. Ruban, Regional Field Administrator
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Southern Service Center
Scott G. Hernandez, Regional Field Administrator
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Click on the link below:
Since 2006, the Statewide Credentialing / Access Program document has been used to facilitate post disaster re-entry. The concepts and procedures associated remain valid and therefore may still be utilized.
Attached is the next generation document in the form of a Joint Standard Operating Procedure (JSOP) for disaster re-entry. This JSOP was a collaborative effort by the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association (LSA) and the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police (LACP) and supported by the Louisiana State Police.
This JSOP retains and builds on the four main principles of the original document.
1. Post disaster access control is paramount to ensure public safety.
2. Re-entry should be implemented in phases, utilizing a tiered approach based on need.
3. Local government is best positioned to determine the appropriate tier for individuals/organizations.
4. These individuals/organizations should be pre-identified and credentialed prior to a disaster to the greatest extent possible.
This system permits individuals/organizations to register for re-entry credentials by calling (toll free) 1-855-379-4861, or by visiting www.eritn.com. Once an application has been approved for the appropriate tier by local government, the applicant will have web based access to re-entry credentials.
Original SOP Credentialing/Access Program Document
—–Additional details on the Credentialing/Access program (CAP) can be found at http://www.lsp.org/lscap.html
Click to view report:
The LABEOC did the work for you! Check out our Important Links page ( lnkd.in/dxDZjiUK) for all the resources and info you need to prepare and recover from a disaster.
Don’t forget to sign up for the email updates too – https://labeoc.org/join-the-labeoc-network/
Two disturbances in the Atlantic have potential for further development over the next 5-days. While there is no immediate threat to Louisiana, the potential is there in the next 7-10 days. Everyone should remain vigilant and listen to guidance provide by your local emergency officials.