ACT NOW Preparedness Update #3

ACT NOW Preparedness Update #3

A periodic notice from FEMA’s Community & Family Preparedness Program

January 29, 1998

A Note from Ralph Swisher

A special thanks to each of you for keeping in touch with FEMA’s Community & Family Preparedness Program (CFP). We’ll keep the information flowing so others can learn from your experiences in disaster education. As always, please forward the Act Now Preparedness Update to anyone you think might be interested. Thank you and keep up the great work in disaster education.

CFP Training Course Under Development

The first national organizers course on how to organize a community disaster education program is being developed by FEMA’s CFP Program in cooperation with the American Red Cross. Our goal is to establish a common body of training and resources that can be drawn upon by disaster educators to meet the particular needs of their communities. "We’re committed to getting top quality training to everyone in the field who wants it," said John McKay, Superintendent of the Emergency Management Institute. The organizers course is designed to complement -- not duplicate or replace -- the presenters course already developed by the Red Cross ("Developing Community Disaster Education Presenters"). More information will follow about how the two courses will mesh and how to access each of them. The course will be field tested later this year.

CFP Conference Set for June

Mark your calendars for June 9-12 for FEMA’s community and family preparedness conference at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg. As we begin work on the agenda and selection process, please let us know if you’re interested in coming, and what you would like to learn or share with others. Of course, due to limited meeting space, we cannot accommodate everyone, but we try to accommodate as many people as possible. We carefully balance selection of invitees to represent all levels of government, voluntary agencies and others active in promoting family disaster preparedness.

Project Impact Guidebook Available

For ideas on reducing disaster losses, visit http://www.fema.gov or call 1-800-480-2520 for the Project Impact Guidebook. The publication is part of a national initiative to help communities, businesses and organizations reduce the devastating consequences of disasters. FEMA has designated seven pilot communities so far: Deerfield Beach/Broward County, Fl.; Pascagoula, Miss.; Wilmington and New Hanover Counties, N.C.; Randolph and Tucker Counties, W.V.; Allegany County, Md.; Seattle, Wash.; and Oakland, Cal. Project Impact funds will be awarded to communities throughout the country.

In the Field ...

Explorer Scouts: Partners in Disaster Education

Explorer Scouts in Quincy, Massachusetts were honored by Quincy’s mayor, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and FEMA for their exemplary work in emergency management and community service. The Explorers, who range in age from 13 to 20, are particularly helpful in teaching their peers about disasters. They also take classes in CPR, traffic control and communications, and participate in all aspects of the city’s emergency management program.

"The youth are ready to serve and assume responsibility," said Anthony Siciliano, deputy director of the Quincy Emergency Management Agency. The Quincy group promotes Explorer Scouts throughout Eastern Massachusetts, and recently addressed the National Emergency Management Association’s annual conference in Boston.

If you’re interested in sponsoring an Explorer Post or involving youth in your disaster education program, call your local Boy Scouts Council (phone number found in the white pages of the business section of the phone book). Explorers’ participation in community and family preparedness has the full backing of the national Boy Scouts of America, a long-time CFP partner.

Idea: Involve Explorer Scouts in your National Disaster Reduction Day activities on October 14.

In the Field ...

Triad Councils: Reaching Senior Citizens

"We found that the best way to build a program for senior citizens is to include them in the planning process," said Lee Catlin, Community Resources Coordinator, Albemarle County, Virginia. "Seniors have guided our disaster education effort in ways we never would have thought of without them."

The program, "Senior Weatherbusters," is a direct response to concerns raised by the local Senior Advisory Council following a series of blizzards and floods in the area. The council is part of a national program -- called Triad -- organized by the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA), the American Association of Retired Persons and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which seeks to reduce the victimization of older citizens.

"Triad is a wonderful way to help seniors prepare for disasters," said Betsy Cantrell, NSA’s Crime Prevention Director and a CFP Program partner. "Senior Weatherbusters shows how effective these partnerships can be."

Other partners in Albemarle’s program include the police department, the community resources and emergency services offices, the American Red Cross, Virginia Power, and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

To learn more about Triad, call 1-800-424-7827. For information about "Senior Weatherbusters," call Lee Catlin at 804-296-5807.

Good Ideas ...

Outreach to Senior Citizens

Involve your local Triad council (sometimes called a SALT council, Seniors And Law Enforcement Together).

Identify ways to reassure seniors and communicate with them during disasters. Seniors often live alone and can feel vulnerable and isolated in a disaster.

Address pet care issues in your presentations and materials. Many seniors will not evacuate their home in a disaster unless they know their pets are okay. Consider forming a partnership with your local Humane Society or veterinarian, or the local chapter of the Doctors of Veterinary Medicine Association or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They may have a disaster plan for pets or ideas for your program.

Recommend disaster supplies that are inexpensive, easy to open, lightweight and simple to operate.

Important lists for seniors: special equipment and supplies (e.g., hearing aid batteries); prescriptions and information about medications and dosage; telephone numbers of friends, doctors and pharmacists.

Good Ideas ...

Forming Partnerships

"You need to get out of your office, meet with people and network," said John Vollmer, Disaster Preparedness Public Education Coordinator for the state of Washington, when asked how to form effective partnerships. Ideas include:

Network with companies, groups, government agencies and voluntary agencies that have goals similar to yours. Consider organizations that have an interest in public safety or in one of your target audiences, such as children.

Join membership organizations such as fire cooperatives or the Association of Contingency Planners. Become a contributing member. Remember to keep other members’ interests in mind.

Establish areas of interest with potential partners. Don’t just walk in and ask for money. Present your ideas and ask for help. Know what you need, but be flexible -- they may have ideas you haven’t thought about.

Look for ways to help your partners attain their goals. Give them credit for programs (with their permission) even if they can’t participate or contribute resources every time. It’s okay if partners are not involved in every project -- think of the partnership as a long-term relationship.

Tools for Public Education

Mitigation Factsheets

Measures for the public to reduce disaster losses. Visit the "mitigation room" in FEMA’ library on the Web (http://www.fema.gov).

FEMA 1997 CFP Conference Report

"Practical Ideas for Strengthening Community & Family Preparedness Programs" is available at http://www.fema.gov. If you don’t have Web access, call Ralph Swisher (202-646-3561) for a copy.

FEMA's Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation Library on CD-ROM

The CD-ROM is primarily for disaster educators who want to reproduce high-quality educational materials at a professional print shop. For printouts of materials, FEMA’s Web site is the best alternative. To order the CD-ROM, call 202-736-1648.

For more information:

Ralph Swisher
FEMA CFP Program Manager
Phone: 202-646-3561
Fax: 202-646-4371
E-mail: ralph.swisher@fema.gov