06/30/15 1:00 pm The use of fireworks and the sale of fireworks is prohibited in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Know your local jurisdiction's restrictions on the use of fireworks! All citizens are reminded that the use of fireworks is not permitted on the Kenai Peninsula. The cities of Homer, Kachemak City, Kenai, Seldovia, Seward and Soldotna may enact their own prohibitions.

What does this mean? It means that outside of city boundaries, only specific groups may be authorized to use fireworks for public displays as long as that group has a current permit issued by the borough mayor.

To know more, visit KPB Code 10.18 “Fireworks Control” at https://library.municode.com/HTML/13259/level2/TIT10HESA_CH10.18FICO.html

6/25/15 4:30pm Community Emergency Response Team Training in Soldotna

The Kenai Peninsula Borough, Office of Emergency Management is pleased to announce that the next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) team training will be held beginning Monday July 13, through July 25 in Soldotna.  This 30 hour course  is designed to prepare residents that do not have prior emergency response background on basic skills to keep themselves, their families, and their neighbors prepared for, and safe during, an emergency such as fire, flood, earthquake, or other incident.

The course covers skills such as fire and utility control, disaster medical skills, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster preparedness.  Participants should expect a hands on course learning and practicing practical skills.  Sessions are taught be emergency management professionals and other first responders, and will provide a comprehensive overview of these skills.  CERT training is based on FEMA curriculum and is adapted for unique conditions found on the Kenai Peninsula.

At the conclusion of the training, participants have the opportunity to join their local CERT team to be called upon to assist first responders during emergency or disaster conditions.  CERT members have been used in the past to provide public information, staff telephone lines, perform evacuations, and many other functions.

Participants 13 and over are welcome in the class with parental consent.  All materials will be provided, and there is no cost or obligation for the class.  Classes will be held at the Emergency Response Center, 253 Wilson Ln., behind the Soldotna Police Department.  Class size is limited to 25 participants.  Please see the detailed schedule below.  To register for the class, visit our website at www.kpb.us/emergency   For additional questions contact Dan Nelson at (907) 262-2098.

Course Schedule:

Monday July 13 6p - 9p: Welcome, Administration, Disaster Preparedness

Thursday July 14 6p - 9p: Fire/Utility Control

Friday July 17 6p - 9p:  Disaster Medical Part 1

Saturday July 18 9a - 5p: Disaster Medical Part 2, Light Search & Rescue

Monday July 20 6p - 9p: Team Organization

Thursday July 21 6p - 9p: Disaster Psychology

Friday July 24 6p - 9p: Terrorism Awareness/Exercises

Saturday July 25 9a - 1p: Disaster Simulation

06/22/15 10:00 am KPB OEM call center resumes regular business hours

Beginning Monday 06/22/15, the OEM call center will resume regular business hours. OEM staff are available to answer calls during normal business hours 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday-Friday. Please continue to monitor the OEM blogspot for wildland fire updates as well as helpful links to assist you with Rapid Notify, post-fire cleanup and Firewise activities.

06/20/15 1:00 pm KPB OEM Evacuation Lifted for Kenai Keyes

Effective immediately:

The evacuation is lifted for Sterling at Kenai Keyes SOUTH to the Kenai River. Utility and fire crews continue to work in the area. Please use caution when returning to your residence and stay away from fire apparatus and crews.

06/19/15 KPB Mayor Navarre Submits Local Disaster Declaration

Following a meeting with Governor Walker, Mayor Navarre submitted the  “KPB Local Disaster Emergency Declaration” late last night. The declaration formally request assistance from the state in regards to the active wildland fires on the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Link to actual document, click here

To see a larger PDF of this document, click here

06/19/2015 08:40 am KPB OEM - Sterling Evacuation Update

Effective immediately: Evacuation is lifted for Card Street to Zenith property owners. Kenai Keyes SOUTH to the Kenai river remains evacuated status.

Please use caution when returning to your residence and stay away for fire apparatus and crews that continue to work in the area.

6/18/15 7:00 pm Office of Emergency Management Card Street Fire Update

With the partial lifting of the Sterling evacuation earlier this afternoon, over 150 homeowners can return to the area.  Thank you all for your patience!

We’d like to shout out to the Kenai Peninsula Borough resources that are currently working on the fire.  We are fortunate to have these highly qualified individuals and equipment available here: 

Central Emergency Services:

• Two Brush Engines
• One Water Tender

 Nikiski Fire Department

• Two Brush Trucks with 3 firefighters on each truck for a total of 6.
• One tender/pumper

Kachemak Emergency Services:

• One -2000 gallon water tender
• One –Wildland Engine
• One -Structure Engine
• Total of seven personnel.

If you are planning to travel to the Kenai Peninsula, please check www.511.alaska.gov  before traveling for current road conditions and be on the lookout for smoke and firefighting equipment. 

When disaster strikes, every little bit helps. To make the most of your contributions, consider these tips for donating and volunteering responsibly:

• Cash is the most efficient method of donating – Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. Remember, unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.
• Donate through a trusted organization – At the national level, many voluntary-, faith- and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors.
• Affiliate with existing non-profit organizations before coming to the disaster area. Immediately following a disaster, a community can become easily overwhelmed by the amount of generous people who want to help. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure that you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way.
• Be safe. Do not self deploy until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support. Wait until it is safe to travel to volunteer sites and opportunities have been identified. Once assigned a position, make sure you have been given an assignment and are wearing proper safety gear for the task.
• Be patient. Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months, often years, after the disaster - especially when the community enters the long-term recovery period.

Updates are regularly posted here and on the Borough Facebook Page

Register your mobile phone to receive emergency notifications through “Rapid Notify.”  Visit www.kpb.us

OEM call center information, please call 907-714-2495.

06/18/15 2:30PM Card Street Fire - Evacuation UPDATE

Effective immediately for LIMITED areas of Sterling evacuation:

Evacuation is lifted for subdivisions from the Feuding Lane and Kenai Keyes intersection and NORTH to the Sterling Hwy. Kenai Keyes SOUTH to the Kenai river remains evacuated status. Please use caution when returning to your residence and stay away for fire apparatus and crews that continue to work in the area.