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

Get Ready for Flood Safety Awareness Week - March 14-18, 2011
Flooding is a coast to coast threat to the United States and its territories in all months of the year. National Flood Safety Awareness Week, from March 14 to 18 this year, is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property. You can prepare yourself and help prepare your communities by educating yourself on the risks of flooding and the ways you can prepare and respond to flooding. Here are some resources to get you started: The Ready Campaign has a page dedicated to flood safety awareness at www.ready.gov/floodawareness. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has a variety of resources at www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/. Also, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a Flood Safety page at www.floodsafety.noaa.gov. The DHS Center for Faith Based & Neighborhood Partnerships will hold a National Flood Awareness Safety Week Stakeholder conference call, Tuesday, March 15 from 12-1PM EST that will provide additional information on what it means to get ready for flood season. There is a limit of 300 people on the call. Call-in information is: 1-888-391-6569 Pin # 8622712.

Earthquakes Not Just a West Coast Risk
While earthquakes are sometimes believed to be a West Coast phenomenon, there are actually 45 states and territories throughout the United States that are at moderate to high risk for earthquakes including the New Madrid fault line in Central U.S. Since it is impossible to predict when an earthquake will occur, it is important that you and your family are prepared ahead of time. Check out earthquake preparedness information on the the Ready.gov website. Also, be sure to get involved with the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut being planned for April 28th.

Watch Our Webinar - Help Your Organization Prepare Communities for Emergencies
FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division's posted their most recent webinar in the Community Preparedess Webinar Series: Getting Active in Emergency Preparedness: Ideas to Help Your Organization Prepare Communities for Emergencies . Hear the following speakers: Craig Fugate - Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), David Myers - Director, DHS Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships, Brian Blake - Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, Paulette Aniskoff - Director, FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness, and Jenelle Cardone - FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness. View the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

22 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.

Citizen Corps Partners and Affiliates Updates

March is American Red Cross Month
March is American Red Cross Month, a great opportunity for citizens, families and businesses to review disaster plans and build or restock emergency kits. According to FEMA Region IX Administrator Ken Murphy, the American Red Cross not only provides help, hope and healing when disaster strikes, but also offers a wide selection of CPR/AED, first aid, disaster response and emergency preparedness training. "The Red Cross is FEMA's major partner coordinating food and shelter during catastrophic disasters, but the key to any successful emergency response, regardless of the nature of the event, is personal preparedness," said Murphy. "Red Cross classes and resources help people prepare with a few simple steps: build an emergency supply kit, make an emergency plan, and stay informed of the hazards in your area. These resources can go a long way towards empowering our communities to make a real difference when the chips are down." To read more about the American Red Cross go to their website at www.redcross.org.

Get Your Community StormReady®
According to the National Weather Service Americans cope with an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,000 tornadoes, and an average of 2 landfalling deadly hurricanes each year. This does not include winter storms, intense summer heat, high winds, wild fires and other deadly weather impacts. You can make sure your community is ready for the weather with the National Weather Service's StormReady® program. StormReady communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives. Does StormReady News headlines detail how it really makes a difference. Find out more about being a StormReady community at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/.

American Red Cross Responds to Wildfires and Flooding
The American Red Cross is responding to disasters across the country right now, helping people whose neighborhoods have been affected by wildfires and flooding in Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Spring is just ahead, bringing with it the possibility of severe weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding. The Red Cross has steps people can take to remain safe when harsh storms are predicted for their neighborhood. Read about this by clicking here.

Lessons from Chile on Response Preparedness Program
Over one year ago an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile, triggering a tsunami that swept inland, damaging homes, hospitals and schools. More than 480 people were killed and an estimated 1.8 million other people were affected by this disaster. Future high magnitude earthquakes are expected in Chile so he American Red Cross is now working in partnership with the Chilean Red Cross to launch a multi-million dollar disaster preparedness program to strengthen both the affected community and Red Cross capacity to prepare for and respond effectively to future disasters. Experts are training these groups on disaster preparedness best practices and implementing community-based education programs and disaster mitigation projects. This program builds on successful American Red Cross preparedness programs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Read more about this n the American Red Cross press release.

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.

Police Departments Benefit from Volunteers
An article by Jesse McKinley in the New York Times online, published March 1, 2011, highlights how police departments around the country are turning to volunteers for help in getting their challenging work done. According to the article, many jurisdictions are participating in "an experiment by departments across the country that enlists trained amateurs to perform a broad — and occasionally dangerous — array of investigative duties like collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, searching for missing persons and looking into long-dormant cases." Read the full article here. Also, check out Volunteers In Police Service, a Citizen Corps partner organization that provides support and resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a volunteer program and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a community law enforcement agency.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FEMA asks: How do you stay prepared on a budget?

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. FEMA asks: How do you stay prepared on a budget?
The economic downturn has made staying prepared more difficult in recent years. Fortunately, many Americans have found creative and inexpensive ways to be ready in case of an emergency. FEMA asks, what steps have you taken to stay prepared on a budget? We are looking for items and their uses, tips, stories, and good practices. What items do you keep in your home, car, or workspace that help you stay prepared? Have you been involved in a disaster and found a particular yet inexpensive item especially useful? Are there inexpensive ways that help you fulfill the Ready.gov recommendations (http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html) for a preparedness kit? To help you get started thinking of ideas, we have provided an example guide for preparing on a budget from the Seattle Red Cross, the Everett Office of Emergency Management, and ReadyCorps. Before April 30, 2011, please send your suggestions to citizencorps@dhs.gov and put “Preparing on a Budget” in the subject line. We look forward to reading your ideas and examples!

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Webinar March 15! Reducing Consequences of Nuclear Detonation

This Citizen Corps Notificaton 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.

FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division is excited to announce the next webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series: Reducing Consequences of Nuclear Detonation. The Community Preparedness Webinar Series provides up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources available to citizens, community organizations, and Citizen Corps Councils. This LIVE webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15 at 2:00 EST and will feature information from the Lawrence Livermore National laboratory (LLNL).

Webinar login will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the webinar and registration is not required . A question and answer period will follow the presentation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Live Webinar:
Reducing Consequences of Nuclear Detonation
March 15 @ 2:00 EST

http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/webcasts/reducingnuclearconsequences

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recent research and federal planning guidance has assessed that 100,000s of lives can be saved through adequate planning and knowledge about appropriate actions that can be taken by the public, responders, and the medical community in the aftermath of a nuclear detonation. What would you do if an improvised nuclear device detonated in your community? Brooke Buddemeier from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will present on research-based protective actions that individuals can take to lessen the personal impact of nuclear detonations.

The Community Preparedness Webinar Series features new community preparedness topics several times each month and is free to the public. Each webinar will accommodate the first 500 visitors that enter the website at the time of the webinar. In addition to airing live, the webinar will be recorded and viewable at your convenience on the Citizen Corps website (www.citizencorps.gov) usually within 24 hours after the live webcast. To join the webinar live simply go to the landing page at http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/webcasts/reducingnuclearconsequences 15 minutes prior to the webinar, click on the link for the webinar and sign in as a guest.

If you need special accommodations or require additional assistance to view or listen to this webinar, please email us at citizencorps@dhs.gov no later than 5pm EST on Monday, March 14 th and we will provide you with additional resources so you may participate.

More details on this webinar and upcoming webinars in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series are available at http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/webcasts.shtm.

Sincerely,

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Japan - How You Can Help

This Citizen Corps Notification is provided by FEMA's Individual and Community Preparedness Division.

We would like to provide an update on the earthquake and tsunami that has impacted Japan and the U.S. Pacific Region. FEMA is closely monitoring the affects of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan early this morning, and as directed by the President, FEMA is in close contact and coordination with state and local officials and stands ready to support them in any way needed, through our regional offices in the West Coast and in the pacific area.

FEMA is working in support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) who is the lead federal agency when it comes to responding to international disasters.

If you are looking for ways to help, you can donate to support Japan Tsunami Response by going to http://www.interaction.org/.

For additional information and updates on response efforts, you can go to the USAID Disaster Assistance Website.

Our immediate priority is the safety of the people and communities in the affected areas. We remind everyone who lives in the region to monitor their local news for updates and directions provided by their local officials.

If you are concerned about the safety of friends or family and you cannot get in touch with them, you may contact the U.S. State Department.

If you are in Japan and you would like to contact the U.S. State Department, email japanemergencyusc@state.gov.

If you are outside Japan and you would like to contact the U.S. State Department, email pacifictsunamiusc@state.gov.

You can check the below sites for updates related to the earthquake and tsunami:

Sincerely,

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