The Bellevue Fire Department has won an award for a series of emergency preparedness videos produced in seven languages.

The award, announced at Monday’s City Council meeting, was presented to the department by the International Association of Emergency Managers. The city won first place in the public awareness category.

The eight videos, produced in part with federal Homeland Security funds, were made following the December 2006 windstorm that hit the Puget Sound region and left parts of Bellevue without electricity for days.

The storm underscored the need to better inform and educate residents with limited English skills about basic emergency preparedness procedures.

The videos were a joint project of the Fire Department, the city’s Neighborhood Outreach group and Bellevue TV staff. Each video is about 10 minutes in length and includes native speakers delivering basic emergency information in Russian, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean and English.

The videos may be viewed on the city’s website, both in the emergency preparedness section http://www.bellevuewa.gov/preparedness_educational_materials.htm) and in the foreign-language sections. Free DVDs are available at City Hall, Crossroads Mini City Hall, any Bellevue park community center and all fire stations.