This new toy is called a yo-yo. Me, Myself, & I have discovered not only a new meaning for the "up & down" motion of a yo-yo, but we have also created a new acronym. Some new readers might wonder what this is all about, so they will have to read a few of the 43 Emergency Preparedness blogs that have been posted, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.(Look under "Categories" to your right.)

With a new hurricane season just starting, disaster preparedness organizations and agencies have been getting ready. In fact, the 2009 National Hurricane Conference was held recently in Austin, TX. (April 6-10.) Several of the Amateur Radio sessions were video taped and are available online 24/7, courtesy of the North Shore Radio Association and the Austin Amateur Radio Club. http://www.nsradio.org/video

The Trio (Me, Myself & I) pretended they would attend, so they split up in order to attend as many of the sessions as possible. They soon discovered that these disaster response professionals were similar to a glass of water that is half full (or half empty), depending upon your point of view. Over the past few years, the Federal Government has distributed millions of dollars to enable Emergency and Disaster Response agencies at all levels of government, to be better prepared to cope with major disasters such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes. These funds have been used to conduct field exercises, train personnel, and purchase supplies and equipment. Depending on who you "talk" to, many of these professionals are optimistic and believe they are now ready to cope with any disaster that might occur in their jurisdiction. On the other hand, however, there are officials who believe that in spite of "all the money" that has been spent to date, they still have a long way to go before they can declare that "We're Ready."

Hammerhead loves the question, "In your opinion, is the glass half full or half empty?" because it "hits the nail on the head," as far as disaster readiness is concerned. Eagle-Eyes, however, believes that regardless of the answer, a new acronym - yo-yo - represents the "ups & down" of local emergency response teams readiness capabilities. The Trio now has a new toy to use to express its concerns - yo-yo = You're on your own!

Stay tuned for additional blogs that will focus on what WE - private citizens - can do as volunteers when We're on our own. (WOOO!) Check out those blogs that describe CERT + NERT + CERN + ALERT. If you think our list of acronyms is becoming complicated, check out FEMA's list. Hmmm, what does FEMA stand for? ;-)