Author: Paul Faust

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Community Preparedness Webinar Series: American Red Cross Month-Partnership in Preparedness

FEMA’s Individual & Community Preparedness Division is excited to announce the fifth webinar in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series:  American Red Cross Month-Partnership in Preparedness.  The Community Preparedness Webinar Series provides up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources available to citizens, community organizations, and Citizen Corps Councils. This LIVE webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17th at 2:00 EST and will provide information on the American Red Cross, presented by American Red Cross Preparedness and Health and Safety Services.  Webinar login will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the webinar and registration is not required. A question and answer period will follow the presentation.

Live Webinar: American Red Cross Month:  Partnership in Preparedness– March 17@ 2:00 pm EST.

March is American Red Cross Month.  For more than 128 years, the mission of the American Red Cross has been to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. A humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, the Red Cross is woven into the fabric of our communities with more than 700 chapters nationwide. The American Red Cross has been a Citizen Corps Affiliate since 2003, offering state and local Citizen Corps Councils resources for education, outreach, training, and volunteer service opportunities to support first responders and disaster relief activities.  Joscelyn Silsby, from American Red Cross Preparedness and Health and Safety Services, will highlight ways to work in partnership with local American Red Cross Chapters and learn about resources to better promote community preparedness.

The Community Preparedness Webinar Series features new community preparedness topics several times each month and is free to the public. Each webinar will accommodate the first 500 visitors that enter the website at the time of the webinar. In addition to airing live, the webinar will be recorded and viewable at your convenience on the Citizen Corps website (www.citizencorps.gov) usually within 24 hours after the live webcast.  To join the webinar live simply go to http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/webcasts/redcrossmonth.shtm and click on the button on the upper right side of the page that says “Join the Webinar”.  Sign in as a guest.

If you need special accommodations or require additional assistance to view or listen to this webinar, please email us at citizencorps@dhs.gov no later than 5pm EST on Monday, March 15th and we will provide you with additional resources so you may participate.

More details on this webinar and upcoming webinars in the Community Preparedness Webinar Series are available at www.citizencorps.gov.

Sincerely,

The National Office of Citizen Corps

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Charities/Groups we support General Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Making sure your kids are prepared for hiking

As we move into spring, more and more people will be spending time outdoors in the wilderness.  Parents should make sure all members of the family are prepared for what might happen if one, or the whole party, happens to loose their way.  Below are listed a few items that everyone should know:

1)  Each person should always carry a small fanny pack or pack with a trash bag, bottle of water, granola bar, a bright colored bandanna and whistle on a hike or camping trip.  You can make a hole in the side of the bag to use as a makeshift ‘poncho’ (make sure kids know how to do this so they don’t suffocate).  This will keep you warm and dry while waiting for people to find you.  A whistle can be heard further away than a human voice and takes less energy to use.  The water and granola bar will help you get through a couple of hours of waiting.  The bandanna can be used for either first aid type of situations or to use as a flag for attracting attention.

2)  Your fanny pack should also include basic first aid supplies.  Such things as band aids, hand sanitizer, gauze and antibiotic ointment is best.  This will handle any small scrapes and cuts that may happen while you are on the trail.

3)  If you happen to get lost, STAY WHERE YOU ARE.  One of the best things you can remember is to hug a tree.  Even small children can find a tree and sit down next to it and rest.  If you stop moving, the people who are out looking for you won’t have to chase you down!  When explaining this concept to small children, tell them to find a tree and hug it.  That tree will be their new friend until other new friends (searchers or search dogs) find them.

4)  Make sure your children know that they are not in trouble for getting lost.  “My parents won’t be mad at me”.

5)  If they hear searchers or someone calling their name, they should respond, but stay where they are.  Even if it is dark, most wild animals will be more scared of them.  If they hear something they should make a loud noise but stay where they are.  The animal will run away and hide.  Many children are scared of the ‘lions, tigers and bears’ which results in them running from noises in the dark.  This increases the chances they will get hurt and increases the chances that they are actually running from searchers.

