FIRST NATIONWIDE TEST OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM: November 9th, at 2 p.m. ET

Test to Take Place November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET

FEMA wants everyone to know about the upcoming Emergency Alert System (EAS) test and how it may impact them. Please share this message with your communities and through your social networks.

·       FEMA Administrator’s Message – In English

In     http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6407

·       FEMA Administrator’s Message – In Spanish  

       http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6408

As part of our larger efforts to strengthen our nation’s preparedness and resiliency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct the first nation-wide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 9^th, at 2 p.m. ET. Testing the Emergency Alert System plays a key role in evaluating and improving the systems we need in place to ensure our nation is prepared for all hazards and that people within its borders are able to receive critical and vital information through the system, should it ever be needed. It’s important to keep in mind that this is not a pass or fail test of the Emergency Alert System, but an opportunity to improve the system on a national level.  Below we have provided a template for both a press release and/or a newsletter that you can use in your organizations to help inform your stakeholders, partners and continuances.

The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States, if needed, to address the American public during emergencies.  It is another critical communications tool that can protect the public and strengthen our nation’s resiliency.  The National Weather Service, governors, and state and local authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts.  The test is an important exercise in ensuring that the system is effective in communicating critical information to the public in the event of a real national emergency.

This national test will help federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system, as well as its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential disasters both nationally and regionally.  The test will also provide the FCC and FEMA a chance to identify improvements that are needed to build a new, modernized, and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.

To help inform, and support the distribution of this information, FEMA has developed a toolkit of useful information which consists of the following examples and video links with additional information about the test.  

If you have questions please contact the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at FEMA-Disibility-Integration-Coordination@dhs.gov

·       FEMA Press Release – http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=55722

·       FEMA Blog – http://blog.fema.gov/2011/10/emergency-alert-system-test-one-month.html

·       FCC Website – http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-test

F

Marcie Roth
Director

Office of Disability Integration and Coordination
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@dhs.gov

www.fema.gov/about/odic 

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Teleconference invitation: Process changes for petitioners residing overseas/Form I-130

As a member of the Democrats Abroad Chile I encourage you to sign up for membership  and then join us and other USA citizens on the teleconference to discuss  recently implemented process changes for the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, when filed by petitioners residing overseas Friday, October 28 at 3:00PM (Eastern). Do not forget you are eligible to Vote From Abroad!

When: Friday, October 28th, 3:00PM (Eastern)

What: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a teleconference to discuss recently implemented process changes for the  Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, when filed by petitioners residing overseas.

Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices are required to file Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office have the option of sending their Forms I-130 to the Chicago Lockbox or filing their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.

In previous engagements, USCIS committed to monitor the progress of the new Form I-130 filing process. During this session, USCIS will provide updates on the implementation of the process changes and provide filing tips for petitioners filing with the Lockbox.

To Participate in the Teleconference

Please contact the Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov and reference “I-130 engagement” in the subject line of your email. Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email.

To Join the Call

On the day of the engagement, please use the information below to join the session by phone.

If you are calling from inside the United States please dial: 1-800-988-9529

If you are calling from outside the United States please dial: 001-212-547-0152
Passcode: 130

We encourage participants to call in 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the teleconference.

We look forward to engaging with you!

 Do not forget you are eligible to Vote From Abroad!

Security Notice – Student Demonstrations in Chile

And so as these student demonstrations have been going nearly half a year, with my friends and employees living and working with the acrid perfume of teargas in their homes we now receive this memo.

Was it because the politicians started decking each other in the Senate and called the carabinero brought in to separate them a weón?



To: U.S. Citizens in Chile
From: Mark Leoni, Consul General
Date: October 20, 2011
Subject: Security Notice – Student Demonstrations

The U.S. Embassy in Santiago alerts U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Chile of the likelihood of continuing disturbances in Santiago and other urban centers in connection with the student protest movement. The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid the areas of demonstrations and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any protests.

Since June, there have been mass demonstrations in Santiago and regional capitals calling for improvements in Chile’s educational system. While the majority of the protests have been peaceful, several have involved anarchists and delinquents, frequently clad in hoods (called encapuchados) that incite violence, throw rocks and Molotov cocktails, and engage in acts of vandalism. Several demonstrations have drawn over 100,000 supporters to the streets of central Santiago. The protests have closed a number of Chile's universities and high schools, but to date have had minimal impact on travel and business. Most of the protests have been well-publicized and announced several days in advance, but the potential for spontaneous demonstrations exists.

