Are You Prepared for a Major Catastrophe? New Initiatives Help Residents to 'Think. Act. Survive.'.HOUSTON -- Hurricanes. Flooding. Explosions. Terrorism. Harris County Harris County is the name of several counties in the United States:
Today, The Allstate Foundation awarded the Harris County Citizen Corps a $100,000 grant to further its mission of training citizens how to prepare for and respond to an emergency disaster, whether natural or manmade. The grant also involves an expanded partnership with Houston TranStar and the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management to launch a multi-media disaster preparedness pre·par·ed·ness n. The state of being prepared, especially military readiness for combat. Noun 1. preparedness - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them public awareness campaign in September, which is National Disaster Preparedness Month. The Allstate Foundation initiated the partnership, which was announced today by The Allstate Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. Thomas J. Wilson Thomas J. Wilson, 49, is president and chief executive officer of The Allstate Corporation and Allstate Insurance Company. Wilson is also a member of the corporations board of directors. Wilson currently lives in Chicago. at a press conference held at Houston TranStar. The preparedness program is intended to encourage personal responsibility and volunteer service in Harris County, and will serve as a national best practice in promoting "all-hazards disaster preparedness" through training and public awareness. "Natural and manmade catastrophes to our homeland are a problem that can't be ignored," said Wilson, who addressed the topic with area business leaders at The Houston Executives Forum earlier today. "Houston is the energy capital of America. If a major catastrophe Catastrophe, from the Greek Καταστροφή (katastrephein), literally means "to turn" (strephein) "downwards" (kata-). happens here, the whole country may be affected. We are launching this partnership today because Allstate believes the public and private sectors must partner together much more effectively in order to prepare for and recover from catastrophic disasters." The Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States and The Allstate Foundation, is an educational program that trains neighborhood volunteers to effectively prepare for and react to disasters. Currently, there are 72 CERT teams in Harris County with 1,044 trained members, and the plan is to increase the volunteer network to 2,000 Houstonians by September 2006. In addition, Allstate's funding will help underwrite To insure; to sell an issue of stocks and bonds or to guarantee the purchase of unsold stocks and bonds after a public issue. The word underwrite has two meanings. a CERT program for middle school children and expand the existing teen program to reach 20 area high schools. "We have been trying to raise awareness of the importance and the value of emergency preparedness for a number of years," said Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. "With the additional funding from The Allstate Foundation, not only will we double our network of adult volunteers, but we will also reach pre-teens and teenagers so they too understand the value of being prepared. We're extremely pleased to be able to offer the CERT program to an expanded group of people in our community." The public awareness campaign, involving television, radio and billboard advertisements, is designed to spur residents into a reality check about the potential risks they are exposed to, showing images of disaster aftermaths and encouraging the community to "think" and "act" before a disaster strikes by visiting http://www.survivedisaster.org or calling 211 for preparedness information. For more information about emergency preparedness or to schedule CERT training, please visit www.survivedisaster.org or call 211. About the Harris County Citizens Corps The Harris County Citizen Corps is committed to creating opportunities for people to volunteer to help our community prepare for and respond to emergencies. The primary goal is to have all citizens participate in making neighborhoods safer by providing them the tools and training needed for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds. About Houston TranStar Recognized nationally and internationally as a model for government agencies seeking to combine resources across modal Mode-oriented. A modal operation switches from one mode to another. Contrast with non-modal. 1. modal - (Of an interface) Having modes. Modeless interfaces are generally considered to be superior because the user does not have to remember which mode he is in. 2. and political jurisdictional boundaries, Houston TranStar is a unique multi-agency partnership comprised of the City of Houston, Harris County, METRO and the State of Texas that is responsible for coordinating the planning, design, maintenance and operations of transportation and emergency functions in the greater Houston Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas. region. For more information on Houston TranStar, please visit our award-winning website located at www.houstontranstar.org. About City of Houston Office of Emergency Management The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management conducts programs and activities designed to provide customers, internal and external, with the ability to prepare for, cope with, and recover from the effects of disasters. This is achieved through information and resource exchange, working with the public and private sectors, and all levels of government through the utilization of modern technology. About The Allstate Foundation Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization This article is about charitable organizations. For other uses of the word charity, see Charity. A charitable organization (also known as a charity) is an organization with charitable purposes only. made possible by The Allstate Corporation. Allstate and The Allstate Foundation sponsor community initiatives to promote "safe and vital communities"; "tolerance, inclusion, and diversity"; and "economic empowerment em·pow·er tr.v. em·pow·ered, em·pow·er·ing, em·pow·ers 1. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. See Synonyms at authorize. 2. ". The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial potential of every individual and in helping America's families achieve their American dream American dream also American Dream n. An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: . The Allstate Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate(R)" slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. Slogans vary from the written and the visual to the chanted and the vulgar. , Allstate helps individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through approximately 13,600 exclusive agencies and financial professionals in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate(R). Encompass(SM) and Deerbrook(R) Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity annuity: see insurance. annuity Payment made at a fixed interval. A common example is the payment received by retirees from their pension plan. There are two main classes of annuities: annuities certain and contingent annuities. , banking and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers. |
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