 Okay, well good morning everyone. Good morning. I'm Mark Gallarducci and I'm the Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency and I'm very excited to be here with you today and welcome you to the fourth annual NorCal National Preparedness Month Fair. Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by people who have worked hard to make a difference in helping California be prepared and get ready for disasters. In addition to all of you, I'd like to welcome Kevin Luskatoff, the Director of Public Affairs from Walmart, a great partner of ours, Jeff Lusk, the Deputy Federal Preparedness Coordinator from the Federal Emergency Management Agency here at Region 9, Don Lindblum, the Capital Region Chapter CEO of the American Red Cross, Karen Baker, my colleague and Secretary of the California Volunteers and Gary Dietrich, President of the Citizen Voice, who are joining me here at the podium today. Welcome. Additionally, I'd like to extend my appreciation and thanks to some of EMA's partners in emergency preparedness helping us to provide Californians with specific tools needed to prepare for disasters and other kinds of emergencies. So thank you to Genevieve Viacuris, I know I probably got that one stuff. Lisa Payton, well Genevieve is with the Community Relations Specialist with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and really a great partner of ours. Lisa Payton, Assistant Division Chief with the Emergency Medical Services Authority here in California. Chief Kim Zagaris, the State Fire Chief with the California Emergency Management Agency. John Winder, Assistant Deputy Director for Fire Protection at Cal Fire. Michael Klinman, the Project Director, totally unprepared at University of California at San Diego. Michelle Gannett, the Public Information Officer sat with the Sacramento Police Department. Mark Cohen, the Director of the California Department of Water Resources. Renee Garcia, the Acting Chief of the Office of Emergency Management at the Department of Transportation. Tracy McBroom, the Chief of Disaster Services Bureau, Department of Social Services. Jason Marshall, the Chief Deputy at the California Geological Survey. Grant Miller, the Director of Regulatory Affairs at CVMA and Judy Sartori, the Flood Risk Manager here in Sacramento. So we are here today to bring attention to National Preparedness Month. A special time, we in Emergency Management set aside as a reminder for all Californians to prepare themselves for any disaster. Man-made or natural, in order to protect their lives, the lives of their family and friends, and protect their homes and workplaces. Tragedies such as the 2010 gas explosion in San Bruno, the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and even the recent wildfires we have experienced throughout California remind us all that we just can't wait for the unexpected to happen. We need to be prepared now, so that we are ready when, not if, disaster strikes. And I know this firsthand, notwithstanding being in the business, but I want to share a personal experience with you that I think really emphasizes why we are here today. In 1995, I was in Osaka, Japan, 18 miles from the city of Kobe, when at 546 in the morning, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck. Following 20 seconds of shaking, only 20 seconds, thousands of people were immediately rendered homeless, with over 150,000 buildings damaged or destroyed by full of partial collapse or by fire. Most of those buildings were either family homes or multifamily residences. Fires broke out all over the city, burning close to one million square meters of the downtown district. Water, power, communications, and roads were disrupted, severing critical lifelines and preventing access of emergency services, evacuations, or critical assets. The quake left emergency responders like fire, emergency medical services, or law enforcement either incapacitated or committed to critical needs. In many cases, fire departments and police stations had collapsed, killing or injuring the very people that were counted on to help others. People who lived in Kobe and surrounding communities found themselves on their own for days without direct assistance, until outside forces could arrive or relief systems could be set up. People who were not injured became the rescuers for people who were. Makeshift medical stations were erected. Families and neighbors huddled around makeshift fire rings to assess their situation and make plans. In essence, they counted on each other. In all, over 6,000 people lost their lives and more than 26,000 people were injured. The economic impact exceeded one hundred billion dollars in 20 seconds. I spent over a week in the devastated city assisting with search and rescue and firefighting efforts. My observations reinforce what we profess today. Families and individuals who had invested in preparedness fared far better during the situation than those who did not. People who had supplies who had taken the time to learn from government warnings and preparedness messages who had a plan overall dealt with the impacts of the disaster better than those who did not. They had a better peace of mind and confidence that they could overcome this challenges, the challenges. So that's why today is so important. Let's take a lesson from Kobay and take the responsibility to prepare ourselves and our families for disasters and emergencies. In fact, there are three simple things each of us can do today to contribute to our safety and disaster preparedness. It's pretty simple. First, know your risk. Do you live in a place that has a risk for wildfire? Perhaps you need to live near a creek or stream or river that could possibly flood or an active earthquake fault. By learning your risk, you are better equipped to prepare yourself accordingly, prepare your family. Build a supply kit. Each individual or family should have an essential emergency supplies for at least the first 72 hours after disaster. This certainly was the case that helped people in Kobay. If a firefighters and police cannot get to you, then you have to help yourself or maybe you have to help others. So being as self-sufficient as possible really will give you that peace of mind. And that confidence during emergencies. And finally, have a family disaster plan and talk about what you will do with your family or your friends during a disaster. Even having a plan is critical, but exercising it is even more important. So it's important to practice what you would do in a disaster so it becomes second nature. One great way to practice, we're going to make it easy for you. So one great way to practice is to sign up and participate in the Great Shake Out drill. The world's largest earthquake drill, which is going to be happening on October 18th. And you can register online at www.shakeout.org. I think you can sign up here today. It's that simple. Know your risk, make a kit, have a plan. So I have a challenge for all of us in California. As we plan tonight and today for our day tomorrow, do our disaster homework and start preparing for the next fire, flood, or earthquake, or whatever emergency you may encounter in your day-to-day lives. Today, Governor Brown gave me the proclamation proclaiming California, September as California Month of Preparedness. Let's take that charge from the Governor. Preparedness is a responsibility that falls on every individual and is incumbent upon all of us to take steps that will protect ourselves, our families, and our communities during times of crisis. This is not just a government responsibility or a government solution. It's all of our responsibility. So I encourage you to take advantage of the information and resources available here at this great fair today as we move to create a culture of preparedness year-round in all of our lives. For today, I want to particularly thank Walmart, whose sponsorship afforded us the opportunity to have intuitive tech solutions provide technical, logistical, and operational support, which was instrumental to the success of today's event. Walmart is a great partner and provides vital support to Cal EMA through its public-private partnerships that we count on during emergencies day in and day out. So with that, I'd like to introduce Kevin Luskatov, the Director of Public Affairs from Walmart to give a few remarks. Thank you. Kevin. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for inviting Walmart to participate in this extremely worthwhile event. We all know how unpredictable weather can be, and we're all very aware of what can happen in a split second. Walmart is committed to the communities that we serve, and that's why it is so important for us to not only be helpful after a disaster, but also work closely with local, state, and our federal partners before the next event by sharing preparedness information with our customers and our associates. In the event of extended power outages in a major disaster, emergency resources will be spread thin. It may take a while before search and rescue teams can get to you, so it's important to have life-sustaining items ready for you and your family. Our associates are very involved and connected in the communities we live. We live here. Our kids go to school here, and this is home. So we want to be helpful to our neighbors and help them prepare for the next disaster, knowing it's not a matter of if, but unfortunately when that might occur. Thank you again, Mr. Secretary, for having us. Thanks, Kevin. Now I'd like to introduce Jeff Luss, the Deputy Federal Preparedness Director with the Federal Emergency Management here in Region 9, and I want to particularly thank FEMA for their participation and all of their support, and they're a great partner, and we really couldn't do all of our work without them. So with that, I'd like to introduce Jeff Lusk. He has a fan club out here. Thank you. I see all the sugar we distributed this morning has paid off. Well, thanks everybody. Thanks for coming out today. What a great day as far as weather goes for those of us that were here last year on the third annual event. I think we'd eclipse the heat of the sun by this time on that morning. So today's going to be a fantastic day. Thank you very much, Mark, for having us, and many of my colleagues behind me, some of whom I've known for years, and others that are going to get to be good friends by the end of the day. I've lived in Northern California most of my life, and this is my home. And for those of us that work in FEMA that live and work in this community, this is a very important time for us as well. And no more responsibility lays that on those that have to respond than to be prepared ourselves and to be ready for disasters. And even though I live and work in Northern California and I've seen the results of disasters here in the valley and in the Bay Area and Southern California and the wildfires and in earthquakes, I've been all over the country to serve on disasters. And it really is true what Mark said earlier. The communities and the individuals that are more prepared or more resilient, they come back faster. They get over these events more rapidly. The neighbors helping neighbors gives the first responders, the second responders, and the governments a chance to organize their delivery of supplies and services to folks. And it really gives us that edge when we don't have to concentrate on maintaining life, but we can worry about saving life and restoring utilities and getting things back to normal. So this public private partnership you see behind me today, this is important, but really the public is our most