Countdown to America's PrepareAthon!
Do you know what you would do during a disaster? Do you know if your community is at risk of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires or flood?
Only about two-in-five Americans say that they have a plan for what to do in an emergency. We need to change that. On April 30, and throughout the spring, America's PrepareAthon! activities will focus on preparing individuals, organizations, and communities for tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Be Smart. Take Part. And prepare today!
Here's how to join:
- Register : Participate in America's PrepareAthon! at www.ready.gov/prepare ;
- Be Smart : Download guides to learn how to prepare for a tornado, hurricane, flood or wildfire;
- Take Part : Plan activities and host an event locally on April 30th;
- Prepare : Practice a drill or have a discussion about preparedness; and
- Share : Promote your activities, events and best practices with national preparedness community members.
For more information on America's PrepareAthon! and to download easy-to-use and free resources go to: www.ready.gov/prepare . Follow the conversation via @PrepareAthon / #PrepareAthon. And stay in touch; for questions or comments email PrepareAthon@fema.dhs.gov .
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National Volunteer Week: Stories of Success
This year's National Volunteer Week falls on April 6 – 12, 2014. Citizen Corps and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) programs both provide opportunities for individuals and organizations to serve their communities, making them better prepared and more resilient, and have proven to be an integral part of disaster preparedness and response efforts throughout the country. CERT volunteers learn basic disaster response skills and are organized into teams to assist their communities following disasters when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Volunteers also provide support to professional response agencies and help to prepare their communities before disasters. Citizen Corps Councils bring together community leaders, including representatives of volunteer organizations, to plan for emergencies before they happen.
Below are just a few examples of how CERT and Citizen Corps Councils have recently given back.
In one example, Citizen Corps and CERT teams in Waco, TX were critical in the response to the TX fertilizer plant explosion on April 17, 2013. They assisted with incident management activities, including checking responders, volunteers and other incident personnel in and out at the scene and performing data entry into WebEOC. In total, the local CERT teams contributed more than 120 hours of volunteer service and made a significant impact in assisting people in need.
Local CERT programs in Snohomish County and King County are also helping right now in Washington State with the Oso Mudslide. Some of their volunteer activities include helping with traffic control, security and radio support at a Red Cross shelter. In addition, volunteers are providing assistance at the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management call center, helping unload supplies in various locations. Amongst the various other levels of assistance that volunteers are providing, it is anticipated that they will be further utilized as Oso moves into the recovery phase.
With proper training, everyday citizens can expand the resources of states and local communities to help them become more resilient. There are many resources available which offer training and opportunities for volunteering. Some of these resources include: getting trained in basic first aid and CPR through the local American Red Cross chapter; finding a volunteer opportunity through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) ; and the Corporation for National and Community Service which has many ways that citizens can volunteer to help their communities.
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Hurricane Preparedness: Get Ahead of the Curve
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2013 was a slow season for Atlantic hurricanes, with the fewest number of storms since 1982. However, it's never too early to get prepared for the upcoming 2014 Hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends November 30.
Build your knowledge now on what to do before, during and after a hurricane with resources found at www.ready.gov/hurricanes . This site provides you with useful information to build your awareness on hurricanes as well as other tips to prepare for a hurricane such as building an emergency kit and making a communications plan.
The America's PrepareAthon! website also offers How to Prepare for a Hurricane , a hazard-specific guide, which provides information on the basics of each hazard, how to protect yourself and your property, and what steps to take now.
Be well informed and get the jump on hurricane season today!
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Smyrna is Ready, Are You?
Self-sufficiency was the watchword as Smyrna, GA did a flurry of activities to get their entire community prepared for several hazards with a keen focus on tornadoes. Smyrna's efforts were in support of America's PrepareAthon! as they held their first community day of action, Ready Smyrna's PrepareAthon! Some of their activities included a:
- City-wide tornado drill where local officials, schools and businesses sought safe shelter during the drill;
- Full-scale tornado exercise at Emory-Adventist Hospital;
- Tornado drill at Smyrna Elementary ; and
- PrepareAthon Family Expo where community members gathered to get resources and tips on hurricanes, floods and tornadoes.
Like Smyrna, your community can take action to get prepared by practicing simple steps for disaster preparedness. America's PrepareAthon! makes it easy with Playbooks and resources to help organizations from across the community implement successful preparedness activities . Visit www.ready.gov/prepare to learn more.
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It's Time To Get #Petpared
In support of America's PrepareAthon! , communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region will be promoting the #Petpared Twitter Challenge throughout the month of April. The goal is to encourage pet owners to take action against the hazards that impact them.
To get involed in the #Petpared challenge: (1) take a picture of your pet and yourself doing the action and (2) tweet your picture on Twitter with the hashtag #Petpared. Successful actions tweeted by April 30, 2014 will be retweeted on National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day in May!
Have questions about preparing your pet? Join the #Petpared Twitter Chat on April 17th at 12:30-1:30 EDT and ask the experts your questions about preparedness and what actions you can take for America's PrepareAthon! Some of the chat participants will include:
- American Humane Association
- ASPCA
- American Red Cross
- FEMA Region III
- PetSmart Charities
- Red Paw Emergency Relief Team
- Schuylkill CART
- Virginia Search and Recuse Dog Association
This chat will help pet owners understand what they need to do to prepare for disasters and encourage them to take action.
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Dates for Your Calendar!
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