As part of 2016 National Preparedness Month – numerous preparedness peeps will be participating in today’s TwitterChat.
Gather tips and specific messaging that could work for your community on preparedness. Talk about different groups who are active within their community before, during, and after a disaster.
RH-CERT in action!
To keep the convo going, consider using the #Prep2Serve today.
See you at 1300EST!
“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
Another way to increase your preparedness level is to attend various classes with DHS/FEMA leadership.
DHS/FEMA ICPD Director Helen Lowman
Many of them are passionate about preparedness training and can provide some insight to strategic goals and national initiatives. From emergency preparedness kits to supporting the Weather Ready Nation, many have been outspoken champions in the realm of #NatlPrep #Response and #SMEM – whohoo!
Past FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino
Keep learning. Never stop. Sponge it all from Ready.gov
“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
I’m proud of my Dad who setup his Neighborhood Watch Program.
Dad has been planning this for months now and even posted signs to get everyone involved. Because inviting and talking with the entire neighborhood about safety related topics are the key points of the Neighborhood Watch program. Also, my Dad went big – he blocked off the entire cul-de-sac for his event!
Honolulu Fire Station-30 (Engine-30 & Ladder-30) stopped by to share some safety tips and what to do during an emergency.
Ladder-30 showcased their equipment for everyone to see.
Talked about ventilation saws for trench cuts and vertical cuts for fires.
Also talked about extrication tools and generators for car accidents and confined space rescue.
All the kids in the neighborhood got a chance to try out the headsets used for communications in the apparatus.
Honolulu Police stopped by too.
Even a surprise flyby thanks to Honolulu Fire Air-1 Helicopter.
In the end, this kind of neighborhood program is truly the basis of a safer community.
Education, particularly teaching kids during an emergency, how to call 9-1-1 is crucial to a safe community.
My Dad volunteered to do this. Yep, not paid. Just doing his part to keep his neighborhood and community safe. LOVE IT!
There are many other volunteer programs showcased by DHS/FEMA’s awesome Ready.Gov campaign on safety. Just like my Dad, I volunteer too with my community’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) aka RH-CERT.
Whether you are a part of your own Neighborhood Watch Program, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Volunteers in Police Service (ViPS), Medical Reserve Corp (MRC), Fire Corps, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), etc…all of these civic based programs are so important to the fabric for the safety of our community across this great country.
So proud of my Dad!
The last Tuesday in the 2015 National Preparedness Month!
Today, look to building new relationships.
Normally, we don’t look outside the realm of daily public safety. It’s easy to talk to Fire/EMS, Law Enforcement, or Public Works Professionals. However, new discussion needs to happen between individuals who can support our mission goals or some unmet needs.
Faith-based organizations are great groups to explore new activities to support your community. In varying degrees, faith-based organizations have the capabilities to support disaster response and recovery operations with food, shelter, and supportive measures. But again, the key is to open discussions BEFORE a disaster so you can evaluate their capability.
Additionally, talk to your local politicians…esp if they are an active part of your Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). These civic-minded individuals have most likely gone through additional preparedness training and can be a great resource for anyone.
Trust me, these are the kinds of people you want to be in close contact with before, during, or after an emergency/disaster.
Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.
Get to know some new local peeps!
Tuesday is here – so get prepared by clicking here.
FEMA has announced the winners of the 2015 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards, recognizing the outstanding efforts of individuals, programs, and organizations throughout the country working to prepare their communities for emergencies. These awards highlight innovative practices and campaigns that have made outstanding contributions toward making communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient. This year, FEMA asked applicants to highlight accomplishments that took place between January 1, 2014 and April 10, 2015.
“Effective emergency management requires commitment, teamwork and engagement by the entire community before disasters occur,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “I congratulate the individuals and organizations that embody these ideals. Through their hard work and dedication, they are making our nation stronger and safer.”
The 11 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award recipients will be recognized on September 8, 2015 in Washington, D.C. During the recognition ceremony, recipients will share their experiences, success stories, and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders.
A complete list of the recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available at: http://www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards. Award recipients by category are as follows:
Congratulations to all the award recipients and honorable mentions! You continue to make your communities and the Nation proud!
On entering the Justice Center from Lakeside Avenue, look to your immediate left.
Back in the day, this all wood contraption was how the courts choose you for jury duty. Yep – a simple spin of the wheel gets you assigned. C’mon Vanna! Heck, I’m even more impressed that someone hasn’t smashed this thing out of frustration.
In all honesty, it’s really amazing how the judicial system has progressed over the years…esp the random population of the pool. From our initial court briefing, they pull potential jurors from voter registration stats because they feel that those who are responsible to vote truly care about the community.
Since we are stuck indoors all day, the view out from the justice center is quite nice.
I wish Amtrak made more daytime stops in Cleveland.
For those that work downtown, Cuyahoga County has done a ton of work with increasing green space.
And since I know all of you want to know, our courtroom is relatively quiet.
Well, it is almost lunch time.
Reporting live on day four in the Jury box!
Another special challenge coin!
Never had one from Cleveland Police before.
Special thanks to Captain Sulzer on a fun assignment in Cleveland.
Spent my day volunteering with my hometown Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
On arrival, I thought I was going to get assigned a different task, but logistics and parking was the identified main concern and safety was an issue.
After I got briefed on the event, I discussed our situation with all the participants. As CERT, we coordinated our efforts so that our actions/tactics could best match the safety of our personnel as well as others who were there attending the event.
I briefed the Mayor on our ongoing operations and even looked at a few alternate plans.
Of course we continued to assess our event and think about other safety measures.
And of course we had a few moments to share a smile.
Fun fact, our Council President and Safety Chair is also a proud founding member of my awesome CERT Team. Booya!
Seriously, I love it when elected members of local government give back to their community.
We identified a few issues that will need to be made for the 2016 event (like a formal all-hazards traffic plan with maps, uniformed vests, pre-event plan dissemination/distribution, more participation, etc…). Maybe a formal Incident Action Plan (IAP). Fairly easy stuff that we would be happy to share w/ our constituents.
Wait….What? You have never heard of FEMA’s CERT program before? Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
More info can be found on FEMA’s website here.
Want to volunteer within your own community? Want to make a difference in your community? Click here to locate the closest CERT Team to you!
As always, I believe I can make a difference in my community. Fun fact: I’ve been volunteering with my CERT since 2007.
I hope you will do the same.
Teaching CERT stuff tonight. Shout out to all the volunteer agencies across the U.S.!
Many Americans give back to the community every single day. In fact the bulk of the fire service in the United States are made up of volunteer firefighters.
It is incumbent upon us to be good stewards of local preparedness efforts.
I encourage everyone to participate in their local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Find yours local CERT here: http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?submitByState
@rusnivek
How about them apples!
If you aren’t monitoring social media…
Now do you believe me?
Where is @rusnivek? 