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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
Be heard…Email comments or suggestions to us at cert@dhs.gov
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Practice Makes Perfect
When disaster strikes, will your community know how to respond? Practicing the appropriate actions to take before a disaster strikes is vital for saving lives. Did you know 46 percent of individuals expect to rely a great deal on people in their neighborhood for assistance within the first 72 hours after a disaster?
Research shows most people aren't as prepared as they think for disasters. In a recent preparedness survey, 46 percent of the respondents did not have a home evacuation plan, 80 percent had not conducted home evacuation drills and 60 percent did not know their community's evacuation route.
One way to ensure a positive response is to organize preparedness drills and practice them regularly to include knowing the pertinent evacuation route in your community. Consider learning the appropriate actions to take in advance of the following hazards:
- Fire;
- Tornado; and
- Earthquake.
Remember, there is no substitute for running a live drill to practice your emergency plan.
Join the National Preparedness Community to learn best practices and find resources on how to prepare your community.
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Cool Kids
It's mid-summer and kids across the nation are participating in all kinds of outdoor activities in the summer heat! Keeping them cool while outdoors can help prevent heat related illness and promote safety.
A few simple steps you can follow include:
- Take advantage of the coolest times of the day for outdoor activities;
- Have them wear loose, light-colored clothing made of cotton; and
- Make sure they drink plenty of water or sports drinks.
Sometimes it's just too hot for outdoor activities and staying inside is the best option. To stay safe while inside:
- Cover windows that receive sunlight with drapes or shades;
- Stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine; and
- Eat light meals and avoid salt.
For more heat safety tips, click here .
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Tools You Can Use
FEMA has released several new tools you can use for disaster preparedness.
The FEMA smartphone app has been updated with a new feature called Disaster Reporter available for Android users . The Disaster Reporter lets users share disaster-related information for events occurring within the United States, allowing citizens, first responders and others to view and contribute information on a publicly accessible map.
Don't have the FEMA App ? Download it for Android, iPhone or Blackberry today!
The 2013 National Preparedness Month toolkit is also now available. It includes suggestions for events and tools and resources to support outreach efforts on a community level.
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Grants Open for Flood and Pre-Disaster Mitigation
The application period for Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation is open.
FEMA has posted the Fiscal Year 2013 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance on the website. This guidance covers both grant programs as well as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 directed FEMA to consolidate flood programs into one program eliminating the Repetitive Flood Claims and Severe Repetitive Loss programs. The consolidated Flood Mitigation Assistance program includes mitigation of severe repetitive loss properties and repetitive loss properties.
Please contact your State Hazard Mitigation Officer for additional information on Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance and deadlines for applying.
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Dates for Your Calendar!
August 13 – 17: Fire-Rescue International Forum
September 9 – 12: NEMA Emergency Management Policy and Leadership Forum
May to December: Regional Emergency Management Summits
November 14 – 16: Wildfire Education Conference |
