Tag Archives: Response

Debut ICS-300: Intermediate ICS course here at Argonne

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First times the charm!

Welcome to the first ICS-300 class here at Argonne!

Introductions by our Division Director Mike P.

Proud to have participants from across the state attending. And for the first time at Argonne, we are super excited to see participants from local, county, state, and Federal agencies here.

That truly speaks to the collaborative nature of safety efforts for everyone.

Also happy to see IEMA-OHS Region-3 Regional Coordinator Lisa with us this morning too.

IEMA-OHS Region-3 covers all the greater Chicagoland suburbs and towns, but they do border Argonne so we mainly work closely with Region-4 and Region-3.

Proud to have Maria P. on my staff with me as we are fully capable and vetted to teach ICS classes.

And yes, if you were wondering, I’ve known Lisa and Maria well before I worked for the state.

Day-1 and we’re already putting everyone to work as we try to get everyone on the same page and same S.M.A.R.T. objectives.

Sometimes, these classes get drab esp if we only lecture so we almost immediately get everyone doing group work to foster more ideas.

This all-hazards approach to planning and solutions make it easier to digest the materials esp the tedious ones.

Proud to bring these courses to Argonne and proud of the partnerships many have already build here. I see fit to continue to empower all of our bestest partners in safety.

Look, I’ve only been here for 5 months, but the plans are starting to come together. #ArgonneEM

Reporting live from the Argonne Analytic Cell/EOC2…

@rusnivek

Robots in the neighborhood

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We are starting to see more of these autonomous robots delivering food and items in the neighborhood.

While a cool piece of technology and innovation, I think there are more broad implications that we could capitalize on…esp during a disaster/emergency.

While we can’t rely totally on resources like this, we could take the position to send it and if it does yield any results, that was better than previous.

But the COORDINATION of assets like this will be critical to manage and prioritize esp in a disaster/emergency.

Looking forward to deploying out safety resources like this soon.

Reporting live from the robot filled streets in Chicago…

@rusnivek

TADD – Turn Around, Don’t Drown

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While it’s still National Preparedness Month, we want to make sure we remind everyone about the hazards and dangers that occur across the US.

Flooding is the most common hazards in the US. And with data to prove it, the costs associated with a few inches of water in the house can be a catastrophic point for any family.

We want to make sure you are aware of these hazards and make sure you know what to do during a disaster or critical situation…like flooding.

So even in passive signage across campus, these kinds of

Turn Around, Don’t Drown…

Your car is not a boat.

#TADD

Reporting live from building 201…

@rusnivek

24 years later, September 11th

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A lot has changed in 24 years…
That morning, I remember being notified early on that ZOB reported UA Flight 93 with garbled radio traffic in distress.

Take the time to reflect and talk to the younger generations on the importance of dedication, service, sacrifice, and safety for all.

Be an advocate for change and an inspiration for generations to come.

Reporting live from my office…

@rusnivek

Sat phone partay!

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Our 4th satellite phone came in today. Like gremlins, they are multiplying!

This Continuity of OPerations (COOP) effort is a phased plan that is imperative to everyone here.

It’s just another part of our COOP plan as Emergency Management leads the way for planning and coordination.

Think of it this way, it’s part of business continuity.

At any time, we have staff/SMEs around the world doing critical work. And we need instant communications with them and our global Exfil team that can deploy out immediately in an emergency.

In the near future, look to Argonne EM to lead the COOP effort for the area by providing high level training with our partners at FEMA.

Funny part, we are calling that part “Operation Kevins”

Reporting live from Sat phone stable…

@rusnivek

Annual interface training today

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To better acclimate our public safety partners to our operations, we hosted our annual off-site agency interface training today.

Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, and key players from state and Federal were also on hand to make sure we are a well oiled machine when it comes to inbound resources.

Glad to see so many familiar faces on site today.

Just another way Emergency Management leads the way to collaborate with our most trusted partners in response and recovery.

Reporting live from today’s sesh…

@rusnivek

Your 2024 Democratic National Convention Joint Information Center team!

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I am honored to lead this Joint Information Center (JIC) with the US Secret Service.

I am incredibly thankful for everyone who participated with us from local, county, state, and Federal partners. Welcome to Illinois and the City of Chicago!

2024 Democratic National Convention Joint Information Center

Lots of dangers with these types of National Special Security Events (NSSEs), but through a well coordinated system with highly trained individuals,

Trust me, it took many months of introductions, planning, networking, scheduling, coordinating, and of course collaborating with our most trusted partners from across the country.

I’ve said it before, but it takes a certain skillset to be the agency’s PIO. No day is ever alike.

And no incident or event will ever be the same. Nothing is ever the same.

Proud of the work that was done this week to keep everyone safe.

Reporting live from the 2024 DNC’s Joint Information Center…

@rusnivek