Rolling in on a Saturday to the EOC….
Wait a sec…WAIT A SEC….
Did one of our partners get their drive through testing station up and running already?
PIO to SITL: How do copy?
Man, the news is going to be all over this one…
Aside from all the response stuff that goes on in the disaster, I think the mainstream public doesn’t understand debris management. In fact, I would go so far as to say that many communities across the US don’t have a debris management plan.
Here’s the current situation here in Monroe County, FL (aka Florida Keys).
This is one of several locations for debris.
What makes this so complex is that because of the smaller geographic location of the islands, it is hard to manage space too.
Emergency Managers should also think about transportation of debris. I’ve had to already roll out my evasive driving maneuvers. Not good.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Response is easy. But true Emergency Managers know that Recovery is the hardest phase in a disaster.
As ongoing operations continue for survivors of Hurricane Harvey – key messages need to be repeated as Hurricane impact turns into catastrophic inland flooding.
Do not drive through flooded areas. Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
I encourage all Public Information Officers / Public Affairs Officers (PIOs/PAOs) to continue to share/amplify FEMA messaging like this to all their audiences.
#TurnAroundDontDrown
Graphic: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. This graphic is part of the Flood Safety collection.
2017 National Severe Weather Preparedness week.
As we start to experience more rain (April showers) – we need to constantly remind people – IF YOUR WIPERS ARE ON, TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON!
Can you identify which vehicle doesn’t have their headlights on? Kinda hard to spot huh?
Despite daytime on a gloomy day, I think people just forget to turn their headlights on.
Consider using this safety meme whenever it rains.
Trust me, it’s free.
Every state is different so check your state and local laws. Or just turn them on whenever you turn your windshield wipers on.
More free severe weather safety tips this week…
Even in light traffic, do you know what to do?
PULL RIGHT FOR LIGHTS!
That’s right – go right!
Be safe and help out your local public safety providers as they head out to do good stuff.
NEVER drive through flooded roadways. Here’s why
Turn Around Don’t Drown #TADD #NatlPrep
Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.
Too many needless MVAs this weekend.
For the sake of all Public Safety and your family who loves you, please DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!
And feel free to continually share safety messages like this often.
EMS call – yes!
faster – Faster – FASTER!!!!
But I am sure this GoPro footage is being reviewed by all the bosses.
I can’t image that they’d be happy to see this.
Also, that siren is weird too.
Just keep in mind, if EMS doesn’t even make it to the scene because of their own reckless crash, who will treat the patient?
Duh.
Safety first peeps.
| 14-005: The wrong hashtag and checking official accounts | |
| Agency: TEEX | Topic(s): Official accounts and hashtags |
| Date: Fall 2014 | Platform: Twitter |
Citing the original source of information is a solid idea on Twitter. But citing the correct source with the correct Twitter handle is even more important. That’s what Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) did when they tweeted information about a gym bag/emergency preparedness kit.
The use of the wrong hashtag will drive your audience away from national trends. Remember, the general idea behind the hashtag is to help bring together trending posts especially this month because September is National Preparedness Month. My. Favorite. Month.
A quick search of “#Prepared2014” shows tens of thousands of tweets.
A search using “#BePrepared2014” yielded 13 tweets.
Those two letters really do make a difference. A big difference.
Also, when citing sources, make sure they are current agency accounts. The @readydotgov account has tweeted twice in 2014 and has 396 followers.
It also states in the description box “please follow us @Readygov”
The verified @Readygov Twitter account has 3,000 tweets with almost 90,000 followers and has been tweeting since August 2008.
No matter how good your communications plans are, your mechanical no-look cut/paste actions must be double checked every time. It takes five seconds to check. Additionally, you stand the possibility of your readers questioning the validity of your information when they see that you posted old/not used stuff.
A more effective tweet could have read:
If you can pack a gym bag, you can pack an emergency bag: ow.ly/i/4Eui3 #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep @ReadyGov @AnaheimCERT
By phrasing it this way:
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this:
TheWrongHashtagAndCheckingOfficialAccounts-Safety-PIO-SM-14-005a
It’s the first Friday, the first week of 2014 National Preparedness Month!
“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”
Easy right? My goal is to provide actionable information so that you can better prepare you and your family.
This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Reconnect with Family After a Disaster.
#5: Use a small USB drive includes all key emergency documents & family communications plan #NatlPrep #Prepared2014
These ubiquitous USB drives (aka thumb drives, jump drives, memory sticks, etc…) are so easy to find. Best part? These things are cheap! You can easily find 16G for $2…which is WAY more storage that you’d ever need to store your documents in an emergency.
What to keep stored on this jump drive? Scanned or digital copies of your:
As you pack your one ounce USB drive, don’t forget to put it in an airtight freezer ziplock type bag. Your electronic equipment does not like getting wet.
The cost of these USB drives are so low, that it behooves you to use easy technology now to better leverage your position in a disaster. Because you won’t have time to copy/transfer these documents during a rapid evacuation, now is the time to be prepared.
Keeping good documentation for your family is one of the most important parts of reconnecting with family during and after a disaster.
