In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

One of the suggestions I’ve made to emergency preparedness communicators is that they talk more about their own personal efforts to ready themselves and their families. I think it makes what can be an imposing and off-putting process seem more accessible and relatable for average citizens. So, I was happy to see a video that FEMA […]

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With yet another major hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast, FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison says in this segment of “What Should We Tell The Public?” that his agency is ready. Yet, he underscores how FEMA, as well as state and local responders, rely on citizens to prepare and help respond to disasters like […]

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Using particularly demonstrative language, FEMA is warning people on the Gulf Coast to ready themselves for Hurricane Ike. In a press release today, titled “Hurricane Ike Nearing Landfall: Act Now!”, the agency is asking residents:
Do you know what your local community’s evacuation plan is? If not, do you know where to locate it? […]

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Like most Americans, I have been closely following Hurricane Gustav on television, radion and web media news outlets. In addition, I wanted to bring your attention a number of online resources that I have been monitoring as well:
The American Red Cross offers two web-based information sources that I find very helpful:
Red Cross’ Online Newsroom which can […]

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In an interview last week on the eve of the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison told me that the agency has been “rebuilt” and is “ready” for the next major hurricane or other disaster. Unfortunately, he may have a chance to test his assessment in the next several days as […]

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Last week, I attended the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) first “Conference on Emergency Preparedness for Special Needs Populations” held in New York City. It was also my first ’special needs’ disaster conference. And from the start when the moderator Elizabeth Davis of EAD Associates made a point to carefully and clearly inform the audience about […]

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I recently had the opportunity to participate in a “Blogger Roundtable” on emergency preparedness with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) chief R. David Paulison held at DHS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. I joined Jonah Czerwinski of the Homeland Security Watch and Rich Cooper of Security Debrief as one of three questioners. The full transcript can be found here. 
It was a wide-ranging, […]

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With the nation possibly heading for a record year for tornadoes and severe weather watches posted throughout the Midwest, I thought I would post a list that FEMA just released of what to do before and then during a tornado, including this advice:  
“When a tornado is sighted, the most important rule is to get low and stay low.

At home-Seek shelter in a basement; […]

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I know you all already get too much email (including, for some of you, the weekly summary of this blog). And the idea of getting any more, particularly from the Department of Homeland Security, may not sound on first blush very enticing
However, if you are interested in citizen preparedness — or for that matter any aspect of homeland security – I suggest you go to […]

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