In Case of Emergency, Read This Blog

In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness

As Power Blackouts Increase, Public Should Make Sure They Have Backup Power For Their Mobile, Smart Phones

September 5th, 2010 · 1 Comment

A recent article on CNN.com “U.S. electricity blackouts skyrocketing,” reported on the national increase in non-disaster-related power outages:
During the past two decades, such blackouts have increased 124 percent — up from 41 blackouts between 1991 and 1995, to 92 between 2001 and 2005, according to research at the University of Minnesota. In the most recently analyzed [...]

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Tags: Power Failures · Preparedness Ideas

With National Preparedness Month Beginning Tomorrow (& Earl Approaching), Ready Campaign Director Darryl Madden Urges Americans To Prepare (”What We Should We Tell The Public?” Series)

August 31st, 2010 · 1 Comment

With National Preparedness Month beginning tomorrow, I am posting a short video I shot a couple weeks ago at FEMA headquarters with Ready Campaign Director Darryl Madden in which he urges Americans to prepare and discuss the with their “family & loved ones about they’ll do in the face of an emergency”. The threat of [...]

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Tags: "What Should We Tell The Public?" · 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

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 Interview, Red Cross Social Media Director Talks About What Was Discussed At Fascinating Emergency Data Summit, Next Steps, How Interested Citizens Can Get Involved & If There Is Need For 4th Basic Citizen Preparedness Step

August 13th, 2010 · 2 Comments

Yesterday, I attended the American Red Cross’ first-ever “Emergency Social Data Summit”. It was a really interesting and invigorating day focusing on how to utilize new technologies, including social media, to address gaps in crisis preparedness and response.
There was a whole lot of information, ideas and energy among the 200 attendees at the Red Cross’ [...]

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Tags: Non-Profit Organizations · Preparedness Events · Preparedness Ideas · Red Cross

As U.S. Marks National Immunization Awareness Month, Should Shots Be Part Of The Basic Citizen Preparedness Steps?

August 9th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Mike Coston at Avian Flu Diary reminded me that August is National Immunization Month (NIAM whose goal is:
to increase awareness about immunizations across the life span, from infants to the elderly.
August is the perfect time to remind family, friends, co-workers, and those in the community to catch up on their vaccinations. Parents are enrolling their [...]

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Tags: Preparedness Ideas · Public Opinion · Red Cross

Are You Ready Or Nyet? FEMA Adds New Languages Incl. Russian, Chinese, Haitian Creole & Tagalog To Ready.Gov Preparedness Site

July 29th, 2010 · No Comments

The ReadydotGov Twitter feed proudly announced Thursday that: “We just translated 16,000 words of preparedness information into Russian!”
The Ready.Gov site is now offering 8 languages in addition to English — Russian, French, Tagalog, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole and Spanish.

A screenshot of Ready.Gov’s Russian language site.

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Tags: Diverse Communities Preparedness · Federal Emergency Management Administration

On Animal Preparedness, Shelter Policy Should Be Clearer Regarding Housing Pets During A Disaster

June 9th, 2010 · 1 Comment

A recent post on the New York Times’ interesting “Well” blog focused on emergency preparedness for pets. In “Disaster Planning For Pets,” Tara Parker-Pope describes her own lack of readiness when a flood forced her — along with her dogs and cats — from their New Jersey home.
When my neighborhood was evacuated because of Delaware [...]

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Tags: Pets

We Need To Better Define What “Prepared” (&/Or “Resilient”) Means For The Public

June 8th, 2010 · 2 Comments

In the May/June issue of Emergency Management magazine, there’s an interesting “Point of View” column by Elaine Pittman, “Simplifying The Message” (p. 12 on this pdf). She begins the piece:
There are 27 items on Ready.gov’s list of supplies to incorporate into an emergency kit, divided by recommended supplies (12) and additional items to consider (15). At [...]

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Tags: Preparedness Language

During Upcoming National Preparedness Month, FEMA Will Ask Americans To Accept Their Responsibilities As Part Of U.S. “Readiness Team”

May 19th, 2010 · No Comments

During 2010’s National Preparedness Month (NPM) this September, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will be asking Americans to accept their responsibilities as part of the country’s emergency preparedness and response effort. It echoes a major theme of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate’s tenure which marks its first anniversary today.
FEMA’s Ready Campaign held a NPM kickoff webinar [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration