The idea is to test the speed and widen the scope of responses to a major disaster, focusing on how social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can be used. ”Ultimately, the goal is to get there faster, respond more effectively to save lives, communities, businesses, etc.,” read a written release on the drill. Organizers said that all messages about the fictional disaster would be marked clearly as fake on the Web.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. ET, organizers began sending fictional messages from an account on Twitter reporting the disaster.

“#X24 IS A TEST, NOT REAL [link] CNN.com Earthquake strikes coast of Southern and Baja California http://bit.ly/Exer24 1 …,” was the first mention.

Instead of a CNN story, the link went to a Web page explaining the drill and how users can participate. As time went on, details included reports of snapped bridges, severe flooding and a tsunami on the way.

“#X24 IS A TEST, NOT REAL TV said large wave headed toward coastline! Everyone get out! http://bit.ly/Exer24 3-9 …,” read a later post.

For more information and to participate in the ongoing exercise, check its Twitter and Facebook sites.

The Obama Administration has said that public readiness is a priority and has taken steps to strengthen the involvement of Americans in their own homeland security. However, officials acknowledge that there is still a ways to go. I present these proposals to help move forward citizen preparedness on a local, state and national level. I hope these suggestions can be a useful addition to the policy discussion and have submitted it to the Federal Preparedness Task Force. As always, I welcome your feedback:

1) CREATE CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS TASK FORCE — The lack of progress to date on public readiness and engagement underscores the need to develop new ways of approaching the issue. DHS Secretary Napolitano should create a Citizen Preparedness Outreach Task Force to assess the current state of public readiness and work on developing new approaches. At present, there is no clear social education analog to civilian emergency preparedness that can be easily pulled off the shelf so it will take some work to develop an effective program. In fact, the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism in its final report recommended the Administration make citizen engagement a priority. But Chairman Bob Graham told me that the ‘WMD Commission’ did not did not find anything suitable it could recommend, and that something new has to be developed.

2) BETTER DEFINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE “PREPARED” “READY” AND/OR “RESILIENT” — An American Red Cross survey indicated that 93% of Americans are not prepared for disasters. The truth is that no one can be fully prepared, but there is a need to offer the public a clearer definition — including a minimum level — of preparedness. That might include creating a family communications plan and storing tangible supplies but also knowing more about potential threats that every American should know. That doesn’t mean overwhelming people with too much information, but making sure they are at least familiar with some basics. (For example, the first time citizens hear about a ‘dirty bomb’ from government officials should not be in the moments after one has been exploded.) In addition to the content questions, there is also a word meaning issue to deal with as well. The Obama Administration has been emphasizing the concept of societal resilience. Should emergency management officials be talking about citizen resilience in their communities rather than preparedness or readiness?

3) SUPPORT & REPORT ON STATE/LOCAL PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS — Provide adequate seed money for state and local government 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 measuring civilian readiness. Find interested governors to take on leadership roles and create pilot models in their states. There is a need to employ both “bottom/up” and “top/down” approaches to disaster preparedness combining state, local and community leadership and citizen involvement with federal commitment and focus. 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 after a disaster.

4) HIGHLIGHT & SPREAD MODELS FROM AROUND U.S. & OTHER COUNTRIES — There is a need to help promote and implement best practices from communities around the U.S. and draw, where applicable, particularly from British and Israeli experiences. One model may be the United Kingdom’s National Risk Register, which sets out publicly the government’s assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different public health, natural and terrorist risks. It is designed to increase awareness of the kinds of risks the UK faces, and encourage individuals and organizations to think about their own preparedness. The Register also includes details of what the Government and first responders are doing to prepare for those emergencies and the role of citizens in those plans

5) USE ‘CARROTS’ TO CHANGE PUBLIC BEHAVIOR – Provide a tax write-off for citizens to buy preparedness-related products as a way to promote participation and to signal governmental commitment. Encourage states to create tax-free periods as is being done in Virginia and Louisiana (and has been introduced in the New York legislature). Also, consider targeting assistance to citizens who cannot afford to prepare. The fact is that when we really want to change social behavior as a nation we do it through the carrot or the stick. The carrot is the preferable tool for this issue, but it needs to be used. And, thus far, incentives (and vegetables) have largely been missing from the preparedness effort, which helps explain the lack of progress. Similarly, preparedness disincentives in the law should be removed (ie. in some places, homeowners who retrofit their homes face higher tax assessments.)

6) BRING IN BUSINESS TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED ‘WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN’ PUBLIC PREPAREDNESS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS– Design and roll out a full service preparedness marketing campaign with help from the private and non-profit sectors. Galvanize business to take on disaster preparedness in the same way they have with disaster response, most notably in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (ie. big box stores, packaged goods manufacturers, bottled water companies, wireless industry). Work with companies in preparedness-related businesses to offer major discounts tied to citizens taking actual readiness steps recommended by Ready.Gov and local emergency management offices.

For example, individuals and families come into ‘big box’ stores with emergency communications plans (or fill them out in the store) and in return they would receive a significant discount on supplies or free products (ie. if you purchase a case of bottled water, you would get your emergency supply thrown in for free). And if a customer signed up to volunteer for CERT or the Red Cross Disaster Services, they would get a bigger discount. Mobile phone retail stores would be excellent settings for preparedness events/trainings to help people register for government emergency text/e-mail alerts. I’d also like to see an event/photo-op with kids teaching their parents about texting and its role in an emergency. Here again, the companies would offer customers extra free text/phone minutes for completing the preparedness step.

7) DON’T BE AFRAID TO TELL THE CHILDREN — Put more emphasis on educating young people on preparedness by piggybacking on other related school-based social education efforts, most prominently fire safety. The challenge is the both the decentralization of the nation’s education system and the already high curricula demands on teachers. Yet, an effective fire education program was implemented in the schools beginning in the 1970’s, and there would seem to be a perfect fit to integrate a preparedness module into that existing program. The federal government should work with state and local officials as well as fire and education officials to determine how best to accomplish that objective.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate recently suggested expanding the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for young people. I believe that a decision to expand CERT-type training in the schools would be welcomed on a bipartisan basis.There should be more public briefings on how personal tech would be helpful in an emergency, before the emergency (including how Twitter, Facebook and one’s smart phone can be invaluable). Further, every governmental preparedness web site should add a cell phone and an extra battery (or other power source) to the basic components of their recommended disaster supply kit.  Many private companies are working on applications for citizen emergency communications. Those business efforts need to be integrated with official alerts (ie. the new iteration of the Emergency Alert System) and unofficial citizen-based social media (as well as the news media). Both the content and distribution channels of emergency communications are changing and new models need to be developed.

