PRINTER'S NO. 919
No. 70 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY SEMMEL, SAMUELSON, FORCIER, SANTONI, PIPPY, FLEAGLE, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BARD, BASTIAN, BEBKO- JONES, BELARDI, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CIVERA, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, COSTA, CRUZ, DALEY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FLICK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARHART, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, LUCYK, MANDERINO, MANN, MARSICO, MELIO, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MYERS, ORIE, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SCHULER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON, C. WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG, MARCH 6, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 6, 2001
A RESOLUTION 1 Declaring the week of March 18 through 24, 2001, as "Weather 2 Emergency Preparedness Week" in Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, Each year natural disasters threaten the lives and 4 property of Pennsylvanians; and 5 WHEREAS, In 1998 severe tornadoes caused extensive losses and 6 damage to private and public property and resulted in a Federal 7 disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and 8 WHEREAS, In 1999 Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Dennis caused 9 extensive flooding in 15 Pennsylvania counties; and 10 WHEREAS, These events and others in six federally declared 11 disasters in 1996 have created very serious threats to public 12 health and safety, and recovery from them has strained State,
1 county and municipal resources; and 2 WHEREAS, Of the range of natural disasters that can occur in 3 this Commonwealth, flooding is the most common; and 4 WHEREAS, Due in part to our mountainous terrain and our 5 nation-leading 45,000-mile network of rivers, creeks and 6 streams, Pennsylvania is recognized as one of the most flood- 7 prone states; and 8 WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of the Pennsylvania 9 Emergency Management Council to help State, county and municipal 10 governments prepare for and respond to these disasters; and 11 WHEREAS, Annually the Pennsylvania Emergency Management 12 Agency, with county emergency management officials and the 13 United States National Weather Service, administers a week-long 14 weather emergency preparedness program to alert citizens and 15 elected officials to severe weather-related dangers; and 16 WHEREAS, In addition to educational and public information 17 programs, a three-day Statewide exercise provides county and 18 local emergency personnel, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and 19 day-care centers the opportunity to test their emergency 20 response plans and procedures; and 21 WHEREAS, During that week the Pennsylvania Emergency Alert 22 System, which provides an essential communications link between 23 government and citizens during an emergency, is tested Statewide 24 through over 400 radio and television stations; therefore be it 25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare the week 26 of March 18 through 24, 2001, as "Weather Emergency Preparedness 27 Week" in Pennsylvania. B1L82JLW/20010H0070R0919 - 2 -