FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Comes to a Close

MINOT, N.D. – After 27 months, the FEMA temporary housing mission in the Souris Valley came to a close yesterday.  In the aftermath of the 2011 Souris River flooding, FEMA brought in more than 2,000 manufactured homes to address the severe housing shortage in the region. In the past month, the final few remaining households have been securing permanent housing.

To address the housing needs of the Souris Valley, FEMA established three group housing complexes, encompassing more than 800 individual sites.  Those sites were De Sour Valley Heights on the outskirts of Burlington, Recovery Village northeast of Minot and Virgil Workman Village on the east end of Minot.  In addition, five manufactured housing parks were also utilized and more than 1,100 manufactured housing units were placed on private property.

All families were placed into housing units by Christmas 2011 – a remarkable accomplishment considering the shortage of contractors available and the inhospitable weather that North Dakota can experience.  From that point, residents returned to permanent housing at a rate of approximately 100 per month, with more in the summer months and fewer in the winter time when construction slows.

The diligent efforts of FEMA housing staff have assisted residents in both finding available rental housing as well as completing a highly successful housing unit sales program – which resulted in 265 units being sold to residents for permanent housing. 

Helping 2,000 households return to a permanent housing situation has been a collaborative effort that has resulted in the successful completion of this housing mission. The Bank of North Dakota Rebuilders Loan Program has provided low-interest loans to assist residents with the purchase of a unit from FEMA.  The Minot Housing Authority has worked closely with FEMA housing residents to find available public housing options.  And Hope Village provided critical volunteer labor and donated resources to help homeowners make repairs to their damaged homes.

In addition to managing the temporary housing program, FEMA has provided more than $90 million to Souris Valley residents to make repairs to flood damaged properties or to pay rent while unable to live in a flood-damaged home.  Statewide, FEMA has provided more than $400 million in disaster assistance to individuals and governmental jurisdictions as a result of 2011 flooding.

 

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FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Comes to a Close

Latest Approved Funding for Debris Removal Brings Total for Oklahoma Recovery to Nearly $75 Million

OKLAHOMA CITY – An additional $4.6 million has been approved in federal funding for debris clearance in Oklahoma following the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that occurred from May 18 – June 2, 2013. This figure, along with additional amounts from Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), brings State and federal assistance for Oklahoma to nearly $75 million.

The latest amount covers eligible debris removal costs under a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Alternative Procedures Pilot Program. The accelerated debris removal program was initiated in Oklahoma following the devastating spring storms. The program funds expenses such as debris removal and debris recycling from public property and right-of-ways.

“Clearing debris is the first step in long-term recovery. This pilot program is assisting Oklahoma communities as they continue the rebuilding process,” said State Coordinating Officer and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director Michelann Ooten.

A fundamental element of the pilot program is the provision of financial incentives for applicants for accomplishing timely removal of debris and for developing a pre-incident debris management plan. 

“Not only is the pilot program helping with debris clearance, but it is also offering financial incentives that are helping with the recovery process. That’s a win-win for all,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman.

Meanwhile, more than $14.4 million in disaster assistance for housing and disaster-related expenses has been approved for qualified homeowners and renters. This includes more than $9.8 million in rental costs and house repairs, and more than $4.5 million for medical expenses, replacement clothing, vehicle repairs, funeral and burial costs, and other needs generated by the storms.

As of September 18, more than one million cubic yards of disaster debris had been cleared in Oklahoma, roughly 96 percent of the estimated total of 1,242,890 cubic yards generated by the storms.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $45.4 million in low-interest disaster loans for qualified homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4117 or visit the OEM site at oem.ok.gov.

 

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 Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against emergencies and disasters. The department delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through a network of more than 350 local emergency managers.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

 

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Latest Approved Funding for Debris Removal Brings Total for Oklahoma Recovery to Nearly $75 Million

FEMA Obligates $2 Million Towards VT Department of Children & Families’ Temporary Relocation Costs

WILLISTON, Vt. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated $2 million for temporary relocation costs to re-establish essential community services provided by the Department for Children and Families (DCF) that were displaced from the Waterbury State Office Complex by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. 

The Public Assistance funding represents FEMA’s 90 percent reimbursement of a total eligible cost to the State of $2.3 million to relocate staff and provide call center facilities through completion of the rebuilding process at the Waterbury State Office Complex.

FEMA and the state recently announced that of the estimated $225 million total price tag for the cleanup, renovation and new construction associated with the Waterbury State Office Complex and Vermont State Hospital, more than $66 million in costs will be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance at the 90 percent reimbursement rate.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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FEMA Obligates $2 Million Towards VT Department of Children & Families’ Temporary Relocation Costs

Hurricane Rita: Eight Years of Recovery and Federal Aid

NEW ORLEANS – As Louisianans reflect on their rebuilding accomplishments since Hurricane Rita’s devastating blow on Sept. 24, 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to aid in the state’s restoration, supported by more than $1.3 billion in federal grants.

