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.

REMINDER: Doing Business with FEMA Webinar – TODAY!

*Webinar Reminder*

Roles for the Private Sector Before, During and After Disasters - TODAY

2:00 p.m. EDT (1:00 p.m. CT/Noon MT/11:00 a.m. PT)

Join us TODAY to learn how your organization can do business with FEMA and become more engaged in emergency management. Hear as experts from FEMA highlight various resources available through the FEMA Private Sector Office , Ready Business and Citizen Corps to ensure organizations and communities have the capabilities to withstand the initial economic impacts of natural or man-made disasters and recover in ways that sustain or improve the community's well-being.

Register/Log in

Register HERE if this is your first time joining a webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series.

Log in HERE if you have already registered for this webinar, have registered for a previous webinar, or if you're a HSIN.gov user.

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Citizen Corps Partners and Affiliates Updates

Are you Prepared for Severe Weather?

This week marks the first National Severe Weather Preparedness Week ! As we've seen in recent months and weeks, severe weather knows no boundaries and affects nearly every individual in every state. Knowing what to do before, during, and after a disaster is critical to being prepared and may make all the difference when tornadoes, thunderstorms, and floods strike, a nd you have only seconds to act.

Be a Force of Nature and make a pledge to prepare today to be ready for whenever disaster strikes in your community.

Whether it be in the form of tornadoes, severe thunder and lightning storms, floods or other incidents, severe weather can form quickly and be dangerous in any situation. While there are many general preparedness tips to be aware of, like having an emergency plan for your family or developing an emergency preparedness kit , there are some specific severe-weather related protective actions you can take:

Tornadoes: If inside, g o to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to an interior room without windows, doors and outside walls. Click here to learn more about these dangerous storms and some interesting myths and facts from NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory ! Additionally, here are a few tips you can Tweet to raise awareness in your community:

• Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms. Go to a basement or small interior room w/out windows. Be preapred http://1.usa.gov/jBdgII
• During a Tornado - seek shelter immediately and avoid window. Flying debris causes most injuries and fatalitites during tornadoes http://1.usa.gov/jBdgII

Severe Thunder/Lightning Storms: When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! Stop all activities immediately and seek shelter in a building or hard-topped vehicles. Wait 30 minutes after the storm to resume activities. Know what do when severe weather strikes! Click here to learn more about thunderstorms and what risks you should be aware of. Additionally, here are a few tips you can Tweet help your community be better prepared during severe thunder/lightening storms:

• Lighting can be deadly! If outdoors and you hear thunder or see #lightning, seek shelter immediately

• Wind damage from T-storms can exceed that of #tornadoes! Power outages, downed trees and home damage may occur

Flash Flooding: Turn Around, Don't Drown! Be an example in your community - learn community evacuation routes and areas of higher ground. Pass this on at a community meeting or activity, work event or faith-based gathering. Click here for important facts about flooding and prediction information and terms! Additionally, here are a few tips you can Tweet in your community:

• Floods are one of the most common hazards in the U.S. Visit http://1.usa.gov/fL0nDM for more info on actions you can take to stay safe.

• 63% of flooding fatalities in 2011 were the result of driving through flood waters. Turn Around, Don't Drown!

FEMA and NOAA are just one part of the emergency management team working to prepare our nation for any disaster event. The larger part of this team is YOU! Encourage your friends, families, neighbors, and co-workers to do their part today and prepare now, so you know what do when severe weather strikes. Pledge to Prepare and be informed !

Be sure to follow us on Twitter to receive important tips and guidance throughout National Severe Weather Preparedness Week! Take the steps necessary to protect yourself, your family, and your community now!

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ANNOUNCEMENT: FEMA's May Monthly Preparedness Update Webinar

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. MT/Noon PT)

Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 27 – June 2. Join us on Tuesday, May 1 st to hear how you can engage your community in preparing for hurricanes and their effects. Among our featured speakers will be Cindy O'Neill Vitale of the Fairfield CERT Team. Last year, Fairfield CERT received a statewide Citizen Corps award for their response efforts after Hurricane Irene impacted their community. We will also hear from the Great Hurricane Blowout , a national hurricane preparedness campaign designed to help families prepare in advance for hurricane season. In addition, there will be a presentation by the Ready South Florida Campaign , which will provide an overview of some of Florida's hurricane preparedness activities. Citizen Corps and Ready will also discuss FEMA's plans for Hurricane Preparedness Week and how you can get involved.

Register/Log in

Register HERE if this is your first time joining a webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series.

Log in HERE if you have already registered for this webinar, have registered for a previous webinar, or if you're a HSIN.gov user

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Youth Preparedness is Coming to Columbus, Ohio!

Do you live in or around the Columbus, Ohio area? Are you interested in learning more about youth preparedness and/or implementing it in your organization? If so, you're in luck! On Friday, May 11 , FEMA Region V and Citizen Corps will join the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and South-Western City Schools in Columbus, Ohio for a day-long workshop on implementing youth preparedness in community-based organizations.

This workshop is designed to provide you with the information necessary to start integrating youth preparedness into your organization's existing youth offerings or to build a youth preparedness program from scratch.

