“Disaster Awareness” Television
Program
Contact:
Preston D. Cook
Warning/Communications
Coordinator
Orange County Emergency
Management
6590 Amory Court
Winter Park, FL 32792
Tel: 407–836–9140
Fax: 407–836–9147

Program Type:
Monthly television program
highlighting emergency
management issues.

Target Population:
400,000 people in Orange
County.

Setting:
Countywide.

Project Startup Date:
1996.

 Program Description:
“Disaster Awareness,” a regularly scheduled cable access television series, provides emergency preparedness information to the citizens of Orange County, Florida. Orange County’s progressive business licensing legislation requires local cable television franchises to provide one free, full-time cable access channel solely for government and public interest use. This broadcast channel, reaching an estimated 400,000 people in Orange County, is known as “Orange TV.”

Identified as a potential new medium for expanding public contact, Orange TV agreed to assist the Office of Emergency Management in the design, production, editing, and broadcast of disaster-related programs. To date, six 30-minute shows have been produced. The shows’ topics range from “Disaster Recovery and Insurance Guidance for Citizens” to “Understanding Hazardous Materials Events.”

Evaluation Information:
As of June 1997, survey results ranked the “Disaster Awareness” series the third most highly viewed program on Orange TV.

Annual Budget:
Personnel salaries only.