“Communities in southwest Louisiana have overcome amazing odds to rebuild their towns following Hurricane Rita’s destruction. Today, swaths of land once cleared of everything but pilings now house state-of-the-art schools, libraries and government buildings,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Director Mike Womack.

For these communities, FEMA has provided nearly $668.8 million in public assistance grants for initial projects such as debris removal and emergency protective measures and later grants to repair or rebuild public facilities damaged by Hurricane Rita. Of this funding, $216.5 million was provided for recovery work in Cameron Parish and $122.1 million for work in Calcasieu Parish.

For a photo essay of some of the permanent work projects in these two parishes, visit www.fema.gov/la8year.  These facilities, along with many others, tell their own accounts of recovery progress.

In addition, more than 175,000 households throughout Louisiana received $523.5 million in funding under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program for their own personal recovery efforts from Hurricane Rita, including $417.7 million in housing assistance for rent, repairs and replacement housing and $105.8 million in other needs assistance for such things as furniture, clothing and replacement vehicles.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program also set aside $137.9 million to help prevent future losses of lives and properties. The grants help communities rebuild stronger and smarter by providing funding for projects such as elevations, acquisitions, pilot reconstructions and retrofitting.

For more information about Louisiana’s recovery from both hurricanes Katrina and Rita and to view the 8th Year Photo Essay, visit www.fema.gov/la8year.

All data is as of Sept. 18, 2013.                                                                                                                                                                   

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed. The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femalro, blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. The social media links are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Hurricane Rita: Eight Years of Recovery and Federal Aid

FEMA Individual Assistance tops $1 billion in New York after Sandy

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $1 billion in assistance to individuals and families in New York whose property was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

This includes more than $855 million to help eligible survivors with home repairs and temporary rental costs and nearly $145 million with other uninsured hurricane-related expenses related to personal property, transportation, medical, dental, funeral and moving costs.

The $1 billion in grants through FEMA’s Individuals and Households program is part of more than $8 billion in total disaster assistance toward New York’s recovery, including more than $1.5 billion in low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans, more than $3.7 billion in flood insurance claim payments and more than $1.8 billion for debris removal, repair or replacement of public facilities and reimbursement for emergency expenses.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY 800-462-7585.)

 

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Source – 

FEMA Individual Assistance tops $1 billion in New York after Sandy

Preparing and Engaging Youth

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Emergencies can be scary for people of every age; they can be especially scary for youth because they generally have little control over how their family or community has prepared, and how they will respond.  Too often youth are viewed as a liability rather than an asset, when instead they have so much to offer their families and their communities if only they were better prepared and better engaged.

“Involving youth in the preparedness process teaches them about what to do, who to contact, and what the plan is,” said Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney, “it also reduces some of the fear associated with an emergency, but most importantly, youth have excellent ideas that can help everyone prepare for a disaster.”

FEMA recognizes the value that youth can provide, and for that very reason established the Youth Preparedness Council last year.  The Council provides an avenue for FEMA to engage the youth population, taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions. 

Just a few of the accomplishments from this year’s Youth Preparedness Council include designing a “Be Prepared Day” for the community to educate everyone on disaster preparedness, establishing a neighborhood response team, and conducting health and wellness checks.  Talk to youth in your community about any ideas they may have and help them where you can. 

Young people are capable of playing an important role in emergency preparedness, and have the unique potential to help their communities be safe, stronger and more resilient before, during and after a disaster.  As such, we all have a vested interest in engaging and empowering youth to become active participants in individual, family, and community preparedness.

You can engage the youth in your family and your community by teaching them about what hazards are common in your area, explaining to them the warning signs are, and what to do if a certain hazard should strike.  When you develop your Family Emergency Plan, make sure to have your children at the table with you so they understand the plan, can ask questions, and can provide ideas for what to do in a disaster.

By teaching youth about how to communicate if your family is separated in a disaster you can build the resiliency and capability of your entire family.  Other skills like teaching youth safety skills such as first aid, CPR, and how to safely use a fire extinguisher gets them involved in the process and makes everyone better prepared.  Talk to youth that you know about what programs they would like to be involved in and encourage them to explore options like Teen CERT teams.

Youth of any age can be involved in the emergency preparedness process; figure out what’s right for your children and invite them into the process.  You could be very surprised by the ideas they have and how much they can help your family and your community in an emergency.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.  Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

 

Media Inquiries: FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov or 215-931-5597

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Preparing and Engaging Youth

FEMA Specialists to Provide Historic and Environmental Preservation Information at Upcoming Missouri Preservation Clinic

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.–On September 6, 2013, President Obama declared a major disaster for 18 counties in the State of Missouri. In addition to Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program funding for state and eligible local governments, qualifying private non-profit organizations many be eligible for assistance as a result of the declaration.

