High Wind Warning and Flood Watch UPDATE

High wind warning remains in effect from 10:00PM Tuesday (09/20/16) to 4:00PM Wednesday (09/21/16) through Portage Valley and Turnagain Arm.

Flood watch remains in effect Tuesday evening through Thursday morning (09/20-22/16) in the Seward area. The latest weather updates can be found at http://www.weather.gov/arh/

Residents are encouraged to store or tie down loose items. River property owners should secure or remove boats and docking. Have you updated your 72-Hour Go Kit? Check off the list of supplies and personal items at https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit

KNWF - Fire Safety is Key this Holiday Weekend

JOINT AGENCY NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:  Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

TELEPHONE:  (907) 262-7021

E-Mail:  kenai@fws.gov

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning, a fire was reported in the Funny River/Moose Ridge Road area. State Forestry and CES responded and discovered a small holdover fire from the 2014 Funny River Fire smoldering in the organic layer a few inches below the surface.  A similar fire, believed to have rekindled from the 2015 Card Street Fire, was extinguished recently as well.

“Local fire danger indices have been in the high to very high range recently,” said Alaska Southern Refuges Fire Management Officer Kristi Bulock, “This, coupled with very little moisture over the past two winters is allowing fire to continue to smolder in the duff and peat.”

Current drying conditions combined with warm temperatures and increased outdoor activities are cause for caution.  As you are out and about this weekend, please be very careful with activities that may involve fire.  Follow all guidelines for fully extinguishing campfires before leaving.  Campfires that are fully out are not smoldering, have been treated with plenty of water and are cool to the touch.  If you discover an area of heat, smell smoke, see an unattended fire or otherwise believe there is another rekindled fire, report this immediately to State Forestry (260-4100 or 9-1-1).

More fire safety information is available on the Refuge Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kenainationalwildliferefuge and on the Alaska Interagency Fire Coordination Center’s website athttp://fire.ak.blm.gov. For additional information, please contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office during regular business hours at (907) 262-7021.

Current Blog Status

The agencies that post to this blog and the viewers that promote it are the key to distributing accurate, timely information during an emergency. This blog will be updated when the need arises. Thank you.

Alaska Shield 2016 Exercises are Completed for the Kenai Peninsula Borough

The Borough wrapped up the Alaska Shield 2016 exercise modules today. Module #4 was a collective tabletop exercise to evaluate the Borough's Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) for the purchasing, legal and mayor’s departments. This exercise was formatted as a tabletop and held at the borough administrative building.

Module #5 involved personnel from the Borough's finance department that were tasked with temporarily relocating to the Skyview Middle School in Soldotna. In the event of a real emergency that prohibited access to workstations, they would activate the finance department’s COOP. Staffs’ objective was to set up primary functions such as generating payroll or producing accounts payables using limited technical support and supplies.

Borough Wide Response to Alaska Shield Exercise #3

City, Borough and State agencies completed exercise three in a cadre of modules that have been scheduled for today and tomorrow as part of the statewide exercise Alaska Shield 2016.

A safety orientation kicked off the active shooter exercise at 4:00PM this afternoon in assembly chambers. Approximately 25 Borough and School District staff were voluntary participants that safely observed the exercise behind glass doors. The exercise started after the Borough Administrative Building was closed and cleared. Emergency services and law enforcement agencies engaged in exercise response training and tactics. The venue also provided an opportunity for observing staff to understand what may happen and how to respond in a real intrusion.

Prior to the exercise, A.L.I.C.E. training was provided to Borough and School District staff. For more information on this training visit the A.L.I.C.E. website.

The overarching benefit of participating in a multi-agency exercise is to practice core capabilities while functioning in a unified fashion. Knowing how to work together during emergency response continues to benefit citizens on the Kenai Peninsula.

Participating agencies included: Office of Emergency Management, School District, Soldotna Police, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Army National Guard, Alaska Division of Homeland Security, Soldotna Public Safety Communications Center, Central Emergency Services, Call Center Volunteer Operators, Community Emergency Response Team members as well as information officers from the Kenai Fire, Nikiski Fire, School District and Borough.

Borough and City Departments Complete Exercise Two

Alaska Shield exercises continue for multiple agencies on the Kenai Peninsula. Personnel from the cities of Kenai, Soldotna and Borough Departments focused on the detection and reporting of a possible breech to automated control systems located in various city and borough facilities. This exercise was formatted as a tabletop. Participants evaluated topics such as key trigger points and how to report activities to appropriate personnel.

