Soooo, I’ll be in Washington DC next week…

A quick update on next week’s trip to Washington DC aka my official invite to the White House…
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I have been invited by The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and The National Security Council (NSC) to attend the White House Innovation for Disaster Response and Recovery Initiative on Tuesday July 29, 2014. Workshops in the morning and the event in the afternoon (Social Media, User-Centered Designs, and Predictive Analytics).
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Additionally, I’ll be taking in a few other meetings with response and preparedness agencies including DoD, DHS, and FEMA. Alphabet soup gang huh?
Am I nervous? Yep. I’m just hoping I don’t throw up on important people.
I’m totes excited.
Suit up!

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Event: White House Innovation for Disaster Response and Recovery Initiative on Tuesday July 29, 2014
This event will bring together technologists, entrepreneurs, and members of the disaster response community to showcase tools that will make a tangible impact in the lives of survivors of large-scale emergencies. The White House Innovation for Disaster Response and Recovery Initiative was first launched by the Administration in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to find the most effective ways technology can empower survivors, first responders, and local, state, tribal, territorial, and Federal government with critical information and resources.
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Social media remarks by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate

Social media remarks by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate…

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqkRx0vpDeI

(From the 140 Conference 2011)

Thanks to CRESA911 for the upload.

@rusnivek

Possible deployment – update: 11-13-13 at 1930 #Haiyan #Yolanda #Typhoon #Hurricane

Possible deployment: Philippines

City: Guiuan, Eastern Samar

Flight Plan: CLE – JFK – Manila – Guiuan (Manila to Guiuan via C-130)

Duration: 10-days

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At this time, I have declined the deployment with the Incident Response Team citing safety concerns with the various Landing Zones (LZ), Logistics escorts, coordination with the Philippine Military, and security of the Base of Operations (BoO).

Gunzo

Sigh.

As the situation continues to evolve, there may be other deployments to bring in resources to stabilize this region which has been badly damaged by the Typhoon/Hurricane.

However, I still encourage all of you to consider giving monetary donations to international agencies to support the relief efforts.

@rusnivek