PrepareAthon! Happenings

Cities across the country are gearing up for America's PrepareAthon! spring 2015 with exciting community-wide events. Next month, the University of Kansas (KU) will hold its first ReadyCampus event beginning with a full-scale tornado drill on March 3. This drill will use the university's outdoor siren and Emergency Alert System to notify students, who can also participate in several “mini drills” during the official ReadyCampus event on March 4. 

Activities will include a texting-while-driving simulator, KU Police Department personal safety drills, fire preparedness training from local fire departments, and emergency preparedness training from KU emergency management. Along with the event's drilled actions, participating university and community partners will be on-hand with displays, demonstrations, and information for students, faculty, and staff.

Also, the city of Smyrna, Georgia will conduct its second annual Ready Smyrna PrepareAthon! campaign to promote a community tornado drill on March 20. This year's campaign will prepare area churches, businesses, daycares, and assisted living facilities for disasters. City employees and local schools will also participate in the event, which is being organized by Smyrna's Citizen Corps Council. 

Smyrna was the first city in the nation to fully participate in America's PrepareAthon! and won the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award during the 2014 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards in September 2014.

Want to plan a preparedness event for your family or community? Get started today! America's PrepareAthon! has FREE planning guides, toolkits, and creative materials to prepare communities for six hazards . Most of these resources are available in other languages , including Spanish, Japanese, and French.

QuakeSmart for Business

“With earthquakes, it's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when.” This video message from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) illustrates the unpredictability of earthquakes and the impact tremors can have on businesses. Therefore, it is important for business owners to take steps to the ensure safety of their employees and customers.

FEMA and FLASH created the QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program to walk business owners through a step-by-step process to:

• Identify their risk by completing the “Back to Business” self-assessment ;
• Develop a plan to reduce potential injury and property damage (mitigation); and
• Take action using the QuakeSmart Business Toolkit .

In addition, the program allows employers to apply for recognition as a member of the QuakeSmart Community. Benefits of participating in the program include:

• A QuakeSmart Resilient Community Member window cling to announce to customers and employees that you've taken steps to secure your business;
• A QuakeSmart Resilient Community Member web badge to display on your company website; and
• A sample news release to announce your participation in the QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program.

The Small Business Association estimates that 75 percent of organizations without a continuity plan will fail within three years of a disaster. Get prepared by joining the QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program today! Employers can also find valuable information in the America's PrepareAthon! Prepare Your Organization for an Earthquake Playbook , which provides businesses with tools and resources to support preparedness discussions, tabletop exercises, and more.

Finding Warming Centers

Some parts of the country experience brutally cold temperatures during winter months. When the mercury dips, many communities open warming centers to help individuals without heat escape the frigid weather.

Warming centers can be found in your area library, police station, senior center or school. Operating hours and accommodations at these centers vary so check with the facility before you go. Also, some centers may provide water, food, or basic sanitary facilities. Make plans to bring your disaster supply kit with you to ensure you'll have the items you require. Items in your kit can make your visit to warming centers more comfortable, especially if your stay extends for several days.

Many open centers coordinate with a federally mandated phone information system to communicate hours and locations. Visit 211.org to find a warming center in your area. You can also use these services to request a well-being check for someone who may be suffering from extreme weather, report inadequate heating in a residential building, and more.

If these services are not available in your area, please contact your local Office of Emergency Management.

Dates for Your Calendar!

• Feb 10 – 12: International Disaster Conference & Expo – New Orleans, LA
• Feb 19 – 22: Virginia Fire and Rescue Conference – Virginia Beach, VA
• Feb 23 – 27: Combined E0427, CERT Program Manager and E0428, CERT Train-the-Trainer courses – Emmitsburg, MD
• Mar 7 – 11: National League of Cities Congressional City Conference – Washington, DC
• Mar 13 – 17: National Emergency Management Association Mid-Year Policy & Leadership Forum – Alexandria, VA