Anniston Star
August 30, 2002

State campaign to educate residents on emergency preparedness

By Matthew Creamer
Star Staff Writer

A blitz of television and radio advertisements designed to educate people on what to do in the event of a chemical weapons accident will begin this weekend.

The second phase of the "Are You Ready?" public information campaign is designed to provide county-specific information on the actions residents should take if the sirens were to begin to wail.

Completed last summer, the first phase had the goal of increasing basic awareness of the Anniston Army Depot's chemical stockpile and the incinerator built to destroy it.

The broadcast ads, which will be limited to radio and cable television, will provide generic
information on the threat. They are intended to draw attention to an upcoming print campaign comprising direct mailings and newspaper advertisements that will give detailed information on emergency zones and protective actions such as evacuation and shelter-in-place.

"The first round will alert people to be looking in their mailboxes for more information," said Scott Adcock, public information manager for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. "We want to generate the interest of the people."

The phase will last until December, Adcock said.

In addition to participating in the campaign, Calhoun County emergency officials soon will
implement a local radio and print effort that will be tailor-made for residents, based on how far they live from the Anniston Army Depot. This distance will determine whether federally funded protective hoods and other equipment will be available to them.

"This information will address what equipment is going to be available and how the equipment should be used," said Brian Lazenby, spokesman for the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency.

Calhoun County boycotted the first phase because of differences with the federal government over how the residents closest to the depot should be protected.

Lazenby said the county participated in the shaping of the upcoming six-county initiative.

The other participating counties are Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair and Talladega.

A survey that followed the first phase showed that a vast majority of residents are aware of the weapons cache, while relatively few were familiar with advertising that mentioned zones or shelter-in-place, key components of emergency planning and response.