As a workshop attendee, you will receive live instruction and a “how-to” guide on key topics, including:

• Engaging Partners
• Identifying Curriculum
• Implementing Your Program
• Promoting Your Program
• Evaluating Your Program
• Sustaining Your Program

Date: Friday, May 11, 2012

Time: Registration begins at 8:30 AM; workshop runs from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT

Location: The Ohio Rehabilitation Service Commission (400 E. Campus View Blvd. Columbus, OH 43235

RSVP: Click here to create a profile on the Ohio EMA training Website and then register for the FEMA Youth Preparedness Workshop

If you encounter difficulties, please contact Todd Barstow ( TMBarstow@dps.state.oh.us )

BE SURE TO REGISTER ONLINE BY MAY 4 th !!

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Work with States to Promote Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery!

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is looking to hire a Director of Membership Services who will be responsible for strategic relationship development, quality program implementation and maintaining productive relations with members of the organization. Do you have a desire to work with State VOADs, have project management and meeting planning skills and share the VOAD movement's vision to foster whole community involvement to build community resiliency? If so, this may be the right position for you!

This position serves as the main point of contact between the State VOADs and the National VOAD office. The Director of Member Services will also provide primary project management for the Annual VOAD Conference. Interested in applying?

Click here to view the full job announcement with responsibilities and application instructions.

If you have any questions please email careers@nvoad.org .

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Communities Across the Nation are Embracing CERT Training for Teens!

Look at what's happening in communities across the nation! Youth preparedness is being fully embraced with jurisdictions large and small teaching the teen leadership skills that CERT brings! The most recent example is shown in Red Rock, Oklahoma where the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe held “…the first Tribal Teen CERT course in the state.” During the two-day course, thirteen teenagers learned basic emergency response skills such as search and rescue, first aid, fire extinguisher training, and more in the CERT Basic Training course!

This is just one great example of how CERT is being utilized around the nation! Do you have any good CERT stories or experiences that you'd like to share? Check out the new CERT Online Forum where you can exchange information and ideas among CERT members across the country and learn about how you can get a CERT program going in your community today! For more information on the CERT Basic Training course itself, please visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert .

Follow us on Twitter for more tips and recommendations! http://twitter.com/#!/citizen_corps

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CERT National Newsletter - Stories from the Eastern U.S.

Fellow CERTers and friends,

The latest CERT National Newsletter is now available online at the national CERT website !

This issue includes the following stories with a focus on highlighting CERTs in the eastern United States:

• White House and FEMA Recognize Individual & Community Preparedness Champion
• Alpharetta, GA CERT Hosts State's Largest Mock Disaster Drill
• Autauga County/ Prattville, AL CERT Activated for Tornado Damage Assessment
• Looking Back at Lessons Learned: Goffstown, NH CERT Activations
• CERT Training Offered as Elective at NCCU
• Woodbridge, NJ CERT Responds to Hurricane Irene

Stay tuned for the next issue highlighting CERTs in the central United States and get your friends and fellow CERTers to stay informed by subscribing to CERT email updates.

The National CERT Newsletter welcomes story submissions from local, state, tribal and territorial CERT programs to cert@dhs.gov . For more information please read page 9 of the newsletter.

Sincerely,

National CERT Program
Federal Emergency Management Agency

https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/

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FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declarations Update

Texas Livermore Ranch Fire Complex
Fire Management Assistance Declaration number 2976 declared on Apr 30, 2012

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Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

*Webinar Reminder*

FEMA's May Monthly Preparedness Update Webinar - TODAY

3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. MT/Noon PT)

Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 27 – June 2. Join us TODAY to hear how you can engage your community in preparing for hurricanes and their effects. We will hear from a local CERT program in Connecticut, which was honored with a Citizen Corps award for its response to Hurricane Irene. We will also hear from the Great Hurricane Blowout , a national hurricane preparedness campaign designed to help families prepare in advance for hurricane season. Additionally, there will be a presentation by the Ready South Florida Campaign , which will provide an overview of some of Florida's hurricane preparedness activities. Citizen Corps and Ready will also discuss FEMA's plans for Hurricane Preparedness Week and how you can get involved.

Register/Log in

Register HERE if this is your first time joining a webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series.

Log in HERE if you have already registered for this webinar, have registered for a previous webinar, or if you're a HSIN.gov user.

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Monthly Preparedness Webinar Speaker Correction

FEMA's May Monthly Preparedness Update Webinar - TODAY

3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. MT/Noon PT)

Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 27 – June 2. Join us TODAY to hear how you can engage your community in preparing for hurricanes and their effects. We will hear from a local CERT program in Connecticut, which was honored with a Citizen Corps award for its response to Hurricane Irene. We will also hear from the Great Hurricane Blowout , a national hurricane preparedness campaign designed to help families prepare in advance for hurricane season. Additionally, there will be a presentation by the Florida Division of Emergency Management , which will provide an overview of some of Florida's hurricane preparedness activities. Citizen Corps and Ready will also discuss FEMA's plans for Hurricane Preparedness Week and how you can get involved.

