Comments on: It’s Time To Better Define What “Ready” Means For Public — To Help Do So, FEMA/State/Local Officials Should Hold Series Of Forums To Solicit Citizen Input, Answer Questions On Preparedness http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/ A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:57:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Shane Connor http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-78696 Shane Connor Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:03:44 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-78696 I had also submitted an idea a week ago promoting DHS & FEMA "Teach Practical Family Nuclear Civil Defense Strategies and Tactics..." at http://preparedness.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Teach-Practical-Family-Nuclear-Civil-Defense-Strategies-and-Tactics.../74577-9416 It is currently ranked #3 out of over 200 ideas submitted. Please vote for it at that link above there. I had also submitted an idea a week ago promoting DHS & FEMA “Teach Practical Family Nuclear Civil Defense Strategies and Tactics…” at http://preparedness.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Teach-Practical-Family-Nuclear-Civil-Defense-Strategies-and-Tactics…/74577-9416

It is currently ranked #3 out of over 200 ideas submitted. Please vote for it at that link above there.

]]> By: Charlie Bryan http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-76713 Charlie Bryan Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:18:20 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-76713 I just submitted the idea of revising teh IS-22 Are You Ready? course to the National Dialogue on Preparedness website. You can vote for the idea at http://preparedness.ideascale.com/a/dtd/74001-9416 I just submitted the idea of revising teh IS-22 Are You Ready? course to the National Dialogue on Preparedness website.

You can vote for the idea at http://preparedness.ideascale.com/a/dtd/74001-9416

]]> By: In Interview, Red Cross Social Media Director Talks About What Was … | Emergency Food Supply Kits http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-75774 In Interview, Red Cross Social Media Director Talks About What Was … | Emergency Food Supply Kits Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:00:30 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-75774 [...] featured more as a key citizen disaster resilience objective. I have written often about to need to better define what ‘preparedness’ means for the public, and I believe this proposal should be part of those [...] [...] featured more as a key citizen disaster resilience objective. I have written often about to need to better define what ‘preparedness’ means for the public, and I believe this proposal should be part of those [...]

]]> By: admin http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-73092 admin Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:41:02 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-73092 Charlie- Thanks for your comment. I have been impressed from afar about the work of MRCKC. I would be curious to hear more of the input and suggestions from the volunteer instructors who are teaching the course about how it should be updated. -John Charlie-
Thanks for your comment. I have been impressed from afar about the work of MRCKC. I would be curious to hear more of the input and suggestions from the volunteer instructors who are teaching the course about how it should be updated.
-John

]]> By: admin http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-73091 admin Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:35:47 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-73091 Lee- I think it's a good point. It would make sense for FEMA to highlight its Citizen Corps units as preparedness resources for the public. That's particularly true since its the local Citizen Corps members who are doing many of the public presentations in the community. And, as you point out, there is a need to increase the visibility of Citizen Corps and its programs -John Lee-
I think it’s a good point. It would make sense for FEMA to highlight its Citizen Corps units as preparedness resources for the public. That’s particularly true since its the local Citizen Corps members who are doing many of the public presentations in the community. And, as you point out, there is a need to increase the visibility of Citizen Corps and its programs
-John

]]> By: Charlie Bryan http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-73086 Charlie Bryan Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:15:25 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-73086 I worked closely with the volunteers of the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater Kansas City for three years, supporting them as a volunteer coordinator with Mid-America Regional Council from July 2007 until June 2010. In those three years, I witnessed a genuine passion for preparedness and a clear commitment by Medical Reserve Corps volunteers to help emergency management agencies, public health officials and other community partners prepare the residents of the Kansas City metro region. You point out only a few of the limitations of the curriculum used for the FEMA IS-22 Are You Ready? course, and I’ve heard similar issues raised by MRC volunteer instructors. Perhaps most notable is that the curriculum was last revised in August 2004, pre-Katrina and only a few years post-9/11. In the six years since, the preparedness community has learned many lessons, significant changes have occurred in social networking and communications technologies, and our understanding of the sociology of disasters has improved. A revision to the curriculum is overdue. A large-scale citizen engagement initiative, including a series of public forums as you suggest, could provide a solid starting point for revising the FEMA IS-22 Are You Ready? curriculum. I worked closely with the volunteers of the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater Kansas City for three years, supporting them as a volunteer coordinator with Mid-America Regional Council from July 2007 until June 2010. In those three years, I witnessed a genuine passion for preparedness and a clear commitment by Medical Reserve Corps volunteers to help emergency management agencies, public health officials and other community partners prepare the residents of the Kansas City metro region.

You point out only a few of the limitations of the curriculum used for the FEMA IS-22 Are You Ready? course, and I’ve heard similar issues raised by MRC volunteer instructors. Perhaps most notable is that the curriculum was last revised in August 2004, pre-Katrina and only a few years post-9/11. In the six years since, the preparedness community has learned many lessons, significant changes have occurred in social networking and communications technologies, and our understanding of the sociology of disasters has improved. A revision to the curriculum is overdue.

A large-scale citizen engagement initiative, including a series of public forums as you suggest, could provide a solid starting point for revising the FEMA IS-22 Are You Ready? curriculum.

]]> By: Lee Foster http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/07/26/its-time-to-better-define-what-ready-means-for-public-to-help-do-so-femastatelocal-officials-should-hold-series-of-forums-to-solicit-citizen-input-answer-questions-on-preparedness/comment-page-1/#comment-73068 Lee Foster Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:58:12 +0000 http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/?p=10864#comment-73068 John, Your review of the Are You Ready curriculum brings up an interesting point. "Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards, and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation. You can obtain this information from your local emergency management office or your local chapter of the American Red Cross…" Why would FEMA spend hundreds of millions of dollars on their Citizen Corps program, only to instruct Citizens to contact the Red Cross? Perhaps I'm off base about this, but I would think FEMA would want to publicize the Citizen Corps and the programs (CERT, MRC, VIPS, etc) that fall under the Citizen Corps umbrella. I read a GAO report this past winter discussing the failures of the Citizen Corps and Ready program. I can summarize by saying "No one knows about Citizen Corps" Thoughts? John,

Your review of the Are You Ready curriculum brings up an interesting point.

“Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards, and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation. You can obtain this information from your local emergency management office or your local chapter of the American Red Cross…”

Why would FEMA spend hundreds of millions of dollars on their Citizen Corps program, only to instruct Citizens to contact the Red Cross? Perhaps I’m off base about this, but I would think FEMA would want to publicize the Citizen Corps and the programs (CERT, MRC, VIPS, etc) that fall under the Citizen Corps umbrella.

I read a GAO report this past winter discussing the failures of the Citizen Corps and Ready program. I can summarize by saying “No one knows about Citizen Corps”

Thoughts?

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