John Solomon, the life-affirming voice of this blog, died Monday, November 1, from complications following a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. He was 47.

To readers of this blog, this news is not only devastating but also shocking. We knew that John was struggling for the past two years, but it was sometimes easy to get the wrong idea about the seriousness of what he called “this pesky” condition. It’s not that John ever hid anything — on the contrary, he was refreshingly candid at all times (most notably here). It’s just that he was so consistently sanguine that his illness often seemed like more of an annoyance than a life-threatening event.

John is survived by his wife Abby, his two children Rebecca and Sara, his parents Ann and Richard, his brother Jimmy, and by his many friends and admirers. The funeral service will be Wednesday, November 3rd, 10:00 am at Temple Emanu-El, on Fifth Avenue at 65th Street. John left behind a charitable fund, The John D. Solomon Memorial Fund (â„… The New York Community Trust, 909 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022). He was particularly encouraging of blood and bone marrow donations. For those  who don’t yet know: it is now amazingly easy and painless to give bone marrow. It’s basically just like giving blood (more about that here). Please consider honoring John by becoming a donor.

John was extraordinarily capable, and would have made a major contribution to any field. He loved his work in disaster preparedness, and felt that he was making a difference. He was. This blog was originally supposed to be a mere prelude to an important book about disaster policy, but it became a major work in its own right. I do not know whether John’s book will ever be published. But with his online work, and his memorable conversations with responders, policymakers, scientists, and journalists, he leaves behind a distinguished legacy of skepticism, curiosity, and a determination to make things right. I know his family is proud of his work, and plans to maintain this site as a resource.

There’s much more to learn about John and his giving life in this New York Times obituary. He was a terrific person doing important work, and it was my honor to know him.

- David Shenk

Mandi has the same disease, acute myeloid leukemia, that I have. Like me, er cancer went into remission after the initial chemotherapy regimen but after awhile returned. I was very lucky to have been able to find a bone marrow match, but the article describes how to date doctors have been unable to locate a suitable donor for Mandi:

That is where her teammates and friends come in. Finding a perfect bone-marrow match is essential, because even a “9-out-of-10” match can cause life-threatening complications, said Dr. Tedd Collins, a New Haven-based clinical immunologist who is trying to find Schwartz a donor.

More than 1,600 people got their cheeks swabbed at bone-marrow drives held at Yale the past two springs, but no one was a match for Schwartz. Additional drives have been held or are planned for eight Canadian cities this summer.

Schwartz’s friends and family are also trying to collect umbilical cord blood, which Collins said was preferable to a bone-marrow transplant because the match does not need to be as precise.

“We have basically a one-week mission,” said Yale’s leading goal-scorer, Bray Ketchum, who was among several teammates who spent this past week calling obstetricians around the country on Schwartz’s behalf. “No one is holding back.”

To learn more about the Mandi Schwartz donation effort, go to www. becomemandishero.org. For more information on becoming a bone marrow donor and nearby donation registry drives, the website of the National Marrow Donor Program can be found here. It is not hugely difficult or painful, and registering involved only a swab inside your cheek. Thank you.

Unfortunately, I had to stop work on the blog in early December when the disease reappeared after being in remission for a year. Soon after, I went into the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. I am now recovering from that procedure which so far appears to have been successful. I still have a ways to go, but I am doing well. I want to thank everyone for all their support throughout. I really appreciate it.

I also want to put in a plug for bone marrow donation. I am the lucky recipient of the marrow from a generous person whose decision to donate may end up saving my life. Contrary to popular (and my own previous) belief, being a donor is not hugely difficult or painful. And to register all it takes is a swab inside your cheek. For more information on the registration process and nearby donation registry drives, the website of the National Marrow Donor Program can be found here. It’s good to be back.

Obviously, this is disappointing news, particularly as I have been feeling quite good of late. However, I expect it will be just another step on the road to recovery. I hope to be back blogging at some point soon. And, I appreciate your continued support throughout.

In an effort to develop a new resource for members, NACCHO recently asked its staff, “What are your favorite public health-related books, movies, articles, and novels?” With over 100 avid readers and film watchers on staff, we came up with a long list of favorites to recommend to members—from the seminal 1988 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report to the recent bestseller The Great Influenza. The top ten titles are listed below.

