Secret project this morning with lots of smiles…

Lots of holiday cheer…

All for this…
Ohhh yeah, the #MannequinChallenge
Outstanding work to all Cleveland public safety forces!
Secret project this morning with lots of smiles…

Lots of holiday cheer…

All for this…
Ohhh yeah, the #MannequinChallenge
Outstanding work to all Cleveland public safety forces!
Lots of planning at the Cleveland Fire Training Academy today.

Special thanks to the lads at Engine-30 for supporting.
Bay floors look the same. Station looks the same.
I’m sure Truck checks are all the same too right?!?
Presenting today at the 63rd Annual Wayne County Fire School (Ohio).

And yes, I get to crack the awesome social media jokes on THE Ohio State University campus.

Lots of Firefighters and Paramedics from all over.

Many familiar faces in the audience too!

Event organizers estimate over 100 attendees with numerous vendors on site including Metro LifeFlight, Cleveland Clinic, and MedFlight of Ohio. Helicopters!

Me? I’m just glad to participate.

Yep, that’s a suit.
Also, kudos to a fellow Firefighter WHFD FF Gary Klaus who was named this year’s Fire School Honorary Dean.

Intro music (GNR’s Paradise City) playing for the afternoon session. #excited.
PIO and Social Media skillz in 3…2…1…
Great to pop in to see the pros at Sharonville Fire (Ohio).

Also oogling their new ladder truck too (Old midship mount tower ladder to new rear mount stick). They even went with a black stick. So chic!

As usual, they left me and went running out to save someone’s life. #awesome
Excited for their upcoming crisis communications class in December.
Third solid week of 2016 National Preparedness Month! This week, we honor and celebrate all of our all-hazards first responder who serve tirelessly throughout the country.

Every day, thousands of first responders (paid and volunteer) put it all on the line for the general public we know and people we don’t know. Day or night, countless individuals respond to the call and make a difference in each community.

In your community, support your local Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement agencies as they work tirelessly to provide safety for all communities big and small.

“Don’t wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
Happy National Preparedness month! The focus during this second week is on preparing friends and family for different emergencies.

Showcasing the skills of local first responders are incredibly important to adults AND kids. And sharing important information (like a Family Emergency Communications Plan) with first responders is critical.

National Preparedness Month that promotes creating family emergency communications plans.
Often times, we overlook explaining what actually happens during an emergency.

So take the time to explain to your kids that during an emergency, ALL first responders are there to help. And of course, don’t forget to teach your children to dial 9-1-1.

Reminder: When teaching children to call 9-1-1, do not verbally say “Nine-Eleven” as there is not an eleven button on the phone.
Do it today!

“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
I frequently present to Public Information Officers / Public Affairs Officers (PIOs & PAOs) across the country and talk extensively about preparedness.

For those that were wondering about the class attire, many of my classes get scheduled on a Friday aka #AlohaFriday
Proud to say that so many of them love the job and enjoy sharing ways to increase safety in all communities with FEMA’s Ready.Gov Program.

Your local Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, and Emergency Management agencies are a great starting point for preparedness activities. Then all state safety agencies and Federal partners cooperate top down with many key organizations across the country.
That’s right. Local works with state works with regional works with national.
Happy #AlohaFriday peeps!

“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
August was solid, but September is going to be huge because it’s NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH!!!!!
First and second week, it’ll all be planning for a gigantic upcoming all-hazards PIO/PAO Conference.
Third week will be spent teaching ICS-300 for Ohio EMA to my friends in the SW part of Ohio. And then on Friday, attending the Ohio PIO Symposium.
Fourth week, I’ll be teaching at Washington DC’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management EOC. Upon return, then presenting at the Wayne County (Ohio) Fire Chief’s Conference on PIO/Social Media.
Fifth week, I’ll be presenting on PIO and cyber at the infrastructure at the statewide infrastructure protection conference in Region-7. Who knows, if I can do it, maybe some tactical training in Alliance too. #pewpew
And ALL month long, I’ll be participating in National Preparedness month activities that you can share with your constituents. If we can better prepare our peeps, we can increase our national level of community resilience.

Thanks to the www.ready.gov program, it is easier than ever to get involved and prepared.

Hope to see you engaging during this important month.
“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”