2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners
FEMA has announced the winners of the 2015 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards, recognizing the outstanding efforts of individuals, programs, and organizations throughout the country working to prepare their communities for emergencies. These awards highlight innovative practices and campaigns that have made outstanding contributions toward making communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient. This year, FEMA asked applicants to highlight accomplishments that took place between January 1, 2014 and April 10, 2015.
“Effective emergency management requires commitment, teamwork and engagement by the entire community before disasters occur,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “I congratulate the individuals and organizations that embody these ideals. Through their hard work and dedication, they are making our nation stronger and safer.”
The 11 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award recipients will be recognized on September 8, 2015 in Washington, D.C. During the recognition ceremony, recipients will share their experiences, success stories, and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders.
A complete list of the recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available at: http://www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards . Award recipients by category are as follows:
- Outstanding Citizen Corps Council Award: Ready New York, NYC Citizen Corps, NYC Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
- Community Preparedness Heroes Award: Craig Wolfe and Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee Members
- Awareness to Action Award: City of Henderson (Nevada) Get READY! Stay READY! Campaign
- Technological Innovation Award: Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, Geographic Information System/Information Technology Working Group
- Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness Award: Alabama Be Ready Camp
- Fifth Annual Recipients of the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award: Ready Montana Program and Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management (South Carolina)
- Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives Award: Orange County, California Community Emergency Response Team Mutual Aid Program
- Outstanding Citizen Corps Partner Program Award: New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps
- Excellence in Volunteer Sustainability Award: City of Irvine Community Emergency Response Team (California)
Congratulations to all the award recipients and honorable mentions! You continue to make your communities and the Nation proud!
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Orlando Hosts First America's PrepareAthon! Event in Florida
On April 30, 2015, the City of Orlando, Florida was the first community in the State to host a year-round hazards campaign in collaboration with America's PrepareAthon! to prepare the community for hurricanes, lightning, wildfires, and tornadoes.
The campaign, launched with widespread support from community partners including the National Weather Service, the American Red Cross, and Orlando's Office of Emergency Management.
The City of Orlando hosts events and drills throughout the campaign to prepare the community. During events, participants learn how to build disaster supply kits, make emergency evacuation plans, and download preparedness mobile applications.
Learn more about Orlando's PrepareAthon! by visiting the new “ Stories” page on the America's PrepareAthon! website.
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National Preparedness Month: Week 2 Focuses on Wildfire
Get ready for Week 2 (September 6 – 12) of National Preparedness Month (NPM), which highlights hazard-focused themes to encourage you to prepare. Wildfire is the hazard-focused theme for Week 2 of NPM. These fires can occur anywhere and destroy homes, businesses, natural resources, and agriculture. In fact, several states in the Northwest have recently experienced devastating wildfires, sparking evacuation orders for thousands of people.
If a wildfire threatens your community, the best action to protect yourself and your property is to evacuate. Evacuation orders vary by state and may range from voluntary to mandatory. When authorities issue a mandatory evacuation notice, leave the area immediately to avoid being trapped.
There are also some things you can do to make your home or business more resistant to catching fire and burning. The How to Prepare for a Wildfire guide from America's PrepareAthon! outlines the following steps, including:
- Create a defensible space (free of leaves, debris, and other flammable material) of up to 200 feet from your home or business;
- Use fire-resistant materials for landscaping and construction; and
- Maintain sources of water such as swimming pools, wells, ponds, and hydrants to ensure they are accessible to the fire department.
Download the 2015 National Preparedness Month Social Media Toolkit from the Ready Campaign and America's PrepareAthon! to share preparedness and safety messages with family and friends.
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Upcoming Preparedness Activities
It's National Preparedness Month! If you're looking for preparedness activities in which to participate, here are a few that may be of interest:
MD Prepares Twitter Chat
Join the #MDPrepares Twitter chat on Wednesday, September 9 from 1PM – 2PM Eastern Time to get preparedness ideas from emergency managers, state and local government agencies, and community members from around the country. The goal of the Twitter chat is to:
- Raise awareness about preparedness;
- Provide the benefits of participating in America's PrepareAthon! and being prepared overall for disasters; and
- Motivate communities to plan their own preparedness event and to add it to the America's PrepareAthon! website.
This chat is hosted by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. Follow @mdmema and use the hashtag #MDPrepares to join the conversation.
Webinar: Local Partnerships Between the American Red Cross and CERT
The American Red Cross and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) serve communities throughout the United States in a variety of ways before, during, and after emergencies. But while both programs accomplish a great deal individually, they can do even more when they work together. As partners, CERT and American Red Cross programs and volunteers can work to advance their mutual goals of increasing the preparedness and resilience of local neighborhoods and communities and offering vital assistance and support in the aftermath of disasters.
The FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division invites you to join a webinar that showcases successful partnerships between local American Red Cross regions and CERT programs. Three sets of American Red Cross and CERT programs serving three unique jurisdictions will discuss how they are working together to make their communities safer, stronger, and more resilient. Presenters will share how they established their partnerships, what lessons they learned from the experience, and how their collaboration benefitted their programs and communities. The webinar will conclude with a question and answer session.
Title: Local Partnerships Between the American Red Cross and CERT
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (ET)
This webinar will feature American Red Cross and CERT guest speakers from the following jurisdictions:
- Delaware County, PA
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
How to Join the Webinar:
We hope that you can join us on September 9! If you can't make it, we will post the recording, transcript, and slide deck of the presentation on this page, under “Citizen Corps Partners/Affiliates”: http://www.ready.gov/preparedness-leader/webinar-library . You can also view our most recent webinar on including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in CERT training at: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/p1onuoh5wic/ .
“Let's Get Weather Ready” Preparedness Challenge
How do you prepare for emergencies?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wants you to take the “Let's Get Weather Ready” Preparedness Challenge to show what you, your family, or your organization has done to become weather-ready.
To participate:
- Submit no more than three (3) photos with a caption, 50 words or less.
- Submissions must be received from September 1, 2015 – September 21, 2015.
- All entries must be original work.
- Previously-published material may be entered, as long as the submission includes the date and publication it was published.
- Accept the Terms of Use for National Weather Service, NOAA, and FEMA (and possibly others) to profile on social media feeds – reaching millions!
NOAA will select the best entries from each of the four categories listed below and profile them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram:
- WRN Ambassadors
- Families
- Individuals
- Pets
For official rules, visit the National Weather Service website .
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Utah Hosts Annual Prepare Conference
On September 12, 2015, the State of Utah will host its 5th Annual Utah Prepare Conference and Expo . This conference is Utah's official America's PrepareAthon! event for September.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the conference featuring more than 30 emergency preparedness workshops, including water purification, powerless cooking, emergency fuel storage, and emergency communications. Attendees will also have the opportunity to complete family disaster plans and participate in other hands-on activities.
This conference is organized by the Utah Division of Emergency Management's Be Ready Utah program, the Utah State University Extension Service, Brigham Young University, the American Red Cross, and Salt Lake County Emergency Services.
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Dates for Your Calendar!
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