Minnesota Department of Health

News Release

May 2, 2007

Contact information

Minnesota Goes “Code Ready”
New Campaign, Launched This Week, Helps Minnesotans Prepare for Disasters

St. Paul – Each year, thousands of Minnesotans are affected by disaster brought on by tornadoes, floods, fire and other emergencies that have a lasting impact on both lives and property. The Minnesota Departments of Health and Public Safety are joining forces to help Minnesotans prepare for any hazard. The two agencies, along with a coalition of local public health and emergency response agencies, created Code Ready in an effort to help every Minnesotan prepare.

In the aftermath of 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina, emergency preparedness has become a high-profile issue nationwide. Those events demonstrated the importance of being prepared, but it is not only large-scale events that impact people’s lives. Code Ready is a campaign that not only educates Minnesotans about the importance of preparation, it gives them the tools they need to prepare. One campaign element is codeready.org, a web site that helps people build a customized emergency plan and kit of emergency supplies. The site also connects visitors to resources in their local community that will help them become prepared.

“This campaign is not just about awareness, it's about action,” said Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion. “We want Minnesotans to understand the importance of being prepared, and take steps to actually get prepared. The web site will help them do that.”

“Code Ready can serve as a way for Minnesotans to understand the importance of emergency preparedness,” said Department of Health Commissioner Diane Mandernach. “Code Ready builds an identity for emergency preparedness activities conducted by partner agencies and organizations throughout the state.”

With Code Ready, Minnesota is one of the first states in the nation to develop an all-hazard preparedness campaign with a substantial presence in outdoor, radio and print advertising, on the Web and in communities statewide.

For more information about Code Ready, to build a personalized emergency plan or to be connected to an emergency preparedness expert in your area, visit www.codeready.org.

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Editor’s Note: See attached schedule of launch news conferences in Greater Minnesota.

CODE READY KICK-OFF SHEDULE

St. Louis County
Duluth – Thursday, May 3 – 9:00 a.m.
City of Duluth Emergency Operations Center
West Duluth Police Department
5830 Grand Avenue
Duluth, MN 55807

Clay County
Moorhead – Thursday, May 3 – 12:30 p.m.
Clay County Law Enforcement Center
Training Room
915 9th Ave. N.
Moorhead, MN 56560

Stearns County
St. Cloud – Thursday, May 3 – 3:00 p.m.
General Aviation Building
St. Cloud Airport
1550 45th Ave SE
St. Cloud, MN 56303

Lyon County
Marshall – Friday, May 4 – 9:00 a.m.
Law Enforcement Center
Training Room
611 West Main Street
Marshall, MN 56258

Blue Earth County
Mankato – Friday, May 4 – 11:15 a.m.
Mankato Airport
3030 N. Airport Road
Mankato, MN 56001

Olmsted County
Rochester – Friday, May 4 – 2:00 p.m.
Olmstead County EOC
7300 Brataas Drive SW
Rochester, MN 55904

For more information, contact:

Doug Neville
Department of Public Safety
(651) 201-7562

Buddy Ferguson

Department of Health

(651) 201-4997

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