A list of NACCHO members’ top picks is coming soon. To suggest your favorite title please e-mail Ashley Bowen (abowen@naccho.org).

I have read five of the books on the list including the three pictured below and can attest that they are not only fascinating but also good reads. 

The only book I might add to the NACCHO list is Richard Preston’s novel, Cobra Event, which describes a biological terror attack on the U.S., but it may be that that fiction will have its own Top 10. By the way, when you purchase a title (new or used) from the Top 10 list from Powell’s Books, an independent book store based in Portland, Oregon, NACCHO receives a portion of the sale.

…the great lesson of floods past on the Red River, and especially from the devastating flood of 1997 in Grand Forks, an hour north of Fargo, is that big federal money for permanent flood abatement, and the local political will to support such disruptive projects, flows only where disaster goes. Grand Forks lost its fight with the river in 1997 – $1.5 billion in damages, hundreds of homes and businesses lost – but is now sitting tight and dry behind a $409 million floodwall and water-diversion system.

Fargo escaped the river’s wrath last time, and for most of the intervening 12 years was unable to muster local or federal support to get the sort of relief Grand Forks received. Now some fear that Fargo’s angst and struggle will be forgotten once more – until the next crisis. ”If we would have lost, we would have had the $800 million we need right away,” Tim Mahoney, the vice mayor of Fargo, said as he raced into a flood briefing on Sunday afternoon. “We would have had that done tomorrow. But this way, in two weeks, this will be off the national news and people will forget this happened.” Mr. Mahoney added: “In a way, it’s bad to win.”

The problems for Fargo in landing big federal financing – almost half of the money for Grand Forks’ project came from Washington – were compounded by local ambivalence too, city and state officials said. Plans had been in the works for better flood control measures, but they have been snagged and stalled, said Mayor Dennis Walaker, by residents who complained about “how the project might block their views, might change the way their backyards looked.”

“They don’t want a fence in their backyard,” Mr. Walaker said. Fargo was also perhaps partly lulled into a sense of security because it was credited in 1997 with saving itself through strenuous volunteer efforts and ad hoc floodwalls – measures that many worried would be insufficient this time. Standing on the edge of an ever-rising earthen dike on Friday as workers added still more sandbags to top it off, Mr. Walaker was left looking wistfully downriver. ”We’re jealous,” he said of Grand Forks, “absolutely jealous.”

For the last two and a half years, Mr. Walaker said, Fargo has been considering a new flood system, known as the Southside Project, that would offer permanent protection on the city’s south side at a cost of more than $150 million. And some officials have pressed for a separate project of $500 million or $600 million to help protect other portions of Fargo and Moorhead, Minn., just across the river. The Southside Project has made slow progress, the mayor said, but the more ambitious efforts could be a decade or more away. ”We haven’t had a big cheerleader pushing for this, at least so far,” Mr. Walaker said. 

The complications of flood defense go beyond just writing checks or building unsightly protection barriers. Grand Forks had to demolish or move more than 850 homes and businesses considered vulnerable to flooding. And Fargo, which has been growing rapidly in recent years, has seen much of the growth occur in unincorporated areas where zoning laws and city flood mitigation plans are harder to enforce. About 200,000 people live in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, about double the population of the Grand Forks area.

Land-use experts say that human nature and earth science simply move on different cycles – making it easy to think that a bullet dodged is a battle won. ”If you have a 100-year flood, people will say, ‘We had a 100-year flood in ‘97, so we shouldn’t have one for another 100 years,’” said Prof. Bernhardt Saini-Eidukat, the chairman of the department of geosciences at North Dakota State University in Fargo. But statistically that is wrong, Mr. Saini-Eidukat said. Fargo could have a 100-year flood every year for 20 years; only over the great stretch of geological time does it average out. ”Geologists think in geological time,” he said. “But most people don’t.”

This has been an eventful year for the nation and for me personally. I appreciate all the good wishes I received regarding my illness and for everyone for sticking with me while the blog was on hiatus. I thank you for your continued interest, input and support. I look forward to the next year and beyond.

The new positions would be focused on particularly challenging national problems: tackling the dropout crisis, strengthening schools, improving health care and economic opportunity in low-income communities, cleaning up parks, aiding efforts to boost energy efficiency, as well as dealing with disasters and other emergencies.

