This Citizen Corps News Digest is provided by FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division to highlight community preparedness and resilience resources and activities recently announced by federal agencies and Citizen Corps partners.

DHS and FEMA Updates

Secretary Napolitano Highlights DHS' Major Accomplishments in 2010
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano highlighted the Department's 2010 accomplishments in an address to employees - emphasizing the major steps the Department has taken this year to enhance America's capabilities to guard against terrorism; secure the nation's borders; engage in smart enforcement of our immigration laws; safeguard and secure cyberspace; prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; and unify and mature the Department.  Click here to read the press release and learn more.

Enhancing Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Todd M. Keil, Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection at DHS, wrote in the DHS Blog that "There can be no doubt that the nature of our world today is one of constant, rapid change. Events and disruptions to everyday operations happen—some that we can predict or forecast, others that we cannot.  As a result, the owners and operators of the Nation's critical infrastructure need to be resilient and able to recover from any type of hazard."  Click here to read more from Mr. Keil about resilience, the Regional Resiliency Assessment Program, the Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program, information sharing, and the future of the IP Resilience Initiative.

Citizen Corps Partners and Affiliates Updates

New TV PSAs Call on Americans to Serve their Communities
As thoughts turn towards giving back this holiday season, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released five new public service announcements calling on Americans to strengthen their communities and our nation through service to others.  The PSAs feature the stories of Americans from every age and walk of life who have stepped up to be a part of the solution to tackling community challenges. Set in iconic American settings — the Statue of Liberty, the St. Louis Arch, Seattle's Space Needle, and Yosemite National Park — the PSAs feature volunteers telling their own stories about the power of people to improve lives and make communities stronger. Click here to read the announcement and view the PSAs.

Webinars

REGION VII Webinar:  An Overview of Functional Needs Support Services

Join FEMA Region VII for an informative one hour overview of Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS) in General Population Shelters.   This webinar and conference call will introduce planning guidance that can be incorporated into existing shelter plans to meet access and functional needs in general population shelters.

When:

January 18th, 2011 – 11am-12pm (Central)
http://www.suretomeet.com/exec/gt/event.h,event=db0b4f34e39d

February 10th, 2011 – 3pm-4pm (Central)
http://www.suretomeet.com/exec/gt/event.h,event=eb1b5f44f3ae

February 23rd, 2011 – 10am-11am (Central)
http://www.suretomeet.com/exec/gt/event.h,event=fb2b6f5403bf

March 14th, 2011 – 2pm-3pm (Central)
http://www.suretomeet.com/exec/gt/event.h,event=0b3b7f6413c0

***ONCE YOU RSVP USING THE LINKS ABOVE, TO ACCESS THE WEBINAR ON THE DAY YOU SELECT, USE THE LINK BELOW***

Where: Sign into the web meeting at https://connect.hsin.gov/regionvii/ and dialing in at 1-800-320-4330 PIN 746583

To RSVP, please visit the website below the dates above.  Please feel free to invite individuals/agencies that may benefit from this information.

Questions?  Email Jono Anzalone, Regional Voluntary Agency Liaison at jono.anzalone1@dhs.gov or call 816.283.7078.

Other Preparedness Updates

We are providing the following links to third party sites for your reference.  FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, or applications.

California Business Partners Program Promotes Corporate Volunteerism
Emergency Management Magazine reported on the the California Business Partners Program and its efforts "to promote volunteerism within companies that do business in the state."  The goal is be more prepared for a disaster by encouraging the public and private sectors to work together in communicating about and planning for disasters.  The California Business Partners Program is housed in the California Volunteers office and has proven to be a better way of partnering with the private sector.  State organizations find the program allows them to tap the private sector more effectively when necessary.  Read the article here to learn more about the program.

Web Broadcast: Collaborative Disaster Planning for Hospitals and Emergency Management
The National Terrorism Preparedness Institute at St. Petersburg College is presenting a Web-based course by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) called, "Building Collaborative Disaster Planning Processes Between Hospitals and Emergency Management." The broadcast will discuss "mitigation strategies for lessening risks, regional resource agreements, a look at how the resource request process works from the local Emergency Operations Centers to the Federal level, and what steps can be taken to help prepare for that next disaster." Panelists will look at lessons learned from past disasters.  To learn more about the web broadcast click here.

These news stories and other Individual & Community Preparedness news can be found on our website at:

Sincerely,

The National Office of Citizen Corps
FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness Division