ACTION ALERT: Ensure that all Communities are Protected when Disaster Strikes!

Wildfires raged across eastern and central Washington state in 2014 and 2015, displacing hundreds of families from their homes. Despite the best efforts of first responders and emergency aid providers, some communities were notified too late or not at all, because they did not speak English. CCS/CHS staff served as disaster responders and outreach workers to Spanish-speaking people in the aftermath of the Chelan Complex Wildfires.
 
Several years ago there was an electrical outage due to a storm in the Puget Sound region. People who were unable to speak English did not know that they shouldn't use charcoal grills indoors. Families died as a result.
 
When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, families who were unable to speak English were out in dangerous conditions because they didn't understand the warnings.
 
In these emergency situations, deaths and injuries that resulted could have been averted if the people had understood the notifications.   
 
To ensure that these emergency notifications get translated, Senate Bill 5046 needs to be fully funded. Ask your legislators to support funding for SB-5046!

Click here for a quick, pre-written and editable action alert from Catholic Community Services.