8 EMBRACE AND ACCELERATE PREPAREDNESS 2.0 – There is a need to better inform the public on the potential of 21st century personal technology to prepare for and respond to 21st century emergencies. We must make Americans more aware of the capabilities of the technology at their fingertips (ie. wireless devices, social media sites) in advance and integrate it into disaster planning and response. The public’s new ability to access and distribute information offers both an opportunity and a challenge to government authorities.

There should be more public briefings on how personal tech would be helpful in a crisis, before the crisis (including how Twitter, Facebook and one’s smart phone can be invaluable). Further, every governmental preparedness web site should add a cell phone and an extra battery (or other power source) to the basic components of their recommended disaster supply kit. Many private companies are working on content and distribution applications for citizen emergency communications. Those business efforts can complement official efforts (ie. the new iteration of the Emergency Alert System) and unofficial citizen-based social media (and well as the news media). One hugely promising initiative is CrisisCommons which over the past year has created groups of volunteers throughout the world to bring technology to bear on disaster response issues.

9) FIND POLITICAL, CELEBRITY PREPAREDNESS SPOKESPEOPLE – During the time that I have covered the topic of citizen emergency preparedness, one of the most surprising things I’ve found is that there is no major elected official who has taken the lead on the issue. It’s surprising for a number of reasons: natural disasters and terrorism dominate the headlines and will continue to for the foreseeable future; citizen preparedness is pretty much an unassailable, bipartisan, patriotic and community-building topic; and even the smallest interest in Washington has at least one political champion (but not public preparedness). And, with much to do, there is a great opportunity to have a positive policy and political impact. To some in the readiness community, the absence of star power on the issue has been one reason for the lack of public attention. Though celebrities have been eager to participate in fundraising efforts after catastrophes like the Haiti effort), there is no big star who is singularly identified as a spokesperson for emergency preparedness.

10) GIVE THE PUBLIC MORE INFO SO THEY CAN BETTER PREPARE & PARTICIPATE – There is a need to better inform the public when it comes to disaster preparedness so they can not only ready themselves and their families but also be part of the policy debate. Let me mention two areas briefly:

a) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): In its report, the WMD Commission argues that the incoming Administration should make an effort to inform and engage the public on the subject of WMD’s. I agree. And, I suggest officials consider starting that process by defining (or redefining) what a WMD actually is. At present, it is most common to define a WMD for the public as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (or “CBRN”) weapon.

The Commission report, however, focuses primarily on the dangers of biological and nuclear terrorism, both of which could be absolutely catastrophic. By contrast, a chemical or radiological (better known as a ‘dirty bomb’) weapon could be very serious but would likely not cause as much lasting damage. In fact, both a chemical and radiological attack would likely be a one-shot event seriously impacting those directly near the event, closer in result to a ‘traditional’ terrorist bombing. A nuclear bomb or biological incident, however, could have wide and long-lasting ‘mass destruction’ impact to humans, property and the society itself. We don’t want the public — and the nation as a whole — to overreact to some threats and underreact to others.

b) Risk: I think it may be one of the most important homeland security subjects for both the government and the public, because it highlights some of the tradeoffs involved in determining how to allocate the nation’s security resources and the role of risk management in making those decisions. This is a debate which should include the public. Right now, Americans aren’t engaged in the discussion over the security, financial, logistical and time tradeoffs involved in our own homeland security.

We need to introduce risk management into homeland security which would lead us to ask and answer important questions: What improves our security and resiliency? And what can be done at a reasonable social and financial cost? Those answers should come not only from policymakers but with the guidance of the public itself.

The public should be asked: How much risk do you want to pay for? How much inconvenience do you want to deal with? These are dilemmas we deal with everyday in our lives; we need to bring that same approach to homeland security and disaster preparedness. FEMA’s Fugate has since his days in Florida made the point that natural hazards turn into natural disasters because of man-made decisions on development, including ubiquitous golf courses: “You can tee off in Tallahassee and play through to Pensacola,” he likes to say.  ”Unless the public understands we need to change where we develop and live, it won’t matter.” It is up to elected officials to present those choices, including building codes, levies and insurance incentives.

11) ‘SEE AND SAY’ SOMETHING MORE – Build upon the initial success of ‘See Something, Say Something’ -type citizen information campaigns by providing the public with more specific guidance on how to assist law enforcement and, without giving away sources and methods, offering more feedback on the information they have provided. Law enforcement officials are concerned about societal complacency nine years since 9/11, but have not determined how to communicate to the public a more candid – yet calm and balanced – picture of the threat and how they can best help. The Department of Homeland Security is expanding “See Something, Say Something” nationally, which is a positive development. However, there is still a need to better explain to citizens their role, particularly at a local level. One important question is how much of what new information and training given to law enforcement about terrorism prevention should also be provided to the public.

12) MEDIA SHOULD COVER PREPAREDNESS AS WELL AS DISASTERS – While the press does wall-to-wall coverage on natural disasters and has covered practically every aspect of terrorism story closely, it has largely overlooked advance public preparedness. By contrast, during the Cold War, magazines ranging from Life to Modern Farmer dedicated entire issues to civilian readiness. Obviously, the press’ role is not to serve as a publicity arm of the government, but it is a topic that deserves more attention. And without more media coverage, it will be difficult to break through to the public. One great example of the press as a unique asset is the list of preparedness tips and lessons learned from the disaster survivors that was collected by the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

13) GOVERNMENT PREPAREDNESS OUTREACH NEEDS TO BE FAR MORE INTERACTIVE — Right now, if a member of the public has a question about the preparedness process, there is nowhere to go. And, as someone who does a lot of public outreach on street fairs, radio or in community meetings I hear a lot of questions from average citizens about emergency readiness — ie. Shouldn’t buildings have mandatory emergency drills? Shouldn’t everyone have a solar charger in your ‘go-bag’ to be able recharge a cellphone or radio? Shouldn’t you have an evacuation family meeting spot outside of the City in case there is major disaster? In case of an emergency, where should we go for information? The emergency management community on a national, state and local level must overhaul its public information operations to be able to address those questions directly and lead the public through what can be a challenging process to undertake.