important emergency manager that we have. So I'd encourage everyone to circulate through the booths, get some materials, talk to folks, and do those things that have been mentioned before. Have a kit, make a plan, be informed of your risk. You're going to hear that repeatedly today, and that's because if you can do those three things, if you can take steps in those three activities, you and yours are going to be so much better prepared for these events when they do happen. I'm struck that every day is earthquake season on the west coast and throughout the country. You don't know when those events are going to happen. Every day could be the day before your disaster. So we need to think about that and we need to think about the implications of that on our family and friends. I hear a lot of times people come up to the booth or speak to me at sidebars and out at our vehicles when we're out in the public and they say, you know, I don't have any risk. I'm not on an earthquake fault. It doesn't flood where I live. The forest is very far away from me and I just don't have fires. Well, there are other kinds of disasters. There are other kinds of incidents that may affect you and your family. The possibility of having pandemic influenza breakout some year and having a lot of people gone from school and work and from retail stores is a possibility. The threat of cyber attack these days. I'm always very, very optimistic guy. People love talking to me. So the threat of cyber is a very real thing to lose that banking information or to be denied power for a few days. So anytime you create a plan, you're becoming more resilient even from those day to day things in life that may happen. If the power goes out in your neighborhood for two days, your neighbors are going to love you when you flip the switch on that generator and people come out and you've still got refrigerator and you've got some lights. The party is at your house. One of the things we should look at as we're entering into the holidays is maybe giving the gift of preparedness. There's a lot of retail around us today. There's a lot of displays out here. Great things people are doing and tools to take away and ideas that we can do to help get better prepared. So as we enter the holidays, maybe consider giving the gift of preparedness. I know I like to take those little light blue jewelry boxes and you can imagine the surprise on my wife's face when she opens that and in there are keys to a new generator for her. I've never surprised her as much on those days and it's really made an impact in my relationship. I can tell you that. So I want to thank you for coming out today. I want to encourage you to go around the booths and meet and talk to some folks, get some preparedness materials. I encourage you to talk to anybody up here. We're very passionate. Nobody gets into emergency management if they don't care about these kinds of things. So to have a kit and make a plan and be informed, know your risks, be ready to take care of your neighbors. Those are the things we all need to think about. So I'd like to thank Mark yet again and with that I'm to introduce Dawn Lynn Bloom who is the CEO of the American Red Cross Sacramento area. Thanks very much. Appreciate it. Thank you, Jeff. I'm still thinking about that blue box and not sure if I'd want that or not. So during the National Preparedness Month, the American Red Cross is encouraging all households to create or update a family disaster plan and to make sure they're ready for the next emergency or disaster. As you just heard, no one can predict where or when the next large disaster will strike but preparedness steps can be taken today that will save lives tomorrow. Your plan should include number one, designating a meeting place outside the home in case of a sudden emergency like a house fire. Two, you should identify an out of area emergency contact person that you and your family members can check in with if a large disaster occurs. And third, a location where everyone should meet or can meet if they can't get home, maybe a local park, someone's workplace or nearby school. Everyone should be prepared to take care of themselves and their neighbors. And Red Cross tools such as our first aid and hurricane apps make preparedness planning easier. Through your iPhone or Android smartphone, you have quick and easy access to preparedness information right at your fingertips. In addition to these two apps, I'm very excited to share with you that tomorrow we're going to be releasing a new Red Cross app, a preparedness app, and it's something that's very relevant to all of us in Northern California. So beyond preparedness apps, a family disaster plan template is also available on our website at www.redcross.org for you to download and complete and to make or update your emergency plan. The Red Cross also has a range of different programs to help families, businesses, schools and communities to be better prepared and more resilient when facing a disaster emergency. Be Red Cross Ready is an online interactive training program that teaches individuals and families how to be ready for emergencies. Red Cross Ready Rating is a free web-based program that helps businesses, schools and other organizations better prepare themselves for emergencies. And lastly, Ready When the Time Comes trains employees from corporations and mobilizes them as community-based volunteer force when disaster strikes. At the Red Cross, we know the value of trained volunteers. So next, I'd like to introduce our partner in one of those times of disasters, Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering for California Volunteers. Thank you so much and good morning to everyone. First of all, I'd like to say we're just so proud to be partners, both with, obviously with Mark and Cali and May on