A provision in the legislation would also establish September 11th as a “National Day of Service and Remembrance.” According to a sponsor, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), “September 11 should not only be a day for mourning — it should be a day to think about our neighbors, our community and our country.” I agree and hope the subject of citizen preparedness (which is such an important legacy of 9/11) plays a role in the Day of Service’s activities.

The House of Representatives have passed a similar version of the “Serve America Act”, and President Obama yesterday expressed his intent to sign the legislation when it gets to his desk.

The U.K. has been relatively open with its citizens about how the government views the probability and scope of major disasters. Last year, the British released a “National Risk Register” which outlined for the public which threats the government thought were most serious (and is in line with recommendation of the U.S. ‘WMD Commission’ which called for more public education). The British approach may provide a helpful model for the Obama Administration as it decides how best to inform the public on the risks facing the U.S.

As a new year and a new Administration begins, I wanted to post a list of suggestions on how I think we as a nation can increase citizen preparedness. These come in large part from discussions I have had with many folks involved in all aspects of public preparedness over the past several years as well as from the input I have received from readers since the inception of this blog.

If you have any feedback, please get in touch with me at jsolomon@incaseofemergencyblog.com. And again, thank you for your support of and contributions to this blog. 

CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW YEAR/NEW ADMINISTRATION

* CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS TASK FORCE — CREATE A “CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS OUTREACH TASK FORCE” EARLY ON AT THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT OR THE WHITE HOUSE COMPRISED OF RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS FROM VARIOUS AREAS OF THE PREPAREDNESS COMMUNITY. THE GROUP WOULD ASSESS THE CURRENT STATE OF CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS AND WORK ON DEVELOPING NEW APPROACHES, MESSAGING AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS FOR THE PUBLIC.

* COMMIT TO & EMPHASIZE CITIZEN ROLE — MAKE A STRONG EARLY COMMITMENT TO EDUCATING AND ENGAGING THE CITIZENRY ON PREPAREDNESS IN A STRAIGHT-FORWARD, OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE MANNER AND UNDERSCORE THAT THE CITIZEN ROLE IS CRUCIAL TO THE NATION’S HOMELAND SECURITY.

*PRO-AM PREPAREDNESS — EMBRACE A PRO-AM APPROACH TO EMERGENCY READINESS, WHICH INTEGRATES THE EFFORTS OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONDERS AND AMATEUR CITIZENS. FOLLOW A ‘DO TELL, DO ASK’ PHILOSOPHY ON CIVILIAN PREPAREDNESS – BOTH TELLING THE PUBLIC MORE & ASKING THEM TO DO MORE. REBRAND AND REPOSITION PREPAREDNESS FROM ‘DUCK AND COVER’ AND DUCT TAPE TO MAKE IT A PART OF 21st CENTURY CITIZENSHIP. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A NEED TO BETTER DEFINE FOR THE PUBLIC WHAT IT MEANS FOR THEM TO BE “PREPARED”.

* OFFER AN EXPANDED DEFINITION OF ‘ALL HAZARDS’ –- DEVELOP AN UPDATED DEFINITION OF ‘ALL HAZARDS’ READINESS WHICH HIGHLIGHTS COMMONALITIES IN PREPARING FOR DISASTERS BUT ALSO PRO-ACTIVELY EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ON THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF NEW TERROR AND PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS. ALSO, THERE IS A NEED TO BETTER DEFINE FOR THE PUBLIC WHAT IT MEANS FOR THEM TO BE “PREPARED”. THE IDEA IS NOT TO OVERWHELM THE CITIZENRY WITH TOO MUCH NEW INFORMATION BUT MAKE SURE THEY ARE AT LEAST FAMILIAR WITH SOME BASICS (IE. THAT THE FIRST TIME CITIZENS HEAR ABOUT A ‘DIRTY BOMB’ FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IS NOT IN THE MOMENTS AFTER ONE HAS BEEN EXPLODED).  

* ENLIST PUBLIC’S HELP IN ANSWERING TOUGH QUESTIONS — ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN A DIALOGUE ON CHALLENGING HOMELAND SECURITY QUESTIONS FACING GOVERNMENT (FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROPER BALANCE BETWEEN SECURITY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES; THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND RISK IN PROTECTING THE NATION; THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIORITIES AND PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS FOR — AS WELL AS THE DEFINITION OF — HOMELAND SECURITY.) CREATING A NEW LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION, TRUST AND TEAMWORK BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNED IS CRUCIAL IF WE WILL BE ABLE TO PREPARE AND RESPOND TO TERRORISM AND OTHER MAJOR EMERGENCIES IN A BALANCED, SUSTAINED AND RESILIENT MANNER.