14) ‘DO ASK, DO TELL’: MAKE “PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY” MORE CENTRAL TO PREPAREDNESS MESSAGING — Instead of telling people to prepare because it is a responsibility (you need to do this), government has used a softer ask when it comes to trying to get the public to prepare. To me, the it is time to try to do more “telling” and less “asking”. I don’t believe the government should be afraid to explicitly tell the public that each of us can either hinder or help relief efforts by what they decide to do before and during a disaster. And, that it’s up to each of us to choose.

If indeed preparing for disasters is a responsibility of citizenship (which I think it should be), then it should been positioned that way. PSA’s saying that people are imperiling the lives of first responders and their fellow citizens, particularly the vulnerable (ie. the elderly, disabled) not to mention your own family might be treated with a little more urgency. Another potentially useful messaging approach was suggested to me by former Miss Utah Jill Shepherd who used citizen preparedness as her pageant platform. It can (and should) be included in the preparedness pitch that readying yourself and your family for disaster at home is a way civilians can contribute to the nation’s resilience and complement the work and sacrifice of those serving in the military. Preparedness may be the most important contribution most citizens can make to their nation’s security. Not only will civilians likely be the first on the scene of a major emergency, but the nation’s response will only be as strong as the readiness of the weakest link. We have entered the ‘pro-am’ preparedness era where the government needs to hand off some responsibility and the public needs to take it.

15) INTEGRATE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INTO OTHER COMMUNITY ISSUES — Emergency preparedness is an important issue, particularly during crises. However, it has a better chance of becoming ingrained into American society if it is viewed as part of other preparedness topics that are a more central part of Americans daily life, including public health (immunization), security (Neighborhood Watch), infrastructure and climate change, part and parcel of just being ready for any situation.

For example, the global warming campaign can and should be a model for civilian emergency preparedness in a variety of ways. The two efforts are complementary and should be linked closer together in the public’s mind — and actions. In both, society is being asked to mobilize in order to avert or mitigate potential disasters, and both are part of strengthening the nation’s general national resilience. Yes, global warming has some skeptics, but so does emergency preparedness — ironically they are often not the same people which may conveniently add to its complementary synergy.

16) EXPAND EMERGENCY DRILLING OPPORTUNITIES TO PUBLIC –Increase chances 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 (ie. How will you get information and communicate with your family? Do you know the emergency plan of your children’s school?). Most every top homeland security/emergency management official I have interviewed has told me that broader public disaster exercises would be helpful in a number of ways, but there has not been a concerted effort to expand drilling opportunities to the public.

17) DETERMINE BEST USE OF CIVILIAN DISASTER VOLUNTEERS – Craig Fugate said recently that FEMA would be reevaluating the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). I think that as part of that review government and non profit officials should be looking at how best to recruit and deploy disaster volunteers. Post-9/11 and Katrina — as well as with international incidents such as Haiti — there has been great interest among the public to be involved in crisis response. A key question is how that asset should be managed. Should it be the government? The Red Cross? Other non-profits and faith-based institutions? Business? Or a combination of the four? One hugely promising initiative is CrisisCommons which over the past year has created groups of volunteers throughout the world to bring technology to bear on disaster response issues.

Fugate said that FEMA is considering major changes in the CERT program, including creating a shorter training course which could be offered to more Americans and significantly expanding training for schools and other youth groups in order to better imbed preparedness into society for the long-term. I’ve always felt that CERT training is less about the skills you learn and more about awareness about the community and the various emergency authorities (and identifying citizen crisis organizers in advance). To me, CERT is just basic citizenship training for the 21st Century, which I think every American should get a chance to receive. I might suggest that the smaller reduced curriculum be called something along the lines of “Citizen Resilience Training”.

18) ESTABLISH AN OFFICIAL PREPAREDNESS DAY — Create 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 September 1st, the anniversary of the catastrophic 1923 Tokyo earthquake. Earlier this month, 670,000 Japanese participated in emergency drills around the country. China, since its 8.0-magnitude 2008 Sichuan Province earthquake, has also held two national disaster prevention days with nationwide drills.

If we as a nation feel it is really important for the public to develop emergency plans, it would be far more effective if everyone was doing that at the same time — rather than asking individuals to do it on their own. This ‘preparedness day’ would also be the time that we all asked the questions about planning then practiced and updated those plans. It would be useful for both responders and the public. I might suggest September 11th be made the U.S.’s official Day. It would seem to be appropriate to honor the memories of those who died by action, particularly something aimed at making sure America is never as unprepared again.

19) CREATE CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS OFFICE – Establishing a national citizen preparedness/resilience office to highlight and help coordinate efforts around the U.S. and ensure citizen preparedness remains a priority. Right now, there is not an identifiable place in the federal government that has responsibility for coordinating the public’s role in preparedness. Work with American Red Cross to create an effective advocate for the general public on emergency preparedness in the same way disabled and pet groups have done for the disaster needs of their communities over the past several years.

20) BUNDLE CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS PROPOSALS TOGETHER INTO “CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE” – For too long, well meaning public preparedness efforts have gotten lost or have been ignored by the public. That’s in large part because they have not been packaged and presented as being specifically directed to citizens. But if the government would assemble these small disparate proposals listed above into an overall citizen preparedness package it would have a better chance of getting attention and gaining some traction. Ultimately, making inroads on citizen preparedness is less a matter of money than it is of focus and attention.

* Volunteering for local law enforcement agencies through the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program. VIPS volunteers conduct traffic control, crowd control, and other duties that support local law enforcement

* Training to become a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in your area. CERT members support first responders before, during and after a disaster occurs by providing support for preparedness awareness and using their skills to execute response protocols to assist emergency responders

* Joining a Neighborhood Watch group to assist with crime and terrorism prevention by working more closely with local law enforcement, and emphasize the importance of emergency preparedness among families and homes in your neighborhood

* Donating time to a Medical Reserve Corps Unit through volunteering with medical and public health professionals to contribute skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need

* Becoming an advocate for fire safety and prevention education in the community and assisting with administrative duties at your local fire station through Fire Corps.

