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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

Be heard…Email comments or suggestions to us at cert@dhs.gov

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2013 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

FEMA has announced the winners of the 2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. The Awards recognize individuals who have taken action to prepare their communities. This year, highlighted accomplishments were achieved between January 1, 2012 and June 5, 2013.

“The individuals and organizations that we recognize highlight the importance of working closely with our partners in the private, non-profit, and faith-based sectors, with state, local,tribal, and territorial governments, and with individual citizens,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.

Award winners will attend a recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 24 at 1 PM EST. During the ceremony, recipients will share their community preparedness successes and lessons learned with emergency management leadership. You can view the ceremony at www.whitehouse.gov/live .

A complete list of the recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available at: http://www.ready.gov/citizen-corps-awards . Award recipients by category are as follows:

  • Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Illinois Citizen Corps
  • Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives: City of Austin CERT
  • Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Heart of Texas Citizen Corps
  • Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness: Texas School Safety Center
  • Community Preparedness Heroes: Volunteers of the Hoboken CERT Program
  • Awareness to Action: What To Do To Make It Through Campaign
  • Third Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award: The Los Angeles Fire Department South Los Angeles Teen CERT Collaborative

Congratulations to all the award recipients! You continue to make your communities and the Nation proud!

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National Preparedness Month Cross Country Highlights

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is winding down, but there is always time to get in on preparedness activities by taking action to prepare – particularly in the spirit of America's PrepareAthon! . Organizations across the country are promoting preparedness in many ways. Take a look at some upcoming events near you:

On Tuesday, Sept. 24 FEMA Region 7 will host a 30-minute live T witter chat at 12 PM CDT. Experts will dispel common preparedness myths and give tips for people with disabilities, access and functional needs, older Americans and pets. Use hashtag #ALLReadyChat to join the conversation!

The Make A Difference in Edinburg organization and Edinburg Christian Church in Christian County, IL will host a disaster preparedness seminar September 25. The Christian County Emergency Manager will present on severe weather preparedness, Are You Prepared, and What Happens Locally .

The U.S. Department of Commerce will be hosting its Annual Preparedness Conference for its tenth year on September 25 in Suitland, Maryland. The event is open to over 10,000 employees and will host 12 table top exhibitors sharing information and resources available for individuals to be prepared in case of natural and manmade disasters.

Join the City of Smyrna, Georgia on September 28, as they kick off their participation in FEMA's America's PrepareAthon! with a press conference scheduled for 10 AM EST. The City's mayor will officially designate Smyrna as the first city in the U.S. to embrace the America's PrepareAthon! campaign. Following the press conference, the City of Smyrna will conduct a tornado drill at City Hall, City Library and other establishments in downtown to demonstrate the type of events that Smyrna will be hosting as an America's PrepareAthon! participant.

Tyrone Hospital in Tyrone, PA will host Be Prepared for Emergencies on Sept. 28, in honor of National Preparedness Month. This free event will provide information and resources for community members to learn how to properly prepare for potential emergency situations.

Find more NPM events in your area and take action to build more resilient communities. Be Smart. Take Part. Prepare!

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The Great ShakeOut Day of Action

It may be the final week of National Preparedness Month but since disasters can strike at any time, preparedness should occur throughout the year. Join America's PrepareAthon by registering today for the Great ShakeOut Day of Action earthquake drill.

On October 17 at 10:17 AM join millions of people worldwide as they drop, cover and hold on for earthquake preparedness. The Great ShakeOut was organized to help your community prepare for and recover from an earthquake, to encourage you to update emergency plans and supplies, and to secure your space in order to prevent damage and injuries during disaster. Last year over 21 million practiced “Drop, Cover, Hold On.” Don't be left out, take action to prepare!

Follow @PrepareAthon for all things disaster preparedness!

For additional resources on how to protect your family during an earthquake, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and don't forget to download the American Red Cross earthquake app to receive alerts. You can also make disaster preparation fun for the whole family with Beat the Quake , an interactive game to test your preparedness know-how!

Don't forget to download the latest FEMA mobile app with its new feature Disaster Reporter for you to share photos of disaster damage in your area and show how your community is recovering.

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Webinar Series: Economic Recovery After a Disaster

It's not too late to take advantage of this free eight-part webinar series that provides practical information on disaster preparedness and financial recovery for economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce. Attend these interactive sessions to learn how your organization can be better equipped to handle a major disruption - whether caused by nature or manmade events.

Each webinar consists of two parts - a full hour of instruction by speakers followed by a 30 minute Q&A session. The webinars are available at no cost, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

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Emergency Preparedness and Hazmat Response Conference

Calling all emergency managers, hazmat response teams, and public safety personnel! Mark your calendars for the Emergency Preparedness and Hazmat Response Conference being held October 13 – 17, 2013 in Baltimore, MD. The conference will include workshops and training sessions on various disaster preparedness topics. Register today! You don't want to miss this!

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Dates for Your Calendar!


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About FEMA

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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