* BOTTOM/UP & TOP/DOWN — EMPLOY BOTH BOTTOM/UP AND TOP/DOWN APPROACHES TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMBINING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP WITH FEDERAL COMMITMENT. BETTER HIGHLIGHT AND SPREAD PREPAREDNESS MODELS FROM AROUND U.S. AND DRAW, WHERE APPLICABLE, FROM BRITISH AND ISRAELI EXPERIENCES IN PREPARING AMERICANS.

* SUPPORT & REPORT ON LOCAL PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS — PROVIDE ADEQUATE SEED MONEY FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO BOLSTER CIVILIAN PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS AND LINK THE GRANTS TO PERFORMANCE. ENCOURAGE AUTHORITIES TO REPORT PUBLICLY ON THEIR LEVEL OF CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS AND CREATE METRICS FOR BETTER MEASURE CIVILIAN READINESS. IN ADDITION, DO A BETTER JOB OF ALLEVIATING EXISTING OBSTACLES TO PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS (IE. WORK WITH HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY TO ALLOW FOR EXTRA PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE IN ADVANCE OF A DISASTER).

* OFFER A CARROT – CREATE TAX-FREE PERIODS FOR CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE PREPAREDNESS SUPPLIES. PROVIDE A TAX WRITEOFF TO CITIZENS TO PURCHASE PREPAREDNESS-RELATED PRODUCTS AS A WAY TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION AND TO SIGNAL GOVERNMENTAL COMMITMENT. ALSO CONSIDER TARGETING ASSISTANCE TO CITIZENS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PREPARE. 

* BRING IN BUSINESS TO HELP SELL PREPAREDNESS – DESIGN AND ROLL OUT A FULL SERVICE PUBLIC PREPAREDNESS MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH HELP FROM PRIVATE SECTOR. GALVANIZE BUSINESS TO TAKE ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN THE SAME WAY THEY HAVE WITH DISASTER RESPONSE, MOST NOTABLY IN AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA.

* COMMUNITY AND PERSONAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY & RESPONSIBILITY — ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES CAN COMPETENTLY RESPOND TO DISASTERS BUT ALSO MORE STRONGLY EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR THE PUBLIC AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO BE PREPARED AND SELF-RELIANT, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST 72 HOURS AFTERWARDS. UNDERSCORE POINT, PROVEN OVER AND OVER BY HISTORY, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO DISASTERS, ‘WE ARE ALL FIRST RESPONDERS’.

* WE CAN (& SHOULD) TELL THE CHILDREN — PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON EDUCATING KIDS ON PREPAREDNESS IN PART BY PIGGYBACKING ON OTHER RELATED (AND MORE POPULAR) SCHOOL-BASED SOCIAL EDUCATION EFFORTS SUCH AS FIRE SAFETY AND GLOBAL WARMING.

* SPREAD PREPAREDNESS 2.0 — BETTER INFORM THE PUBLIC ON THE POTENTIAL OF 21^ST CENTURY PERSONAL TECH TO PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO 21^ST CENTURY EMERGENCIES. WE NEED TO MAKE AMERICANS MORE AWARE OF THE CAPABILITIES OF THE TECHNOLOGY AT THEIR FINGERTIPS (IE. WIRELESS DEVICES, SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES) AND INTEGRATE IT BETTER INTO DISASTER PLANNING. AS A START, EVERY GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PREPAREDNESS WEB SITE SHOULD ADD A CELLPHONE AND EXTRA BATTERY (OR OTHER POWER SOURCE) TO THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THEIR RECOMMENDED DISASTER SUPPLY KIT.

* MEDIA ATTENTION — FIND WAYS TO GET THE PRESS & HOLLYWOOD MORE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT OF PREPAREDNESS WHICH HAS BEEN SUCH A KEY FACTOR IN THE GLOBAL WARMING PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT.

* PREPAREDNESS ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC — WORK WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN SAME WAY DISABLED AND PET GROUPS HAVE DONE IN FOR THE DISASTER NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES OVER PAST SEVERAL YEARS. 