* Getting involved with an American Red Cross Chapter by giving blood to ensure a safe supply, volunteering with your local chapter, getting trained to respond to local disasters like home fires, or making a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund.

* Helping other community members prepare, including those children and adults with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

Thanks to the Hartman Inventory Blog where I originally saw this article.

According to The Daily Yomiuri:

The government on Wednesday conducted a disaster drill under a scenario in which three massive simultaneous earthquakes struck a wide area along the Pacific coast in central Japan. Wednesday’s drill, the first under the triple-earthquake scenario, was among many similar exercises conducted nationwide, marking this year’s Disaster Prevention Day.

Japan’s Disaster Prevention Day was established to mark the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake which killed more than 100,000 people in 1923. And China, since its 8.0-magnitude 2008 Sichuan Province earthquake, has also held two national disaster prevention days with nationwide drills.

This blog has long advocated both more extensive civilian drills as well as a special preparedness day to undertake them. If Japan and China can do so, I think we can too.

Most every top national and local government preparedness official I’ve spoken to believes that preparedness exercise for the public would increase citizen readiness and engagement. Short of an actual incident, a drill is the best way to get people to think through what they would do if something actually happens. (For example, how to evacuate in a hurricane for residents, like in the northeast, who are not used to doing so.)

And, I strongly believe that there needs to be one day in the year dedicated to the emergency planning process. If we as a nation feel it is really important for the public to develop emergency plans, it would be far more effective if everyone was doing that at the same time — rather than asking individuals to do it on their own. This ‘preparedness day’ would also be the time that we all asked the questions about planning then practiced and updated those plans. It would be useful for both responders and the public.

Among the questions that will come out of that type of drilling day include: Where would you go? Would it depend on the type of emergency? Would you be able to get out of work? Would your kids’ school want you to come there? How would you get in touch with each other as well as how would the authorities would communicate with you?

The fact is that families will never be able to fully answer all these ‘what if’ questions in advance; it will always depend to some extent on circumstances (ie. evacuating vs. sheltering in place), but this day would at least begin the preparedness process.  It would be the time to think through some scenarios and link together some of the institutions/people families would need to rely on in a disaster.

Japanese children in Disaster Prevention Day drill.

It’s surprising for a number of reasons: natural disasters and terrorism dominate the headlines and will continue to for the foreseeable future; citizen preparedness is pretty much unassailable, bipartisan, patriotic and community-building topic; and even the smallest interest in Washington has at least one political champion (but not public preparedness). And, with much to do, there is a great opportunity to have a positive policy and political impact.

Yet, there is no elected official who has taken the lead on the issue which is one of the reasons why the nation still has not made appropriate progress on it. Citizen preparedness requires some political leader who will make sure it is not ignored in the legislative process as it has been to date. In fact, I would argue the lack of political leadership is one reason why citizen preparedness has not received requisite attention from the government, the media and the public.

So, is there any elected official is interested in the job? Or, do readers have any ideas of who should do it?

I realize a) most readers aren’t nearby the Cotton Bowl and b) it’s short notice. But I just heard about it from the Dallas Red Cross Twitter feed and figured I’d post it for anyone in the area. The details can be found on the chapter’s blog, “Red Alert” (which by the way I think is a very clever name for a Red Cross blog).

Vince Howard and Coach Taylor in an episode of “Friday Night Lights”

These public reporting can be very helpful according to the USGS:

This web site is intended to tap the abundant information available about earthquakes from the people who actually experience them. By taking advantage of the vast numbers of Internet users, we can get a more complete description of what people experienced, the effects of the earthquake, and the extent of damage, than traditional ways of gathering felt information. And best of all, with your help we can do so almost instantly.

By contributing your experience of the earthquake, either immediately afterward, or whenever it is possible for you to do so, you will have made a contribution to the scientific body of information about this earthquake. You will also ensure that your area has been represented in the compilation of the shaking map. This is a two-way street. Not only will you add valuable information on the extent of ground shaking and damage, but in the process we hope you will learn more about how other communities fared and gain a greater understanding of the effects of earthquakes.

For more information on the “Did You Feel?” program or on reporting an earthquake, you can find the web site here.

Serve.Gov has created a widget (above — to post the widget, click on the “Get Widget” icon) on its “Gulf Oil Spill: How You Can Help” page. The search function allows the user to look for volunteer opportunities by zip code. However, the page notes that at present there is not a high demand for untrained personnel due to the “complex nature of oil cleanup, coupled with health and safety concerns”. At this point, I think it is more useful for interested volunteers to visit the impacted states’ individual citizen Oil Spill pages which are also listed on the widget (several of those sites offer information on citizen training and are collecting names for when/if a number of untrained personnel will be needed).

Florida’s Volunteerism Commission’s website, for example, offers a county-by-county rundown of volunteer needs and offers the overview (below) of the situation for citizens interested in helping out:

There has been a tremendous amount of support from volunteers who have prepared Florida’s coast for the oil spill. As of Monday, June 28, 3,250 volunteers have served 19,467 hours on oil spill response activities.

Volunteers are still needed for other meaningful activities throughout Florida’s communities. Volunteer Florida encourages everyone to get connected with a local organization. Volunteers can support these organizations throughout the oil spill and beyond through appropriate activities such as Coast Watch, pre-oil landfall beach cleanups, fundraising, and meeting other needs of responding organizations.

Volunteers can also receive training as a member of a Community Emergency Response Team, a 211 operator, or a volunteer manager. Even though volunteer opportunities with the oil spill are limited, volunteer opportunities in the local community, not connected with the oil spill, are limitless. This website features volunteer activities happening in your own backyard as well as links to other websites with volunteer opportunities.

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Robert Casey (D-PA), wrote the President yesterday requesting that he fully utilize the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) as part of an effort to recruit citizens to help in the Gulf. According to a press release:

“The future of our nation depends on the drive, the talent, and the values of our young people, and tremendous good can come from giving them a mission in this time of turmoil when their country needs them,” the Senators wrote. “By leading a nationwide, proactive mobilization of the resources of the CNCS, Americans across this country will be given the sense of mission they seek: to support the clean-up and revitalization of the Gulf Coast.”

