Where is @rusnivek?

Emergency Management, Emergency Services, & Disaster Spox

Sports heroes? Celebrities? Nope. These are the true heroes #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 27, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s Saturday in the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month.

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Who’s watching football on TV?

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#27: Sports heroes? Celebrities? Nope. But these heroes will always come through in an emergency #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1FZVB7AWBE

Share with your entire family today what a real hero is like. Share your emergency plans with your entire family.

Friday night lights? Saturday College Football? Sunday NFL? None of that matters.

Look, you may not be famous…

…or get paid zillions of dollars per minute. Who cares!

Your preparedness and planning efforts will come back ten-fold because it’s your family. Family is everything.

Be your family’s hero today.

@rusnivek

Test em if you got em! #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 26, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s Friday in the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month.

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Ahhh, Aloha Fridays!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#26: Are ALL your emergency flashlights working? Test em if you got em! #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

Since it’s a beautiful day, I would be a great day to test all your flashlights.

A few weeks ago, I talked about having flashlights in case of an emergency. Now would be the time to test and make sure each flashlight is in working condition.

Don’t forget about your helmet lights too!

And for my friends in the law enforcement world, don’t forget to check all your weapon lights too.

*I also had to change the batteries in my EOTech too.

Your preparedness actions now will definitely save you time during an emergency.

Reminder again, throw away all candles. Candles are dangerous and can start fires. Flashlights are WAY better for lighting.

Happy Aloha Friday everyone!

@rusnivek

Even the pros train and test emergency plans! #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 25, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s Thursday in the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month.

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

ThirstyThursdays…I mean TestingThursdays continues!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#25: Just like you, the professionals train and test their emergency plans. #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

1920446_752961831417135_3575925768667997055_n

“The State of Ohio Emergency Operations Center is participating in the annual power plant training” Photo cred: Ohio Emergency Management Agency, (Columbus) 09/23/14

It is an essential part of your plan…actually doing it!

This was the view of the State of Ohio Emergency Operations Center where numerous emergency management agencies across the state participated in a multi-agency all-hazards annual power plant training. This training was evaluated by FEMA Region-V.

See, even the professionals train too!

Keep up the great work!

@rusnivek

Your kids prepared for any emergency? Can they all be a Ready Big Hero? #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

Posted on September 24, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s midweek in the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Wacky Wednesday continues!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#24: Does your kid have it? Prepared for any emergency? Can they all be a Ready Big Hero? #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

Make sure all of your family is prepared for any emergency or disaster.

Make sure they prepare with you and run family drills because that’s real hero stuff.

Your kid can be a Ready – Big Hero too!

@rusnivek

Testing your local resources #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 23, 2014 by rusnivek

It is the Tuesday in the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Towering Tuesdays!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#23: Test call your local resources and document their response times #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

Since you have your plans written, today would be a good day to test and see if the phone numbers are correct.

Let’s face it:
Phone numbers change frequently.
Emails change frequently.
Points of Contact change frequently.
Resources move and change frequently.
Stuff on resources change frequently.
Responsible agencies change frequently.
So make sure you update your rosters and emergency contact sheets today.

Reference your crew resource manual or your emergency contact list and test call a few of your emergency resources. Ask them how long it would take them to respond. Think about the timeframes and action you’ll have to do before they arrive.

Are you prepared to handle the situation by yourself?

Once you thought about that….don’t forget the phrase “2 is 1 and 1 is none”

@rusnivek

Got your stuff? Now practice and train with your cool stuff #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 22, 2014 by rusnivek

It is the Monday starting out the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Reporting live from PA in Region-3 baby!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#22: Got your emergency preparedness stuff? Before SHTF, practice/train with your cool stuff! #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

PEMA’s IMAT team brought their stuff out and made them operational. Seriously, they tested their portable toilets.

After talking with PEMA’s Special Deployment & Response Officer Norm Auvil, I found out that PEMA regularly trains with their local responders.

In fact, a few resources are working with the Pennsylvania State Police in their current hunt…I mean operation.

Even though it seems self-explanatory, bringing out all your equipment and setting up resources (including toilets) makes all the difference. Testing setups, esp timing your storage-to-operational times will set you apart from other agencies who will most likely be playing catchup in an emergency.

***And you never want to be caught with your pants down (See what I did there?)***

Continue to be vigilant in your training. Your state of readiness is SO important to your constituents and your partners in safety.

