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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. |
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DHS and FEMA Updates
Secretary Napolitano Announces Implementation of National Terrorism Advisory System
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced on April 20th the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)—a robust terrorism advisory system that provides timely information to the public about credible terrorist threats and replaces the former color-coded alert system.As part of today's announcement, Secretary Napolitano released a public guide outlining the new system to the American public, along with an example of an NTAS Alert that would be issued to the public if the government were to receive information about a specific or credible terrorist threat.
Click here for the press release.
Admin. Fugate from the National Hurricane Conference
Administrator Fugate addressed members of the emergency management team at the 2011 National Hurricane Conference today, and talked about some steps to continue getting prepared for hurricane season (June 1 - November 30).
Click here to watch the video.
Secretaries Napolitano, Duncan Call on School and Colleges to Participate in April Earthquake Drill
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on K-12 schools, colleges and universities across the central U.S. – and throughout the country – to help their students, faculty and communities prepare for earthquakes by participating in a public earthquake drill on Thursday, April 28, 2011. Eleven states in the New Madrid Seismic Zone are participating in the drill, the "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut," which takes place at 10:15 a.m. Central time. Anyone can register to participate, whether at school, at work, or at home; to date, over 2 million Americans have signed up.
Click here for the press release.
Indiana "Shakes Out"
On April 19th, the State of Indiana, through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security ( IDHS ), participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, a multi-state earthquake drill to teach participants the basics of earthquake safety and preparedness.
More than half a million participants throughout the state signed up for this drill. IDHS worked with the Central United States Earthquake Consortium to recruit the participation of individuals, families, schools, and businesses for this important drill.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee, will hold their ShakeOut on April 28 at 10:15 a.m. More than one and half million registrants in these 10 states will exercise three simple steps:
- DROP to the ground,
- Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
- HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.
To read more, click here.
Quick-Thinking Store Manager Saves Lives in Tornado
During the series of deadly tornadoes and severe storms, a manager at a home improvement store in Sanford, North Carolina guided approximately 100 people (employees and customers) to safety just before a tornado bore down on the store. Click here to read about how the manager was able to act quickly and put the company's safety plan into action (his heroic actions also merited a call from President Obama).
Citizen Corps Partners and Affiliates Updates
HAMS Provide Communications Support during West Texas Wildfires
On April 9, ARRL West Texas District 5 Emergency Coordinator Bob Ward received a call from Jeff Davis County (Texas) Fire Marshal Stewart Billingsley. Billingsley informed Ward that a fire had begun in the West Texas town of Marfa and was rapidly approaching Fort Davis, 22 miles to the northeast. “Stewart asked me to call the National Weather Service to get it on the alert system, as well as the AM and FM radio stations in Alpine,” Ward told the ARRL. “He wanted it broadcast over the radio stations that he needed the Mano Prieto and Fort Davis Estates sub-divisions evacuated.”
Click here to read more.
Red Cross Responds After Tornadoes Leave Devastation Across the South
The American Red Cross is providing relief to people affected by the deadly tornadoes and scorching wildfires in Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. In North Carolina alone, preliminary disaster assessments show almost 500 homes destroyed and more than 1,000 damaged. Some of the hardest hit areas are still inaccessible, and officials say that many more than 1,000 families will be homeless in the state. Red Cross workers sheltered more than 500 people over the weekend, served meals throughout the affected neighborhoods, and provided personal hygiene items and supplies to help as the clean-up begins.
Click here to read more.
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
State and Local Agencies Experience Grant Funding Cuts
When Congress and the White House belatedly agreed on a new budget for this fiscal year, state and local emergency agencies were hit hard. More than $786 million was cut from first responder grants — the most significant reduction in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget.
While pre-disaster preparation was reduced sharply, post-disaster response increased. The disaster relief fund was raised by more than $1 billion to $2.6 billion.
To read more, click here.
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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FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declarations Update
Texas Pleasant Farms Fire
Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:18:34 -0500 Fire Management Assistance Declaration number 2901 declared on Apr 27, 2011
Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds
Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:57:24 -0500 Emergency Declaration number 3319 declared on Apr 27, 2011
Florida Slope Fire
Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:11:11 -0500 Fire Management Assistance Declaration number 2902 declared on Apr 27, 2011
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Subject: Administration Officials Join Citizens in Public Earthquake Drill / Recent Tornadoes Emphasize Importance of 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. Administration Officials Join Millions of Americans in Public Earthquake Drill
Today, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano joined leaders from FEMA, state and local officials, and more than three million Americans across the central United States to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut — the largest-ever, multi-state earthquake drill to be held in the United States, and the first major drill to take place along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which was the site of one of the worst earthquakes in U.S. history nearly 200 years ago. During their visit, which was in St. Louis, Missouri, Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Duncan expressed their condolences for the tragic loss of life and suffering caused by severe storms and tornadoes in Missouri and throughout the Southeast region, and stressed the important role that individuals play in building a national culture of readiness and resilience—encouraging Americans to learn what they can do to help their families, businesses and communities be prepared and stay safe in any emergency.