‘As the oil continues to flow in the gulf, thousands of college graduates are entering into one of the toughest job markets since the Great Depression. These young adults are among the most eager to volunteer and help with community development along the Gulf Coast. By increasing the visibility of the CNCS, individuals and businesses will have an avenue to volunteer their support and donate their resources to address this crisis.”

I wrote about a similar idea from a Connecticut prep school headmaster that was mentioned by “Hardball” host Chris Matthews earlier this month.

Schwarzenegger colorfully tweeted out the news on Friday: “Check out our Disaster Corps…Because we believe in the 7 P’s. Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.”

Gov. Schwarznegger’s tweet announcement (photo credit: David Konig)

Amanda Ripley, who covered the creation of the CaliforniaVolunteers cabinet position, has a nice writeup, “The Navy Seals Of Disaster Volunteers,” on the Disaster Corps announcement in her Unthinkable blog:

Secretary Karen Baker, the woman who got that job on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s cabinet, is introducing the nation’s first Disaster Corps–a squad of 1,000 elite, well-trained volunteers who can can be deployed to disaster sites as soon as they are needed (without waiting for the soul-killing bureaucratic sign-offs that so often delay volunteer efforts after big calamities.)

“We needed to develop the Navy Seals of volunteers,” Baker says. OK, first of all, it takes some chutzpah to put the words “Navy Seal” and “volunteer” in the same sentence. Baker can pull it off only because she has actual power–the kind almost none of her peers across the country can claim. When I greeted her as “Secretary Baker” on the phone the other day, she laughed and said, “Call me Karen, or I’ll kill you.” But she (and by association all volunteers in the state) have experienced a surge in credibility since she got the cabinet post. “All of a sudden all phone calls are returned,” she says. “Instantly.” (Seven months after Schwarzenegger created the cabinet post, Gov. David Paterson did the same thing in New York.)

For two years, Baker has worked on creating the Disaster Corps. “We needed to up the game,” she says. Why? Because California is crowded with volunteers (one quarter of the population volunteers in some way.) But too few of them have the training, the experience, or, crucially, the trust of the authorities. “Everyone will say, ‘Yeah, we love volunteers.’ But the truth is, they don’t often use them because they don’t know what they’re getting.”

The new Disaster Corps will be made up of citizens who have received Department of Justice/FBI background checks and First Aid/CPR training, at a minimum. Many will have special skills (like language fluency or law enforcement experience) that make them particularly valuable for certain kinds of crises. They will be drawn from existing volunteer outfits like Citizen Corps, which means they will have worker’s compensation coverage already–an important pre-requisite for higher-risk disaster sites. The Corps will be supported by five local coordinators, full-time staffers in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco counties.

The idea is to make it easier for the people in charge to find, trust and deploy volunteer assets when they need them. As part of the project, Baker’s office is also creating a large new database that everyone can access with critical information about which volunteers (from all organizations across the state, not just Disaster Corps) are available to do what. “Often in government, they know what the problems are but not what resources are available to them privately.” And Baker has set up mutual aid agreements so that volunteers can work across different counties. Not very sexy, but very important. All of this has been done with private and federal dollars, which is a good thing given that Baker’s state has no dollars.

Thanks to Jimmy Jazz for giving me the heads up on Amanda’s post.

*The Nature Conservancy has launched their Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration, expanding their efforts for long term recovery for the Gulf of Mexico and habitats along the coast, including salt marshes, oyster reefs, marshlands, beaches and estuaries. www.nature.org

*United Way is offering help to the families along the Gulf that are facing financial, educational and health-related challenges as a result from the economic disruption from this Oil Spill. The United Way Gulf Recovery fund will provide emergency assistance, such as help with food, rent and utilities, and support long-term recovery efforts to rebuild these lives and these communities. www.unitedway.org/gulfrecovery

*The National Wildlife Federation Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund supports efforts to find and save oiled wildlife, and help recover their delicate ecosystems that make up their nesting and breeding grounds. www.nwf.org.

Each of the websites offer information on how you can help further.

I don’t know the feasibility of putting together such a program. But I think the general idea — and particularly the underlying spirit behind it — is terrific. The text of Matthews’ commentary is below:

I think what’s been misunderstood in this entire fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico is the spiritual factor. People in our country are heartsick over this. They sit and watch our natural birthright, this “gift outright” that Robert Frost called North America, being disfigured.

And there’s nothing that they can do. There’s nothing that their kids or parents or anyone that they know can do. It’s as if we’re all a bunch of by-standers, watching part of our country get destroyed.

I have a small recommendation that could fill a big part of our national heart. Put out an offer to the people of America – not just to the youth, but to anyone who can participate. Create a modern Civilian Conservation Corps, and deploy it in all the states of the Gulf. Invite any American who wants to join to come down south this summer and to clean up the beaches and wetlands of the Gulf.

I know that there will be those who warn you of the hazards in this, of the possibility of people getting hurt. Let people sign releases if it’s necessary – but give Americans the chance to do something.

Matthews said the idea was not his but came in a letter from Edward J. Shanahan, the headmaster of a New England prep school with at least one famous alumnus:

I got this idea from the headmaster of Choate Rosemary Hall [Edward J. Shanahan], the school in Connecticut that John F. Kennedy attended back in the 1930s:

“It is now June 3 and millions of high school boys and girls, college men and women, are finishing up their academic work,” he wrote me, “some of them with jobs, many of them no doubt without jobs. Is it not within the purview of any of our many federal agencies to mobilize a national ‘peace corps’ or national environmental protection corps for the next three months, for the purpose of capturing the oil that is already beginning to cause irreparable harm to our environment and to those who live in the Gulf area?”

Maybe you could give that nickname to the huge brigade of people whom I predict will join you to clean up the Gulf this summer. Maybe the best thing that you could do right now – while slapping BP with the bill for all of this – is to let the American people regain the spirit of young Jack Kennedy and reclaim this America the beautiful of ours.

There’s a wonderful story behind this. When he was a student at Choate, young Jack Kennedy organized a group of trouble-making classmates, whom he christened “The Muckers.” He gave each member a little shovel in order to show that he belonged.

