Trying hard to ignore this on a Sunday night…
Maybe if I click my heels, it’ll all disappear…
Maybe if I wiggle my nose, it’ll all zero out…
Maybe my toilet will swallow my phones…
Sunday night woes
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Author Archives: rusnivek
One more hour of what?!?!?!!? #FallBack
ONE MORE HOUR OF WHAT?!?!?!!?
Daylight Savings: Three Tips to “Fall Back” into Fall
Sunday, November 4, Daylight Saving Time ends and we set our clocks back an hour. Take advantage of extra sleep, then take a few simple steps to make your home more disaster-resilient:
- Verify your carbon monoxide and smoke detector work. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for testing the equipment to ensure it is functioning appropriately. Invest in new detectors if they’re near or past the manufacturer’s recommended replacement age.
- Check your emergency kit. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you or survive on your own after a disaster. Ensure you have an adequate supply of non-perishable food, water and medications to last your family at least 72 hours, along with a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.
- Confirm your insurance coverage & home inventory list are up-to-date. Review your insurance policies and meet with your agent to ensure you’re fully covered for the hazards you face. Be sure to keep a written and visual (i.e., videotaped or photographed) record of all major household items and valuables, even those stored in basements, attics or garages. Create files that include serial numbers and store receipts for major appliances and electronics. Have jewelry and artwork appraised. These documents are important when filing insurance claims.
Find more emergency preparedness information and tips at www.ready.gov.
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MVA: Bus vs car
Onscene…
I am not going to lie, after the latest rash of school bus incidents and deaths, these kinds of calls makes my heart skip a beat.
On this AlohaFriday, please, put your phone down and drive slower. PLEASE!
DHS FEMA COOP Program Manager course – day-2!
Day-2 of the DHS/FEMA Continuity of Operations (COOP) Managers training.
Outstanding to have soooo much engagement from our partners in public safety starting with locals, then on to county, in conjunction with the state and then with all of our Federal partners involved. It’s quite amazing teamwork indeed!
On top of all the details, we are really diving deep into leadership because during crisis or worse yet, we have a Continuity of Government issue, we need to be clear about leadership and control. Little known fact, Vince ran the show years before Rolando…so Vince was a great person to talk about Federal changes and continued support.
As we continue to discuss COOP issues, we MUST exercise and test our skills. Not only plan, but test and exercise to see where our gaps are.
Despite a tedious subject, our participants all shared issues at each of their shops and were open and willing to go another mile to bridge these gaps. And yes, here’s proof that despite lots of information, all participants were smiling at the end of one of my recovery classes.
Reporting live from Cook County….
COOP Manager class for FEMA Region-5
Good Wednesday morning to all from NIPSTA in Cook County, Illinois!
Swapped my boots out this week to teach w/ FEMA Region-5 in Glenview, Illinois
An incredibly diverse class from across the state for the DHS/FEMA Continuity of Operations (COOP) Manager class. This week’s Continuity class is not only me, but Vince Parisi who leads the THIRA process at our Region-5 offices in Chicago.
Great to hear his take and discuss all the essential core capabilities esp for such a large region like us in the Midwest.
Lots of dialog in the class and great discussion amongst providers and emergency managers. Also enjoyed seeing the cameo appearance by my friend Rose!
I particularly enjoyed the engagement we had with several of our Federal partners in class from FAA, TSA, etc….Great to see that kind of interagency dynamic now in planning.
More tomorrow as we jump into day-2!
Tuesday at FEMA Region-5
Spending the day at FEMA Region-5 (Chicago).
If you were wondering, FEMA breaks the nation into 10 different regions.
Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota – the heart of Region-5 is Chicago! So basically I’ve been in Region-5 for several decades now – whoa!
Glad to see a few disaster faces I haven’t seen since Hurricane Irma. Hiya Katie!
Katie was part of our plans section in response to the direct hit Category 4 Hurricane Irma in Florida for Branch 5 Division A.
Happy Tuesday all!
Monday = Debris Management!
Starting out this week talking about Debris Management and the importance of Public Works and Logistics!
Yeah, doesn’t seem like a fun topic right? But if you look at the real deal, this is how Emergency Managers earn their keep. Cause it’s not in the response phase.
Emergency Managers work the magic in the recovery phase.
Collaboration in class means that we hash out a few issues prior to the actual disaster.
Working closely with all factions in government will ensure a smooth response from everyone involved.
The faster you get your community back on track, the better your community will be. Building resilient communities is critical!
You should address 10 major factors as part of your debris plan.
Is this difficult? Most definitely. Here’s a picture from the USVI in 2017.
Here’s a picture from the USVI in November 2018.
Can you think of any planning challenges? Any logistical issues? Any major environmental issues?
If you said a million yeseseses to the above three questions, you need to address your debris management plan with your Emergency Management official.
Special mahalos to my Co-instructor Ben.
Sharing a few stories about counter intelligence, we realize it’s a really small world.
@rusnviek
Decorate? Nope, just SocialMedia accents
Drive slower this Halloween weekend!
This Halloween weekend, I would encourage all of you to be mindful of ALL neighborhoods. There are thousands of kids enjoying the neighborhoods throughout this country.
I plead of all of you to slow down and take your time driving around this Halloween weekend.
FEMA OEMA G0291: Joint Information Center/System class at the Cleveland EOC! #PIO
Happy AlohaFriday and a great start to the FEMA OEMA G0291: Joint Information Center / Joint Information System course here at the Cleveland EOC!
So naturally, we talked a bunch of JIC stuff including our third guest VIP – day shift Cleveland JIC Manager of the 2016 RNC and the led JIC Manager of the Christmas plane crash in 2016, Beth Zietlow DeJesus!!!
Not only sharing stories about coordination amongst local, county, and Federal agencies on the recovery process, Beth was able to share a few stories about the media on controlling the message and handling mis-information.
Great experiences to share with out new PIOs!
Outstanding class this week. Proud of the work and collaboration in class shared by everyone. Great to see these new PIOs as they increase their organization’s visibility.
Now go forth, and use your new PIO skillz for good!
Also, yeah.
Where is @rusnivek? 