Town Officials Call USA TODAY Flood Article 'Factually Incorrect'

An article from USA TODAY is coming under heavy scrutiny from North Kingstown town officials.

Town officials are criticizing an article published last week in USA TODAY that stated that North Kingstown was ill prepared for Hurricane Sandy, calling the piece “factually inaccurate” and defending the town’s preparedness for flooding. The article, which was featured on the newspaper’s front page on Nov. 1, highlighted communities hit by Hurricane Sandy that have received the lowest ratings from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in terms of flood preparedness. In the article, USA TODAY states that many cities and towns slammed by Sandy have done "little to protect themselves from flood damage, ignoring federal incentives." According to Town Manager Michael Embury, this statement is misleading and “just plain wrong.” “It tries to …

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LiveLaughLove

6:50 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012

Yes, that is true. They can find another job, and many are. Just call the NKFD and ask how they are doing with recruiting and retaining employees.   more ›

USA TODAY: NK Among Worst Prepared For Floods

North Kingstown is ranked in the second-worst bracket for communities that are prepared for floods.

Superstorm Sandy's wrath wreaked havoc in many coastal communities from New Jersey to New Hampshire – and exposed the undeniable truth for many that they were not prepared for the flooding that accompanied the storm.  According to USA TODAY, many cities and towns slammed by Sandy have done "little to protect themselves from flood damage, ignoring federal incentives." The article, which ran on the front page of USA TODAY on November 1, said that more than 100 municipalities in areas declared in a federal emergency following storm have been rated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as some of the worst in terms of flood preparedness in the country. Among them is North Kingstown. FEMA gives out higher ratings to communities that…

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Fire Department Receives $500K+ for Communications Upgrades

The North Kingstown Fire Department has received $577,000 in federal grants to improve communications equipment.

Public safety in North Kingstown just got a half-million-dollar boost courtesy of the federal government. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and James Langevin announced that the North Kingstown Fire Department is to receive $577,631 in federal grants. The federal funds will go toward upgrading the department's communications systems and equipment, purchasing portable radios for the firetrucks and in-car repeaters. According to Fire Chief Fenwick Gardiner Jr., these repeaters will help boost signal from the trucks' portable radios. "There are areas in town that are difficult communications wise," said Gardiner "Inside buildings are another link in the length of the chain." …

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Event Of The Day

EVENT OF THE DAY: This is Only a Test

The FCC will conduct the first nationwide emergency alert test today at 2.

FEMA and the FCC will conduct the first national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) today at 2 p.m. The system test is the first of its kind designed to broadcast a nationwide message to the American public. The three-minute test will run concurrently on all radio and TV band stations. FEMA officials noted it is only a test, even if the test message on TV does not indicate that it is just a test. For more information regarding the test, visit www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm.

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