Detailed warning information on upcoming weather threats and other hazards

Welcome to the third week of 2020 National Preparedness Month! This week, we will be addressing how to prepare for specific disasters.

Compared to other weeks where we talk about general topics, plans, and maybe some things in your kit, we will be talking about how you can get stuff ready for each type of emergency or disaster.

So to start out, let’s talk about information about upcoming disasters.

A solid tool that is almost indispensable is…..your cell phone!

That’s right, that little computer/smart phone in your pocket is a GREAT way that you can discern information and better respond to the emergency.

One easy way is to download the FEMA app.

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https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/app

The FEMA app has a ton of features that could be beneficial to your specific area. Specifically in the notification for five of your identified cities/county.

This feature provides the ability to see what’s going on in a certain area of the country. And since I travel, I always have the first slot in my list for home. This allows me to get any notification on stuff that could be happening at home.

The second, third, and fourth slot are for my family in Los Angles, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Gotta keep an eye on the family no matter where they are. Plus an extra set of eyes from another part of the country is beneficial esp if they are sleeping at 0300 and it’s 0800 here.

Since I travel a fair amount, I usually reserve slot #5 (the last slot) for my work travel. Even though I may not be from Central City, I will always know the latest in dangers in my travel city.

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From critical tornado warnings or immediate evacuation tsunami warnings – I know I’ll be prepared for my location(s) specific disaster or emergency.

All of the information provided to you….FREE. That’s right-all the details are available to you for free. App is free. No charge from FEMA to download the app. No monthly fee. No recurring administrative charges.

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Ahhhh, safety for free.

I got your back.

More free tips tomorrow addressing specific hazards.

Reporting live from the third week!

@rusnivek

All 2019 Hurricanes sock…

Man, I just caught this at the 2019 Hurricane Season Hurricane Hunter presser w/ NOAA and FEMA.

The Acting Secretary of Commerce matches his socks with his Hurricane Hunter aircraft. Whut-the-what?

Whoa. #fleek

His sock game is 💯

Clearly, it seems like everyone is serious about the 2019 Hurricane season.

Are you prepared?

FEMA’s ReadyGov Program-Hurricanes: click here

DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: click here

Keep it safe – it’s the weekend!!!!

@rusnivek

Florence is bearing down on South Carolina #SCWx

Hey South Carolina friends!

Florence is bearing down to you now. Here’s the current forecast from our friends at the  NHC.

What to do? How to prep?

Check out the South Carolina Emergency Management website for great tips on hurricane prep.

Easy to find preparedness stuff and, if you want, download their mobile app too!

Always be prepared peeps!

@rusnivek

 

Florence is bearing down on North Carolina #NCWx

Hey North Carolina friends!

Florence is bearing down to you now. Here’s the current forecast from our friends at the  NHC.

What to do? How to prep? Check out the North Carolina Emergency Management website for great tips on hurricane prep.

Easy to find preparedness stuff and, if you want, download their mobile app too!

Always be prepared peeps!

@rusnivek

 

Volunteers & Donation Management

Volunteer and Donations Management class today.

Lots of discussion was sparked by spontaneous volunteers.

While easy to handle, complex to handle without a tested and easy system to categories skills and personnel.

Additionally, lots focused on resource and supplies. A casual remark in class is that volunteers can house all kinds of stuff and be able to distribute everything accordingly.

Let me be very honest, I love people that want to help. But if you dump this task on an untrained and unfamiliar set of volunteers, it will not go smoothly. You have to train them, set them in a direction, and of course be as organized and coordinated as you can be. Make them part of your team EARLY!

So to share a perfect example of serving in disaster recovery, I’ll again share the AmeriCorps package we put together while deployed out for Hurricane Maria on the US Virgin Islands St. Thomas.

Outstanding crew to work with and solid bunch of dedicated individuals to the mission at hand. More info about AmeriCorps, click here and AmeriCorp Blue-6 (<—That team is SOLID).

A few takeaways for participants in today’s class:

  • Build relationships before an emergency.
  • Enhance capabilities and knowledge.
  • Evaluate skill sets of your volunteer workforce.
  • Exercise, Exercise, Exercise.
  • Help your neighbor.
  • Do good stuff.

Train your volunteers frequently as they should be a valuable part of our community’s recovery process.

@rusnivek

Kicking off 2018 #Hurricane season this Wednesday with DHS Secretary Nielsen and FEMA Administrator Long

Kicking off 2018 #Hurricane season this Wednesday with Department of Homeland Security (@DHSgov) Secretary Kristjen Nielsen and Federal Emergency Management Agency (@FEMA) Administrator Brock Long (@FEMA_Brock).

@rusnivek

DHS Surge Capacity Force for FEMA

Also, remember when I talked about working together so that in a disaster things go well? Here’s the article I worked on w/ CBP as part of the DHS “Surge Capacity Force” ramp up to support FEMA.

Teri Villarreal, usually an import specialist with CBP’s Rosemont, Illinois, office, helps residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands as a member of FEMA’s Surge Capacity Force. FEMA photo by Kevin Sur

Teri Villarreal, usually an import specialist with CBP’s Rosemont, Illinois, office, helps residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands as a member of FEMA’s Surge Capacity Force. FEMA photo by Kevin Sur

See, partnerships are key in the success of any agency’s mission.

Continue to explore working with your partners in public safety!

@rusnivek

 

A little love from the USVI

Awww! A little USVI love came in the mail today.

Mahalos to everyone in the United States Virgin Islands!

@rusnivek

Starting another ICS-400: Advanced ICS

Another solid start to a fun ICS-400: Advanced Incident Command System for Command and General Staff course.

Looking forward to expanding on the concepts in ICS-300 and enhancing it with some of my most recent disaster deployments Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

Reporting live from the classroom of fun…

@rusnivek

 

Only one relation #PIOProblems #chyron

Even if you give the TV news crews your title on camera for the chyron….they might get it wrong.


Apparently, my new title only allows me to only have ONE relation.

Well, at least they spelled my name right.

Bajeez.

@rusnivek