Be advised there will be some traffic delays and alerts as the Vice-President will be in NE Ohio today.
Monitor local media WKYC WEWS WOIO FOX8 PlainDealer WTAM WCPN for updates on traffic.
Or see for yourself at OHGO or BuckeyeTraffic.
Just your typical afternoon spent on the Eisenhower.
Fire + Police + EMS working tirelessly to help those involved in a MVA
DYK: In 1956 President Eisenhower established the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 which allocated monies for the creation and development of our national highway system across our country?
Bonus points for those that learned this factoid from the TV show Big Bang Theory and the Sheldon GPS.
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.
EMS call – yes!
faster – Faster – FASTER!!!!
But I am sure this GoPro footage is being reviewed by all the bosses.
I can’t image that they’d be happy to see this.
Also, that siren is weird too.
Just keep in mind, if EMS doesn’t even make it to the scene because of their own reckless crash, who will treat the patient?
Duh.
Safety first peeps.
When your portable traffic warning folks get a little too close to the actual traffic…
All kidding aside, I hope all the crews involved in this MVA are OK.
| 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:
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this:
TheWrongHashtagAndCheckingOfficialAccounts-Safety-PIO-SM-14-005a
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.
| 14-004: A lonely shortened Facebook link on Twitter | |
| Agency: South Central Sierra Interagency IMT | Topic(s): Shared information/update |
| Date: Summer 2014 | Platform: Twitter |
Speed is primarily the reason why everyone loves social media…especially Twitter. Many agencies use social media to provide updates and information when assigned to certain incidents. That’s what the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team did during the French Fire in California when they pushed this lonely shortened Facebook link out on Twitter.
I get that 140 character max on Twitter is short…and you have lots to say…and you don’t have time…and blah blah blah. Everyone else doesn’t have time too. But pushing a non-descript link, does raise a concern that perhaps your account has been compromised by spam bots. Your agency has worked diligently to establish solid working relationships. During an emergency is the WORST time for your audience to question and/or ignore your official accounts with trusted reliable information.
If your social media plan calls for directing all efforts to Facebook as the primary source of information, a Public Information Officer (PIO) should still take the time to provide a little information (like a short description) on other platforms driving the traffic to that primary source. Providing just a link is not enough.
In the PIO business, we are forced to be precise, however just providing a link pertaining to a dangerous situation or disasters will not be enough to satiate the Twittersphere’s social interest.
Audiences change on various social media platforms, however, many agencies *think* they are all the same.
Knowing your audience is the hallmark of success. If you pair your Facebook and Twitter accounts to save time and to pass the exact same message – you should consider separating them now. Remember, you write/post/share information differently on various social media platforms.
A more effective tweet could have read:
| Still assigned to the French Fire here in California-Check out pictures frm @BLMNational Interagency Fire fb.me/1BV35Tytx #CAWildfire |
By phrasing it this way:
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this: ALonelyShortenedFacebookLinkOnTwitter-Safety-PIO-SM-14-004a
Aloha – Need some Hurricane Iselle shelter options?
Here is a free easy read shelter map for Oahu.
1. Find the shelter location nearest to you.
2. Have a plan and several routes planned out on how to get there during heavy traffic.
3. Ready your emergency preparedness kit w/ medications, flashlights, Family Communications plan, and supplies.
Be akamai peeps.
Where is @rusnivek? 