In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

On Tax Day, I thought I would highlight Virginia’s second annual Hurricane Preparedness Tax Holiday which will run from May 25-31. During that week, sales tax will be lifted on purchases of preparedness-related supplies and equipment. Though the state’s Department of  Emergency Management considered last year’s week successful, I wanted to see if the agency was making any changes [...]

[Read more →]

From the American Red Cross’ Oregon Trail chapter comes yet another creative and timely preparedness idea, via their Twitter feed, for those who have some leftovers when Passover ends Wednesday: “shelf-life of matzo is 2 yrs; gefilte fish = 4; canned soups = 3. Great items for a disaster kit!”.
Lise Harwin explains further on the chapter’s Cross Blog:
Last night’s [...]

[Read more →]

Cargo screening may seem a somewhat arcane topic for a blog that focuses on citizen preparedness and engagement. But the issue raises what I think may be one of the most important homeland security subjects for both the government and the public — risk. The topic of risk in homeland security is something that I [...]

[Read more →]

I recently had the opportunity to interview Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, on the subject of citizen preparedness. Speaking in his Capitol Hill office, Thompson told me that he believes there needs to be more emphasis on public readiness and engagement in the U.S. 
He says he hopes President Obama will [...]

[Read more →]

One of the most impressive public-private citizen emergency preparedness partnerships in the U.S. is Oklahoma’s McReady campaign now in its sixth year statewide. As part of McReady, Oklahomans can enter a contest to win a safe room and emergency radios.
The campaign includes displays in McDonald’s restaurants throughout the state with information focusing on floods, tornadoes, lightning, emergency [...]

[Read more →]

The dictionary defines “volunteer” as “a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.” Yet, there is a great value in finding small rewards that can help bring in and retain disaster volunteers. I know that from my own experience with CERT, but I also heard a similar message at a Business Roundtable-Partnership For Disaster Response [...]

[Read more →]

I am always on the lookout for new ways of making preparedness fun and engaging. Often, I find such ideas percolating at the Portland-area chapter of the American Red Cross. Its Cross Blog reports that one of their ”Singles CPR” events has resulted not only in more prepared Oregonians but also a romantic match”:
That’s right…two attendees are now [...]

[Read more →]

The influential University of Pittsburgh Center for Biosecurity has just released a series of “Biosecurity Memos to the Obama Administration” with “strategic recommendations regarding priorities for U.S. biosecurity as well as an array of specific program recommendations.”
One of the papers is titled, ”Expanding The Public’s Role In Health Emergency Policy”, written by Monica Schoch-Spana, Brooke Courtney and Ann Norwood. It offers [...]

[Read more →]

Below is a list of ideas that I believe the Obama Administration – working with the Congress as well as state and local leaders and the public – should consider to help raise citizen preparedness and engagement. These proposals come largely from discussions I have had with many people involved in all aspects of the [...]

[Read more →]

One of the major obstacles to family preparedness is that it can be expensive and time consuming. So, some in emergency management believe there is value in presenting the preparedness process as something that doesn’t need to be done all at once — making preparing for an emergency, if you will, more ‘manageable’ for people [...]

[Read more →]