* MORE PUBLIC DISASTER VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES — EXPAND COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS (CERT) & OTHER CITIZEN VOLUNTEER DISASTER PROGRAMS WHICH SERVE AS CATALYSTS FOR ORGANIZING LOCAL EFFORTS.

* SEEING AND SAYING SOME MORE – BUILD UPON THE INITIAL SUCCESS OF THE ‘SAY SOMETHING, SEE SOMETHING”-TYPE CITIZEN INFO CAMPAIGNS BY PROVIDING PUBLIC WITH MORE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON HOW TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OFFERING MORE FEEDBACK ON THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE PROVIDED.

* EVERYONE SHOULD LEARN THE DRILL – INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE IN DISASTER DRILLS WHICH WOULD HELP PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE ISSUE AND WORK THROUGH THE KEY QUESTIONS EVERYONE SHOULD ASK BEFORE A DISASTER (SUCH AS HOW WILL YOU GET INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FAMILY? DO YOU KNOW THE EMERGENCY PLAN OF YOUR CHILDREN’S SCHOOL?).

* OFFICIAL PREPAREDNESS DAY — ESTABLISH A NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS DAY TO FOCUS PUBLIC ATTENTION BEFORE DISASTERS, INCLUDING BRIEFING CITIZENS, CONDUCTING DRILLS AND FILLING EMERGENCY KITS. A HELPFUL MODEL IS JAPAN’S DISASTER PREVENTION DAY, HELD ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CATASTROPHIC 1923 TOKYO EARTHQUAKE.

* CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS OFFICE/SPOKESPERSON — ESTABLISH A NATIONAL CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS OFFICE WITH A HIGH PROFILE SPOKESPERSON IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OR WHITE HOUSE TO HIGHLIGHT AND HELP COORDINATE EFFORTS AROUND THE U.S. AND ENSURE CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS REMAINS A PRIORITY.

Clearly, there are many other policy priorities for the nation at this time, but I do feel there is a great opportunity and need to bolster citizen emergency preparedness. A new commitment to public readiness and engagement would offer the country a unique, non-partisan and substantive way of re-tapping the reservoir of post-9/11 good will and Americans’ desire to ‘pitch in’. Such an effort would have ancillary societal benefit of strengthening our communities (without a huge allotment of financial resources) even in the very unlikely event we never face another catastrophic emergency.

Thank you for your support of and involvement in this blog since it was launched. I hope you will bear with me during this period.

Best,

John

The article, “Disaster Accountability Project Uses Volunteers to Monitor Official Response,” describes the history, current activities and future plans of DAP which was founded by Ben Smilovitz in August 2007. According to the piece (on Page 5 of this PDF):

The nonpartisan, non-profit organization works to improve U.S. disaster management systems through public accountability, citizen oversight and empowerment, whistle-blower management, and policy research using a team of citizen volunteers whom Smilowitz calls disaster accountability monitors.

“Our citizen volunteers provide a valuable and much-needed public role by verifying and reporting gaps
in disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery services typically provided by government agencies
and nonprofit organizations,” said Smilowitz, who is executive director of the organization.

To this day the U.S. government and many aid organizations receive harsh criticism for the mismanagement and lack of leadership in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The storm was the costliest natural disaster ever to hit the United States. 

“DAP was created to change the way disaster preparedness and emergency management are viewed, understood, and prioritized. Donating money and volunteering to help disaster survivors are the top ways Americans traditionally get involved when it comes to disaster preparedness and response,” Smilowitz said. “Unfortunately, this approach has provided the organizations and agencies responsible for disaster work with a blank check to maintain status quo in their activities.”

The program’s approach to disaster accountability is two-fold:

1) Short-Term/Immediate Accountability: A toll-free hotline and national network of concerned citizen monitors ensures that critical gaps in disaster response and relief services are realized and addressed by those responsible for their delivery. After Katrina, gaps in disaster response and relief services caused unnecessary suffering and there was no widely available mechanism for gaps in services to be reported.

2) Long-term Accountability: DAP maintains a unique online database of more than 500 post-Katrina government and nonprofit recommendations to improve the disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery systems. A Web site allows the public, policy makers, and disaster management professionals to locate recommendations and track implementation progress.

