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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 -FEMA Updates

Submit Your Individual and Community Preparedness Award Nominations NOW

TODAY is the last day to submit any nominations you have for the Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Awards . You MUST send in your nomination forms by 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight! The nomination process is FREE and EASY to complete – all instructions are included with the application– just enter the contact information, select an awards category and provide a 2-5 page narrative on why the nominee is deserving of an ICP award. Chose one or up to three categories for your nominee using a single application form, with the narrative section divided into sections for each category. Don't miss out on this special award - recognize those preparedness leaders in your community today!

Preparedness Training for Everyone

Are you looking for great, engaging and short preparedness activities? If so, we encourage you to take the IS – 909 - Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone course and download materials to help make preparedness engaging and conversational. The course is comprised of 16 preparedness modules on topics ranging from preparedness on a budget to fire extinguisher operation and includes specific topics such as disaster planning for a pet or service animal. Among other materials available, is a comprehensive Program Leaders guide for those just starting a neighborhood preparedness effort, as well as a FREE online training developed with the Emergency Management Institute. Take the course and read the materials now!

Join the Discussions of the National Preparedness Coalition

One of the benefits of joining the more than 6,500 members of the National Preparedness Coalition is you'll get to connect with other champions of preparedness via national and regional discussion forums. You'll get to engage with other federal, state, local and tribal subject matter experts, emergency managers, Citizen Corps and CERT leaders, and others! Check out hot topics currently being discussed such as the role of nurses during disasters or how communities are working with CERTs to augment their emergency response capabilities. You'll find great resources, recommendations, stories, tools, and other information posted by your peers and colleagues. You can join national preparedness discussions on topics including youth preparedness, CERT, building and sustaining preparedness and others. Regional discussion boards offer an even more localized opportunity to share and collaborate with others based solely in your FEMA region.

If you have something to share or want to learn what others are doing join today !

Partners, Affiliates and Community Updates

More and More States Joining Earthquake Drill

Last week we announced five east coast states and the District of Columbia are scheduled to participate in the Great Southeast ShakeOut , a first ever earthquake drill for this area of the U.S. This exercise, set for October 18, 2012 at 10:18 a.m., is scheduled to coincide with other Great ShakeOut activities on the same day. Now, more than 10 million participants across California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington are expected to practice the Drop, Cover and Hold On self-protection steps used during an earthquake. Check to see if the Great ShakeOut is coming to your area and be sure to register today so you can take part in this important drill!

In addition to learning more about what to do during an earthquake event, don't forget to view the new online training course about mitigating your community before the next earthquake strikes. The FREE web-based course, IS-325—Earthquake Basics: Science, Risk, and Mitigation is an interactive, 30-minute module presenting basic information on earthquake science, the risks posed by earthquakes and the structural and non-structural mitigation preparedness steps individuals can take to increase earthquake resilience for their home and community.

Fire Corps Remains Active Throughout the Country

Fire Corps, one of Citizen Corps' five partner programs, is looking for volunteers like you. The Christian County Emergency Management Office and the Nixa Fire Protection District in Missouri are looking for Fire Corps volunteers to help augment the County's emergency response crews as a result of this year's record number of fires. If you are interested in volunteering, make sure you sign up today.

The Oregon-based Estacada Fire Corps Program and its 17 member team were recently awarded the Oregon Fire Corps volunteer Program of the Year award. The Estacada Fire Corps has logged more than 2,300 hours of volunteer time over the past year. This sounds like a great submission for the FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards - Congratulations Estacada!

And finally, Fire Corps recently hosted a training summit in Denver, Colorado with volunteers, program managers, State and Regional advocates, Citizen Corps representatives and other key stakeholders for training and networking in an effort to discover ways to enhance programs in their area. Materials from the training summit are now available online for viewing.

Drought Continues to Affect Large Areas of the U.S.

This summer we've been watching as a severe drought has affected more than 1,000 counties in 26 states causing what is expected to be billions of dollars in damage. Our friends at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are leading the effort to visit stricken communities and provide guidance on the department's available disaster resources. During times of need, USDA has historically responded to disasters across the country by providing direct support, disaster assistance, technical assistance and access to credit. USDA's low-interest emergency loans have helped producers recover from losses due to drought, flooding and other natural disasters for decades. All of this while severe storms are affecting Southeast Asia. This is just a reminder that weather presents all types of hazards and it's critical to know what to do in every situation.

During severe drought conditions it is critical to conserve water as much as possible when conducting your everyday tasks. Severe storms can bring floods, lightning, tornadoes and a host of other cascading effects. Be prepared to face whatever comes your way! Visit http://www.ready.gov/natural-disasters for more tips and recommendations on what to do during natural disasters.

Don't Forget to Mark These Dates on Your Calendar!

Follow us on Twitter for more tips and recommendations! We want to hear your suggestions on how we can improve our communications to you, be sure to email us at citizencorps@dhs.gov .


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http://www.dhs.gov/