Communication to Host Families and Participants in California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington
From AFSWiki
Please be advised that the following email message has been sent to all host families and hosted participants in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
Dear Host Families and Hosted Participants:
We are reaching out to you today in light of recent media reports speculating on radiation levels on the West Coast of the United States, in Hawaii and Alaska. As always, the safety and well-being of our participants is our top priority.
Please be advised that, while a trace amount of radiation has been detected in California, it is far less than what would be considered dangerous to human health. Independent nuclear radiation experts continue to assert that no radiation that is harmful to humans is expected to reach the US, including Hawaii, the continental West Coast and Alaska. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission currently sees no radiation at harmful levels reaching the US and this information has been reiterated in a statement by President Barack Obama on Thursday, March 17.
Due to the extremely low level of threat, there are currently no plans to relocate participants hosted on the West Coast of the US, in Hawaii or Alaska.
The USA Crisis Management team will continue to monitor the situation closely in conjunction with staff at AFS International. Should you have any questions or concerns, as always, please feel free to contact your local AFS liaison or Regional Service Center at 1-800-876-2377. For emergencies after business hours, please contact our Duty Office at 1-212-299-9000 or toll free in the US 1- 800-876-2376.
Sincerely,
Jhorna Hochstedler
Participant Support Manager
Western Region
AFS-USA
Please be reminded of the AFS-USA media policy which can be found below.
Thank you for supporting our students abroad and in the U.S. As always, our staff is here to support you should you have any questions or concerns.
