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Emergency Management, Emergency Services, & Disaster Spox

Finding alternative solutions to charge your stuff…w/ a 9-volt battery #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 12, 2014 by rusnivek

TGI-Friday in this second week in 2014 National Preparedness Month.

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

What a week!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Know How To plan for specific needs before a Disaster.

#12: Finding alternative solutions to charge your cell phone…like charging it with a simple 9-volt battery (video) #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

All you need is your phone, cig plug cable, 9-volt battery, and a simple key.

MacGyver your stuff up!

By learning alternate ways to deal with power problems, you can easily have uninterrupted cell phone service and power while staying in close communications with your family.

So be creative peeps…and go and find a few 9-volt batteries and test this out.

@rusnivek

Support your local emergency services who are the backbone of every community in America #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 11, 2014 by rusnivek

Solemn day in this second week in 2014 National Preparedness Month.

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Know How To plan for specific needs before a Disaster.

#11: Support your local emergency services who are the backbone of every community in America #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Do it….Get to know your local emergency services.

For those of you who have written plans, please share them with your local emergency services. Take your kids to the Fire Stations, Police Stations, and EMS Stations…teach them the importance of these essential services who will be first on the scene during an emergency.

Teach your kids how to call 9-1-1. Teach them that help will always be there.

And yes, it is your steadfast preparedness efforts that greatly contribute to the readiness of the US.

So take a moment today to reflect on one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of the US. As a country, we will never stray from the freedoms that allow us to be the home of the brave.

I have sad, but great memories of my time at Ground Zero.

I’m honored to have been a part of this effort at the WTC.

I witnessed the resolve and resilience of everyone in New York City and across this great nation. This fierce American spirit should remind each of us of the importance of our disaster work we do every day.

I believe everyone in the world can remember what they were doing when they heard the news of the attacks in 2001. And now more than ever, we must take the steps to ensure our freedoms continue to ring for every single American.

Please honor those Firefighters and countless other heroes who have given their lives for our great nation.

Never give up. Never forget.

@rusnivek

Planning alternate travel routes to avoid adverse weather #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by rusnivek

Mowing this week down as we are almost to the middle of the second week in 2014 National Preparedness Month!

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

Terriffic Tuesdays are here!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Know How To plan for specific needs before a Disaster.

#9: When planning alternate routes for work or evacuation, factor in adverse weather conditions #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

By carefully planning your routes, you can prepare you and your family for adverse weather before it rolls in. Additionally, the use of your NOAA NWS Weather Radio to avoid bad weather will help you safely navigate to your destination in a timely fashion. Consider printing out maps w/ clearly defined routes for everyone in your family.

You do NOT want to mess with Mother Nature – so plan your routes accordingly and drive them often so you aren’t surprised by major/minor construction. Make sure you and your family are safe!

“Planning is everything.” – US President Dwight D Eisenhower.

@rusnivek

Various free classes on disaster preparedness #NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Posted on September 8, 2014 by rusnivek

Solid Monday here as we lead into the second week of 2014 National Preparedness Month!

“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

No Mundays here!

This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Know How To plan for specific needs before a Disaster.

#8: Do not be afraid to attend ongoing free training classes on preparedness
#NatlPrep #Prepared2014

Your local, state, and Federal Emergency Managers are always providing free classes on preparedness and what to do during/after a disaster.

In a few of these courses, your local emergency officials help review your plans for specific items needed after a disaster. As an example, if you live in Ohio, you’d want to have warm blankets, mittens, etc….for your vehicle preparedness kit – esp during the cold winter right? Plan for your specific needs!

So taking classes…totally important right?!?

In fact, I’m sitting in a class today in FEMA Region-III (Maryland).

(Shhhhh! I’m trying to pay attention)

Life long learning peeps!

@rusnivek

Write For Different Platforms-Safety-PIO-SM-14-003

Posted on August 15, 2014 by rusnivek

14-003: Write for Different Platforms
Agency: Rocky Mountain Area IMT	Topic(s): Social Media Platform Specific Messaging
Date: Summer 2014	Platform(s): Press Release vs Twitter

Despite the message being essentially the same, every communications platform is different.

Speed is important, but correctly addressing your audience is critical in the world of public information.

On July 1, 2014, this tweet was posted on the Rocky Mountain Area Incident Management Team’s feed during the Eightmile Fire while deployed in Canon City, Colorado.

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” In all caps? All caps use on social media portrays yelling. Professionals should portray calm/control.

Twitter’s social media platform premise is a fast microblog service focusing on immediate information. This templated press release lingo (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) is not necessary. Every tweet is automatically time/date stamped including matching the recipients’ time zone. Do not waste your valuable 140 characters.

To me, this was a cut-and-paste action, or even worse yet, they just linked the agency’s Facebook and Twitter accounts together. No time was spent in addressing the various platforms used to push this valuable information. Remember, PIO actions on each platform in social media are not generic, they are specific. We talk about safety to kids differently than we inform adults on safety right? Likewise, we should address our audiences on social media accordingly to the platform they use.

A more effective tweet could have read:

“Updated information & stats on the #Eightmile Fire ongoing in Colorado can be found here fb.me/6KArLmgFr ”

By phrasing it this way:

The tweet is shorter and more concise.
Tweet identifies where the Rocky Mountain Area Incident Management Team is deployed.
The main point of contact is identified on the Facebook link provided if more specific information is needed.
Shorter messaging will allow your followers to retweet/repost and amplify your information.
The use of hashtags will help audiences find information about the #Eightmile Fire and identify the Rocky Mountain Area Incident Management Team as a trusted source of information.

Know the differences in mainstream social media platforms because what will work on one old platform (press release) will NOT work on newer platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc…) Know social media and use their amenities to your advantage.

Time is valuable, so post good stuff.

@rusnivek

***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this: WriteForDifferentPlatforms-Safety-PIO-SM-14-003