6)  Before you leave on the trip, footprint your child.  If they do happen to get lost, having a clear copy of the tread of the child’s shoe will assist searchers in finding them faster.  This is a 5 minute drill which could make a significant difference later.

Many of these seem very common sense, but unless you talk about it with your children, they don’t know what to do.  A great program to help kids and parents be prepared is “Hug a Tree.

Be prepared.

Be safe.

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DisasterAssistance.gov

Each year, approximately 50 presidentially declared disasters cause injury and death, destroy homes and businesses and disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the nation.

DisasterAssistance.gov is the result of Executive Order 13411, which requires the federal government to simplify the process of identifying and applying for disaster assistance. Now, survivors who need help following a presidentially
declared disaster that has been designated for individual assistance can go to

DisasterAssistance.gov to register online. DisasterAssistance.gov is a user-friendly Web portal that consolidates information about assistance
available from multiple government agencies in one place, making it easier for survivors to research and apply for disaster assistance. Currently, 17 federal agencies contribute to the portal, which offers applications for or information on almost 60 forms of assistance, as well as information on local resources to help keep citizens safe during an
emergency.

The portal will continue to expand to include forms of assistance available at the federal, state, tribal, regional and local levels, with full functionality projected for 2014.

To learn more click here: http://www.1800prepare.com/DAIP_Overview_081309_FNL.pdf

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General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Increase your chance of surviving a plane crash

I was recently with a friend who survived the United Airlines flight that “landed” in the Hudson River and it made me start thinking about whether or not there were things I could do to increase my chances of survival if I were ever in a plane crash. I did a little research and wanted to share some quick tips I learned.

Some do’s:

1. Pay attention during the safety briefing. Many people ignore these…but in a panic…will forget what to do. Paying attention reinforces the correct things to do.

2. Sit within 5 rows of an emergency exit. Statistics show that this increases your chances of surviving a crash.

3. Count how many rows between you an the exits. Do this for the exit in front and you and behind you as your primary exit may be blocked.

4. Take a minute to think of a plan. A “what would I do if”. Look at the exits, plan where you would go, etc. Having a plan in mind increases your chance of survival and will help keep you from “freezing”

5. Be extra aware during the first 3 minutes of flight and the last 8 minutes. These are the time windows where most problems occur. Be ready to react if you have to.

6. Wear your seat belt properly, especially if you think you are going to be in a crash.

7. Brace yourself properly. You want to limit the amount of blunt force trauma you may receive.

Some dont’s:

1. Take sleeping pills or drink heavily when flying. This will obviously affect your ability to react.

2. Wear sandals, high heels or slip on type footwear. You don’t want to have to escape with bare feet.

3. If you are in a crash..DON’T try to save your carry on, purse, cell phone, etc. This will cost you time and may hinder your exit.

4. Sit in the bulkhead seats. The force of hitting the wall in front of you can cause more damage then bracing against a seat in front of you.

These are just some quick tips and ideas. The same general rules apply here as in other situations. The more you plan…the better off you will do.

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How to increase your chances of surviving a plane crash

I was recently with a friend who survived the United Airlines flight that “landed” in the Hudson River and it made me start thinking about whether or not there were things I could do to increase my chances of survival if I were ever in a plane crash. I did a little research and wanted to share some quick tips I learned.

Some do’s:

1. Pay attention during the safety briefing. Many people ignore these…but in a panic…will forget what to do. Paying attention reinforces the correct things to do.

2. Sit within 5 rows of an emergency exit. Statistics show that this increases your chances of surviving a crash.

3. Count how many rows between you an the exits. Do this for the exit in front and you and behind you as your primary exit may be blocked.

4. Take a minute to think of a plan. A “what would I do if”. Look at the exits, plan where you would go, etc. Having a plan in mind increases your chance of survival and will help keep you from “freezing”

5. Be extra aware during the first 3 minutes of flight and the last 8 minutes. These are the time windows where most problems occur. Be ready to react if you have to.

