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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 -FEMA Updates
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Zombie Awareness: Effective Practices in Promoting Disaster Preparedness
Thursday, September 6th
3:00 p.m. EDT
Are you ready for a “Zombie Apocalypse?” Join FEMA's Individual and Community Preparedness Division and Ready.gov on September 6 as they present a FREE Webinar about zombie preparedness. While the walking dead may not be first on your list of local hazards, zombie preparedness messages and activities have proven to be an effective way of engaging new audiences who may not be familiar with what to do before, during, or after a disaster, and to inject a little levity into preparedness while still informing and educating people. As director of the Center for Disease Control, Dr. Ali Khan , notes, "If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack."
Listen as speakers introduce fun and innovative emergency preparedness activities for communities to spark some attention and get people involved before it's too late. These activities can be planned in September, during National Preparedness Month and executed just in time for Halloween.
Featured Speakers Include :
Register/Log in
Register if this is your first time joining the Community Preparedness Webinar Series.
Log in if you have already registered for this webinar, have registered for a previous webinar or if you're a HSIN.gov user.
If you have questions regarding this event, please contact citizencorps@dhs.gov
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Share Your Real Life Emergency Communications Stories
As part of its efforts to share the progress made by the nation's emergency response community in enhancing interoperable communications, the DHS Office of Emergency Communications is developing a series of case studies, using real-world examples, on how training and planning have made a difference in responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. This is a great opportunity for Citizen Corps Councils to share their stories of how training on and preparing proper communications channels and protocols helped address emergency events. If you have a real-world example that you would like to share for use in a case study, please contact OEC External Affairs at: OECExternalAffairs@hq.dhs.gov .
Speaking of sharing your stories, the discussion forums on the National Preparedness Coalition Website are perfect venues for collaboration! Thousands of individuals and organizations have already signed up for this FREE online portal. With National Preparedness Month only two weeks away, now is a great time to begin exploring the many resources and interesting features of the Coalition. Pledge to Prepare today!
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Partner and Community Updates
Private Sector Readies for National Preparedness Month
One of the key aspects of a whole community approach to preparedness is ensuring businesses are ready for any emergency which may affect a community. If you own a business do you know what to if you had 15 minutes to evacuate? Have you taken any action to prepare your most valuable assets – your employees – for a disaster? How would you communicate within your organization during a crisis? Hear more about the steps you can take to prepare your business, as well as from actual businesses who faced real crises, during a series of webinars hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery during September's National Preparedness Month . Webinar details are as follows:
What: 10 Steps to Prepare Any Organization for Disaster
When: September 5; 2 pm – 3 pm EDT
What: Protecting Your Organization by Preparing Your Employees
When: September 12; 2 pm – 3 pm EDT
What: Utilization of Social Media During a Crisis
When: September 19; 2 pm – 3 pm EDT
What: Surviving a Crisis, Large or Small: Real Life Lessons Learned
When: September 26; 2 pm – 3 pm EDT
These webinars are great opportunities for Citizen Corps Councils and partners to reach out to businesses in their communities in their continued effort to spread the word of preparedness!
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One Year Later Earthquake Preparedness Takes Center Stage
This Thursday, August 23, marks the one year anniversary of the magnitude 5.8 earthquake which took place in Mineral, Virginia and was felt up and down the East Coast. The anniversary stands as a reminder that earthquakes can happen anytime and anywhere. Knowing what to do before, during and after an earthquake is critical. To emphasize this fact, the Commonwealth of Virginia along with California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Washington will Drop, Cover and Hold On during Great ShakeOut events scheduled to take place on October 18, 2012 at 10:18 a.m. local time! 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!
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Individuals Recognized at the White House for National Service
On Friday, August 17, 175 AmeriCorps Alumni from 25 states and the District of Columbia travelled to the White House to participate in a day-long session celebrating national service as a pathway to opportunity and career advancement. Joined by leadership from AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the White House honored 12 AmeriCorps alums as “Champions of Change.” These extraordinary leaders demonstrate how AmeriCorps alumni have leveraged their national service experience to become influential in their careers and leaders in their communities. From their work with corporate social responsibility, to fundraising, to teaching underprivileged students and more, these individuals represent what it means to donate their time, energy and resource toward strengthening their communities. Congratulations!
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Tropical Storm Isaac: Monitor Its Path and Prepare Now
Forecasts from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service are calling for Tropical Storm Isaac to pass the Dominican Republic today and near or over Cuba this weekend. Some strengthening is expected while the center remains over water. While it is still too early to know exactly how strong the storm will be after its interaction with land this weekend or where the storm will have the greatest impact to the U.S. Coast, we encourage people throughout Florida, the Gulf Coast and parts of the East Coast to make sure they take steps to prepare for potential severe storm, hurricane and flooding conditions. Stay tuned to your local news and always evacuate when instructed to.
Take time this weekend to ensure you:
- Have an adequate communication plan with friends and family
- Identify hurricane evacuation routes
- Gather supplies including a battery- powered radio, extra batteries, flashlight, cell phone chargers, medications, non-perishable food and first aid items for family and pets
Remember, hurricanes also bring flooding. Flooding can occur two ways: gradually or very suddenly. If you are in an area where there is a chance flooding can occur very suddenly, which is also known as a “flash flood,” move immediately to higher ground. Avoid walking or driving through any flooded areas – it only takes six inches of fast-moving flood water to knock over an adult and two feet to move a vehicle.
Prepare for hazards in YOUR area
Although you may not be is Isaac's path, now is a good time to review the potential hazards where you live. Knowing likely risks for your area, whether wildfires, earthquakes, or tornados, and knowing what to do when a disaster strikes is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds matter. Local Emergency management offices can help you identify hazards in your community and can outline the local plans and recommendations for each. And be sure to share this information with family, neighbors, colleagues and friends – talking about preparedness helps everyone be ready “just in case.” Use the links below to make your family, business and community safer, more resilient and better prepared for any disaster event.
Useful links
What to do before, during, and after a hurricane or tropical storm:
Latest Isaac forecast from the National Hurricane Center:
Community preparedness tools and resources:
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