CERT Volunteers Foster a Sense of Community
In addition to making cloth face coverings and assisting with traffic flow at hospitals, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers are connecting community residents and boosting morale during the COVID-19 pandemic by rallying neighbors to check in on each other, hosting radio call-in shows, and offering translation services.
Opening Lines of Communication
Hoboken, NJ, CERT volunteer and professional interpreter Vivian Huang spearheaded an effort to staff a call center that can respond to requests for COVID-19 assistance in 11 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and Russian. Read more...
Community Caring for Those in Need
Across the country, people are practicing social distancing and following stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. This “new normal” has not stopped community-based organizations (CBOs) from stepping up with innovative ways to help people cope with their new routines. CBOs provide critical lifelines to those who are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. For example, CBOs have supplied food pantries with food, workers, and assistance. Food pantries have been particularly essential to the daily survival of many people. At the same time, social distancing has caused feelings of loneliness and isolation. In response, many CBOs are offering people a way to connect with others while still practicing social distancing. Check out the links below for ideas on how to shape your “new normal.” Read more...
New and Improved IS-315 & IS-317 Courses Available Now
FEMA has two new independent study (IS) courses available on the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) website:
- IS-315: CERT and the Incident Command System (ICS)—this course now includes more content on how Sponsoring Organizations can use CERT, the innovative ways to integrate CERT programs into your response framework, and more! To learn more, please click here.
- IS-317: Introduction to Community Emergency Response Team—this course now takes less time to complete; includes revised practices that cover the fundamentals of CERT; and covers various ways CERTs can contribute to communities before, during, and after an emergency! To learn more, please click here.
Webinar—Grief and Losses During the COVID-19 Crisis (English and Spanish)
Please join FEMA Region II for a webinar about grief and losses during the COVID-19 crisis. In this webinar, learn about grief, its different types and processes, and the factors that influence grief. Additionally, speakers will share recommendations about positively overcoming the grieving process. These webinars are available in English and Spanish:
- English: Tuesday, June 16, 2020, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
- Spanish: Wednesday June 17, 2020, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
Avoiding COVID-19 Cyber Threats
On May 27, 2020, FEMA Region II held a webinar that provided information about various COVID-19-related cyber threats from the past few months. These cyber threats include the targeting of remote access services, distribution of phishing campaigns, and compromised websites. Krista Valenzuela, who leads the Cyber Threat Intelligence and Analysis Bureau at the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC), covered best practices and recommendations to reduce victimization from these threats. Click here to view the recorded session.
Updated Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Trainings Coming in September
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will deliver two updated Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) courses in September:
- E428: CERT Train the Trainer, September 21-23, 2020
- E427: CERT Program Manager, September 24, 2020
The courses will include information from the revised CERT Basic Training. Interested CERT leaders should contact their Sponsoring Organization and state training officers to register to attend.
Webinar—Stress Management Related to Isolation, Social Distancing, and Quarantine (English and Spanish)
Please join FEMA Region II for webinars on stress management related to isolation, social distancing, and quarantine. These webinars feature guest speakers from Americares. Speakers will discuss how to identify the difference between the terms isolation, social distancing, and quarantine. Additionally, they will share strategies to support the well-being of adults and children. These webinars are available in English and Spanish:
- English: Thursday, June 11, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
- Spanish: Thursday, June 18, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
Webinar—Community Assets Mapping
Join FEMA Region II on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, from noon to 1:00 p.m. ET and hear from Keith Adams, who is the executive director of New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD). He will discuss how to identify community assets and resources that can be used to meet community needs and to strengthen the community. To register, please click here.
2020 Hurricane Season Briefing
On May 28, 2020, FEMA Region II held a webinar hosted by the Caribbean Area Office in Puerto Rico. During the webinar, Ernesto Morales and Ernesto Rodriguez, meteorologists from the Puerto Rico National Weather Service Office, provided an overview of the 2020 Hurricane Season Forecast. In this session, they reviewed the forecasts for the year, information about extreme weather preparedness, and information from the National Hurricane Center. Click here to view the recorded session. |