Read the full press release here .
Recent Tornadoes Emphasize Importance of Preparedness
Over the past few weeks our country has been devastated by violent tornadoes. Our thoughts are with those affected by these catastrophic disasters. Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer but it's important for all Americans to know what to do if they are near a tornado-prone region. Here are a few basic steps to prepare for this type of emergency:
• Get a Kit. Create an emergency kit including but not limited to items such as bottled water, non-perishable food, battery-powered (or crank) radio, flashlights, and extra batteries. Keep this kit stored in a safe place and don't forget important documents. Collect phone numbers of family members, banks, insurance companies, etc with your emergency kit.
• Have a plan. Before the tornado occurs, have a plan that allows communication with your family and identifies a safe and secure shelter location. If you do not have a storm cellar, take cover in the basement. If you are in an apartment, move to a hallway or if possible move to a hallway on the lowest level of the building. Avoid windows, doors, and vehicles.
• Know the facts about tornadoes. Be on alert for signs of a tornado which can include strong winds and a possibility of precipitation. Tornadoes typically pick up debris and form a visible cloud in the shape of a funnel.
• Listen to your local weather forecast. Updated information will be available if a tornado could strike in your area. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also has weather updates available. |
Visit FEMA's website for information on how to plan and prepare for emergencies. Contact your local Citizen Corps Council for additional resources and how to get involved in your community.
Other FEMA Resources to consider: See news release from FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=54544
Also see:
http://blog.fema.gov/
h ttp://twitter.com/#!/fema
http://www.youtube.com/user/FEMA?blend=1&ob=5
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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FEMA Major Disaster Declarations Update
Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding
Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:31:34 -0500
Major Disaster Declaration number 1971 declared on Apr 28, 2011
Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding
Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:34:59 -0500
Major Disaster Declaration number 1972 declared on Apr 29, 2011
Georgia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding
Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:58:11 -0500
Major Disaster Declaration number 1973 declared on Apr 29, 2011
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Free Webinar Today: Evacuation of Students with and without Access and Functional Needs
This is a reminder about today's Webinar. This webinar is free and open to the public. We hope you can join us and please forward to anyone who may be interested!
The Community Preparedness Webinar Series
Presents...
Evacuation of Students with and
without Access and Functional Needs
Monday, April 25, 2011, 12 PM EST
You may login 10 minutes prior to the start of the webinar. Gain access HERE .
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Overview
Join us for a webinar on Evacuating Students With and Without Access and Functional Needs. Marcie Roth, director of the Office for Disability Integration and Coordination at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Richard Devylder, Senior Advisor for Accessible Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be providing strategies for planning and responding to the needs of children during evacuations. Both are national leaders in planning for and responding to the needs of children and adults with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. The webinar will be an opportunity to look at planning and responding from a functional needs perspective and a universal team approach.
How to view our webinars
The Community Preparedness Webinar Series is conducted via DHS's HSIN Connect system. You do not need to register in advance, nor do you need a HSIN account in order to view our webinars. Audio for this webinar will be broadcast within HSIN Connect; there will not be a concurrent, phone-based teleconference. Questions and answers will be moderated via text-based chat inside the webinar. In order to ensure that your computer is capable of viewing our webinars and webcasts, we highly recommend that you read the below documents and perform the compatibility test prior to the start of the event. In addition, please ensure your computer's speakers are working prior to the webinar. If for any reason you have trouble accessing the system, please send an email to citizencorps@dhs.gov .
Additional information about this webinar
This webinar is free to the public and will accommodate the first 500 visitors that enter the site. This webinar will last approximately one hour. In addition to airing live, the webinar will be recorded and viewable at a later date and linked from this web page. The live webinar will offer Closed Captioning and a transcript of the webinar will be posted with the recorded version of the webinar.
Sincerely,
The National Office of Citizen Corps
FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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Webinar on Tues., May 3: Financial Emergency Preparedness
The Community Preparedness Webinar Series
Presents...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 2 p.m. EST
Our webinars are free and open to the public.
You may login as a guest 10 minutes prior to the start of the webinar. |
Overview
Join us for a discussion with our partners at Operation Hope and learn about community-based best practices in promoting financial emergency preparedness. This webinar will explain how emergency managers, faith-based organizations, Citizen Corps Councils, CERTs, the general public, and other organizations can leverage community resources in partnership with Operation HOPE before, during and after disasters.
Presenter's Bio
Jason Yancey, Operations Manager for HOPE Coalition America
Operation HOPE is America's leading nonprofit social investment banking and financial literacy empowerment organization, has developed a number of initiatives to provide financial literacy, financial preparedness, and financial emergency support. HOPE Coalition America provides free pre-disaster financial preparedness seminars and foreclosure prevention workshops for both individuals and organizations, and provides financial experts to assist communities after a disaster strikes.
Sincerely,
National Office of Citizen Corps |
