Tweet @FBCOEM and use one of the following hashtags to report damage, or ask a question:

• #flood – If you see high water or start to see inland flooding around you.
• #tornado – If you see a funnel cloud, tornado, or rotating wall cloud.
• #hail – If you see hail larger than nickel size.
• #wind – If you see or have experienced severe winds.
• #damage – If you see damage from winds, hail or lightning.
• #debris – If you see debris blocking a road or other right of way
• #powerout – If your power is out.
• #wateroff – If you water pressure is low or turned off.

Don’t have any idea what a hashtag is or not sure how they work? No problem! Read more on the Twitter support page.

If tweeting from your GPS-enabled mobile device, be sure to click your “location” button. If it’s safe, include a photo or video!

If you can’t turn on GPS, be sure to include a description of where you are in your tweet (i.e. loc:90 A & 99 or loc:307 Fort Street)

Don’t have a Twitter account or a smart phone? If you have text messaging enabled on your phone, text “SIGNUP” to 40404 and follow the prompts. Once signed up, text “follow FBCOEM” to 40404 to start receiving our alerts via SMS. Normal carrier charges may apply for text messaging, but neither we nor Twitter will charge you for the service.

Of course you can feel free to email us at oem@co.fort-bend.tx.us with the same information, or simply submit a report online.

FBC OEM will transmit any severe weather reports to the National Weather Service on your behalf.

As always, tweet safely, and if you feel your life or property is threatened, dial 9-1-1

Got questions about it? Tweet @FBCOEM or e-mail us at oem@co.fort-bend.tx.us.

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Note:  The above was received from Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management on May 12, 2012:

Mr. Werlein was a founding member of the City of Simonton in 1979 and served on the Simonton City Council for many years. 

Simonton is a better place to live, thanks to his contributions to our community.  He will certainly be missed.

Link to Mr. Werlein’s Obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theeagle/obituary.aspx?n=eugene-weleini-gene&pid=157451415

Points to Remember
Unwanted Robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission’s new rules protect Texans from unwanted robocalls by:

• Requiring solicitors to obtain prior express written consent from recipients before placing a robocall
• Eliminating the “established business relationship” exemption
• Requiring solicitors to provide an automated, interactive “opt-out” mechanism during each robocall so that consumers can electronically instruct the solicitor to stop calling
• Strictly limiting the number of abandoned or “dead air” calls that telemarketers can make within each calling campaign.Texans who receive prerecorded telemarketing calls but have not agreed to get them should file a complaint:Federal Communications Commission
  www.fcc.gov/complaints
  (888) 225-5322

  Office of the Attorney General
  www.texasattorneygeneral.gov
  (800) 252-8011

Robocalls to Residential and Wireless Phones
by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

To help traditional landline and wireless telephone customers avoid prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved changes to its telemarketing rules. Unwanted autodialed calls, which are often referred to as robocalls, intrude upon recipients’ personal time and – in the case of calls to wireless phones – waste their minutes.

Under the FCC’s new rules, solicitors must get the consumer’s written authorization in advance before robocalling that consumer. The written consent may be obtained through electronic means such as a website form.

The FCC’s rule change also eliminates the “established business relationship” exemption. Under the old policy, the FCC allowed solicitors to robocall individuals with whom the soliciting company had previously conducted business. The new FCC rule requires written consent for all telemarketing robocalls – regardless of whether the company previously did business with the consumer.

The FCC’s rule change also requires solicitors to give consenting call recipients an opportunity to change their mind and withdraw their written consent. Under the new rules, every robocall must include an automated, interactive opt-out mechanism that enables a recipient to revoke consent and instruct the solicitor to stop calling by pressing just a few keys during the call. The solicitor must automatically add the consumer to its do-not-call list and immediately disconnect the call.

The new rules also strictly limit the number of abandoned or “dead-air” calls that solicitors make within their robocalling campaigns. “Dead-air” calls refer to calls in which a recipient hears only a dial tone or dead air because a telemarketer has abandoned the call.

The FCC did not change the federal rules governing telephone calls that deliver purely informational recorded messages. In other words, calls that merely inform consumers are treated differently than calls that attempt to sell a product or service. For example, informational robocalls include automated messages updating consumers about airline flights or school closures.

Other types of authorized robocalls include calls from financial institutions, political candidates, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations. Similarly, the new rules do not apply to messages about recipients’ health care. The FCC’s new rules also exempt debt collection calls as long as the caller is not trying to sell something.

Texans who receive unwanted prerecorded telemarketing calls should file a complaint with the FCC at www.fcc.gov/complaints or by calling (888) 225-5322. Recipients may also file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General online at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov or by calling (800) 252-8011.

The FCC’s new rules come as the Texas Attorney General’s Office resolves enforcement actions against three telemarketing firms that participated in an unlawful scheme to sell car warranty service contracts. According to state investigators, the defendants’ unlawful telephone solicitation scheme violated multiple state and federal telemarketing laws. In addition to falsely marketing service contracts as extended warranties, the telemarketing companies used falsified telephone numbers to hide their identities. As a result, recipients’ caller identification devices displayed fake numbers when they received calls from the defendants. Under settlement agreements with the defendants, the companies must provide clear disclosures to customers and abide by state and federal telemarketing laws in the future.

Mayor Daniel McJunkin and Darla Farmer at Simonton City Hall

To read more on the Fort Bend Subsidence District, please click here: http://www.fbsubsidence.org/index.html