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Emergency Management, Emergency Services, & Disaster Spox

Brand new FEMA Region V COOP class Day-1

Posted on April 25, 2019 by rusnivek

Kicking off the new FEMA Region 5 Continuity of Operations class here at the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Proud to have Northwestern Medicine’s Continuity Manager Sam Boyle and DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Operations Supervisor Joe Joseph with us to share some of the changes with FCD-1, FCD-2, CC-1, HSPD5, PPD-8, NSPD-51, HSPD-20, and of course the NIMS update.

Mid-day discussion with Joe on the Continuity planning process with the new FEMA course materials for COOP focused around essential functions.

Look at those smiles!

All made to enhance the skills of our public safety partners.

Shout out to all the leadership and participants who took the time away from their desks to enhance their program’s ability to function beyond catastrophic incidents.

Also, for those that were paying attention on the day? Is it really the perfect date?

Hmmmm…

Boom.

COOP? Operations? Social Media? Public Information? Pop culture? Everything is a calculated because even in a FEMA class, we don’t miss a beat!

Welcome to my program. This is how we do things at our house.

@rusnivek

Severe cold weather is here with wind chills at…

Posted on January 31, 2019 by rusnivek

Holey moley it’s frickin freezing Mr. Bigglesworth!

Am I the only one out here? Hello? Hello? Anyone? Anyone?

Well, I dressed appropriately. If you were wondering, my OOTD was this.

Yaaaaaaaaaaasssssssss!!!! PPE! PPE! PPE!

So how cold is it?

Yikes. Is that right?

The wind chill is -50ish, however some of my electronic devices aren’t working quite right.

What does it feel like?

Reporting live from the planet Hoth

Cold weather prep and our strong partnership with NWS Chicago

Posted on January 28, 2019 by rusnivek

On the ready! So many things happen behind the scenes as Emergency Management Pros continue to plan and coordinate in prep for the severe cold weather inbound to our area of responsibility (AOR).

Our rock solid partnership with the National Weather Service Chicago continues to shine as we share information to our partners as well as the general public. Incorporating additional info like the Frostbite vs Hypothermia fact sheet from CDC is a bonus as we look to temps falling into the mid -20s with the windchill to reach -50 to -60.

Yikes is right.

If all predictions are correct, the forecasted temperatures are historic lows.

Our staff is currently conducting a conference call with police, fire, public works, and emergency management agencies within #DuPageCounty to discuss the extreme cold weather event tonight through Thursday.

All hands working!

Also, thanks for the briefing Ricky from the NWS Chicago!

@rusnivek

As we prep for the extreme cold weather #EOC

Posted on January 27, 2019 by rusnivek

As we prep for the upcoming extreme cold weather, I am so proud of our staff at DuPage County OHSEM.

So proud to see our EOC readiness levels all blued out as we continue to serve our communities through incredibly cold winter weather.

Yep, we’re all in.

Keeping our partners informed and working the Emergency Management coordination is the magic behind the scenes we hope not to have to use.

While we are prepared to handle anything, I hope we have to handle nothing.

@rusnivek

Few pet preparedness tips for 2017 severe weather preparedness week

Posted on March 23, 2017 by rusnivek

It’s still 2017 Severe Weather Preparedness Week – today’s topic: pets!

Cold weather affects humans. But think about having to put more than just your two shoes into the snow…think about 4 paws.

I know your pet loves being outside in the snow, soooooooooo:

Keep their time outside to a minimum.
Consider brushing off their paws before coming into the house.
Examine the de-icing salt used for your driveway as some may contain harmful chemicals.
Harmful edibles or poisonous mushrooms are often buried under fallen snow.
Due to large snow embankments, cars on the road may not see you/your pet on a walk.
Flashlights or reflective gear at night will increase your chances of being identified by passing motorists.

Rain or shine, keep your pets warm and well dressed for the weather outside.

For more trusted information on your local weather, check out www.weather.gov for official weather predictions.

@rusnivek

Do you have Frostbite? Hypothermia? #OHWx #Winter #Weather #Preparedness

Posted on November 15, 2016 by rusnivek

Do you have Frostbite? Hypothermia? Is there a difference?

frostbite

Frostbite:

You have frostbite when your body tissue freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Get medical attention immediately for frostbite. The area should be SLOWLY rewarmed using warm, not hot water.

Hypothermia:

Hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls below 95°F. Determine your temperature with a thermometer.
Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and exhaustion.
Get medical attention immediately. If you can’t get help quickly, begin warming the body SLOWLY. Warm the body core first, NOT the extremities. Warming extremities first drives the cold blood to the heart and can cause the body temperature to drop further–which may lead to heart failure.
If you are helping someone else with hypothermia, get the person into dry clothing and wrap in a warm blanket. Be sure to cover the head and neck.
Do not give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any HOT beverage or food. WARM broth and food is better.
About 20% of cold related deaths occur in the home. Young children under the age of two and the elderly (those more than 65 years old), are most susceptible to hypothermia.
Hypothermia can set in over a period of time. Keep the thermostat above 69°F, wear warm clothing, eat food for warmth, and drink plenty of water or fluids other than alcohol and caffeine to keep hydrated.
Avoid alcohol because it will LOWER your body temperature.

Information provided by NOAA/NWS:

@rusnivek

PIO/SM class is in full swing in frozen Ashtabula

Posted on February 20, 2015 by rusnivek

Despite the cold temps, PIO/SM class is in full swing in Ashtabula County Emergency Management.

Nothing gets in the way of solid training.

@rusnivek

Updating the Firefighter Cold Water aka ALS #IceBucketChallenge

Posted on August 30, 2014 by rusnivek

An an update to my FireFighter Cold Water Challenge aka the ALS #IceBucketChallenge – I’d like to add this screen shot too.

Keep donating money to various causes peeps.

@rusnivek

Cold Water Challenge aka IceBucketChallenge

Posted on July 19, 2014 by rusnivek

So I was called out on the Cold Water Challenge by
1. Amanda Ball, Outreach Coordinator at MedFlight of Ohio
2. Mark Ramach, Retired Brook Park Fire Chief
3. Firefighter/Paramedic Andy Morales, Cleveland ARFF
4. Ken Ledford, Bedford Heights Fire Chief

Since Amanda was the first one to call me out, I have given her the nod to dump an entire cooler full of ice water on me.

Special thanks to Truck-2 on the assist.

So I’m calling out:
1. Erica Creech, Communications Manager of Cleveland Water
2. John O’Brien, Communications Specialist of Cuyahoga County Sheriffs
3. Gayle Celebreeze, Flight Nurse from University Hospitals MedEvac
4. Andrew Doyle, Firefighter Paramedic with Baltimore City Fire

You have 24-hours.
Starting now.

Cold water challenge in a restricted area? No joy!

Posted on June 2, 2014 by rusnivek

Since this is a restricted area, I just asked the commanding officer of the USCG station if I could do the Firefighter cold water challenge here under the Golden Gate Bridge…they said no.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep trying.

Standby-1

@rusnivek