@rusnivek

Did you participate in National Child Passenger Safety Week? #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 21, 2014 by rusnivek

It is the start of the fourth week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

For me, it’s Sunday in PA!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency

#21: Did you get your child secured in your vehicle? National Child Passenger Safety Week – Thanks @UHRainbowBabies #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

September 13th through September 20th = National Child Passenger Safety Week. Various agencies are promoting in-vehicle safety for children across the country. In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. Data show that:

Risk Reduction for Every Age

Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries:

Car seat use reduces the risk for death to infants (aged <1 year) by 71%; and to toddlers (aged 1–4 years) by 54% in passenger vehicles.
Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4–8 years when compared with seat belt use alone.
For older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by approximately half.

Scope of the Problem

In the United States during 2011, more than 650 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes,⁵ and more than 148,000 were injured.
One CDC study found that, in one year, more than 618,000 children ages 0-12 rode in vehicles without the use of a child safety seat or booster seat or a seat belt at least some of the time.
Of the children who died in a crash in 2011, 33% were not buckled up.

Risk Factors for Children and Teens

Of the children who died in a crash:
- More black (45%) and Hispanic (46%) children were not buckled up compared with white (26%) children (2009-2010).
- More of the older children (45% of 8-12 year olds) were not buckled up compared with younger children (one-third of 1-7 year olds; one-fourth of infants under 1) in 2011.
From 2001 to 2010, approximately 1 in 5 child passenger (<15 years old) deaths in the U.S. involved drunk driving; 65% of the time, it was the child’s own driver that had been drinking (BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl).
Most child passengers (<15 years old) of drunk drivers (61%) were not buckled up in the fatal crash.
Restraint use among young children often depends upon the driver’s seat belt use. Almost 40% of children riding with unbelted drivers were themselves unrestrained.
Child restraint systems are often used incorrectly. One study found that 72% of nearly 3,500 observed car and booster seats were misused in a way that could be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash.

Preventing Motor Vehicle Injuries in Children

Based on strong evidence of effectiveness, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends car seat laws and car seat distribution plus education programs to increase restraint use and decrease injuries and deaths to child passengers.
Car seat distribution plus education programs are also recommended in a more recent review for increasing restraint use.
A recent study of five states that increased the age requirement to 7 or 8 years for car seat/booster seat use found that the rate of children using car seats and booster seats increased nearly three times and the rate of children who sustained fatal or incapacitating injuries decreased by 17%.

Read the recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR announcements) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention feature story, and CDC’s Vital Signs on child passenger safety to learn more about buckling the ones you love in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.

And you bet I got my munchkin secured in the seat!

Safety first for kids!

Special thanks to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital for helping put my car seat in for FREE!

Right Arden?

Oh munchkin!

@rusnivek

Tech kit? How geeky or nerdy is yours? #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 20, 2014 by rusnivek

Saturday in this third week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Are you kitted up yet?

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Build an Emergency Kit

#20: Your tech kit needs to be functional 24/7 – so plan for any emergency situation #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep

I already showed you my pet preparedness kit yesterday.
I’ve given you great tips on your home preparedness kit.
I’ve given tips on a vehicle preparedness kit.
And I am sure that you have your zombie preparedness kit ready too.
So I wanted to spend a few minutes on my tech prep kit.

Basically, this is one of my daily go bags that I take everywhere.
This bag allows me to function any place/any time.
And of course it’s a backpack for complete mobility.

Laptop w/ power cable
iPad w/ Zagg keyboard w/ power cables (USB and plug)
iTouch w/ power cable (backup for iPad failure)
iTouch w/ power cable (mainly used for groovy tunes)
Resource manual (book of important “stuff”) with really important contact information.
Black folder (to take to briefings and take notes)
Business cards w/ cell phone and social media accounts
Mints/Cough drops
Statewide radio capable of national communications (NFSPAC) and attached speaker mic for above radio with battery
Extra battery for radio
SureFire flashlight with red LED
Tactical SureFire flashlight
Mini-push light (mini LED)
4 AA batteries
2 AAA batteries
4 SureFire batteries
Mophie rugged USB battery pack
IPhone 30-pin charger
25 ft extra insulated extension cable
Power strip/surge suppressor
6 pens (4 black / 1 blue / 1 red)
1 pencil
1 sharpie marker (black)
External wireless mouse
2 sets earphones
1 set ear plugs
1 ear wig
6 different color USB drives (each are from different manufacturer)
VGA cable
HDMI to HDMI cable
HDMI to mini-HDMI cable
6 ft USB cable
Sound jack direct plug
3 sets in every color of T-cards
T-card canvas holder
2 sets of identification/credentials
2 pads of notepaper
2 post it note pads (each held by binder clips)
1 pack of 3×5 notecards (held together by binder clip)
1 ANSI vest
2 Cylume sticks
1 Name tape identifier
1 USA Flag

The idea of being tech ready will not only increase your chances of survival post disaster, it will also help your family communicate regularly and coordinate reunification. Keeping your family together is SO important because it’s tough for anyone to function knowing that their immediate family members are not safe.

