In this edition of the blog’s “What Should We Tell The Public?” video series, Holt recommends that citizens “do a risk analysis” of their area and then prepare for those risks. As part of that preparation, Holt recommends that people equip their cellphones in advance with important numbers such as the local police’s non-emergency contact and the U.S. government’s terrorism tips line. And, he suggests that citizens have a responsibility to contact their local, state and federal government officials proactively to tell them what information they need to be ready for emergencies.

Jack Holt, Senior Strategist for Emerging Media, U.S. Department of Defense (”What Should We Tell The Public?”)

Darryl Madden, Director, Ready Campaign

In an interview earlier this month, Madden told me there will be a special effort during the Month to get Americans to create a family emergency communications plan. To help Americans undertake the planning process, Ready.Gov and the Ad Council are offering some online tools to create a printable comprehensive Family Emergency Plan and an email/text containing basic information that can be shared with others. Madden said he also hopes the Americans will during the Month — if they have not already — check with their workplaces and kids’ schools about their emergency plans. This video is part of the blog’s “What Should We Tell The Public?” series.

Ready.Gov’s section on hurricane preparedness is here; information on flooding is here.

Shooting with the equally user friendly Flip camera and then posting my (often shaky camera work) to YouTube, I have been able to utilize a lot of video both from others as well as homemade. The primary example of the latter has been the blog’s “What Should We Tell The Public?” series in which I ask someone in the field for what citizens should know about emergency preparedness. I have posted 43 of these short videos.

Spokes-Muppet Grover Urges Families To Prepare For Emergencies

One of the favorites in the series was with that noted preparedness expert, Grover the spokes-Muppet for Sesame Workshop’s preparedness program for young kids and their families, “Let’s Get Ready! Planning Together For Emergencies” done in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.Gov campaign and the Ad Council.

JOHN SHEA, FEMA SOCIAL MEDIA (ABOVE)

In the video, Gibb recommends that citizens subscribe to government emergency text/e-mail notifications such as the NY-Alert system that he oversees (and which I get on my BlackBerry). We shot the video after Gibb spoke to the White House’s Long-Term Disaster Recovery Task Force stakeholder forum earlier this month.

JOHN GIBB, NEW YORK STATE’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR

I shot this video at Chertoff’s Washington, D.C. office just before the release of  his new book, Homeland Security: Assessing The First Five Years.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, CHERTOFF GROUP (ABOVE)

In the video, Ben urges the public to “ask questions” because “the more questions you ask, the more information you’ll get about local preparedness”. One way you can “ask questions” about local preparedness is as a volunteer Disaster Accountability monitor helping verify gaps in disaster relief services so they can be addressed. You can learn more about DAP’s work on its website. The video was shot at the Natural Hazards Workshop this summer.

BEN SMILOWITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DISASTER ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT (ABOVE)

In the short video, Allison explains the steps every pet owner should do to prepare their animals for emergencies. In the background there is a Golden Retriever, Hunter, who stopped by (with his owner) to be microchipped and have a ‘go bag’  photo taken. I have found that pet owners tend to be among the most prepared groups, but I’m sure Allison’s recommendations will be helpful.

ALLISON CARDONA, ASPCA DISASTER RESPONSE DIRECTOR (ABOVE)

Unfortunately, the event was held during a rain storm (see photo below) so we did the interview inside the organization’s trailer located in the middle of Manhattan’s Union Square. For more information about emergency preparedness for pets, go to the ASPCA’s website here.

THE ASPCA/NYC OEM PET PREPAREDNESS EVENT IN NEW YORK’S UNION SQUARE; THE ASPCA TRAILER IS BEHIND THE TENT

In the video, Arteseros encourages citizens to consider volunteering for NERT or CERT because “getting involved is one of the most empowering things you can do.”

LT. ERICA ARTESEROS,  SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT/NERT PROGRAM (ABOVE)

Mary and her husband Frank lost their 24-year-old son, Brad, in the World Trade Center attacks eight years ago today. Soon after, she founded Voices of September 11th as a clearinghouse for information and support for those affected by the 9/11 attacks. The group now serves more than 7,000 members with information, outreach and programs on the many aspects of post-9/11 life, with a particular focus on helping 9/11 families, survivors, rescue and recovery workers and others affected by the attacks.

Voices has created the 9/11 Living Memorial, an amazing digital archive which commemorates the lives that were lost and documents firsthand accounts of rescue workers and survivors at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Mary and Frank have made emergency preparedness a central part of the Voices of September 11th mission. And in this video, shot at the Voices offices in New Canaan, Connecticut, she makes the important point that preparation and information could have saved lives at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Mary says we must learn from history and all of us should make sure our homes, schools, workplaces and communities are prepared for emergencies.

MARY FETCHET, VOICES OF SEPTEMBER 11th (ABOVE)

In the video, shot at FEMA headquarters, Marquis says National Preparedness Month is the “perfect time to think about preparedness”, and she outlines some steps every American should take to become prepared.

BECKY MARQUIS, ACTING DIRECTOR, READY.GOV

For more information on National Preparedness Month, including events going on across the nation, go to www.ready.gov/america/npm09/index.html.

In the video below (shot between sessions at the Natural Hazards Workshop in Colorado last month), Claire makes the point that “you’re responsible for you” in an emergency, and she points out that volunteering for CERT and the Citizen Corps is another way to help out in your community.

