September Is "Emergency Preparedness Month" ... And Diesel Power Is Working 24/7 to Protect Public Health And Safety

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With September being "Emergency Preparedness Month", federal, state and local officials are focusing attention about how to individual families and businesses should prepare for a variety of potential emergency situations – many unique to their specific regions.

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Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement and information about the major role clean diesel technology has in providing a broad array protections and emergency services for public health and safety in all 50 states.

"Emergency preparedness is important for every single American throughout the United States.  It's not just the sole concern of Californians for earthquakes, those who live in 'Tornado Alley', or for Gulf Coast residents because of hurricanes. 

"In these and other communities across America, first responders, emergency planners and elected officials have a full array of capabilities at hand to prepare for, prevent and respond to natural and man-made disasters. Assuring continuous electrical power, providing fire and rescue services, material handling, water pumping as well as clean-up and remediation are all made possible thanks largely to diesel technology. 

"Most Americans are unaware of the important role diesel technology has in providing routine and emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  During this emergency-preparedness month it is important to highlight some of these key areas.

Diesel Generators Keep Hospitals, 911 Call Centers and Emergency Services Functioning

"One of the most prevalent recommendations from officials throughout the world is the installation of a generator for emergencies. Within 10 seconds of a blackout, stationary diesel generators are fully online and providing power for homes, businesses and emergency services.  Diesel-powered generators provide the most reliable form of backup power due to fuel availability, power density, response time and durability.

"Power plant outages due to storms, natural disasters or high power demands are common.  As our world grows increasingly interconnected and our dependence on technology grows, power reliability becomes increasingly critical. Hospitals, data centers, water and sewage facilities, fueling stations, and communication and transportation systems require continuous power to protect public health and safety.

"A continuous power supply can mean the difference between life and death. Thanks to diesel-powered generators, supplies of food, water, medicines and fuel can be protected during natural disasters in large cities and remote or isolated locations.

"Natural gas does not offer a viable option for most back up needs because the fuel supply is not self-controlled or guaranteed, and could be interrupted by a natural disaster, or shut down by authorities to avoid large scale fires in the event of earthquakes, for example.

"Each Second Counts In the Operating Room"

"Each second counts in the operating room, and diesel is a silent yet reliable partner to virtually every hospital across the country. No other energy source provides full-strength backup power within seconds of a failure by the primary electricity grid.

"In the aftermath of hurricanes, diesel-powered equipment immediately goes to work, aiding in rescue operations and clean up processes. Diesel's work continues as a partner in the rebuilding efforts. During power outages, diesel supplies the back-up power to keep critical services in operation.

"In New York, more than 15,000 stationary diesel generators are used across all industries for clean, efficient, uninterrupted power to thousands of businesses to help save lives and protect against loss of business.  In fact, 75 percent of U.S. small business owners rate a power outage as a top threat to their business, which reinforces the crucial role of diesel as a back-up power source.

"While used more frequently as a source of emergency rather than prime power, advances in clean diesel technology have enabled the introduction of prime power generators with extremely low emissions beginning in 2011 and advanced diesel-powered generation into the areas of distributed generation, peak shaving, and use with alternative energy sources such as wind turbines.

Rescue Equipment and Other Emergency Services Rely on Diesel Technology

"Call 911 and odds are that a piece of diesel-powered equipment will respond. Fire trucks, ambulances, and other rescue equipment all rely on diesel.  Diesel is also becoming the power of choice for police cars.

"In California, CAL FIRE, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, owns and operates more than 3,000 emergency vehicles, ranging from fire engines, bulldozers, trailers, construction equipment, and mobile kitchen units, all of which are powered by diesel technology.  In addition, more than 3,730 ambulance vehicles are used across California with virtually exclusively powered by diesel engines because of their durability and reliability.

Homeland Security and Public Safety

"Diesel vehicles play an important role in protecting our public safety and homeland security. Approximately one-third of the fuel consumed by the U.S. military each year is diesel. And, in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, diesel-powered construction equipment played a major role in the recovery and cleanup operations.

Clean Diesel Technology Continues To Advance

"An important aspect of diesel's role in emergency preparedness is that it's doing so in a much cleaner manner.  Clean diesel technology has advanced tremendously in the past decade and will continue to progress in the future."

"Today's new prime power diesel generators emit 26 times less particulate matter than those manufactured 10 years ago. These developments are reducing the air quality implications for diesel-powered generators use and creating new market opportunities as communities look for clean energy alternatives. Thanks to this technology transformation, diesel power will continue to offer underlying energy security for the U.S. and throughout the world for many years to come."

Learn More . . .

Learn about the components of clean diesel technology from the engine to the fuel to the emissions control systems.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website - Ready.gov – provides recommendations and checklists to ensure your homes and businesses are prepared for emergencies.

ABOUT THE DIESEL TECHNOLOGY FORUM
The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit national organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology. Forum members are leaders in clean diesel technology and represent the three key elements of the modern clean-diesel system: advanced engines, vehicles and equipment, cleaner diesel fuel and emissions-control systems. For more information visit www.dieselforum.org.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Allen Schaeffer - http://www.profnetconnect.com/allen.schaeffer

Contact:
Steve Hansen
[email protected]
301-668-7230 (o)
202-355-3664 (c)

(View this press release online here.)

SOURCE Diesel Technology Forum