Funded through fellowships and donations, Smilowitz plans on launching an aggressive fundraising campaign to build a broad base of support. He hopes over the next five years his organization will prioritize public education and awareness while continuing to make a case for the importance of disaster oversight.

“We will recruit, train, engage, and encourage concerned citizens to be monitors, ask questions, review local disaster plans, participate in training exercises, and work with local groups to ensure planning is inclusive and comprehensive,” said Smilovitz, ”In the future, I envision a full-time staff of policy analysts, lawyers, public affairs specialists, organizers, and fundraisers. DAP monitors will be located in every congressional district and the organization will be based in Washington, DC.”

I am looking forward to meeting and speaking with Ben and hearing more about what appears to be an exciting new avenue of citizen involvement and engagement in disaster preparedness and response

More information on the Disaster Accountability Project can be found at www.disasteraccountability.com.

If you are interested in a free ($24 for international subscribers) subscription to the Observer (which I definitely recommend to anyone interested in disaster preparedness), go to: www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/osubscribe.html

Though I might have preferred a little more emphasis early on in the report about the public’s role in the nation’s homeland security mission going forward, the last two “Challenges” – Improve Risk Management and Risk Communications For Homeland Security and Sustainability Of Our Nation’s Homeland Security Efforts – directly involve the public. I thought I would excerpt the relevant recommendations:

Key Challenge 9 – Improve Risk Management and Risk Communications For Homeland Security

Dealing with risk involves two key concepts: risk management and risk communications. The new Secretary must support and expand efforts to improve the risk-based approach to homeland security, which is in its early stages. The evolution and decisions about risk, as applied to the Homeland, are paramount to building a risk-based foundation for security that lasts into the next decade. Ultimately, a good risk framework is only useful if political leaders (at all levels) are willing to make tough choices on security trade-offs. In addition, the new Secretary has the challenge of communicating to the American people and homeland security partners in an effort to prepare them for potential threats, as well as during unfolding crises.

Risk communications 

Improving the approach to risk in the Department also requires improving risk communications systems. Risk communications starts with the fundamental need to explain the threats that America faces and involves creating a culture of preparedness through long-term education. An effective risk communications system can mitigate the long-term psychological effects of an incident on the American citizen, which will help safeguard our Democracy against overreaction to possible future attacks. It also involves improving crisis communications systems such as the color-coded homeland security advisory system (which should be revisited and revised to have meaning for the average American), as well as completing the improvements to the old emergency alert and warning systems that DHS controls. 

Key Challenge 10 – Sustainability Of Our Nation’s Homeland Security Efforts

Focus

One of the toughest challenges for the next Secretary will be to keep the American public engaged
and focused on efforts to prepare for any potential domestic or international threats. Maintaining the political will and public support to move forward with necessary, long-term efforts to protect the Homeland is a challenge for all Americans. The new leaders of DHS must continue to work to inspire a sense of urgency in the public and among policy-makers that our efforts are necessary and valuable to the protection of our Nation.

I agree with these recommendations to engage the public on risk and the role of the citizen in the nation’s homeland security. I hope and expect they will a priority of the next Secretary. 

You can find a copy of the full Top Ten Challenges report at www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/hsac_dhs_top_10_challenges_report.pdf

Among the possible pledges:

I will start gathering the supplies I need for my emergency preparedness kit.

I will make copies of important information for my emergency preparedness kit (insurance papers, proof of home ownership, lease, birth certificate, etc.)

When I go grocery shopping, I’ll buy bottled water and extra food that doesn’t need cooking or refrigeration.

I will talk to household members and select two meeting places–one right outside our home and one outside our neighborhood in case we can’t return home.

I will research and write down the address of hotels, motels or animal shelters that will accept pets in case I have to evacuate my home.

I will fill out an emergency contact card and give it to every member of my household.

I will contact my local Red Cross chapter to enroll in a First Aid and CPR/AED course.

I will find out what disasters could happen in my area and learn the emergency alert systems in my community.

I will find out about my child’s school emergency plan.

I will help my community maintain a safe blood supply by making an appointment to donate blood.

I will contact my local Red Cross chapter to find out about volunteer opportunities.

I will contact my local Citizen Corps Council to find out how to get involved in local preparedness activities.

I’ve already done a lot of these due to my work on the blog and the book. However, I did make a pledge today to re-check the emergency plan of my kids’ school for the new year.