6. Wear your seat belt properly, especially if you think you are going to be in a crash.

7. Brace yourself properly. You want to limit the amount of blunt force trauma you may receive.

Some dont’s:

1. Take sleeping pills or drink heavily when flying. This will obviously affect your ability to react.

2. Wear sandals, high heels or slip on type footwear. You don’t want to have to escape with bare feet.

3. If you are in a crash..DON’T try to save your carry on, purse, cell phone, etc. This will cost you time and may hinder your exit.

4. Sit in the bulkhead seats. The force of hitting the wall in front of you can cause more damage then bracing against a seat in front of you.

These are just some quick tips and ideas. The same general rules apply here as in other situations. The more you plan…the better off you will do.

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Charities/Groups we support Emergency Responders General Preparedness Personal Stories Preparedness Planning

Search Dogs in Haiti — coming home

As the efforts rescue efforts in Haiti wind down and the recovery phase begins,  think about what happens to all of the personnel who responded to the call for assistance, including the search dogs.  All will return to their ‘normal life’ back at home, whether it be a full time job as a firefighter or for many of the search dog handlers, going back to that ‘office job’.  As for the dogs, they go back to training and normal every day dogdom of eat, sleep, play, train (play and train since they should be the same thing).

I didn’t go to Haiti, Dunder and I have yet to be certified by FEMA. However, for the past two weeks I have had someone either stop by my office or send me an email  every day asking if I was going to get deployed.  I even had several people call to confirm meetings.  We will hopefully be attempting our FEMA certifications this summer, putting us on the roster to be deployed.  Dunder and I are now wilderness certified so we do respond that way. 

I know several handlers who were/are in Haiti and think about them every day.  In my experience as a search dog handler, there have been multiple day deployments which result in an almost euphoria filled feeling that when you get home, you go through something of a ‘aderinline crash’….meaning that you were so busy, you knew the job you were doing was incredibly important and getting home, back to the routine of your life, is some how a needed relief but incredibly anti climactic.  For me it often results in long bouts of sleep followed with the emotional release of a good cry.  (everyone handles it differently)

Guess what, dogs go through that too. 

In the case of Haiti or any other type of long term deployment, the dog was the center of their handlers attention, getting to go out and search (or for them, play) for hours with their handler, getting the attention of everyone else in the area and even checked regularly by a vet.  They also serve as an emotional balm to victims, other volunteers, the members of their own team and their handler.  Not to mention having the press follow them, random people asking to pet them and in general, being the center of the universe.  When the dog gets home, guess what, it’s back to just them and their handler and the every day routine of ‘just being a dog’.

One of the things as a handler we actually are trained to do, is watch out for ‘depression’ in our dogs.  This has more too do with the dog being so used to the attention, that when they get back home, they think that type of attention should continue.  We have to make sure they have an adjustment period.  In addition to trying to recover ourselves, we also have to help our dogs recover.  One of the best ways for us to make sure our dogs are mentally sharp is to continue to have them work, but to do as many fun things as possible in training.  Keeping up the motivation to train is sometimes very hard when you think no one cares several weeks after that big deployment is over.  We as a nation have a very short memory.  Don’t let these hero’s, whether they have two or four legs, be forgotten.

If you know someone who is a search dog handler or who went on this deployment to Haiti, the best thing you can do is thank them…then ask if you can hide for their dog to do a fun motivational search problem.  Also, thank them, agian in a month, and ask to hide for thier dog, agian.  Many, if not almost all of the handlers that went on the deployment to Haiti from the USA are volunteers, yes even those with the FEMA teams.  Some of the handlers are full time firefighters.  Most are volunteers who put their own personal life on hold to answer the call.  They are adjusting to being home, getting their life back in order, and having someone who will ask to be a victim can be a motivating tool for the handler.

If you are interested in becoming or learning more about becoming a search dog handler, you can go to www.k9handleracademy.com.  You should also spend some time and learn how to be prepared yourself for the type of natural disasters that are common in your area, have supplies stored.

As always, if you have questions, please ask.

