Tag Archives: Federal

Final FEMA review of the new social media courses #NDPTC

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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

Final day of instructing Ohio EMA’s Basic Public Information Officers Course

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Final day of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency’s Basic Public Information Officer Course (G-290). Kaboom!

Before class started, we pumped a little Billy Joel through the ECC&C speakers.

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We talked about what kind of information needs to be disseminated including categorizing messages by priority. Obviously, we discussed various social media platforms and a few publishing options to maximize visibility.

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Basically, it still comes down to maximizing our efforts during a disaster or emergency.

Working in groups, all participants formulated action items to implement at their agencies. Incidentally, this is truly the reason why so many ICS classes exercise in groups…is to help facilitate open dialogue. Building relationships is easier in an open classroom setting.

And yes, 0300 is NOT the time to be meeting fellow public safety professionals for the first time in the EOC.

As a group, we evaluated everyone’s TV PIO interview.

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Everyone shared constructive recommendations with the entire class. Everyone.

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In fact, the private industry crew really enjoyed the training and wanted to work/train more closely with various public safety agencies (Hmmmm, I sense this could be the start of a public-private-partnerships-EEEK).

In the end, more group work and a secondary interview helped participants to become more comfortable in front of the camera.

Additionally, non-verbal actions including certain physical cues were shared to help PIOs take back control from an aggressive reporter and take control of the interview.

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Remember, the important point to remember is….

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Reporting live from FEMA Region-5, at the Medina County Emergency Coordination Center & Classroom…

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@rusnivek

Teaching Ohio EMA’s Basic Public Information Officers Course

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First day of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency’s Public Information Officer Course (G-290). Whohoo!!!!

Welcome and intros today by OEMA NE Region Supervisor Bob Zehentbauer.

Bob Z kicking off today's Ohio EMA Basic PIO course.

Bob Z kicking off today’s Ohio EMA Basic PIO course.

(Bob-Mahalos for the kind words)

Special thanks to Medina County Emergency Management Agency and Director Christina Fozio for hosting this great all-hazards class.

Medina County EMA Director Christine Fozio with the best hospitality in the EOC!

Medina County EMA Director Christine Fozio with the best hospitality in the EOC!

This class, our participants hail from various disciplines including Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, Hospitals, Prison officials, Private Industry, Health Department, and Higher Education.

So many experiences to share especially with all the EOC activations we had in the past 5 years here in NE Ohio. Castro case, Ebola, Pepper Pike Tornado, Flooding, Operations Barclay, Hurricane Sandy, etc…all are great experiences that we as instructors can share our experiences with our participants.

I believe the best part about the G-290 course? The on-camera interviews for everyone.

One camera for face, one camera for body language, and a tricky "reporter" asking questions.

One camera for face, one camera for body language, and a tricky “reporter” asking questions.

Many instructors shy away from this task because they don’t have the time, experience, or even the equipment. However, I believe that it is imperative we have these tools that simulate real-life situations. We as instructors should provide the most realistic examples of in-field experiences for all participants.

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For those attending, we will never compromise. We will always provide the best class.

Period.

@rusnivek

Spent my day with my hometown CERT

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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.

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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.

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Of course we continued to assess our event and think about other safety measures.

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And of course we had a few moments to share a smile.

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Fun fact, our Council President and Safety Chair is also a proud founding member of my awesome CERT Team. Booya!

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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.

@rusnivek

Another brand new social media engagement presentation at FSU

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Also had a chance to be one of the first instructors to deliver the new social media engagement presentation for FEMA/NDPTC.


Florida State University uses social media heavily to engage and inform their entire student body, faculty, as well as alumni of events ongoing on campus at Tallahassee.


FSU have a great social media presence. Consider following them @KeepFSUSafe @FSUAlerts @FloridaState #LifeAtFSU


Not only on a computer but from various mobile platforms and public warning systems too! Well done FSU!

A very special thanks to my awesome co-instructor Jennifer aka call sign: “other”.


Such a great adventure! Very proud of the work I’ve been assigned.

Reporting live from FEMA Region-4!

@rusnivek

Created and designed and now piloting the new SM

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I rolled out my new FEMA presentation for FEMA Region-4 peeps at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.


At this time, this course is the semi-final pilot so I’m almost there!

Obvs, I had to incorporate a great preparedness campaign from my friends at the CDC.  Have you heard of their preparedness campaign before? It costed the CDC a killer $87 (Get it? I’m so punny).


How about them Zombies?


Classroom activities make it easier for our all-hazards partners to come up with good messaging during preparedness, response, and recovery.


Shared experiences and open discussion amongst public safety providers allows for solid social media solutions to be developed for many common issues.


Participants use various hardware and software platforms to complete each assigned performance-based task. This showcases the spectrum of social media that spans hardware and software differences.


Final will be presented for certification in August in FEMA Region-9 at the State of California Emergency Operations Center located in Sacramento.


So nervous! But seriously, I’m so excited for this project, I can’t even…

@rusnivek

National Call to Action Day! Thanks to @PrepareAthon @ReadyGov 

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Take a few minutes to commit to being ready for disasters that may threaten your community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region V office in Chicago, Ill., is encouraging everyone to take part in America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action on April 30 and consider doing at least one activity to improve your resilience to potential disasters.

“Spring in the Midwest can bring a heightened risk for severe weather, so it’s even more critical for people to get ready now,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “Be proactive, and engage your family, friends and neighbors in one of the many simple ways to prepare for emergencies.”

Sign up for local alerts and warnings and check for access to wireless emergency alerts. Visit your city and/or county website to find out if they offer emergency alert notifications through their own systems. You should also ensure your cell phone is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to warn you of extreme weather and other emergencies in your area. And always heed the weather warnings from your local National Weather Service Office (NWS).

Download the free FEMA app to get and stay prepared: Access disaster safety tips, an emergency kit list, emergency meeting location information, and a map with open shelters. Text ANDROID or APPLE to 43362 (4FEMA) and receive a link for download.

Follow preparedness agencies on Twitter like @FEMA  @FEMARegion5 @Ohio_EMA @rusnivek @ReadyGov @PrepareAthon @CraigatFEMA for quick information and regularly posted preparedness tips.

Develop and test emergency communications plans. Visit www.Ready.gov/plan-for-your-risks for tips on how to ensure your plan is as comprehensive as possible.

Assemble or update emergency supplies. Include drinking water, a first-aid kit, canned food, a radio, flashlight and blankets. Visit www.Ready.gov/build-a-kit for a disaster supply checklist. Don’t forget to store additional supply kits in your car and at the office too.

Collect and safeguard critical documents. Keep copies in your home and store originals in a secure place outside the home, such as a bank safe deposit box.

These easy preparedness steps takes seconds to complete. 

  

Be a part of the 2015 National Call to Action and be prepared for any disaster or emergency.

@rusnivek