The 45th Annual Governor’s Conference on Emergency Management and Homeland Security is now open for registration There are some fantastic presenters lined up for this years conference that will cover a wide range of topics.

For a detailed list of all the speakers, breakout sessions and other conference information please view the brochure by clicking HERE. To register for the conference on the Wisconsin Training Portal please click HERE.

Following three drownings over a three-day period after people broke through thin ice on Wisconsin waters, state recreational safety specialists are again strongly cautioning that ice on many state waterways is not thick enough to safely support a human -- much less any type of vehicle.

Program teaches 5th graders how to get ready for emergencies

More than 5500 students in 250 classrooms around Wisconsin are learning how to prepare for disasters and react to emergencies thanks to a special program called STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning).

STEP is a turn-key classroom curriculum for teachers to prepare 5th grade students for various emergencies including tornadoes, flooding and storms. It also shows students how to put together an emergency kit and develop an emergency plan with their families. Teachers signed up for the program this past fall and are required to teach the STEP curriculum before the end of the 2011-12 school year.

What is your New Year resolution? Why not “Resolve to be Ready in 2012”. It could help keep you and your family safe. “Wisconsin experienced its share of disasters in 2011 including a blizzard, 38 tornadoes, devastating windstorms in northern Wisconsin and a heat wave that killed five people and impacted the entire state," said Tod Pritchard, Wisconsin’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. "Emergencies can range from inconvenient to devastating, but resolving to take easy steps now can minimize the impact of an emergency on you, your family and your community."