FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CITY, COUNTY, DCC RECEIVE STATE

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARD

The City of Danville, Pittsylvania County Emergency Management and Danville Community College were honored with the Clarence P. "Pete" Rea, Jr. Outstanding Group Achievement Award at the  Virginia Emergency Management Association annual meeting.Shown with the award, left to right, are: Jim Davis, Pittsylvania County Emergency Services Director; Doug Young, Danville Emergency Services Director; DCC President Dr. Carlyle Ramsey; and Dr. Carl Amos, DCC's Coordinator of Community Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

  DANVILLE, VA., May  13, 2003 -- A partnership between Emergency Management of the ;  City of

 Danville and Pittsylvania County and Danville Community College garnered top honors recently at the Virginia Emergency Management Association’s annual meeting. The three groups were recognized with the 2003 Clarence P. “Pete” Rea, Jr. Outstanding Group Achievement Award for their work in coordinating an effort to supply special weather alert radios for deaf and hard of hearing residents in Danville and Pittsylvania County. The award is named in honor of the former Danville Director of Emergency Services and recognizes organizations and businesses that contribute to emergency management services.

            The weather alert radios are an invaluable aid to persons who unable to hear broadcasts and alerts of approaching dangerous weather. Instead through the radios they are given a visual alert. Fifty radios initially were purchased last summer by DCC with funds from the Danville Lions Foundation, and presented free of charge to residents in need. The two localities and DCC held joint workshops throughout the community to introduce citizens to the radios and provide explanations how to use them.

            James Davis, Pittsylvania County Emergency Services Director, first brought the idea to Danville Emergency Services Director  Doug Young and to Dr. Carl Amos, DCC’s Coordinator of Community Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He noted that the award shows the high level of cooperation between the Emergency Management departments and other agencies.

            “This type of partnership is unheard of in Virginia,” Davis said. “It is certainly the first such partnership in the state, and maybe even nationally.”

            Doug Young, Danville Emergency Services Director, echoed Davis sentiments. He added that the partnership has received interest from other state and national FEMA groups.

            “There have been articles about this partnership in VEMA (Virginia Emergency Management Association) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association) publications. It is also listed on their website, and on the website of the National Academy of Science,” Young said.

            Amos added, “This is a great honor for this area. We already have several other upcoming joint projects to assist citizens in this community who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

            For more information, contact Amos at DCC (434) 797-8479 (v/t); Davis, at Pittsylvania County Emergency Management, (434) 432-7920; or Young, Danville Emergency Management  at (434)799-6535.