According to its website, Evacuteer.org was launched on June 2, 2009 as an organization of New Orleans citizens committed to helping execute the new City Assisted Evacuation Plan.

If you are interested in volunteering to be an Evacuteer, click here.

With tar balls and oil sheens beginning to reach the Gulf Coast, government officials and wildlife groups are anxious to document the oil spill’s impact. As has been the case in previous oil spills, they’ve rolled out toll-free numbers for people to report any oil sightings or distressed wildlife. Thanks to the widespread adoption of GPS-friendly smartphones, though, it’s now possible to gather this data more precisely than ever. And yes, there’s now an app for that: Oil Reporter.

CrisisCommons, a coalition of volunteer software developers that I’ve been involved with since the Haiti Earthquake, rolled out the Oil Reporter app yesterday. Available for free on both iPhone and Android phones, the app is a simple interface for people who encounter oil along the Gulf Coast. Oil Reporter lets you to snap a picture of the oil or tar ball, describe the context and offer additional details regarding wildlife and wetlands impact. When you submit your report, the app detects your location using your phone’s GPS, so your report can be pinpointed on a map.

The data collected through Oil Reporter, which will be curated and managed by San Diego State University’s Visualization Center, is open for anyone to access and use to create their own visualizations or analysis. CrisisCommons and the university are also inviting organizations to request specific visualizations, as well as custom versions of the app containing new data fields relevant to their oil spill-related response activities.

CrisisCommons also has another oil spill project in the works:

While the CrisisCommons team works on creating visualizations of the data, they’re also getting ready to roll out an Adopt-The-Beach program. This crowdsourcing initiative will invite members of the public to virtually adopt a quadrant of beach along the Gulf Coast. Utilizing the latest high-resolution imagery, volunteers will be taught how to identify oil in the photos and report them. The organizers hope this project will help monitor those areas of coastline that are sparsely populated or difficult to reach.

We’ll let you know when the Adopt-A-Beach project is ready to go; until then, please check out the Oil Reporter app. If you live along the Gulf Coast and have an iPhone or Android phone, you can help document the oil spill’s impact.

1. Want to lend a hand? Affected states allow you to register to volunteer online. Louisiana and Florida volunteers can register online, or Gulf Coast volunteers can call 1-866-448-5816. Oil Spill Volunteers is another registration site that matches up those willing to assist with the groups that need their help. Volunteer opportunities run the gamut from wildlife sitter to administrative support, so any and all help is appreciated.

2. Florida is calling on untrained volunteers to pick up trash on its beaches to minimize the impact of the spill once it hits land. Volunteers are asked to leave natural debris in place, though, as it provides shelter for birds and other animals. If you’d like to help out with areas where oil has already washed ashore, it is recommended that you contact a local group to be trained in how to handle oil-covered materials.

3. If you’re in the Gulf Coast area and see a distressed animal, do not try to assist it on your own. Injured animals can be defensive and may try to bite you—also, crude oil can be harmful when it comes in contact with human skin. A hotline has been established for injured and dead animal sightings. Call 1-866-557-1401 to leave a message with the animal’s precise location. iPhone users in the Gulf can download the Noah project’s app to document distressed animals and the spill’s impact on wildlife. Learn more about Noah here.

4. Two specialized opportunities to help are available for qualified professionals. BP has called upon fishermen and boaters in the Gulf area to participate in their “Vessels of Opportunity” program. Those with eligible vessels will be compensated for their use in cleanup efforts. For more information, call 281-366-5511. In addition, the EPA has called upon engineers and experts to submit alternative cleanup solutions via this form.

5. However, if you’re not already living in the area, it is not recommended that you travel to the Gulf Coast to assist. OilSpillVolunteers.com and other organizations stress that your help would be more appreciated in the form of a donation. The National Wildlife Federation, Alabama Coastal Foundation, and Save our Seabirds are among the many organizations accepting donations for coastal relief.

6. Dishwashing detergent is used to clean oil off of birds and animals, and Dawn is pitching in to help. Purchase a bottle of Dawn and $1 will go towards the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center. Please note that you must go online to activate this donation—it’s not automatic with your purchase.

7. Own a salon or pet grooming business? Hair collects oil, so the group Matter of Trust is taking donations of hair and nylons. For more information, visit their website or call 415-242-6041.

8. For those inclined to send a political message about the need to restore the Gulf Coast, the National Wildlife Federation has created this form letter you can send to President Obama. Those in favor of halting all ocean drilling can use this form letter from the Sierra Club.

9. The Audubon Society, protecting American birds and their habitats for more than 100 years, has launched a response to the crisis. They’ll be organizing volunteers for wildlife rescue and beach clean-up, as well as researching the effects of the spill on habitats in the weeks and months following its landfall. If you’d like to volunteer for the Audubon Society, you can fill out this volunteer form. If you’d like to donate money to aid relief efforts, you can use this site.

10. For up-to-date news on volunteer and relief efforts, several Twitter users have aggregated the best sources of oil spill tweets into lists. Follow Crisis Camp’s list, Crisis Mappers’ list, or the hashtag #oilspill. Two good individual accounts to follow are EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and BP_America.

According to a CNN.com article “Volunteers recruited to help in oil spill threat”:

How can you help? A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers.

The Audubon Society, which is affiliated with the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, is making its Center for Birds of Prey in Florida available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation. Elsewhere, Audubon said it was gearing up to mobilize volunteers and provide assistance as the oil reaches land in Louisiana and elsewhere. [You can sign up here.]

The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected. Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteer in the affected areas, call 1-866-448-5816.

These local organizations also are gathering volunteers’ information as they prepare for the environmental damage this oil can cause:

The Alabama Coastal Foundation is collecting contact information from volunteers for cleanup efforts along the Alabama coast should the oil spill reach the state’s shores. Call 251-990-6002

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is looking for volunteers to help reduce the potential impact of the oil spill in Mobile Bay. Call 251-431-6409.

The Mobile Baykeeper is asking for contact details of volunteers is collecting contact information for volunteers to respond anywhere along the Gulf Coast, if needed. Call 251-433-4229.

Save Our Seabirds is a Florida bird rescue group that is looking for volunteers and support as its response team prepares to help oiled wildlife. Call 941-388-3010.

