Editor’s Note: A video about “Moore Safe Nights” with American Sign Language (ASL) and captioning is available here.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2024) — Gov. Andy Beshear announced today the “Moore Safe Nights” program, which honors the work of late deaf and hard-of-hearing advocate Virginia Moore. The program will distribute 700 deaf or hard-of-hearing weather alert radios at no cost to eligible Kentuckians who apply.
Moore was a long-time executive director of Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and a fierce advocate who worked to ensure all Kentuckians have immediate access to emergency information.
“September is National Preparedness Month and also Deaf Awareness Month, so I can think of no better way to honor my good friend, the late Virginia Moore, than to offer free emergency weather radios with potentially life-saving technology to people who are deaf and hard of hearing,” said Gov. Beshear. “Virginia was a tireless advocate for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and was committed to making sure they have access to information just like any other Kentuckian. I am committed to carrying on her legacy by ensuring that all of our citizens have the resources they need to stay safe and informed during severe weather emergencies.”
The adapted National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios are equipped with pillow-shaker and strobe-light attachments to alert people who are deaf and hard of hearing of severe weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service. The radios also have text displays that light up, so Kentuckians know the type of weather warning issued. While the radios alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to dangerous weather situations 24 hours a day, the warnings are especially important when the person is asleep.
The program is a partnership between the state commission and the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. KYEM purchased the weather radios with funding from an emergency preparedness grant and Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program funds.
“Regardless of how vigilant deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals are in monitoring weather alerts, their vulnerability increases the moment they fall asleep because they are unable to hear alarms, sirens and other critical auditory warnings,” said Anita Dowd, executive director of the commission. “We appreciate the partnership with emergency management to help meet this critical need for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. This equipment will allow users to rest easier knowing that they now have access to this important and often life-saving information.”
“The ‘Moore Safe Nights’ project is an extremely important initiative that involved many partners to bring the project to reality. We are honored to be involved in keeping Kentuckians safe during severe weather events,” said Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson. “The ability to communicate emergency alerts is of great importance, to ensure that more at risk residents can access and understand critical information. We are thankful to our partners, such as Virginia, Anita and others from the commission, for their tireless contributions to advancing this mission.”
How to Apply
Visit the “Moore Safe Nights” webpage to apply for a weather radio, or call 800-372-2907 or 502-416-0607 VP to have an application mailed to you. To be eligible to receive a radio, applicants must be deaf or hard-of-hearing and reside in Kentucky. After an application is received and processed to certify eligibility, the commission will send all qualified applicants a letter letting them know when and where to pick up the equipment in their area. A video with ASL and captioning about the program, is available here.
The program will continue to seek funding to replenish the radios once the initial 700 have been distributed.
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