Wags,

Robin and K9 Dunder  (NASAR Type I Area Search Team)

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When Flooding Leaves You Stranded in Your Car

One weather-related emergency that can cause you to get stuck right where you are is flooding. It can cause accidents which might force you to pull over to avoid destroying your vehicle, and it can also leave you stranded in your car for hours. Emergency officials may shut down the road, which means you could have to stay home for a day or more. This happened in Mississippi recently as the Sun Herald reports:

Weekend rains caused flooding and road closings throughout the area, and flood warnings have been extended. Heavy rain caused problems for motorists Saturday night. The state Highway Patrol said it dealt with several accidents that involved hydroplaning vehicles.

Heavy rains can cause problems for you on and off the road. Your home may become flooded, or your community may shut down due to floods. Therefore, it’s important to think beyond the normal supplies you have on hand. You need to prepare for emergencies. Do you have enough supplies for 3 days at the very least? If you do, great. Add more emergency kits and other supplies to sustain yourself for at least two weeks. It could take that long for you to get power again, for the rain to stop and roads to get cleared.

Source:
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1805820.html

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Emergency Preparedness for Prisoners

One group that definitely needs an emergency preparedness plan, are those officials overseeing prisoners. It would be nothing short of a catastrophe to wait for an emergency to happen first before testing out written down plans. One Tennessee sheriff knows this best, and did a drill recently to see how to strong (or how weak) his plans to evacuate a jail were:

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office evacuated about 130 inmates from the Shelby County Jail Saturday morning, but it was only a test. The drill tested the jail’s evacuation plan and its preparedness in the event of a real-life emergency, said Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell. As part of the exercise, the deputies temporarily installed razor wire atop the chain link fence and around the perimeters of a parking lot to the east of the jail.

You must plan for the prospect of civil unrest if there are man-made and other emergencies. As a resident in a community near a jail, you especially have to prepare yourself to safely bunker down in your home (or elsewhere). What will you do if it’s unsafe to go outside for a period of time because of escaped prisoners? Do you have enough water and other supplies?

Source:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/13/put-to-the-02/

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Motorists Stranded without Food or Water

Can you imagine being stranded in your car for hours without food or water? That happened to thousands of motorists in Wisconsin last year after a major storm. WISN reports:

The 18-inches of snow that fell in the Madison area presented the first test of a new state emergency communication system. The new system was enacted last year after a major storm stranded motorists on a stretch of the interstate for up to 12 hours. That scene of nearly 2,000 motorists, many without food or water, stranded on a snow interstate is one that state officials said that they never wanted to see repeated.

The sad thing is, no one needs to be stranded without food, water or medical supplies. Buying a car emergency kit is not a luxury for some anymore. It’s a necessity for every responsible individual. Not having water can lead to your death if you go too long without it, and there are a multitude of cases where people did not receive the medical attention or help they needed on time in an emergency. Don’t let that happen to you. Prepare now for road emergencies with a car emergency kit that has everything you need to evacuate or keep you safe and warm, while you wait for help.

Source:
http://www.wisn.com/news/21925862/detail.html

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Tips for Preparedness in Hazardous Weather Conditions

Emergency management coordinators, whose job is to make sure their area, city or county is prepared for emergencies, are offering tips to residents for emergency preparedness. The Cleburne Times-Review reports on one coordinator’s preparations for hazardous weather conditions:

The city of Cleburne constantly prepares for hazardous weather conditions this time of year, said emergency management coordinator Randy Jenkins.

“We think ahead,” he said. “The National Weather Service lets us know when bad weather is on the way. For instance, we’ll have snow chains ready for our fire vehicles. We check the antifreeze in the vehicles in really cold weather. Public works takes care of sanding and things like water main breaks. Day to day, we have minimum staffing 24-7. We have minimal staffing at fire stations and at the police station on holidays. A lot of public works employees are on call.”

“People should keep blankets and flashlights in their vehicles in case they get stranded. People with medical conditions who lose power in their homes should call [the police department] and let us know. We can find the person shelter.”

This is a good start, but you’ll need to go beyond that to keep you and your family safe. Food and water would be a top priority, as well as a well stocked first aid kit. These are already assembled in car and home survival kits, as well as other light and communications supplies.

Source:
http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/johnsoncounty/local_story_347203041.html?keyword=topstory