For more information on volunteering in the Gulf as well as contributing remotely, you should check out Crisis Commons. It is an online community comprised largely of everyday citizens (many in the tech field), which employs technology, translations and information to relief agencies and disaster affected communities, most recently after the Haiti earthquake. It offers interested people an opportunity to be part of the response to major emergencies from wherever they are.

Crisis Commons held a conference call yesterday to begin planning how volunteers from the U.S  and around the world can be helpful in the oil spill response. For those interested, I would check the Crisis Commons Oil Spill page which offers more info on the organization and shows some potential projects as well as the Oil Spill CrisisWiki site which offers ways to help and ways to get help along with news and resources. I would also suggest following the Twitter lists CrisisCamp/OilSpill and NPRNewsGulf-Oil-Spill as well as @CrisisCamp and #OilSpill. (You can also email me, and I can put you in touch with Crisis Commons.)

A useful caveat for volunteers going to the scene is offered in this Discovery News article:

Training is essential for volunteers, who could themselves suffer health problems if they should come into contact with the oil. ”The public can’t just go out and pick up oiled wildlife,” Nils Warnock, field operations specialist at the California Oiled Wildlife Care Network, managed by the University of California at Davis, explained to Discovery News.

He added that an emergency phone number (866-557-1401) has been established where people can report animals affected by the oil spill. The public is encouraged to have ready the number and type of animals, the date and time they were seen, their location and any observations about the animals’ behavior.

Louisiana fishers sign forms offering their fishing boats and equipment to aid in protecting the coastal wetlands at the St. Bernard Parish Council Chambers in Chalmette (Credit: Associated Press).

Why Twitter?

An advantage of searching Twitter for weather reports is the capability to utilize recently added “geotagging” — geographical information that is associated with something, in this case individual Tweets. This allows the NWS to correlate each Tweet to its location when it was sent. This capability will help to enhance and increase timely and accurate online weather reporting and communication between the public and their local weather forecast offices. The reports will be carefully evaluated during the experiment to ensure quality and timeliness.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone with a Twitter account can participate. Note: Trained storm spotters should use pre-established communication methods (toll-free line, eSpotter, etc.), when possible, to send severe weather reports to the NWS.

The site also shows how to use the Twitter geotagging feature as well as how to report without a geotag. As far as what to report, the Weather Service instructs:

You can tweet any weather event that occurs in your local area, but we are most interested in significant events: snowfall, severe weather, flooding, etc. In particular:

Damage from winds–briefly describe what was damaged and time it occurred; Hail–include size of hail and time it fell; Tornadoes or funnel clouds; Flooding–briefly describe what is occurring; Snowfall during an event and storm total. When reporting snowfall, include the time period when it fell; Freezing rain or freezing drizzle producing a ‘glaze’ on objects or roads; Dense fog restricting visibility to less than a half mile.

This outreach initiative builds upon the Weather Service’s SkyWarn program which includes 260,000 Storm Spotters across the U.S. who have been trained to help report dangerous conditions. (Thanks to Keith Robertory for bringing the new program to my attention.)

If you are a tow boat operator, a recreational boater, a fisherman, a marina operator, or otherwise live, work or engage in recreational activities around America’s waterways, the United States Coast Guard wants your help in keeping these areas safe and secure. You can do this by participating in its America’s Waterway Watch (AWW) program, a nationwide initiative similar to the well known and successful Neighborhood Watch program that asks community members to report suspicious activities to local law enforcement agencies.

As a person who spends much of your time on or near the water, you already know what is normal and what is not, and you are well suited to notice suspicious activities – activities possibly indicating threats to our nation’s homeland security. And as a participant in America’s Waterway Watch we urge you to adopt a heightened sense of sensitivity toward unusual events or individuals you may encounter in or around ports, docks, marinas, riversides, beaches, or waterfront communities.

You should always remember that people are not suspicious, behavior is. And if you observe suspicious behavior or activity, you should simply note the details and contact local law enforcement. You are not expected to approach or challenge anyone acting in a suspicious manner.

America’s Waterway Watch is a public outreach program, encouraging participants to simply report suspicious activity to the Coast Guard and/or other law enforcement agencies. Unlike some Neighborhood Watch programs, for example, you are not formally joining an organization — there are no meetings, membership cards or membership requirements — and you do not become an agent of the Coast Guard or any other law enforcement agency.

A U.S. Coast Guard YouTube video about the program is below:

America’s Waterway Watch Introductory Video

If you are interested in more information on Waterway Watch, go to its website here. If you would like to volunteer in your area, call your local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla — contact info for the closest branch can be found at its site www.cgaux.org/units.html.

The report, written by Civic Enterprises, indicated that 91% of veteran respondents would like to address the issue of “disaster relief” as a volunteer (second only to “helping wounded veterans”) and 88% of veterans said that disaster relief was “important” to them.

The report was commissioned as part of Service Nation’s Mission Serve initiative which aims to more closely bond the U.S.’s service and military communities and better use the skills and talents of veterans to address the nation’s problems at home.

The disaster relief finding is just one aspect of the overall report whose central message, according to Civic Enterprises, is:

“…that a new generation of veterans is returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan without sufficient connections to communities, is enthusiastic to serve again, and points the way forward for how our nation can better integrate them into civilian life. Although the 1.8 million veterans are from every corner of our nation, they are strongly united in their perspectives regarding civic responsibilities and opportunities as they return home.

What’s more, the findings show that OIF/OEF [Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom] veterans are underutilized assets in our communities, and their continued service is likely to improve their transition home. We believe there is significant potential to increase volunteering and civic engagement among this generation of veterans.”

According to the “Flu Fighters”/NYC Service web page, “Flu Fighters will mobilize hundreds of volunteers to conduct outreach and awareness activities at community events, schools, senior centers, and houses of worship in New York City to raise awareness about influenza and the importance of getting vaccinated.” The Health Department’s flu page underscores the appeal: “Become a Flu Fighter and Help Save Lives!” So, of course, I signed up. 

The “Flu Fighters” campaign has not yet received a lot of attention or been highly promoted by City officials. That may be largely because of delays in the delivery of the vaccine. In fact, though many areas around the country have begun to solicit citizen volunteer help for the massive H1N1 vaccine rollout, there has not been a major public deployment to date. That may change as more supplies become available and the weather turns colder.

