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Red
Cross Month provides an opportunity to honor and celebrate the
everyday heroes who help the organization fulfill its mission – to prevent and
alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of
volunteers and the generosity of donors.
Opportunities to be a “hero” include volunteering
for a worthy cause, making a donation to a charity, donating blood, or taking a
safety class.
The American
Red Cross offers safety training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR), first aid, and even how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Courses are available across the nation. Find
a Red Cross safety course closest to you.
You can also volunteer for your local Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT). Volunteers assist others in their
community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately
available to help. Find
a local CERT near you.
Learn
more about Red Cross Month and how you can help support your
community.
The final deadline to submit an application for the
Youth Preparedness Council is fast approaching. Applications are due on Sunday, March 20, 11:59 p.m. PDT.
FEMA is accepting applications for students
currently in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade who are engaged in individual and
community preparedness, or have experienced a disaster that motivated them to
make a positive difference in their community.
Youth interested in applying to the Council must
submit a completed application form, two letters of recommendation, and
academic records. The application
instructions contain specific information about completing and
submitting the application and attachments. The final deadline for all applications
and supporting materials is March 20, 2016, 11:59 p.m. PDT. FEMA will announce new
Youth Preparedness Council members in May 2016.
Hurry! You only have three days to submit your
application. For more information about the Youth Preparedness Council and to
access the application materials, please visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.
Are you prepared for a sudden emergency when
traveling? Is your car fit for long trips no matter the natural disaster?
You can avoid many dangerous weather problems by
planning ahead. Plan long trips carefully, listening to the radio or television
for the latest weather forecasts and road conditions. You can also download the FEMA mobile application
to receive severe weather alerts for up to five locations across the U.S.
If bad weather is forecasted, drive only if
necessary. Additionally,
have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
- Antifreeze
levels to ensure they are sufficient enough to avoid freezing;
- The wear on
your vehicle’s brakes and the brake fluid level; and
- Adequate
tire tread.
Plus, keep a kit of emergency supplies
in your car in case of an emergency.
Question: What do these three statements
have in common?
It’s best to stand in the doorway
of a building to protect myself during an earthquake. My homeowner’s insurance will pay for all damage to my home caused by a
storm. I don’t live near a body of water, so I don’t have to worry about
flooding.
Answer: They are all preparedness myths.
America’s PrepareAthon! (@PrepareAthon) will host
a Twitter chat on Wednesday,
March 30 at 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss common preparedness myths and how the
public can prepare for disasters.
Follow the Twitter chat, using #SafetyFacts.
FEMA is accepting applications for the 2016 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness
Awards. The awards highlight innovative local
practices and achievements by individuals and organizations that made outstanding
contributions toward building safer, better prepared, and more resilient
communities. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
If you’re submitting an application for an award, consider reviewing the profiles of previous
winners to learn more about their award-winning efforts. You can also visit the Awards homepage
to read their full profiles.
2015
Winner of Community Preparedness Heroes
Craig Wolfe is a volunteer emergency preparedness coordinator
in Hull, MA. He worked to ensure Hull residents are more self-sufficient during
an emergency. Craig created a master book of all local, state and federal
agency phone numbers that could be needed during a disaster. He also upgraded
the city’s emergency operations center systems and established a community
warming shelter.
2014
Winner of Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness
The Mississippi State University Extension Service
created MyPI, a grassroots initiative that provides innovative preparedness
training and education to more than 3,500 teens per year. MyPI is a 10-week program where participants
meet at least once a week to complete the Teen
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.
2013
Winner of Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives
In 2012, the City of Austin Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management conducted a community-wide survey to measure
how well the city is prepared for major disasters and emergencies. The overall survey findings indicated that
Austin residents were not well prepared for natural or man-made disasters. Based
upon the results, the City of Austin CERT greatly enhanced its program by
developing six new partnerships to help Austin residents prepare for and
respond to local incidents.
Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the
federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster
preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events,
entities, organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events
and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included
in future newsletters by contacting citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov.
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