this effort to get Californians prepared. We really want to thank everyone who is attending here today and celebrating September as Preparedness Month. Please make sure you stop by the California Volunteers booth over here, especially if you're interested in learning more information about how you could be a really vibrant community volunteer, part of our, our Citizen Corps. You may or may not know it, but we have over 3,700 Citizen Corps chapters here in California. This includes our CERT Community Emergency Response Teams, our VIPs, Volunteers in Police Service, Neighborhood Watch, Fire Corps, and Medical Reserve Corps. These are unbelievable Californians who every day are out there and well-trained, ready to help their neighbors. One story that I think really illustrates this impact of a well-trained citizen is a gentleman who's 17 years old, who's from the Menlo Park Fire Department, was trained there as a CERT volunteer, and on his prom night, watched the car in front of him roll over, if you can believe it. And because he had just taken the CERT class, he was able to direct people on what to do and call dispatch directly to report the accident, because he had preloaded the local dispatch number into his phone. Now, how many 17-year-olds do you know who would know what to do and what not to do? It takes that type of training of everyday Californians to ensure that we're really prepared. We also have a number of other efforts of California volunteers to ensure that our local nonprofits, many that are here today, are also prepared. We've provided training to over 450 nonprofits that serve the most vulnerable in our communities to become better prepared and more resilient, to be able to continue to serve their clients in a disaster. We've provided training to volunteer centers throughout the state to help effectively manage the thousands of spontaneous volunteers that show up to help after a disaster, creating a valuable resource rather than a problem that will add to the confusion. Lastly, I just really want to encourage you to go to our website at CaliforniaVolunteers.org to find out more about how you can find a local citizen core chapter and join us as a really active volunteer. Thank you so much. Okay, well, now we're going to have, I'd like to introduce Gary Dietrich, the President of Citizen Voice, and he'll give a few remarks before we turn it back over to Lori. Gary? Thank you, Mark. Today, just a quick moment to honor, to remember and to thank. Mark, I really want to honor you and each one of you up here on behalf of all Californians, when I came to this building a quarter of a century ago, we had a lot of problems. But in the last 25 years, I've reminded hundreds of people in emergency services that those of us who are Californians, all almost 40 million of us, there's no more important function of government than protecting its people. So I honor you, Mark, and the work that you've performed and so many others to make sure that Californians are protected. Secondly, today I want to remember. I remember those folks who aren't here today, frail elderly, people with disabilities, young children who have still small, weak voices, who in a disaster, like the one the Safe Way Out Project was born in, Katrina, couldn't speak for themselves, couldn't rescue themselves, many couldn't get out of their own homes. You remember, 5,000 kids separated from their parents, frail elderly floated out on mattresses, you remember the images just like I do. And that's why I went to the Gulf, and then we came back and parted with Don and the able crew at the Sacramento Red Cross chapter as technical experts to put together the Safe Way Out Project to ensure that our most vulnerable can be safely evacuated during any natural or man-made disaster. And so finally today I want to thank, I want to thank so many up here. Karen Baker and Walmart, whose local affiliates early supported this project, Callie May, tremendous partners in making sure that safely out kits get into the hands of the most vulnerable. 1,500 today, we're happy to announce, are going, this is one of the door hangers in there and the other components that have been mentioned today, things like having a plan, like getting helpers. 1,500 today, going to David here and the folks at the author regional center, they're going to distribute these to 1,500 independent living clients, developing disabled adults who live alone in the 10 county Sacramento region. This begins a roll out of 40,000 safely out kits this fall sponsored by Callie May. They're going to go to people all over California in the next few weeks and months, including for the first time 10,000 in Spanish. People who without these would not have the help that they need to get out in a man made of natural disasters. So again, our thanks for that and on behalf of them and the family that I met in Katrina who came to a motel lobby and asked this poignant question that is native California and I will never forget. They said, we just got a call from the Morgan New Orleans. Our dad is dead. We have no money to bury him. Can you help us? We did help with those funeral arrangements and I came back to my native golden state with one thing in mind that we're going to do everything we can here in California to make sure that question never gets asked here. So thank you, Mark. So I want to thank you all so much for being here today. This is our fourth annual event and we could not do this without our partnerships and I want to thank you all for being here today. And this concludes this portion of our press conference. We'll have a media availability immediately following this press conference for the next 30 minutes. So you'll have an opportunity to speak with any one of these principles that are behind me. Thank you so much for being here today.