Countdown to ShakeOut
The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill is just a week away! This is your opportunity to practice what to do during an earthquake and improve your preparedness, especially if you live in an earthquake-prone area . Even if tremors are rare where you live, it's still important to practice because they may happen where you or your family travel.
More than 18 million people, schools and businesses worldwide have already signed up to participate in this day of action on Thursday, October 16 at 10:16 a.m. If you want to plan a drill for your organization , the ShakeOut website can help get you started. The website also shows how many people in each state or country will be practicing how to Drop, Cover and Hold On with you!
Registering for ShakeOut is easy! And there's still plenty of time to sign up. For more information, visit www.shakeout.org .
We also invite you to follow along in an special Tweet Chat with ShakeOut, America's PrepareAthon!, and the American Red Cross at 3 p.m. (Eastern) on October 15. Experts will provide safety tips and other information to get you prepared for earthquakes. Join the conversation using hashtag #EQChat.
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Financial First Aid
When survivors of Hurricane Sandy were asked what they wished they would have done before the storm, one of the top five responses was collecting and safely storing important personal financial documents. A FEMA survey conducted in 2011 showed that less than 35 percent of Americans report having copies of their vital records stored as part of their preparedness kit.
FEMA, together with Operation HOPE , released an updated tool to support emergency financial preparedness. The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) helps individuals and families at all income levels collect and secure critical financial documents and information. The updated EFFAK includes new checklists and forms that can be filled out online and saved electronically. You can access the updated EFFAK on the FEMA or Operation HOPE websites.
Learn more about this valuable tool and how it can help your family! Take a look at this new video from FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Operation HOPE founder and CEO John Hope Bryant as they discuss the importance of financial preparedness.
The America's PrepareAthon! campaign also offers financial preparedness support materials, including the “ Be Smart. Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables ” guide.
Remember, disaster preparedness extends beyond storing water and supplies. Having a plan to pay your bills and access your important records and accounts will help you on the road to recovery.
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National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month . This annual initiative sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is designed to educate the public and raise awareness about cybersecurity and increase the resiliency of the nation for cyber incidents.
Whether we use the Internet at home, work or school, there is a risk of abuse, fraud or identity theft. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility in which we all have a role. DHS has developed a series of events and activities to engage the public on this important topic.
Participating in National Cyber Security Awareness Month is easy. Here are some things you can do to stay safe:
- Set strong passwords and don't share them with anyone;
- Keep your operating system, browser and other critical software optimized by installing updates;
- Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends and community about Internet safety; and
- Limit the amount of personal information you post online and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.
For resources you can use or share throughout the year, download the DHS Stop.Think.Connect. Toolkit . If you have a Twitter account, join Stop.Think.Connect. for a series of weekly Twitter Chats throughout the month of October. Use the hashtag #ChatSTC to follow along.
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Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Is your smoke alarm working? It's Fire Prevention Week , and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has life-saving information to help you protect yourself and your loved ones! This year's theme is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives”.
Smoke alarms are a very important means of preventing home fire fatalities by providing an early warning signal so you have time to escape a fire. Smoke alarms are one of the best safety devices you can buy and install to protect yourself, your family and your home. According to the USFA, working smoke alarms cut the risk of fatality in reported home fires by half.
While fires can start from various sources in the home, experts say cooking is the leading cause of home fire and fire injuries. Here are a few tips for preventing kitchen fires:
- Keep an eye on what you fry;
- Be alert when cooking; and
- Keep items (such as kitchen towels) that can catch fire away from cooking areas.
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Webinar: CERT Competitive Events
The CERT National Program Office is pleased to announce a can't-miss event! On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (EDT) we will be hosting the first of six annual CERT webinars, each of which will focus on a different topic. Last month, one of our stories in the National CERT E-Brief profiled three programs that have planned and organized competitive events (often referred to as CERT Rodeos/Games/Olympics) for their CERT volunteers. As a follow-up to that story, this month our webinar will feature the organizers of the Northern Nevada Regional CERT Rodeo, the Mississippi CERT Olympics, and the Kansas City CERT Rodeo. Presenters will share their experiences and insights from developing and hosting competitive events. Speakers will discuss how they planned and organized their events, lessons learned, and how their events benefitted their programs and communities. The webinar will last one hour, with the final 15 minutes reserved for a Q&A session.
We hope that you will be able to join us on October 22 to learn how you can organize your own competitive event for your CERT program!
Date/Time
- Wednesday, October 22, 2014
- 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) / 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Join the Webinar
- Click here for the Adobe Connect Registration Web Link .
- Please register for the event. Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting by clicking here .
- This webinar will offer closed captioning.
Presenters will include representatives from:
- State of Mississippi
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Carson City, Nevada
- Washoe County, Nevada
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Reminder: Citizen Corps and CERT Showcase Webinar
The Citizen Corps and CERT Showcase webinar is right around the corner. This webinar, scheduled for October 15, 2014 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (EDT), will highlight strengths, document national trends, and also identify needs and potential areas of growth for Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs throughout the country. We hope you are able to join in and learn how your programs contribute to resilience at the local, county, tribal, and state levels.
In addition, the webinar will present recent enhancements to the registration website, as well as anticipated new features, such as a future capability allowing state and local programs to generate their own individual reports based on the data they've entered. This is intended to make it easier for programs to use their data to demonstrate the value they bring to their communities, justify continued support, highlight areas of growth, identify needs for new resources, and set strategic direction.
We hope to see you on the webinar! Additional details are below.
Date/Time
- Wednesday October 15, 2014
- 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time /10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Join the Webinar
- Click here for the Adobe Connect Registration Web Link .
- Please register for the event. Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting by clicking here .
- This webinar will offer closed captioning.
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Dates for Your Calendar!
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