The survey also found that:

*Only 36% of respondents have a disaster supplies kit in a designated place;

*Only 32% have made a communication plan to keep in touch with loved ones in case of emergencies;

*Only 27% have set a meeting place for family members in case they get separated by a disaster

*Only 48% know their local government has an emergency or disaster plan; and

If you want find your own Readiness Quotient, go to the Council’s website at www.whatsyourrq.org.

The Hurricane Information Center (at www.hurricanes08.org) is a one-stop shop site with governmental information, weather updates, maps, evacuation housing as well as ways to help and be helped. There is a link to a related Hurricane Wiki at www.hurricanewiki.org/wiki/Main_Page.

To follow the Red Cross’ relief efforts and find resources, go to the Red Cross Hurricane Ike Newsroom at hurricaneike.wordpress.com/

The Red Cross’ Twitter feed which is being constantly updated is at: twitter.com/RedCross

The Houston Chronicle’s website is doing excellent on the ground coverage – www.chron.com/

You can also get email alerts from FEMA on their relief and recovery activities at www.fema.gov/help/getemail.shtm.

You can donate to the American Red Cross here:

I will add more resources as I see them.

 

FEMA ADMINISTRATOR R. DAVID PAULISON

The new Ready blog can be found at: www.ready.gov/journal/journal.html  

You can email news and photos from your local preparedness activities to the Ready Campaign at: npm@dhs.gov.

Do you know what your local community’s evacuation plan is? If not, do you know where to locate it? Listen to the local officials on television and radio. When they tell you it is time to evacuate, pay attention. Go without delay!

Do you have your evacuation kit ready? Your supplies should last three to seven days, and put them in easy-to-carry containers. Also, make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. Get all of your important documents together.

Have you reviewed and updated your communications plan? Make sure you and your family members have the name and phone number of a friend or relative outside your city or state — so anyone who becomes separated from the group can telephone to let others know their situation. Share that number with every member of your family and double check that everyone has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.

Have you shared your plans with a family member or friend outside of the potentially impacted area? Be sure to let someone else know where you plan to go, where you will be staying (provide them with the hotel/shelter information) and call them when you are leaving and again when you arrive at your planned destination.

Does everyone in your family know what to do? Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important that everyone knows in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

Don’t wait. Act now. Don’t place you or your family in harm’s way.

These are important questions to answer when a major hurricane is just hours away from striking. But as some emergencies cannot be predicted, I think these are important questions for all of us to start answering wherever we live.

The widely-praised multi-agency/group response to Hurricane Gustav reinforced the importance of community preparedness and the crucial role of teamwork between all levels of government and stakeholders in responding to disasters. Helping to replicate that kind of effort in areas throughout the U.S. is one the major goals of the upcoming third-annual “National Congress For Secure Communities” conference in Washington, D.C.

I attended last year’s event and found it quite interesting and helpful. That was in large part because it was the rare national gathering that focuses on community emergency preparedness and brings together participants from all sectors of society to work on a subject that does not always get the attention it deserves. At last year’s conference, I had the opportunity to meet leading preparedness officials and experts from communities around the U.S as well a number of national business executives whose firms have made a corporate commitment to preparedness. In all, more than 400 delegates attended

The National Congress is a part of the ReadyCommunities Partnership which was created by the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association (CCROA) ”as a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes best practices of the private and community sectors to augment local response capabilities and reinforce local infrastructure in the first 72 hours of a large scale crisis.” The conference is an opportunity for local responders, business, political, and community leaders to come together to make contacts, exchange information and best practices as well hear from national officials. (DHS Secretary Chertoff gave last year’s keynote address.) 

Organizers are now assembling the sponsors for the upcoming Congress in December. Sponsorships range from $1000-$5000. They include tickets to the event as well as the chance to participate in the event’s program development. To learn more about the sponsorship opportunities, contact Rosalie Wyatt at 703-399-6929 or rosaliejwyatt@gmail.com. You can also find out more about the Congress and the ReadyCommunities Partnership at rosaliejwyatt@gmail.com. You can also find out more about the Congress and the ReadyCommunities Partnership at www.nationalcongress.org.

