 It’s already September which is National Preparedness Month (NPM)! This year’s NPM theme is:
“Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.”
This month, let’s #PrepareTogether and update disaster preparedness plans, supplies, skills, and knowledge.
Stay tuned for weekly NPM messages.
Region 10 National Preparedness Weekly Themes:
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Week 1: Sept. 1-4 - Make A Plan
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Week 2: Sept. 5-11 - Build A Kit
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Week 3: Sept. 12-18 - Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness
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Week 4: Sept. 19-25 - Engage Your Community on Preparedness
Week 1: Sept 1 - 4 - Make a Plan
This week focuses on making an emergency plan. You are encouraged to do the following this week:
- Talk with loved ones about the types of disasters that can impact you. This can be a conversation around the dinner table or a zoom call.
- Plan how to contact one another and have an out-of-area contact. Remember texts are more likely to go through over calls.
- Know how you and your loved ones will reconnect if separated.
- Consider the specific needs in your household when making your plan, including disabilities or accesses and functional needs, medical equipment, medications, etc.
- Practice your plan with everyone involved, including your pets!
Find additional recommendations on Ready.gov.
 Monday September 13, from 12 - 1 p.m. PT
Join us in a discussion with FEMA Regions 3, 4, and 8 through Twitter’s new audio format, Twitter Spaces. Learn how each region prepares for various disasters with low/no cost. Follow us @FEMAregion10 and stay tuned for the event link.
Check out the FEMA Region 10 Twitter Page on September 13 to listen in!
 Tuesday, September 14 from 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. PT, Zoom Online Platform
This online event will be a fun, engaging, disaster preparedness-centric evening for the whole family! There will be a storyline activity throughout the event, hands-on preparedness activities, opportunities to move around and test out your emergency plans, and time to interact and ask questions. Some people’s pets will even make an appearance.
Hosted by FEMA Region 10, AK, ID, OR, WA state emergency management agencies, and the American Red Cross.
Click HERE to register or visit: bit.ly/3yzJ3kV
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and closed captioning will be present at the event. If you require additional accommodations, please make your request by September 3, 2021. Send an e-mail to FEMA-R10-CommunityPrep@fema.dhs.gov or text/call 425-877-7910. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to fill.
Animal Preparedness Webinar: Livestock & Large Animals
Friday, September 17th from 10 - 11 a.m. PT
Microsoft Teams Online Platform
This is the second of a two-part webinar series focused on animal safety and preparedness. Presenters will cover evacuation and sheltering considerations, with an emphasis on heat and wildfire impacts.
There will be representatives from:
- American Humane
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
- Spokane County Emergency Management
Click the below link at 10 a.m. on September 17 to join the presentation (no registration needed):
Large Animals & Livestock: https://bit.ly/AnimalPrep2
Watch Part 1, focused on Pets & Small Animals (from Aug. 27) : link to recording
 Monday , September 27th from 9 -10 a.m. PT
Zoom Online Platform
During September, we recognize National Preparedness Month, an important time to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.”
One of this year's National NPM weekly themes is “Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters.” This webinar will feature a discussion on FEMA youth preparedness programs and other resources that encourage youth to take preparedness actions at school, home, and in their communities. Guest speakers include Chief Deputy Director at Cook County Emergency Management and Regional Security and a student panel of FEMA Regional Youth Preparedness Council members.
Who Should Attend? The whole community – individuals and families, educators, volunteer and faith-based organizations, local, state, federal government and private sector.
Registration Link
 Please join the Region 2 National Preparedness Division for Ready Games in celebration of National Preparedness Month this September.
This event will kickoff with a brief presentation on steps you can take to be better prepared for all hazards.
RESILIENCE BINGO
September 1st from 1 - 2 p.m. PT
REGISTER
YOUTH WHEEL OF READINESS
September 8th from 2 - 3 p.m. PT
REGISTER
PREPAREDNESS TRIVIA
September 15th from 1 – 2 p.m. PT
REGISTER
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT JEOPARDY
September 22nd from 1 – 2 p.m. PT
REGISTER
CERT FEUD
September 29th from 1 - 2 p.m. PT
REGISTER
 Join the Region 7 National Preparedness Division in celebration of National Preparedness Month this September. With four webinars throughout the month learn more about how to be better prepared for disasters.
Be COVID Prepared
Sept. 9, 9:00 am ––10:00 am PT
This webinar is designed to introduce institutes of higher education (IHE) to the Be COVID Prepared Toolkit. This toolkit, designed by FEMA and HHS partners in Region 7, will help IHEs and their students prepare for COVID-19 if it impacts their campus again.
Registration Link
Introduction to OPEN
Sept. 16, 9:00 am - 10:00 am PT
When community-based organizations, such as food pantries, daycares, and non-profits, are unable to sustain operations during an emergency incident, individuals who rely on them are exponentially impacted. Because of their importance in keeping the community going, the Organizations Preparing for Emergency Needs program is designed to empower these organizations to better prepare for incidents. This webinar is a brief introduction to the OPEN program and will highlight how your organization can benefit from it.
Registration Link
Mind Over Matter
Sept. 23, 9:00 am ––10:00 am PT
This webinar is designed to introduce people to the Mind Over Matter resource document created by FEMA and HHS partners in Region 7. Originally designed as a companion to the "Be COVID Prepared" toolkit for colleges and universities, this resource document includes resources that would be beneficial to anyone dealing with the stress and mental fatigue of the pandemic.
