State of Ohio EMA new Joint Information Center class in #SummitCounty #JIC #JIS #PIO #ESF15

Rolling out the State of Ohio Emergency Management Agency‘s new G0291: Joint Information Centers (JIC) / Joint Information System (JIS) Planning for Tribal, state, and Local PIOs. Luckily, we were in the Command and Control room at the Summit County Health Department.

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Command Control room…aka DOC

As always, its great teaching with Sister Michael Marie. Outstanding experiences and great stories from her international work in challenging areas of the world.

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Even OEMA was checking in on our progress!

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#truelove for us Emergency Management Instructors.

Sister Michael showcased the importance of all-hazard PIO involvement in emergency response to a natural hazard.

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Everyone was able to share experiences and help each other improve – esp thinking outside the box on various scenarios.

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By the end of this in-class activity, our participants realized that there are so many parts to a “simple disaster” that it pays to build partnerships early.

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It’s all hands working in an emergency – so build your relationships early before a disaster.

Remember: At 0300, you ugly, you smell, you stink – and clearly that’s not the best time to meet new people and to function in an emergency at 110%.

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“As Emergency Management, we must continue to nurture solid working relationships and common response/recovery objectives with our all-hazards partners in public safety.” – @rusnivek

Best part? At the end of the class, they all applauded.

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Awwww yeah!

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When was the last time a class applauded your Emergency Management NIMS ICS compliant class?

Heh.

As always, it’s great to teach with OEMA Instructor and consummate professional Sister Michael Marie.

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There is so much going on in this picture. I can’t even.

I’m just glad to be a part of something big.

@rusnivek

2016 South Carolina Business Disaster Recovery Symposium – final thoughts and thanks

Last week, I had the chance to present in front of the leaders of South Carolina in Myrtle Beach at the 2016 South Carolina Business Disaster Recovery Symposium.

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It was a packed house! (Photo credit: A. Hardin)

It is outstanding to see everyone, especially private industry building partnerships with governmental agencies. I talked a ton about the use of social media and communications.

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Just me, standing on chairs dancing away.

Of course all the news media was there too…

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WMBF News (NBC Affiliate)

PIO interview skills in 3…2…1…

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“We must work in tandem with our partners in public safety…” (Photo credit: A. Hardin)

And the reporter?

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Trust me, the WPDE (ABC affiliate) News reporter Liz Cooper was hilarious. (Photo credit: A. Hardin)

At this Symposium, not only were they talking about preparedness…

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Gahhhh, I love preparedness! My favorite month is……. (Photo credit: A. Hardin)

…we talked a ton about response and RECOVERY!

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Because it isn’t as sexy, the recovery phase in Emergency Management does not have the same visibility when compared to the Preparedness phase or the Response phase. So this symposium is a perfect opportunity to showcase some messaging and how communications needs to be an integral part of any government or private business during recovery.

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And when the Horry County Office of Emergency Management deems your presentation “on fleek” – *swoon*

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Mahalos Brooke!

Many thanks to the team at the City of Myrtle Beach. Special Alohas to EM Rockstar Allison and Senior Planner Diane for the invite.

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Preaching the good word about Disaster Recovery in South Carolina!

Looking forward to next year!

@rusnivek

 

 

 

Today is National Preparedness Day! #NatlPrep

Ahhhhh, the last day of 2015 National Preparedness Month – THAT MEANS TODAY IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS DAY!!!!

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Oh Yeah – You did it!

I know many of you have shared your tips and preparedness efforts with countless others. I am confident that your shared knowledge will pay off as we better prepare our fellow Americans for any disaster or emergency.

Thanks to all of our active partners in public safety. From the Locals to State to Federal partners who have made this month so successful – thank you!

Thank you to my agencies who have allowed me to share my preparedness tips with you.

I only wonder what will 2016 preparedness bring? Hmmm. Here’s a hint…

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…and a little of this…

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…and definitely more of this.

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Who’s excited? <SQUIRREL!>

Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.

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Whew-I am so glad that many of you have decided to participate in this month’s activities. Keep in mind that you have 11 more months to address your public in finding ways to be better prepared in a disaster. Planning for the 2016 National Preparedness Month will begin shortly.

As always, start your peeps off right by sending them here.

@rusnivek

Building new relationships on a Tuesday #NatlPrep

The last Tuesday in the 2015 National Preparedness Month!

Today, look to building new relationships.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Get to know some new local peeps!

Tuesday is here – so get prepared by clicking here.

@rusnivek

Apps away~! #NatlPrep #free #app #tech

Final week of 2015 National Preparedness Month!

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Don’t freak out, still lots of things to do like download a bunch of free apps for your smart phone!

Here’s an example of a good app from the State of North Carolina Emergency Management Agency’s ReadyNC.

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The ReadyNC app It talks about numerous preparedness activities as well as what to do after an emergency. Download it here.

FEMA’s got a great app that you can use to reference great info on disasters and preparedness.

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Additionally you can check out their new Disaster Reporter feature, Social Hub, and get free vetted weather alerts. Download it here.

