The challenge of citizen preparedness is well illustrated by this letter to the editor to a newspaper in Canada during that nation’s Emergency Preparedness Week. I think anyone involved in public preparedness will empathize:
To the editor:
I guess everyone in Scugog Township is prepared for any emergency that may arise.
They must be, because at the end [...]
Entries Tagged as 'City Preparedness'
“What If You Threw A Citizen Preparedness Training And No One Came?”
May 13th, 2010 · 4 Comments
Tags: City Preparedness · Humor · Preparedness Events
Major EPA ‘Dirty Bomb’ Exercise Held In ‘Post-Attack’ Philadelphia Creates Special Community Advisory Panel To Get Public POV
May 7th, 2010 · 1 Comment
This blog has long been an advocate of better integrating the public and its perspective into major governmental emergency drills. So, it was good to hear about some citizen-focused initiatives employed during Liberty RadEx, the National Tier 2 full scale exercise sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It was held in Philadelphia late last month [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness Events
On Tax Day — File, Copy & Store
April 15th, 2010 · No Comments
I received an email this week from the City of New York about taxes. It wasn’t the Department of Finance reminding me to file but instead it was from the Office of Emergency Management with a reminder about making (and securing) copies:
“As the tax return filing deadline looms (this Thursday, April 15), OEM reminds New [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness Tips · Red Cross
What Happens In Vegas (Might Be Less Serious If Major FEMA Nuke Attack Exercise) Stays In Vegas — Why Political/Business Pressure To Move Drill Treats Public Like Children On Terror Preparedness
November 23rd, 2009 · 6 Comments
I wanted to point out a story now playing out in Las Vegas, Nevada, which to me is another example of how the public is too often infantilized when it comes to information on serious terrorist threats, including weapons of mass destruction — And, as a result, why we as citizens are not as prepared [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Federal Emergency Management Administration · Nuclear Terrorism · Preparedness Ideas
Two Interesting Webinar Takeaways: CDC Believes Its Mobile Phone Texting Helps Bridge Not Broaden ‘Digital Divide’ On Public Health, Philly OEM ‘Following’ Hundreds Of Citizen Twitterers To Foster Two-Way Communication In Emergencies
November 20th, 2009 · 1 Comment
I wanted to highlight two points I heard during a terrific recent webinar, “Social Media and Technology Breakthroughs: H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Communication”:Â Â one about the Centers For Disease Control’s (CDC) view that mobile phones have an increasingly valuable role in public health communications and another about Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management’s expanded use of Twitter.
In [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness 2.0
New Ready LA Website Aims To Prepare Angelinos For Diverse Threats By Making “Unfriendly Subject More Friendly;” City’s Social Media Effort Tries To “Fish Where The Fish Are”
November 16th, 2009 · 1 Comment
I recently had the opportunity to speak with James Featherstone, the General Manager of Los Angeles’ Emergency Management Department, about the City’s citizen outreach efforts, particularly the relaunch of the Department’s website Ready LA.
When it comes to public preparedness, Featherstone has a bad news/good news situation. On the negative side, the Department must prepare and respond [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness 2.0
One Of The (Few) Perks Of Leukemia…I Just Got My H1N1 Vaccination
November 14th, 2009 · No Comments
There are few positives about contracting Leukemia, but I got one perk  – a H1N1 vaccine. Because of my illness,  I am a member of the ‘underlying condition’ priority group, and therefore just received the vaccination shot.
Around the nation, authorities are now distributing the limited supplies to priority groups. Here in New York, the low [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Pandemic Flu · Preparedness 2.0
Citizen “Flu Fighters” Being Recruited By City; Volunteers Requested To Help Staff H1N1 Vaccination Centers & Promote Vaccine Info Among Friends, Kids’ Schools, Community
November 13th, 2009 · 2 Comments
Yesterday, as I was searching the website of New York City Department of Health to find a vaccination center location near me to get a H1N1 vaccine I came upon a new citizen volunteer initiative just launched by the City, “Flu Fighters,” as part of its NYC Service program.
According to the “Flu Fighters”/NYC Service web [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Volunteer Opportunities
What Can The Yankees Teach Fans About The Need For A Family Emergency Plan?
November 4th, 2009 · 1 Comment
New York City’s Office of Emergency Management is taking advantage of Yankee-mania here as an angle in its most recent “Tip of the Week” sent out earlier this week:
“With a 3-1 lead over the Phillies, the [UPDATE: World Champion] Yankees have been focused on driving runs home this World Series. But when the catcher is [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Humor · Preparedness Tips
The U.S.S. New York — Made In Part From World Trade Center Steel — ‘Returns’ To Ground Zero
November 2nd, 2009 · No Comments
I had the wonderful opportunity this morning to view the arrival of the U.S.S. New York — which was built in part with steel from the fallen World Trade Center towers — into the harbor which bears its name.
THE USS NEW YORK PASSES BY GROUND ZERO THIS MORNING (ABOVE)
The Navy ship was welcomed on the [...]
Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness Events