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State of Alaska

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Office of Public Affairs

P.O. Box 5800, Camp Denali Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-5800

(907) 428-6031 Fax 428-6035

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2001

STATE EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTER OPENING CEREMONY SCHEDULED

Facility to begin 24/7 schedule October 1, ceremony to be held October 2

CAMP DENALI, ALASKA – The State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC), operated by the Alaska Division of Emergency Services, will begin 24-hour operations on October 1, 2001. Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer will attend an official ceremony hosted by Major General Phil Oates, Commissioner of Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, at 2:00 p.m. October 2nd to commemorate the event.

Director of the Division of Emergency Services, Mr. Dave Liebersbach, says a round-the-clock schedule will mean faster action during an emergency or disaster. "Typically, when something happens after hours in one of our communities, they call our number, and are routed to the 'on call' duty officer," he says. "With this new schedule, calls coming in from communities around the state will be answered by a live person who can help coordinate a response immediately."

Liebersbach says the importance of a full time staff in the SECC cannot be understated. "In Alaska, we're always concerned with such things as floods, fires, earthquakes, and also the man-made disasters. Emergencies don't follow a set schedule, so we need someone that can start helping as soon as the call comes in."

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Note to News Directors and Assignment Editors: The official opening ceremony for the SECC 24-hour operations will be held October 2, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. in the National Guard Armory on Fort Richardson. Due to increased security on Ft. Richardson, any media planning on attending should RSVP to the Public Affairs Office (428-6031) no later than October 1, 2001.