Minor league baseball passes on DHS Ready Campaign

A tip of the hat to William Arkin of the Washington Post for uncovering this little gem: it seems that over two-thirds of America’s minor league baseball teams (our allegiance is with the Sacramento River Cats) are not participating in DHS’s Ready Campaign to “to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.” The effort — which was initiated five years ago — encourages teams to post informative banners and host such activities as duct tape races (whatever those are) between innings. (Rex, the Office of Emergency Management’s mascot, is also available.) According to Arkin, the lack of interest suggests that minor league officials correctly consider such efforts as “sophomoric and wasteful.” Or, as one local emergency official explained: “With high profile campaigns like this, we shall all be prepared … for sunburn, hot dogs and overpriced beer.”