Registration Link
Are You Ready?
Sept. 30 11:00 am Sept. 30 11:00 am ––12:00 pm CDT12:00 pm CDT
Disasters disrupt thousands of lives every year, leaving behind lasting effects on people and property. This webinar will provide you with information on how best to prepare your family and your community for disasters. We will introduce FEMA’s Are You Ready guide to citizen preparedness and highlight ways you can use the guide to be better prepared for all types of disasters or emergencies.
Registration Link
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Upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Webinars |
Check out the first quarterly newsletter from the National CERT Association! https://nationalcert.org/resources/newsletters
The State of California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has partnered with FEMA Region 2 and the National CERT Association (NCA) to host the following webinars. All of these will be recorded and found at Preparedness Webinars | FEMA.gov.
Spontaneous Volunteers Lessons Learned in Argentina and Chile. Presented by Professor Duncan Shaw (Manchester University, UK) and Dr. Jenny Moreno (University of Concepcion, Chile). This talk will present the concepts of spontaneous volunteering, the process of planning for spontaneous volunteers as outlined in ISO22319, and case studies of implementing ISO22391 with governments in Chile and Argentina to create systems for involving spontaneous volunteers.
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. PT
Click here to register - https://fema.connectsolutions.com/certcon2/event/registration.html
Disasterville. Presented by James Ray (Utah Division of Emergency Management). Disasterville is an out of the box idea that provides a fun interactive experience that CERT programs can use to strengthen community buy-in, recruit for CERT training, refresh CERT skills and build stronger relationships between the public and professional first responders.
Tuesday, Sept 21, 2021, from 10 - 11:30 a.m. PT
Click here to register - https://fema.connectsolutions.com/certcon3/event/registration.html
Search and Rescue, Lost Person Behavior. Presented by Dr. Robert Koester. Lost person behavior is the cornerstone of search and rescue efforts. Based upon a landmark study, Dr. Koester outlines a definitive guide to solving the puzzle of where a lost person might be found.
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2021, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. PT
Click here to register - https://fema.connectsolutions.com/certcon4/event/registration.html
Maintaining and Revitalizing your CERT Program. Presented by Teresa Greenhalgh (San Diego County OES, CA). This presentation will share ideas and best practices for maintaining and revitalizing your CERT program.
Tuesday, Oct 26, 2021, from 10 - 11:30 a.m. PT
Click here to register - https://fema.connectsolutions.com/certcon5/event/registration.html
Moulage, Bringing the Exercise to Life. Presented by Mae Kennedy (Moulage by Mae, Christian County CERT). This session will go over techniques to create realistic looking moulage to enhance CERT disaster simulations and exercises.
Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021, from 10 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PT
Click here to register - https://fema.connectsolutions.com/certcon6/event/registration.html
 Graduation Celebration!
In late August, eight members of the FEMA Region 10 Youth Preparedness Council members graduated from the program. These members include: Dania (WA), Elliot (OR), Isaac (WA), Kylee (WA), Larry (WA), Miles (ID), Parker (OR), and Shivani (WA).
During the 2020-2021 program year, council members contributed over 550 service hours creating social media messaging and products, hosting virtual youth preparedness workshops, and building Region 10’s culture of preparedness. The Council’s social media products received over 100,000 views over the last year. Congratulations to the Council and best of luck to our graduating members in their next endeavors!
 See page 15 of Prepare in a Year Guide for more information
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When disaster strikes, it may be difficult to think as rationally as in normal conditions. The more procedures you have in place, and the easier they are to remember/implement, the more effective and efficient your response will be.
We recommend that you keep the below items under the bed. That way, day or night, you’ll know where to find them.
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Critical Under the Bed Items
- Sturdy shoes — to protect your feet from broken glass
- Work gloves, preferably leather — to protect your hands from broken glass
- Flashlight & light sticks — essential for a nighttime response
When planning for emergencies, we want to take into consideration all the needs in the household. For someone who is deaf or blind, being prepared may require access to tools that can alert you to danger.
In this article, Jim House from Washington State Independent Living Council shares tips for life-saving devices and provides other resources. He explains the two resources below, amongst others, that can help keep you and/or a household member stay safe.
- Tip One — A weather radio can shake you into action
- A NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) offers nonverbal textual information embedded in its broadcasts to provide timely, critical warnings of life-threatening events to deaf and hard-of-hearing residents. Some NWR receivers are equipped with special connections that activate external devices such as bed shakers, pillow vibrators, strobe lights and other systems.
- Tip Two - A smoke/carbon monoxide detector that can wake you up.
- There are smoke/carbon monoxide detectors made that flash bright lights, are incredibly loud, and/or shake your bed. Learn more about the current Sound the Alarm program that the American Red Cross has that distributes smoke alarms and bed shakers for free here.
 Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. This month is meant for celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of the United states Hispanic and Latinx communities.
This celebration was first introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown, who represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley and who wanted to recognize the role played by the Hispanic and Latinx communities throughout American history. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week presidential proclamation in 1968 and it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.
September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively.
This month, learn more about the history in your city and the contributions that Hispanic and Latinx members have made.
Link to learn more
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