There are no indications that foreigners or U.S. citizens are being threatened or targeted. Nonetheless, U.S. citizens are advised to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security by monitoring media, knowing the locations of police stations, hospitals, and the U.S. Embassy. The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as bystanders can quickly be caught up in unforeseen violence. If you are in immediate danger, call the police at 133.

Since the protests are ongoing and generally well-advertised, we will not send frequent Emergency Messages (unless the situation changes drastically), but will post updates on the Emergency Messages page of the U.S. Embassy Santiago Website.


Resources

Smart Travel Enrollment Program (STEP) – register with the U.S. Embassy

U.S. Embassy Santiago website and Emergency Messages page

U.S. Department of State travel website – contains Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts

Santiago Regional Government – notices of planned protests

Country Specific Information

A Safe Trip Abroad - security information for those residing and traveling abroad

Twitter @ Travel.gov

Twitter for Embassy Santiago

Facebook for Embassy Santiago

1-888-407-4747 -- State Department Travel Information – in U.S. and Canada
1-202-501-4444 – State Department Travel Information – outside U.S. and Canada

The U.S. Embassy in Chile is located at Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. U.S. citizens may contact the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy via e-mail at SantiagoAmcit@state.gov or by calling (56) (2) 330-3000 (available 24 hours per day).

You say frutilla, I say fresa- Chilean Spanish for food and spices

As my husband's family is from Spain I quickly learned Spanish to impress my mother-in-law.  But I soon discovered my Spanish Spanish (or Castellaño) does not always hold up well here in Chile. While in the grocery store I asked the clerk for fresas  or  strawberries. She looked at me oddly as though I was speaking a foreign language. I attempted once again asking more slowly and a bit louder "¿Dónde están las fresas?" (Where are the strawberries). And once again she looked at me as though I were speaking Chinese. Thankfully my braincells kicked in and I remembered that in Chile strawberries are not fresas; they are frutillas. Same with avocado, known in Spain as aguacate, but here in Chile it is palta.

Below are a collection of food names and their translations in English to Chilean Spanish. If you have others to add please do so in the comments or contact me:

avocado	palta
bacon	tocino
baking powder (single action)	polvos de hornear
baking soda	sodio de bicarbonato (also at pharmacies)
beet	betarraga
bran	salvado
celery	apio
chocolate, unsweetened	chocolate amargo
condensed milk	leche condensada
cornstarch	maicena
cream	crema
garlic cloves	dientes de ajo
jam/marmalade	mermelada
jelly	jalea
leeks	puerros
mushrooms	champiñones
olives	aceitunas
peaches, nectarines	duraznos
peanuts	manis
peanut butter	mantequilla de mani
squash	zapallo
sour cream	crema acido
raisins	pasas
self-rising flour	harina con polvos de hornear
shortening	manteca
strawberries	frutillas
sugar, granulated	azucar granulado
sugar, powdered	azucar flor
brown sugar	azúcar rubia
whipped cream	crema batida
whole wheat flour	harina integral
yeast	levadura

Spices in English/Spanish:

allspice anise	pimienta malagueta...deJamaica...inglesa anis
basil	albahaca
bay leaf	hoja de laurel
caper	alcaparras
caraway	alcaravaca
cardamon	cardamono
chili powder	chile en polvo
cinnamon	canela
clove	clavo de olor
coriander	cilantro
cream of tartar	crema de tartaro
cumin	comino
dill	eneldo
fennel	hinojo
garlic	ajo
ginger	jengibre
horseradish	rabano picante
msg	glutamato monosodico
marjoram	mejorana
mint	menta
mustard	mostaza
nutmeg	nuez moscada
oregano	oregano
paprika	pimenton
parsley	perejil
pepper, black	pimienta negra
pepper, white	pimienta blanca
rosemary	romero
saffron	azafran
sesame seed	ajonjoli
sage	salvia
savory	ajedrea
tarragon	estragon
thyme	tomillo
turmeric	curcuma