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DHS and FEMA
Updates

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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

You Can Implement New Initiatives for a Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management
Private Sector Partners, the FEMA Private Sector Division is working with you to implement new initiatives and programs that foster a whole community approach to emergency management. They include the following online resources:

• Seeking private-sector input, FEMA invites executives to work at headquarters, Washington Post Newspaper - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/16/AR2011021603156.html


• The New FEMA Community Level Table Top Exercise – http://www.fema.gov/privatesector/exercises.shtm


• FEMA Private Sector Weekly Preparedness Tips and the Weekly Preparedness Tips Catalog – www.fema.gov/privatesector

In addition, you may sign up for future FEMA Private Sector updates by selecting the FEMA Private Sector e-mail alerts and adding your information to our email list service located at the following link: http://www.fema.gov/help/getemail.shtm. You may also submit inquiries to fema-private-sector@dhs.gov. Visit the website at www.fema.gov/privatesector, or on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

African American History Month: A Celebration of Pioneers in the American Fire Service
In celebration of African American History Month, USFA Acting Administrator Glenn gaines posted a blog about African Americans in the U.S. Fire Service. According to the most recent (2009) Bureau of Labor Statistics data there are: 18,600 African-Americans career firefighters (making up 7.5% of the career firefighter population of 284,000); 10,900 African-American career emergency medical technicians and paramedics (representing 7.9% of the emergency medical services work force); and 3,942 African-American career fire service officers (first line supervisors or higher) comprising 7.3% of supervisory positions within the career fire service (54,000 total). Click here to read his blog and learn more about African AMericans who have led the way in making American fire service history.

Secretary Napolitano Announces "If You See Something, Say Something™" Campaign Partnership with NBA
DHS Secretary Napolitano joined National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern to announce a new partnership between the DHS "If You See Something, Say Something™" public awareness campaign and the NBA. This effort will help ensure the security of fans, players and employees by encouraging fans to identify and report suspicious activity. Read more about this announcement in the DHS press release.

Important! 37 Days Left to Register Your Council or CERT Program
FEMA is asking all new and existing local Citizen Corps Councils and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Programs to register on the National Citizen Corps and CERT websites. FEMA has two improved online registries that will demonstrate community readiness efforts of local Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs. This effort will recognize the tremendous work accomplished to date and serve as a baseline for future individual and community preparedness and resiliency projects. Every Citizen Corps Council and CERT Program is required to register if they wish to have a listing in the Citizen Corps and CERT directory on the National Citizen Corps and CERT Program websites. Please note that only Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs may register. The registry is not for individual CERT Teams that are organized within a CERT Program. More information and guidance documents for registration are available on the Councils and CERT Program registration support pages located at http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/registry.shtm and http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/registry.shtm. The websites provide a registration fact-sheet, registration questions and contact information for technical assistance and support.

Partner and Affiliate Updates

Nominate Now for the 8th Annual National Neighborhood Watch Awards of Excellence
The National Sheriffs' Association in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U. S. Department of Justice is accepting nominations for the 8th Annual National Neighborhood Watch Awards of Excellence to be presented during the General Section of the 2011 National Sheriffs' Association Conference in St. Louis, MO. All law enforcement agencies, Neighborhood Watch groups, organizations, and/or programs that have made an exceptional contribution to the Neighborhood Watch program in their communities are encouraged to submit nominations to the National Sheriffs' Association by March 31, 2011. For complete information on eligibility, criteria, and nomination forms please visit: http://www.usaonwatch.org/about/awards.aspx

Other Preparedness Updates

HHS Issues New National Vaccine Plan
The National Vaccine Plan is the nation's roadmap for a 21st century vaccine and immunization enterprise. It includes strategies for advancing vaccine research and development, financing, supply, distribution, safety, global cooperation, and informed decision-making among consumers and health care providers. The National Vaccine Plan consists of two phases: a strategic plan with overall goals and objectives to achieve over a 10-year period, and an implementation plan with measurable outcomes and processes to achieve the goals of the plan. More details about the implementation plan will be available in spring 2011. See the plan and more information by clicking here.

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

Join the 2011 Regional Urban Area Security Initiatives & Planning Workshop
On March 21-22, 2011, the All Hazards Consortium (AHC) states and urban areas from around the Mid-Atlantic and North East Regions will hold the 2011 Regional Urban Area Security Initiatives & Planning Workshop to focus on coordinated planning and projects between government and private sector owner/operators within several industry sectors. Coordination across the region between government and private sector owners and operators of businesses is a constant challenge and the issues are complex. Based on their combined experience over the past 6 years, the states and urban areas of the ACH have adopted a new "integrated planning and coordinated investment" approach designed to integrate the private sector owner/operators into the planning and project development efforts. This workshop will be the first workshop conducted under the AHC's new strategy. For more information go to this link: http://www.ahcusa.org/uasiworkshop.htm

These news stories and other Individual & Community Preparedness news can be found on our website at www.citizencorps.gov .

Sincerely,

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

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Save The Date! Webinar on Tuesday March 1, 2011: Getting Active in Emergency Preparedness

This Citizen Corps Notice 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.

Save the Date!

FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division
and the DHS Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships
would like to invite you to:

Getting Active in Emergency Preparedness: Ideas to
Help Your Organization Prepare Communities for Emergencies
Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 2 PM EST

Join us and organizations from across the country as we share ideas to help get communities active in emergency preparedness.

This webinar will discuss specific preparedness activities that organizations can participate in, including the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, scheduled for April 28, 2011. Organizations will learn about resources available through FEMA and the Ready Campaign.

Click HERE to join the webinar on March 1 st

Please RSVP to receive the link to the webinar. Due to limited capacity of the webinar we are asking you to please submit an RSVP to infofbci@dhs.gov. We look forward to having you join us!

Check out these links for additional information and resources:

This notice and other Individual & Community Preparedness news can be found on our website at www.citizencorps.gov .

Sincerely,

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