Easy way to inform others? Get out there and present/share your preparedness efforts with all your partners in public safety.

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You know the phrase: An ounce of prevention/preparedness can save…..

Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.

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Download a bunch of free apps today!.

Get your Mundays over by clicking here!

@rusnivek

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday has gone to the dogs! #NatlPrep #woof

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! It’s the last week of 2015 National Preparedness Month!

I hope you showcase your new preparedness actions this Wednesday September 30th on 2015 National Preparedness Day!

This morning, I double checked my dog’s (Kacy – my PreparednessPup) emergency preparedness kit. As you can see, I have partitioned her food in individual ziplock packages to make it easier for portion control during feeding time.

And you guessed it, there are at least 3 days of food.

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Having her own pet preparedness kit and making her carry it on her own if/when we have to evacuate will be a huge help.

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Pet preparedness!!!!!

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Master, I demand a rawhide for this NTED preparedness photo session.

For more information, check out the full details here.

Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.

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Don’t hesitate, be paw-sitively sure your pets are prepared.

Always be ready by clicking here!

@rusnivek

Day-2 of the 2015 Kentucky Governor’s Emergency Management conference for the Disaster Recovery course

Second and final day of Disaster Recovery here at the Kentucky Governor’s Emergency Management Conference. As the lead instructor, it’s game time peeps!

I started the class out with some FEMA videos on the #Katrina10 recovery operation ongoing for Louisiana. They encompassed topics like whole community, public-private partnership, Faith-based organizations, and of course Fire/EMS public safety from SBPFD.


I then started laying the groundwork in the class for the end of day capstone recovery exercise.


But before lunch, I was requested to instruct in the adjacent room and teach the live video section of the KY Basic Public Information Officer (PIO) Course for Mike and Buddy. Addressing platforms and uses for situational awareness/common operating picture.


Nice to see some new PIOs in front of a camera. They did fairly well.

After lunch, we did some work with forms and cost recovery with Judge Bertram.


Overall, everyone had a great time learning and collaborating ideas for future Post Disaster Recovery plans. I’m looking forward to seeing Kentucky’s success in their enhanced recovery process now.

Special thanks to the Kentucky Emergency Management Office, KESC, and Ohio EMA for the invite and allowance to speak to all 38 Emergency Management Directors, 2 EM coordinators, 1 EM planner, 1 USAR, 1 lawyer, and 1 county executive. I’m also so glad to have the largest class at the conference too.

In anticipation for AlohaFridays, they broke out their best Aloha on a Thursday afternoon…Just. For. Me.

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My new peeps! Reporting live from Kentucky…

@rusnivek

This DC-10 (aka 10 Tanker Air Carrier) makes large drops possible #NatlPrep #VLAT

Specialty aircraft like this DC-10 (aka 10 Tanker Air Carrier) make large drops possible #NatlPrep #VLAT

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I got a chance to see this aircraft up close when I was at McClellan airport.

It’s amazing how air professionals can take older resources and make them into something that can help so many.

Making sure we expend all resources and their effectiveness is key for any emergency or disaster response.

Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.

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@rusnivek

Final FEMA review of the new social media courses #NDPTC

I popped back-to-back-to-back social media classes last week in Sacramento, California.

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Participants from all over the west coast attended. Specifically for Thursday and Friday, FEMA reviewed our new curriculum courses. Yep, straight up evaluation. Not going to lie, I was pretty nervous.

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Ongoing for course design, I will make a few more additions/changes before courses are sent to the National Training and Exercise Division (NTED) for certification. Hoping for final approval in November 2015. Hope to hear the magical words “Federally published” as my course is listed in the DHS / FEMA Training catalog. Whoa Nellie!

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 For the classes? We had great interaction from all participants.

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Solid discussions during the breakout sessions included professionals from all Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) as well as experts from the National Weather Service (NWS), Critical Infrastructure, and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs), etc… Diverse groups make for the best discussions for sure!

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As part of our continued efforts in Emergency Management, it is imperative that we address issues from the All-Hazards approach and incorporate the support of our stakeholders in solutions.

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With heavy discussion, class participants had a great time engaging with others and using tools/techniques that are specific to the Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Directorates. Obviously, I showcased the importance of a good Public Information Officer (PIO) / Public Affairs Officer (PAO) and how their interaction in the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) or the Joint Information Center/System (JIC/JIS) is imperative to a successful emergency or disaster.

Also, starting to build an online learning library that can be easily accessed from anywhere using the #NDPTC is always good reference. Free. My favorite F-word.

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Special mahalos to fellow Instructors Cheryl and MaryJo in the delivery of these courses.

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Also the solid smiles from fellow #SMEM Jennifer and Scott was crucial support on this delivery.

Glad to be working with partners like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC), and the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC). Truly great to see everyone working collaboratively. Thanks to the Sacramento County Emergency Management for hosting these courses.

Looking forward to the next class at the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) conference in Clark County, Nevada. See you there!

@rusnivek