One of the things I failed to comply with during the disaster deployment was the ubiquitous green notebook.
So there, I now have a green notebook that I shall carry with me in my right bellows pocket.
Commence messy note taking!!!
People usually prolong the updates on their phone but…
NEW EMOJIS ARE HERE!!!! NEW EMOJIS ARE HERE!!!!
I should probably update my iOS now huh.
Guess which one is my new favorite emoji now?
Well hello Fall and hello November! No other deployment orders yet so phew! Back to steady state operations!
First week, I will be in heavy planning for the 2018 calendar and pop another one of my most favorite social media course!
Second week, it’s all about Columbus for FEMA/OEMA Basic Emergency Management Basic Academy at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. Love to hang at the Mothership!
Third week, we will be doing some light logistical work and of course giving thanks for our friends and families.
The last week in November will be another solid ICS-300 class.
It’s almost time to close out the 2017 books as we are midway into 4Q!
Quick reminder on this 2017 Halloween….
Stay warm…and don’t let your kids chew on these glow sticks!
Trust me, this stuff doesn’t taste good.
Even if you give the TV news crews your title on camera for the chyron….they might get it wrong.
Apparently, my new title only allows me to only have ONE relation.
Well, at least they spelled my name right.
Bajeez.
Weekend learning doesn’t stop. While most full-time staff have off on Saturday/Sunday – many volunteers across the country are saddling up to take ICS classes.
A pertinent 2014 statistic: Over 788K Volunteer Firefighters make up 69% of the United States of America Firefighting effort (2014, Haynes, USFA).
Shout out to all the volunteers who are giving up their hours to better their local jurisdictions this weekend.
You keep sleeping. I’ll keep working.
Being the cooker, the baker, the candlestick maker isn’t easy.
Zooming around and making magic happen!
I was asked if Pirate Radio was real….yeppers!
Pirate Radio based in the Florida Keys-Key West has a strong voice that not only hits audiences throughout the keys, but also into southern Florida too. They stream their shows so that any Pirate can listen in…even when yer a landlubber!
I was a regularly contributor to their morning shows with daily Hurricane Irma disaster updates. We also brought other public safety agencies in with us to showcase the unified efforts of countless government agencies involved and how we are all working together in the response/recovery effort.
Additionally, I was invited to be a regular guest on their Friday morning show to talk about the DHS/FEMA response and recovery efforts for the Florida Keys. Not only talking about the Florida Keys, but also the millions of $$ in financial support approved for the State of Florida.
Remember, AM/FM radio stations are a critical source of information in a disaster. After a disaster, cell service might be down, sat tv might be out, and it is highly likely that your neighborhood may not have power. Post-disaster, plan on AM/FM radio being a solid source of information.
Many mahalos to both gracious Pirate Radio hosts – Jack and Kim!
Got a chance to swing by Amazon Day-1 to say hi to a few friends.
And if you are going to ask, we did NOT meet in the new Amazon Spheres.
However, I did see the famous Banana stand – It’s totes real!!!!!
Aside from their new drone delivery (Amazon Air), there was lots of discussion on the new Amazon HQ2 location.
Yo Jeff, I got some ideas.
Special thanks to Suz and G-crew for the quick tour and banana.
Now, about that Amazon Fire thingy…
Another packed day of class to support the Department of Homeland Security border initiative.
We are talking tools and techniques that can help public safety better adddress disaster response. But while simple searches are good, we can see there are benefits on aggregating information from a host of other places. As an example, Alisha talked a bunch on listening to specific audiences on Reddit…
…we talked about crisis mapping and apps that can better prepare you for “stuff”. Data visualization are pretty things will always be helpful.
This class we push collaboration esp when it comes down to strategic / coordinated all-hazards messaging…and hashtags.
We also promote the use of new technologies to overcome the mis-information that is readily found online. Empowering officials and Public Information Officers to break news themselves is critical because in a crisis, time is of the essence.
Showcased the ability of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as well as the flexibility of the Joint Information Center (JIC) for everyone to coordinate actions, share similar plans, and ultimately have the coordinated messages across the board so that we can be a unified front in the face of a disaster.
Without a doubt, this Tools and Techniques course is still my favorite course to teach.
Proud to serve my fellow Emergency Management constituents here on the northern border initiative. Also proud to include our partners from Canada Public Safety as we share our border protection plans for everyone’s safety.
It worked for the previous DHS border protection initiative and I am confident in the skills and techniques shared with all participants will only be of benefit to those with safety in mind.
Looking forward to a successful upcoming FSE between the US and Canada.
Where is @rusnivek? 