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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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National Preparedness is a Year-Round Activity
As September draws to a close and autumn officially begins, we thank you for another successful National Preparedness Month (NPM)! This month, more than twenty thousand individuals and organizations joined the Coalition, took the Pledge to Prepare, and dedicated themselves to making a difference in their communities and families in advance of an emergency or disaster event. While NPM is the time of year we highlight the nation's preparedness efforts, it is not the only time we should be preparing !
Many of the resources and tools you used throughout NPM are still available year round. For instance, the National Preparedness Coalition Website is available year round, so you can continue planning, networking, adding events and participating in discussions throughout the year! Additionally, the resources, banners, toolkits and collateral materials can still be accessed. Preparedness isn't a one-month activity – it must be practiced year round, which is why we'll continue to update the National Preparedness Coalition Website with new resources that will keep you informed about trending discussion topics such as:
October will feature updates about Cyber Security awareness; preparedness drills and exercises, including the Great ShakeOut ; and fire prevention safety activities and so much more.
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U.S. Geological Survey Prepares for the Future of Earthquakes
Imagine if doctors had time to stop delicate procedures before an earthquake, emergency responders had a few extra moments to gear up, airplane landings could be postponed, trains slowed and people could move to safer locations. Come learn how the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners are helping provide critical seconds of notification through an earthquake early warning system in the United States during a Congressional briefing entitled: “Earthquake Early Warning: Every Second Counts.”
When: |
Friday, September 28, 2012 |
Where: |
This briefing will be held twice in Washington, DC.
10:00 a.m. in 1334 Longworth House Office Building
2:00 p.m. in 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building |
Speakers: |
Richard Allen
Director, Berkeley Seismological Laboratory
Professor, Dept. Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley
Bill Leith
Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey
Chris Terzich
Chair, Regional Consortium Coordinating Council |
Host: |
Seismological Society of America |
Learn more about the Earthquake Early Warning System .
Not able to make the event? Find the presentations, testimony and live Tweets from the event on the USGS Congressional Briefing Series web page.
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Volunteering to Make a Difference
To help better prepare your community for emergencies, participate on a Citizen Corps Council or volunteer with a Citizen Corps Partner Program. There are many opportunities to get involved and contribute to making your community safer. Just take a look at these great stories showcasing local communities seeking to make a difference through the work of volunteers:
These are just a few of the great volunteer efforts going on across the country. What are you doing to help out in your community? If you're interested in becoming involved, check out these great webinars which provide tips and recommendations on how to get started:
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Nation's First FEMA Corps Members Sworn In 240 FEMA Corps members were recently sworn into service at an induction ceremony in Vicksburg, Mississippi. FEMA Corps is an innovative partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to enhance disaster response and recovery capacity while expanding career opportunities for young people.
Established as a new unit within the existing AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), FEMA Corps engages young adults ages 18 to 24 to provide ten months of full-time service on disaster response and recovery projects. Members will be deployed to assignments ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovery centers to sharing disaster response and mitigation information with the public.
To become an AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps member, you can apply to the FEMA Corps program link. To become a Team Leader, apply to FEMA Corps Team Leader link.
Complete instructions on the application process can be found on FEMA Corps FAQs for Applicants and Members .
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Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Duncan Make Joint Request
It's one thing to be aware of the best actions to take when a disaster strikes but you aren't fully prepared unless you've practiced those actions. Drills and exercises help people practice what to do when a disaster strikes and can be great team building efforts in the workplace and fun educational opportunities for students.
Underscoring the importance of youth participation in drills and exercises, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently encouraged schools and organizations to participate in the next Great ShakeOut exercise scheduled for October 18 at 10:18 am .
They “strongly encourage you and your school or organization to register at www.ShakeOut.org and join the more than 14 million participants, including thousands of schools , who will participate in these drills … the ShakeOut offers a unique opportunity for schools to train students and staff on preparedness and to increase awareness of the ‘Drop, Cover, Hold On' method for protecting ourselves during an earthquake.”
For more information about youth preparedness visit FEMA's Youth Preparedness web page.
For more information about how to register your school for the Great ShakeOut, visit the ShakeOut Resource web page .
Dates for Your Calendar!
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FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declarations Update
Shockey Fire
Fire Management Assistance Declaration number 5021 on Sep 24, 2012
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FEMA Major Disaster Declarations Update
Washington Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding
Major Disaster Declaration number 4083 on Sep 25, 2012
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