The webpage further explains the various “Flu Fighter” responsibilities:

Community Outreach Volunteers: As a community outreach volunteer, you will promote influenza vaccination and prevention in your neighborhood. You will receive a Flu Fighter Action kit with posters and brochures to distribute at work, places of worship, local senior centers, pharmacies, local stores, or at other community hubs. You can distribute these materials at times and in places that are convenient for you.

Once you sign up, NYC Service will contact you about influenza vaccination centers or awareness events that may be taking place in your neighborhood throughout the influenza season. You can help promote these events by handing out flyers, posting signs, or bringing a friend or family member to get vaccinated.

Vaccination Pledge Volunteers: Protect your family and friends from influenza! As a vaccination pledge volunteer, you will pledge to remind people you know to get vaccinated. You will receive information on which people are mostly likely to get ill from seasonal or H1N1 influenza so that you can encourage them to get vaccinated. You will also receive information on where people can get vaccinated in their neighborhood.

Parent Outreach Volunteers: If you are the parent or guardian of a child in elementary, middle, or high school, you can help your child’s school as a parent outreach volunteer. This year, the City will be offering influenza vaccinations at elementary schools and at large weekend vaccination centers. Every child must have a consent form signed by their parent/guardian in order to receive the vaccine. Parent outreach volunteers will assist the vaccination consent process by attending school events to provide materials to other parents about the importance of vaccination and to remind them of the consent form due date.

Parents whose child’s school has a call tree can also volunteer to contact other parents to remind them of the consent form due date. You will receive all of the materials that you need to carry out these activities and can choose which activity is best for you.

Vaccination Center Volunteers: As a vaccination center volunteer, you will help out at one of the weekend vaccination centers (also known as Points of Dispensing, or PODs) that will take place across the city. You can help to distribute screening forms or manage the flow of people in and out of the vaccination center. If you are bilingual, you can translate in order to help people who do not speak English understand the signs and instructions.

For more information on “Flu Fighters” click here.

“With flu season in the northern hemisphere upon us, and cooler weather bringing the likelihood of new H5N1 bird flu reports as well, the newshounds that work the flu forums are looking at six very busy months ahead.

Newshounds are volunteers who spend hours each day searching in the hundreds of online English and Foreign language news sources for information pertaining to pandemic influenza, avian flu, and other emerging infectious diseases…Their work thankfully is archived on the flu forums, where it is discussed, analyzed, and becomes part of the historical record. The flu forums have essentially become repositories of flu and infectious disease information, that function like real-time libraries.”

Coston notes that the newshounds’ good work appears on flu forums like Flu Wiki and FluTrackers as well as on blogs like his (and mine) — and is ultimately used by public health practioners, policymakers and average citizens:

Flu Wiki

“Much of what I do in this blog is dependent upon their labors. While I still do a fair amount of news hounding myself, at least half of the stories I blog about come by way of these hardworking news analysts…

Both FluTrackers and the Flu Wiki produce a daily summary of news items, which helps make it easier to pluck out individual news stories from the onslaught of posts.

The Flu Wiki summary is updated in real time, during the day, at the top of each day’s news thread. Each item has a corresponding link to take you to the original source material (news article, journal article, etc.)…FluTrackers takes a slightly different approach, posting a summary at slightly irregular intervals, but generally every 24 to 36 hours.”

“All of this, as you might imagine, takes an incredible amount of work and dedication. Scores of these folks work on the forums without pay, and far too often without recognition. Their work, by the way, is freely shared between forums and with the world.

The expertise of many of these newshounds is remarkable, with some becoming quite adept at translating articles, and knowledgeable about local customs and idioms in places like Indonesia and China.”

If you have not already, I recommend you checking out these forums both for the flu information available on them as well as a model of what can be done by knowledgeable, committed and public spirited citizens in the area of emergency preparedness and response.

Due to dangerous wildfire conditions, please do not travel to the areas affected by the fires without explicit instructions from a qualified emergency response organization. In the days and months to come, longer-term recovery efforts may be under way and in need of support. These services are best provided through coordinated efforts, and it is critical that potential volunteers do not self-deploy. Please see the Web site links below for the most up-to-date information regarding the wildfires, potential volunteer opportunities, and donation opportunities.

It then offers links to the most updated information, places to provide financial/in-kind assistance, and possible volunteer opportunities through LAWorks. The site also shows how Californians can sign up to train for future disasters through CERT, the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

(photo: Associated Press)

SkyWarn, which is run by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is comprised of 260,000 citizen Storm Spotters trained by their local National Weather Service (NWS) office to assist in identifying and reporting extreme conditions.

Classes are free and typically are about two hours long. To find out when a Skywarn class will be conducted in local your area, contact your local NWS office (map here.)

You can participate in United We Serve events across the nation this summer by visiting the new White House website, Serve.gov (http://www.serve.gov/).  To encourage participation in service this summer and beyond, the Serve.gov website allows people to search for volunteer opportunities based on location and interests. The site also includes social media tools to share volunteer opportunities with others.

Beginning today, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials will be participating in several events throughout the summer to support United We Serve with a preparedness theme. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s support is Orlando, Fla. where she will work with the Orlando Citizen Corps Council and volunteers to assemble CERT kits in preparation for hurricane season at the Orlando Emergency Operations Center.

In addition, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will discuss the importance of preparedness and volunteerism at a roundtable in Denver, Col., with firefighters and volunteers from Fire Corps and CERT programs.  Administrator Fugate at this event via a live streaming webcast on the internet at 11:00 AM Mountain Time (1:00 PM EST) at DHSON.TV (http://www.dhson.tv/). FEMA will be posting Citizen Corps Council and partner program information on the Serve.com website. You can also sign up to receive news of the 9/11 Day of Service from My Good Deed which is the organization which helped establish it.

The centerpiece of the new effort is the NYC Service website (nycservice.org) which offers users a concrete way to get involved with more than 700 organizations. The site has a search capability that allows visitors to choose a project from one of six categories of volunteer opportunities: Strengthening Communities, Helping Neighbors in Need, Education, Environment, Health and Emergency Preparedness. For example, if someone wanted to find emergency preparedness, you can search here and find 46 volunteer opportunities, either offered by the American Red Cross of Greater New York or local community groups.