Register/Log in

Register HERE if this is your first time joining a webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series.

*Please Note: The Florida Division of Emergency Management will be presenting today on Florida's hurricane preparedness activities. The initial webinar reminder did not list them as a presenter.

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Find Out How Prepared We Are As a Nation, The Latest ShakeOut Results, and More!

This week's Community Preparedness Round-up includes:

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DHS and FEMA Updates

Strengthening Resilience Across the Nation

With the various threats our nation faces – both man-made and natural – have you ever wondered “How prepared are we as a nation?” Be sure to read the 2012 National Preparedness Report (NPR) just released by FEMA and its partners. ). The Report identifies significant progress the nation has made in areas of prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Citizen Corps Councils are a critical resource in building our nation's resilience. Learn more and take action to be prepared. And don't forget to check out the various webinars Citizen Corps has hosted. Many highlight the preparedness issues and topics discussed in the Report.

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More than 940,000 Drop, Cover and Hold On in Utah!

At 10:15 a.m. on April 17, more than 33 percent of the entire State of Utah – that's more than 940,000 Utahns – participated in one of the most successful Shakeout exercises ever and learned to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in the event of a massive earthquake. Supported by the Utah Division of Emergency Management, a goal of the agency is to involve members of the public in its drills to increase awareness and overall resilience of Utah citizens.

Citizen Corps Councils throughout the State provided support by distributing preparedness information and materials to non-governmental organizations wanting to get involved. For more information on how to participate in ShakeOut drills, please visit http://www.shakeout.org/ ShakeOut drills have expanded to more than 15 other states in recent years with an eventual goal of reaching individuals in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

When and where is the next Shakeout ? Visit www.shakeout.org .

For information and resources on how to prepare your community for all-hazards , visit http://www.ready.gov/be-informed . Downloadable preparedness publications also are available for your community from the FEMA Warehouse .

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FEMA's Online Community – Where Your Ideas Come to Life!

FEMA recognizes the best solutions to the challenges we face are generated by the people and the communities who are closest to them. That is why FEMA is taking a “whole community” approach and reaching out to state, local, and tribal governments, and all members of the public, including the private sector, the disability community, and volunteer community, to seek ideas and suggestions to improve the nation's emergency management system. FEMA's online community, Think Tank, has two components to facilitate conversation and new ideas:

Open Dialogue and Discussions

Join your colleagues through an online forum in viewing, contributing, and commenting on conversations about emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, and other emergency management topics. To date, more than 2,600 ideas and comments have been generated through this online forum including youth preparedness, training, emergency management planning, and making our communities more resilient to disaster events! Don't miss out –visit FEMA's online community today -- it's where ideas come to life!

Monthly Conference Calls

Join more than 500 State, Local, Tribal, and Federal emergency managers, first responders, and other individuals on monthly conference calls with FEMA's Deputy Administrator Serino to discuss real-life solutions and ideas generated through the online forum . Conference calls are open to the general public and a great opportunity for Citizen Corps council members to learn and share information about whole community preparedness and best practices.

The next call will focus on Recovery and will be broadcast live from Joplin, Missouri on Tuesday, May 15. Deputy Administrator Serino will facilitate discussions on how we can better prepare and recover from disasters. Participation details will be posted , please look for the announcement when you're submitting your ideas to the online forum!

Citizen Corps Partners and Affiliates Updates

May is National Older Americans Month!

May is National Older Americans Month and as our nation continues to prepare for and respond to disasters, there is a lot Citizen Corps councils can do to engage seniors in preparedness planning and ensure plans are in place to accommodate our elderly population in times of emergency. View the Preparing Makes Sense for Older Americans video today to learn more about reaching out to this national treasure of Americans and how to tailor an emergency preparedness kit to any personal circumstance. Seniors can also get into the spirit of individual and community preparedness and planning by joining Senior Corps which is a great opportunity to continue their legacy of giving back!

Finally, take a look at the following webinars that Citizen Corps has hosted on preparing the aged community for disaster:

Click here to learn about preparedness considerations for aging Americans.

Click here to learn about how Meals on Wheels is helping to prepare older Americans!

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Get FloodSmart Before Time Runs Out!

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster to affect every state across the country. Severe weather has already brought significant flood events to many states in the U.S. As we continue to monitor conditions and respond to these hazards, we also must look forward to summer and hurricane-related weather patterns that will heighten flood risks for many communities.

FEMA officials are urging U.S. residents to prepare their homes and businesses for heightened flood risks associated with hurricanes and tropical storms. Be sure to visit the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP ) for detailed policy requirements.

Additionally, this year's National Flood Conference is being held in Austin, Texas from May 6 – May 9 ! This annual event is the perfect venue for individuals, community leaders and organizations to learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program, the impact of severe flooding and what they need to do to be prepared for a flooding event.

Remember, Turn Around, Don't Drown during severe flooding and learn what to do in the event a severe flood impacts your community!

Follow us on Twitter for more tips and recommendations! We welcome and encourage your comments and suggestions so reach out to us anytime at citizencorps@dhs.gov