DOS

• Do call the public information officer (PIO).
• Do prepare for an interview.
• Do keep answers short and simple.
• Do focus on two to three talking points.
• Do tell the truth.
• Do listen to the reporter's questions.
• Do pause . . . think before you answer.
• Do say I don't know when you don't know. Then say you'll find out.
• Do check your appearance.
• Do pay attention to news deadlines.

DON'TS

• Don't lie EVER!
• Don't go off the record. There is no such thing as off the record!
• Don't say no comment. Say something! For example, I can't comment on a pending lawsuit.
• Don't say anything you wouldn't want on the evening news or page one of the newspaper.
• Don't speculate, offer personal opinions, or speak beyond your expertise.
• Don't use jargon.
• Don't play favorites.
• Don't ignore media calls.
• Don't become angry or provoke reporters.

Deaf Link is continuing to gather email addresses, state and zip code information for our Accessible Hazard Alert System - Individual Notification. This notification can be sent to email, pagers, cell phones (with text capability), and PDAs (with email capability). This new service will provide you with access to emergency information for your county, city or state. The AHAS-IN (individual notification) can be received in American Sign Language (ASL), English text, voice and can also be received by Braille capable devices for blind or deaf and blind citizens.

In order for this system to provide you and your family with this potentially life saving information, we need your help. We are expanding our database of email addresses, text pagers with ZIP codes of individuals who are Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Late Deafened, Deaf and Blind and Blind who live in the United States. This service will attempt to notify you if an emergency/hazard happens in your area through the email/pager/text phone/PDA address you provide. This alert system is in addition to alerts on the television and any other hazard information you have access to. We are expanding this service across the United States. We can only alert you and your family members if you are in our AHAS-IN database.

This information will not be used for any purpose other than Emergency/Hazard Alerts. We will not share your information with any third party except as required by law.

Please fill in your email address, text pager address and/or other assistive capable devices and the county, state and ZIP code where you live/work. Then click the "Add" button. You will be sent an email letting you know that you have successfully added your email address. No names, addresses or other information is needed.

Your information will be good for one year. You will receive one reminder to re-new your information before it expires. When you get this reminder, return to this page; enter your email and zip code to verify them. This expiration/reminder system will allow us to remove old contact information that is no longer valid. Here's the link: http://deaflink.com/ahas/ahas.html (have them fill in the information boxes at the bottom of the page and then submit it.)

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Fort Bend County Health and Human Services utilizes the Deaf Link create to host a number of health-related preparedness videos, which they have hosted on their website.

The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management strives to make our website accessible to people with special needs. If you are a person with special needs, please view our accessibility policy, and let us know if you have problems accessing the information on our site.