In Case of Emergency, Read This Blog

In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness

Establish A National Preparedness Day In Second Week Of September To Mark 9/11 & Hurricane Season “Peak”

September 17th, 2010 · 1 Comment

As readers of this blog know, I am advocate of establishing a single national day dedicated to emergency preparedness. I believe that it would be very useful to have a specific time each year in which the entire nation focuses on this challenging and sensitive subject.
This day would be the time that we developed and practiced [...]

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Tags: Hurricane Preparedness · Preparedness Ideas

As Nation Marks 9/11 Anniversary, 20 Ideas To Improve Citizen Preparedness & Engagement

September 13th, 2010 · 3 Comments

As the U.S. marks the ninth anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to post some ideas that I think would help raise citizen preparedness and engagement. The recommendations come from discussions that I have had with people involved in all aspects of the issue, my own experiences as a parent and CERT member in New York [...]

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Tags: Business Preparedness · CERT · City Preparedness · Congress · County Preparedness · Cyber Security · Department of Homeland Security · Federal Emergency Management Administration · Fire Safety · Government Education Programs · Media · Non-Profit Organizations · Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Ideas · Preparedness Incentives · Preparedness Models · Preparedness and Business · Risk Communications · See Something/Terrorism Tips · State Preparedness · Volunteer Opportunities

FEMA Head Fugate Warns East Coast Residents To “Make Sure You Have A Plan Today. You May Not Have Time Later On This Week If The Storm Moves In Your Direction.”

August 31st, 2010 · No Comments

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate interviewed earlier today on “Good Morning America” (below) warned residents of the eastern seaboard to “make sure you have a plan today, You may not have time later on this week if the storm moves in your direction.”
He told Robin Roberts that people who live in evacuation zones need to plan [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration · Hurricane Preparedness · Media

In Video, Administrator Fugate Explains/Tours FEMA.Gov Website Redesign Aimed At Improving Responsiveness To Public

August 25th, 2010 · No Comments

With the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) recently unveiling the redesign of its FEMA.Gov website, I asked Administrator Craig Fugate if he would explain why the agency undertook the overhaul.
In the brief video (below), Fugate says FEMA wanted to make the site more focused on helping the public in answer the following questions: “How do I prepare? [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration · Preparedness 2.0

‘Do Ask & Do Tell’ — Govt Should Be Putting More Emphasis On “Personal Responsibility” In Its Citizen Preparedness Messaging

August 23rd, 2010 · 2 Comments

In a speech to the Red Cross’s Emergency Crisis Data Summit last week, FEMA head Craig Fugate focused his remarks on the role of technology in disaster preparedness and response. However, he touched on another important theme which I wanted to highlight — that Americans have a personal and societal responsibility to be prepared for [...]

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Tags: Preparedness Ideas · President Obama

As Secretary Napolitano Orders “No Notice, Or Limited Notice” National Preparedness Drilling Program, DHS & FEMA Should Make Sure That Public Has A Role In Exercises

August 20th, 2010 · 1 Comment

In a memo to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate this week, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano ordered a “two-year progressive national drilling program which increases the total number of exercises and culminates in a full-scale, biennial intergovernmental National Level Exercise (NLE).”
Thanks to Bill Cumming for sending me the memo; he will be writing about it on his Vacation Lane [...]

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Tags: Department of Homeland Security · Federal Emergency Management Administration

Nearing Record # Of Partners, National Preparedness Month In September Will Highlight Family Communications Plans, New Ways For Public To Get & Give Disaster Info

August 19th, 2010 · 3 Comments

Last week, I visited the three-member Ready Campaign team — Director Darryl Madden, Deputy Director Rebecca Marquis, and Campaign Specialist Chris Bernstein – at FEMA headquarters to get a briefing on the 7th annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) which begins in less than two weeks.
NPM, sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration · Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Events

Fugate Says FEMA Is Reevaluating Future Of CERT: Significant Changes Possible, Including Offering Mini-Course To More Americans, Significantly Expanding Youth Training

August 18th, 2010 · 11 Comments

In response to a question from the audience at the Red Cross Emergency Social Data Summit last week, Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate mentioned that the agency is doing some serious rethinking about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program as it approaches its 25th Anniversary.
The questioner urged Fugate to move CERT from [...]

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Tags: CERT · Federal Emergency Management Administration · Youth Preparedness

After President Obama Swims To Support Gulf Recovery, Next He Should Do A Similar High Profile Activity To Promote National Preparedness Month In September; My Suggestion: Create A First Family Emergency Communications Plan To Encourage Other Americans To Do The Same

August 16th, 2010 · 1 Comment

President Obama and his family travelled to the Gulf Coast on Saturday to take a dip in support of the area’s recovery from the oil spill disaster. The willingness of the swimmer-in-chief to jump in literally and figuratively and even take his family in sent a strong message, amplified by the huge media coverage, to [...]

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Tags: President Obama

In Video Interview, @CraigAtFEMA Fugate Says “2-Way” Social Media Helping Agency Tailor Response To Survivor Needs; Uses Twitter To Reduce “Barriers” Btwn Him, Public; Wants Americans To Create Family Communications Plan On Natl. Preparedness Month

August 13th, 2010 · 3 Comments

After his well-received speech to the American Red Cross’ “Emergency Social Data Summit” yesterday, I had a chance to interview FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
I asked him about the role of social media in disasters, how he has benefited from having (and tweeting on) his own Twitter account, and what he wants to accomplish during the [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration · Preparedness Ideas · Red Cross