My Dad saved our neighbor #NatlPrep

Plan for your family and neighbors? Absolutely!

Always check on your neighbors and make sure they are OK. You never know when you are going to have to save a life. #NatlPrep

Proud Father moment…about my own Dad. You see, he saved our neighbor’s life. Like for reals.

A few weeks ago, while my Father and our family’s dog (Buster) were out in the back yard, they noticed our elderly neighbor face-down in the yard. Not knowing the situation, my Father jumped the fence and rendered immediate medical care, called 9-1-1, and helped guide the HFD Engine and C&C Ambulance to the patient.

My Dad being shy, would easily be the first one to shrug it off and downplay his actions. But it’s really small things like this that make a difference in the lives of so many.

It is in my opinion that if my Father did not jump the fence and immediately rendered aid, our neighbor would have surely died. Now, our neighbors have more time to spend with their entire family together. So I cannot stress enough the importance of doing extraordinary stuff for people…like your neighbors.

This whole week, we have focused on doing things for others. On this #AlohaFriday, I’d like you to keep my Father’s actions in mind as you do the same for your neighbors.

I am so proud of my Dad.

@rusnivek

 

 

 

Training at DCHSEMA #NatlPrep

Busy Monday morning instructing at the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

I’m just glad to see so many partners in public safety participating.

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Trust me, I’m glad to be instructing in the Emergency Operations Center too.

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So many resources here like a busy 9-1-1 call center, Watch Desk, 3-1-1 call center, and Fusion Center.

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Training and education will help everyone work cohesively together in an emarrrrrrrrrrrrrgency.

Happy #TalkLikeAPirateDay too.

@rusnivek

 

Sharing your #Family #Emergency #Communications #Plan with First Responders #NatlPrep #PrepareAthon

Happy National Preparedness month! The focus during this second week is on preparing friends and family for different emergencies.

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Showcasing the skills of local first responders are incredibly important to adults AND kids. And sharing important information (like a Family Emergency Communications Plan) with first responders is critical.

National Preparedness Month that promotes creating family emergency communications plans.

National Preparedness Month that promotes creating family emergency communications plans.

Often times, we overlook explaining what actually happens during an emergency.

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So take the time to explain to your kids that during an emergency, ALL first responders are there to help. And of course, don’t forget to teach your children to dial 9-1-1.

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Reminder: When teaching children to call 9-1-1, do not verbally say “Nine-Eleven” as there is not an eleven button on the phone.

Do it today!

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“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”

@rusnivek

National Telecommunicators Week 2016: April 10th – 16th

It’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2016 (April 10th-16th)!

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If you ever sat in a 9-1-1 call center/dispatch center, you know how difficult the job is for every one of these professionals.

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I encourage you to take a moment to thank the voice on the other end of the radio.

@rusnivek

 

We got a #FacebookDown-Safety-PIO-SM-14-009

14-009: We got a FacebookDown
Agency: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. Topic(s):         Non-related current event messages
Date: Fall 2014 Platform:        Facebook and Twitter

Just like any other service, social media platforms are bound to go down. And when that happens, a small amount of the population does NOT know how to react appropriately. Some residents of California decided that calling 9-1-1 was their only resort to getting logged back into Facebook.

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Ahem. Clearly, this is NOT an emergency. Sgt Brink is right in making it very clear to his audience (on Twitter) that Facebook’s non-service is not a Law Enforcement issue. Common sense right?

Most agencies should have an easy contingency plan when this type of situation happens. Social Media postings and engagement will help decrease calls to various public safety agencies…including during non-emergency times. So having this type of canned responses ready to push out when a major social media platform has the hiccups, might help your constituents navigate their (loss of) digital life. Additional use of a trending hashtag will bring more visibility to your post by informing others of actions, or in this case, non-actions.

A more effective tweet could have read:

#Facebook is NOT a law enforcement issue. Pls don’t call us about it being down, we don’t know when FB will be back up #facebookdown

By phrasing it this way:

  1. You sternly address that this social media platform is NOT a law enforcement matter (duh).
  2. You use a hashtags that is trending (#Facebookdown) that will help increase visibility in your tweets.
  3. You highlight the importance of being current and active on recent news/events.
  4. You stress the importance of engaging with your social media users on various social media platforms.

Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.

 

@rusnivek

 

***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this file:

WeGotAFacebookDown-Safety-PIO-SM-14-009

 

There are different types of smoke alarms? #FPWeek

October 6th – 12th is National Fire Prevention Week! Did you know there are many different brands of smoke alarms available on the market, but they fall under two basic types: ionization and photoelectric. It cannot be stated definitively that one is better than the other in every fire situation that could arise in a residence. Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different, yet potentially fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, most firefighters recommend that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with:

  • Both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms, OR
  • dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors

In addition to the basic types of alarms, there are alarms made to meet the needs of people with hearing disabilities. These alarms may use strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to assist in alerting those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound. Make sure you place them in strategic locations throughout the house. WEWS_Fire-Safety_640x480

Step-1: Get an Ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarm or dual sensor smoke alarm. Step-2: Get it before this happens…

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@rusnivek