Multiple Agencies Successfully Complete The First Exercise

Just before noon the Soldotna Public Safety Communication Center and the Office of Emergency Management activated the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). The exercise provided the opportunity to evaluate how the COOP ensured that essential functions could be conducted away from normal office settings.

In this first exercise, the 9-1-1 center temporarily functioned out of the mobile command vehicle. You may have seen the "big bus" parked just outside the communications center today (253 Wilson Lane). The Alaska Army National Guard was deployed to secure the area due to the sensitive nature of transitioning functionality from the center to the mobile command vehicle.

Lessons learned will be used to improve the COOP, ensuring that the Soldotna Public Safety Communication Center can continue to maintain primary functions 24/7 on the Kenai Peninsula. Did you know that the center provides communications and connectivity for all first responders? From Alaska State Troopers to local law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies, their mission is to enhance the quality of life by serving as the communications link between citizens and public safety services.

Alaska Shield Exercises Commence in Soldotna

Emergency response exercises started this morning in the Soldotna area. There are no street closures or detours. This afternoon at approximately 4:30PM you may see the AK Army National Guard or Community Emergency Response Team members (CERT). They will prohibit vehicles from entering the Borough Administrative Building parking lot and may assist traffic flow on Shady Lane, E. Park Avenue, W. Park Avenue and Binkley St. There are no street closures or detours.


Please do not interfere with the exercises or attempt to enter exercise perimeters. Two staging areas for public and media observations will be available on the North and South side of the Borough Administrative Building today, March 31st at 5PM.

CERT and AK Army National Guard prepare for drill (12/2015).

Multiple Agencies to Conduct Training Exercises in Soldotna Alaska

This week emergency response exercises will be conducted in Soldotna, AK on Thursday March 31st and Friday April 01st. These exercises are part of the statewide Alaska Shield 2016 exercise. On these days, you may see uniformed first responders or Alaska Army National Guard, staged vehicles and equipment as well as directional signs in the Soldotna area.

On Thursday March 31st the Borough, School District, Soldotna Police, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Army National Guard, Central Emergency Services and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members will exercise three areas of preparedness: (1) assessing Borough departments’ Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP); (2) evaluating cyber security reporting protocols; and (3) training employees in an active shooter program. These are preparedness exercises intended to evaluate multi-agency interaction and capabilities.

All of the exercises will be held in Soldotna, Alaska at the Office of Emergency Management 253 Wilson Lane or at the Borough/School District Administrative Building 144 N. Binkley St. You may see uniformed first responders or Alaska Army National Guard at both locations. There will be staged vehicles and equipment. Be on the lookout for directional signs on the streets adjacent to the exercise areas.

CERT members and Guardsmen are instructed to keep people from entering these locations during the exercises. During the active shooter exercise, two staging areas will be provided for the public or media observations on March 31st at 5:00PM (see map below).  Please do not interfere with the exercises.

For more information contact Brenda Ahlberg, Public Information Officer at 907-714-2153 or 907-231-6505 for the latest information.

Kenai Peninsula Borough to Participate in Statewide Exercises

Today, the Kenai Peninsula Borough met with local media to discuss agency roles in the upcoming “Alaska Shield 2016” exercise March 31 and April 01, 2016. On these days, you may see uniformed first responders or Army National Guard, staged vehicles and equipment as well as directional signs in the Soldotna area.

The Alaska Shield 2016 exercise is a statewide exercise that is held every two years. Planning for the exercise is based upon a theme that allows participating jurisdictions to design local, preparedness exercises. The Borough is one of 62 government and non-government agencies around the state that will be participating in Alaska Shield.

Locally, the Borough, School District, Soldotna Police, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Army National Guard, Central Emergency Services and Community Emergency Response Team members have been preparing for exercises that will focus on the three areas of preparedness: (1) assessing Borough departments’ Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP); (2) evaluating cyber security reporting protocols; and (3) training employees in an active shooter program. All of the exercises will be held in Soldotna at the Office of Emergency Management or at the Borough/School District Administrative Building.

These are preparedness exercises intended to evaluate multi-agency interaction and capabilities. You may see uniformed first responders or Army National Guard, staged vehicles and equipment as well as directional signs on-scene at these two locations on March 31^st.

NOTE: There is no known terrorist or cyber security threat at this time. Over the next two weeks, the borough and participating agencies will continue to provide regular notifications through the local media and on social media sites. Information flyers will also be distributed to neighboring residents and businesses located near the exercise locations. For regular updates, enter your email address for notifications from the Borough’s emergency information blog at www.kpboem.com.

Brenda Ahlberg, Public Information Officer

Kenai Peninsula Borough

907-714-2153 or bahlberg@kpb.us

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