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Emergency Management, Emergency Services, & Disaster Spox

Do you know your hometown? #PlanAhead now #NatlPrep

Posted on September 10, 2017 by rusnivek

This week we focus in on how we plan to help our neighbors and community. Yes, your own community.

Learn more about local government and how your hometown provides service before, during, and after an emergency. #NatlPrep

Me and the Mayor of my hometown!

By getting more involved in local government, you can better serve your community and ultimately your neighbors. Trust me, in the past few months, I have talked to my neighbors a ton on preparedness efforts and general safety measures.

#PlanAhead and be neighborly.

@rusnivek

Final day of DHS/FEMA ICS-300!

Posted on August 3, 2017 by rusnivek

Final day of ICS-300!

This morning, we will be talking a bit about allocation and resource management.

Despite the disaster or emergency, It is critical that we continue to be fiscally responsible to the communities we serve. Let me dispel the common misnomer – there is no such thing as an unlimited budget for disaster response/recovery. We must utilize our resources accordingly to best maximize our time. Much like everything else in life, all resources and personal must be accounted for and justified.

Shout out to BFD and their hospitality this week as we help our local partners, state agencies, and DoD assets in preparation for their upcoming NSSE.

Thanks BFD!

After three long days in class, it’s great to have so many smiling faces

Smiles and shakas from my ICS-300 class!

I’m just proud to have so much participation and networking in class.

Ribbit.

@rusnivek

17-001: A Shake That Never Happened #PIO #Safety #SocialMedia

Posted on June 23, 2017 by rusnivek

17-001: A Shake That Never Happened
Agency: US Geological Survey (USGS)	Topic(s): Error message / human error
Date: 06-23-17	Platform: Twitter/Email

Sometimes, US Geological Survey (USGS) computers have 6.8 sized hiccups which automatically pushed out info this past Wednesday. This caused serious concern as numerous Emergency Management professionals and PIOs desperately searched to verify information on any earthquake in California. None was to be found on Wednesday June 21, 2017.

As you can see, the date listed in the email notification isn’t consistent with Wednesday’s date as well as the time stamp of publication.

Even worse was the 140-character tweet with even less text/info that initially went out to their 679K followers (@USGS). With the magnitude and epicenter location in a well populated area (Santa Barbara CA), it is crucial that we have multiple sources to verify critical information.

As humans, our attention span has shortened. (SQUIRREL!) Likely thousands misread the initial date/time listed on the email. Even less took the time to click the link in the tweet.

USGS noticed the error and posted this explanation of the errand info. Emails were sent to explain the deleted event.

Obviously more than 140 characters, they screen shot a typed response and posted the image to twitter referencing their errant tweet. The USGS used this tactic to get more information and characters into an otherwise short 140-character tweet.

Whether computer or human error, fessing up to an error on social media is embarrassing. However, the ramifications of arbitrarily deleting info without prior public notification will gander your agency a rash of criticism from the most loyal of followers. Government agencies should strive to foster trust and transparency with all of their constituency. Not to mention, deletion of your posts must match your agency’s policy/procedure or SOP/SOG.

Three important tips to consider if an agency posts something weird:

Trust, but verify information. Trust your social media intuition.
Correlate data from various sources to make an informed decision for ongoing operations.
Admit your mistakes. It happens. Human error is a thing.

Mistakes happen, but how you recover will either make you a hero or a zero. Maximize your efforts on social media including screenshots of your more-than-140-character-response.

Time is short, so tweet / email correct stuff!

@rusnivek

****Or download the one-pager here: AShakeThatNeverHappened-Safety-PIO-SM-17-001***

Maybe watch a quick video from USA Today

Returning from #GSMCon2017

Posted on April 14, 2017 by rusnivek

Well, I guess it’s time to “head back from Dallas”

Let me get comfortable in my exit row seat

Special thanks to Sarah Gamblin-Luig (@SirenLadySTL) for chaperoning my quick 2-day trip for the 2017 Government Social Media Conference (#GSMCon2017) in Texas.

@rusnivek

“Attending” the #GSMCon2017 in Dallas #coasttocoastkevin

Posted on April 13, 2017 by rusnivek

Today, I am “attending” the Government Social Media Conference (#GSMCon2017) in Dallas.

Thanks to a few late night ideas spurred by Maryland Emergency Management’s Emily Allen (@allen_emilym) and Garden Grove Fire California Capt Nguyen (@PIOthanhn).

Bahhahahaahaha.

Sounds like an interesting talk from Mary Jo Flynn and Sarah Miller now on Social Media and UAS use by government officials.

Ahem. Well, what can I say?

Maybe a few safety messages on keeping your mobile devices charged…..Wait, Lazo can you help?

I tried to win a few raffle prizes, but sadly that didn’t happen.

While on the step and repeat, Conference host Kristy Dalton is giving me the look…the look to attend #GSMCon2018 too.

I spy, with my right eye…Bronlea too!

Reporting live from…..well Dallas!

@rusnivek

Mean people do not like severe weather warnings

Posted on January 15, 2017 by rusnivek

Dear general public: Stop being mean to the National Weather Service, State/Local government public safety, and news reporters.

When “breaking news” occurs pertaining to safety, please adhere to the warnings put forth by the official sources.

homabash

Again, stop being mean!

Most reporters are generally nice and they want to report the facts.

For your protection, heed all safety warnings from official sources.

@rusnivek

See, government does have a sense of humor!

Posted on August 11, 2015 by rusnivek

My friends at @FEMA –

See, government DOES have a sense of humor.

Bonus points for the fed emoticons in the twitter reply too. #Nooice

@rusnivek

Spent my day with my hometown CERT

Posted on July 12, 2015 by rusnivek

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.

@rusnivek

Many in government did NOT yield to standard NIMS ICS principles today

Posted on March 3, 2015 by rusnivek

Lots of discussion around the speech from Benjamin Netanyahu today.

I mean, lots of ICS violations from the speech today.

My POVs:

1. Only the Incident Commander should brief his G&GSF.

2. LOFRs need to pay better attention to on site VIP visits and make sure it doesn’t disrupt Ops.

3. Other agency reps or SMEs should submit comms approval on messages through the LOFR. IC approval is a must.

4. IC and PSC should be primary on the SMART Objectives. TFs or STs or Single resources should not be weighing in on strategic direction.

5. Play here in your own sandbox. We got bigger national issues to worry about.

In case you needed a NIMS ICS-207 review

@rusnivek

The wrong hashtag and checking official accounts – Safety-PIO-SM-14-005

Posted on September 15, 2014 by rusnivek

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:

You cite FEMA’s main current preparedness Twitter account (@ReadyGov).
You use the correct national hashtag to increase visibility in your message (#Prepared2014).
You add additional hashtags to help pair your efforts with national campaign themes in your message.
You cite the right agency accounts on Twitter which will help them gain visibility with your audience.
Your agency shows coordinated efforts with national response agencies when you use @mentions on twitter.

Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.

@rusnivek

***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this:

TheWrongHashtagAndCheckingOfficialAccounts-Safety-PIO-SM-14-005a