Another piece of new citizen preparedness news in the Empire State is New York’s first-ever Preparedness Expo being held in Albany on Tuesday, September 9th. Sponsored by the State’s Disaster Preparedness Commission, the Expo can be found on the State Concourse located at the Empire State Plaza from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Nearly two dozen agencies will be on hand at the Expo to share preparedness-related information with the public and other members of the State workforce. In addition to providing preparedness materials, agencies will be able to explain their preparedness programs and engage individuals through presentations and demonstrations. In an effort to highlight the activity on the Concourse, some agencies will have response vehicles and other emergency equipment on display on the Plaza level. The Red Cross will also be conducting a blood drive on the Concourse in conjunction with the Expo.

It is a great opportunity for citizens in the area to learn more about emergency preparedness and their role in it. There will be representatives of organizations as like the Citizen Corps and Medical Reserve Corps who can also explain how individuals can get more involved in readying your own community for emergencies.

If you would like more information about the Preparedness Expo, you can contact Dennis J. Michalski
Assistant Director of Community Affairs for the New York State Emergency Management Office
at (518)-292-2310 or Dennis.Michalski@semo.state.ny.us.

I am reposting a terrific job opportunity for a person interested in the topics discussed on this blog.

Someone is needed ASAP to create a business plan for a major emergency preparedness/health care project. Applicants should have experience in creating a business plan as well as some exposure and interest in the topic of homeland security, health care or emergency preparedness. You also should live in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area and work would start immediately. Salary would be commensurate with experience. Initially, it would be a six-month assignment, but it could turn into a full-time position.

I can say it is a really excellent opportunity to help create a potentially high profile project and work with terrific, bright and committed people. 

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please email me at jsolomon@incaseofemergencyblog.com.

Someone is needed ASAP to create a business plan for a major emergency preparedness/health care project. Applicants should have experience in creating a business plan as well as some exposure and interest in the topic of homeland security, health care or emergency preparedness. You also should live in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area and work would start immediately. Salary would be commensurate with experience. Initially, it would be a six-month assignment, but it could turn into a full-time position.

I can say it is a really excellent opportunity to help create a potentially high profile project and work with terrific, bright and committed people. 

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please email me at jsolomon@incaseofemergencyblog.com.

Periodically, I post photos of my own participation in drills and other CERT activities. But Bruce gave me the idea to ask if others would send me shots of their participation. I think that seeing these pictures will help illustrate the work that citizen volunteer can do in emergency preparation. I think they may encourage other readers to take part in CERT, the Red Cross, the Medical Reserve Corps or other citizen disaster volunteer organizations. What you can see from these photos is that civilians can really help emergency personnel practice their preparation and response. Plus, for the citizen, it can be fascinating, community-building, and even fun. Below his photos, Bruce has provided an interesting and descriptive write up of his experiences in this drill and an another exercise.

So, whenever you have a photo or photos of a drill or other disaster volunteer activity you have participated in, please email them to me along with a short description of what’s going on and maybe what you learned. And I’ll post it for others to see.

BRUCE CURLEY – CARROLL COUNTY, MD

Bruce Curley’s  writeup:

On two Saturday’s recently, I was a Community Emergency Reserve Team (CERT) volunteer “victim” in the EPLEX exercise at BWI Airport (http://poetslife.blogspot.com/search/label/Emergency%20Exercise) and the Carroll County tornado exercise at the Farm Museum in Westminster, MD. (http://poetslife.blogspot.com/search/label/Tornado%20Emergency%20Exercise). At EPLEX, I played a six-year old plane crash survivor with an eye ball hanging out. At the Farm Museum I played someone who was “killed” from flying debris at a family picnic that was hit by a tornado. 

Both involved large numbers of players, i.e. state and local police, sheriffs, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, incident commanders, evaluators, other volunteers, communications personnel, hazardous material teams, collapsed building recovery teams, K-9 teams, search and rescue, etc. The players got to practice and sharpen their skills for the real event. I got to offer myself as a “victim” which helps the players train, respond, and practice skills (like triage) in a realistic setting. I also get to meet and know the emergency professionals I will assist when a natural or man-made disaster strikes next.

I like talking to and laughing with the other CERT and student service-hour volunteers at these exercises. I always come away from them confident that, as Americans, we can better handle disasters because we’ve exercised in between the last disaster and the inevitable next one. And, I’m grateful that the dedicated and skilled professionals I observe at these exercises are so willing to give of their time, talent and energy on a day off.