Claire Rubin, Author, Emergency Management: The American Experience, 1900-2005

In this video, she debunks some myths about social media during disasters and urges citizens to learn how applications such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace can help them in an emergency situation.

Jeannette Sutton, Natural Hazards Center

In the video, which was shot last week on the steps of New York’s City Hall, Bruno explains what citizens should do to be prepared for disaster.

Joseph Bruno, Commissioner, New York City Office of Emergency Management

I shot this in Thompson’s Capitol Hill office after interviewing him on the issue of citizen preparedness. The buzzers heard in the background are announcing the opening of the House session that morning.

Video Of Bennie Thompson (Chairman, U.S. House Homeland Security Committee)

The video was shot in the lobby of the National Museum of Women In The Arts in Washington, D.C. before a screening of Katrina’s Children. To order a copy of the DVD click here. 

Laura Belsey, Director, Katrina’s Children

In his segment, Bing says that a major crane collapse near his home a year ago underscored for him the need to prepare one’s family as well as to check in advance with those neighbors who might need assistance, such as senior citizens. Bing also suggests that people make sure their local legislators make emergency preparedness a priority.

 

JONATHAN BING (NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYMAN)

STEPHEN KEMPF (FEMA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR)

Jeanette had a major role, along with Grover (who also recorded a video), in developing Sesame Street’s preparedness program for young kids and their families, “Let’s Get Ready! Planning Together For Emergencies,” done in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.Gov campaign and the Ad Council.

In the video, Jeanette recommends that families plan together for emergencies and make sure that they include others, such child care facilities, schools and relatives, who may also take care of the kids.

 

JEANETTE BETANCOURT (SESAME WORKSHOP)

PAT MCGINNIS, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, COUNCIL FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT 

The report’s emphasis on the importance of the public in homeland security is underscored by its first recommendation: “Empowering a national culture of preparedness by focusing on building more self-reliant communities and individuals.” In the video, Carafano highlights the important role of citizens in their local communities before, during and after disasters. 

 

JAMES CARAFANO (HERITAGE FOUNDATION)    

In this segment of “What Should We Tell The Public?”, Cifullo says each citizen has the ability to help improve their community’s readiness by asking questions and finding out what they can do to help prepare their families, their kids schools and their places of worship. 

 

FRANK CILLUFFO, DIRECTOR, GWU HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY INSTITUTE

In this first segment, McGovern urges citizens interested in helping prepare and give back to their community to consider volunteering with their local Red Cross chapter. “There’s something for everyone,” she says, noting that Americans of all backgrounds and skills are needed to do a whole range of different tasks. As McGovern points out in the video, “if you can hand out a bottle of water or give a neighbor a hug you’ll make a great Red Cross volunteer.”  

GAIL MCGOVERN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN RED CROSS

FRAN TOWNSEND, EX-WHITE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER

Townsend took a significant interest in citizen preparedness while at the White House and oversaw the writing of the Bush Administration’s “Katrina Lessons Learned Report”, also known as the “Townsend Report”. which includes a section with a list of proposals for improving public readiness and engagement. She is now an adviser to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where this video was shot.

Grover is a spokes-Muppet for Sesame Workshop’s impressive preparedness program for young kids and their families, “Let’s Get Ready! Planning Together For Emergencies” done in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.Gov campaign and the Ad Council.

In this special National Preparedness Month video segment, shot at Sesame Workshop’s Manhattan headquarters, Grover tells kids that that they should prepare for emergencies with their parents. That means making sure you know your first and last name (he says his is “Grover Monster”) as well as your parents’ full names. You should also know where you live (ie. “on Sesame Street”). And, finally Grover instructs children — along with their parents — to put together an emergency kit with supplies and a familiar toy or stuffed animal for comfort.

 

GROVER,  SESAME STREET

Anyone interested in more information about the campaign can go to the Sesame Workshop web site at www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/read. With written materials and videos  (in English and Spanish), the site offers helpful tips on how families can talk to their children about emergency preparedness in age-appropriate ways such as:

*Everyone, even young children, can play a role in planning for the unexpected.
*Creating an emergency plan that the entire family practices and shares with the significant people in their lives is important.
*Helping children learn personal information such as a phone number, their full names, and the names of special people in their home, is helpful in case of any emergency.
*As with all Sesame Workshop outreach projects, the themes and content of the initiative is based on research as well as advice and review from experts in the field of emergency and trauma preparedness, pediatrics, psychiatry, child development and early care and education. 

The Let’s Get Ready! Planning Together For Emergencies campaign builds upon the work that Sesame Workshop — and Grover — have done in the past addressing difficult issues for young kids, including disasters like hurricanes.

The “Let’s Get Ready” materials are based on research and recommendations from experts in emergency and trauma preparedness, pediatrics, mental health, and child development. In addition, the Workshop collaborated with Weill Cornell Medical College’s pediatrics department to ensure that the materials are age appropriate and effective.

Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s vice president for outreach and educational practices, says that adults can introduce children to the preparedness topic by recognizing the ways families already prepare for unexpected events in their daily routines. ”The best way we know to look at emergency preparedness is really from the scope of making it non-threatening, taking advantage of everyday moments to incorporate it, and doing it in a way that includes young children. The best way to do that is to pick up on daily routines.”