Soooooo, I’m sure your tech kit is slightly different.
This particular configuration has served me well, but as time goes on, I seem to be adding more to this kit.
So let me know if I missed anything.

After this week, I bet your kits are looking good!

@rusnivek

Your pet needs an emergency preparedness kit too! Check out the one I have – ready to go #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep #Woof

Posted on September 19, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s finally Friday in this third week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

#FridayFurDay right? Or is that #FridayFunday ?

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Build an Emergency Kit

#19: Your pet needs an emergency preparedness kit too! Check out the one I have – ready to go #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep #Woof

Dry dog food (3 days worth). I have Kacy’s food parceled out into individual easy servings. This way, we don’t over feed her.

Two (2) bottles of water – which is enough for her for 3 days.

Pet identification (3×5 notecard in zip lock bag which makes this waterproof) which includes our contact cell phones and twitter handles, pet name, date of birth, current vaccinations, county dog registration, vet address, vet phone, and of course a short description of what she looks like. Also in the zip lock bag is Kacy’s pet medications (heart worm pills and flea and tick meds).

Small bowl to eat and drink.

Dog identification tags that includes her name tag, county dog identification, rabies vaccination information, our contact information, and home address.

Pet First Aid kit – I got this from a community fair thanks to the local health department. This is a necessity! It will make minor injuries easier to manage.

Extra static 6ft leash…and yes, it’s labeled w/ duct tape with her name on it.

Packable raincoat because in case it rains, we are prepared for adverse weather! Also the “wet dog smell” isn’t the most fragrant aroma.

Favorite pet toys for Kacy which includes two Nylabone chew toys and a bright orange rubber tennis ball from Target.

*******All of the above items fit nicely in a dog carry pack. *******

Incidentally, this pack/harness has a handle on the topin case I need to emergently pick her up and go. I also have a green glow stick (break activation) that attaches via carabiner to the top for easy identification during night travel/evacuation.

The pack has several zippered outside pockets so I can separate the medications/Identification from the food.

These simple and easy basic supplies make up my pet preparedness kit. Keep in mind that everyone’s pet preparedness kits should be different depending on the size and breed of the animal…but it should have the basics like food, water, and medications.

I was reminiscing about my deployment during Hurricane Katrina/Rita in 2005 – our Task Force saw SO many abandoned pets in Louisiana’s Lower 9th Ward.

In case of an emergency or disaster, PLEASE take the time to prepare/evacuate with your pets as they are part of your family.

For more information on how you can put together your pet preparedness kit, check out this free FEMA Ready.Gov link on pet preparedness.

For those wondering, Kacy is a rescue dog. Best. Dog. Ever.

Special thanks to my dog Kacy for helping out in today’s preparedness post. #woof

@rusnivek

This emergency preparedness kit multipurpose item literally sticks to everything #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep #TBT

Posted on September 18, 2014 by rusnivek

It’s Thursday in the third week of 2014 National Preparedness Month

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

#TBT #TapeBackThursdays ? Or am I trying too hard to make fetch happen?

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Build an Emergency Kit

#18: This emergency preparedness kit multipurpose item literally sticks to everything #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep #TBT

Before a disaster, duct tape can be used to shore up many structural components as well as loose items around the house. This includes securing windows from cracking, enhancing doors, even sealing up the cracks in case you have to shelter-in-place duct tape does a lot!

Now duct tape has been used for a few redic things too.

Great practical joke, but c’mon.

And trust me when I say every emergency manager has duct tape in their go kit. Therefore, you should too.

To aid in your preparedness, I would suggest having two rolls of duct tape in different colors. This way, you can distinguish your tape from others (i.e. layers) and also be able to use your duct tape as identification markers. Here’s an example of just one way to use duct tape to easily identify your stuff – my flat head ax.

Um, I hear that the airline industry also uses duct tape for operations…I mean identification too.

However you use duct tape, keep at least two different color rolls in each emergency preparedness kit.

It would be worth noting that the Duck Tape Headquarters is located right here in NE Ohio and of course Avon Ohio is known as the Duck Tape Capital of the World.

During an emergency, stick together! (see what I did there?)

@rusnivek