To help private non-profit organizations understand federal disaster assistance eligibility and the grant application process, Historic and Environmental Preservations specialists from the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) will participate in a Preservation Clinic hosted by Missouri Preservation this Friday, September 20, 2013.

Missouri Preservation Conference Preservation Clinic

Isle of Capri Hotel
100 Isle of Capri Blvd.
Booneville, MO  65233 
September 20, 2013
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Free of charge and open to the public, the Clinic is organized as part of Missouri Preservation’s annual Statewide Preservation Conference and will feature demonstrations of various hands-on techniques to restore and preserve historic building materials as well as short one-on-one sessions with experts in the preservation field.

During the Clinic, FEMA representatives will also provide information on a variety of preservation topics including:

Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning

  • Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions:  Before and After Disasters

  • Heritage Emergency Task Force

For more information on the Missouri Preservation Conference and Preservation Clinic, contact Missouri Preservation at 660-882-5846 or email Preservemo10@yahoo.com.

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Visit FEMA Region VII’s website and follow us on social media, at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate on Twitter.  The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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FEMA Specialists to Provide Historic and Environmental Preservation Information at Upcoming Missouri Preservation Clinic

Texas-based Organizations Win Nearly Half of 2013 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards

DENTON, Texas – Three out of seven winners in this year’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual and Community Preparedness Awards are from the state of Texas. 

The annual awards, which are announced during September’s National Preparedness Month, recognize the innovative practices and achievements of individuals, Citizen Corps Councils, and nonprofit, faith-based, and private sector organizations working throughout the nation to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to manage any disaster or emergency event.

The seven categories include Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives, Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives, Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives, Outstanding Achievements in Youth Preparedness, Preparing the Whole Community, Awareness to Action and Community Preparedness Heroes.

“I am extremely proud of these organizations and the individuals in Texas who have been recognized nationally by FEMA for their creative initiatives to keep their communities prepared,” said Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “Thanks to the selfless dedication of the various volunteer groups across Texas, they are making Texas a safer place to live.”

“We applaud our Texas partners for the great work they are doing when it comes to preparedness,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “These awards more than demonstrate the commitment that the Lone Star State has to ensuring its citizens are ready for any emergency.”

The Texas awardees include:

  • The City of Austin for Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives:           

Last year, the Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) conducted a community-wide survey to measure how well Austin’s whole community is prepared for major disasters and emergencies.  The basic consensus indicated that Austin residents were not well prepared for natural or man-made disasters. Based on these results, the city of Austin’s Community Emergency Response Team greatly enhanced its program by developing six new partnerships to help prepare Austin’s whole community respond to local incidents, and fill gaps that left the Austin community vulnerable in times of emergency.  In the past 16 months, members of Austin CERT have worked tirelessly to help maximize their efforts to make their program exemplary. Parts of the program’s success include the Austin CERT Water Utility Partnership, the Austin Fire Department Partnership, Austin’s Teen CERT Partnership, the Disaster Ready Austin Preparedness Partnership, and the Austin CERT Podcast.

  • The Heart of Texas Citizen Corps Council for Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives:

On the evening of April 17, 2013, a fertilizer plant exploded in West Texas killing 14 people including 12 first responders, injuring hundreds, and destroying houses and buildings. The enormity of this disaster triggered a massive response from first responders as well as volunteers. The volunteer response included no fewer than 10 Citizen Corps teams organized under the Heart of Texas Citizen Corps Council, which is organized and overseen by the Homeland Security Division of the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG). Local CERT teams in the area contributed over 120 hours of volunteer service and made a significant impact in assisting those in need.

  • The Texas School Safety Center for Outstanding Achievements in Youth Preparedness:

The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) developed a statewide approach to emphasize youth preparedness and educate the whole community in disaster preparedness.  Through the delivery of a statewide youth summer camp that includes emergency response training, community specific action planning, and leadership development, the TxSSC prepares teams of youth to lead preparedness efforts in their local communities and schools.  In June 2012, the TxSSC funded 30 participants, made up of three youth groups and their adult sponsors from across Texas, to attend the 2012 Youth Preparedness Camp.  The camp spanned across five days and was held at Schriener University in Kerrville, Texas. 

In addition to the three awardees, one Texan, a Texas youth program and a Texas county received honorable mentions for their programs:

  • Stephanie Parker for Community Preparedness Heroes
  • Texas School Safety Center for Awareness to Action
  • Harris County CERT for Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team

“We encourage everyone to take steps now to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses and communities,” Robinson added.  “What better time to make this commitment than National Preparedness Month.”

For more information, visit www.citizencorps.gov, http://community.fema.gov, and http://ready.gov/kids

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6  and the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/region-vi/region-6-preparedness

 

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Texas-based Organizations Win Nearly Half of 2013 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards

Region VII to Host LIVE Twitter Chat with the Public, Businesses and Partner Organizations About Disaster Preparedness for Traditionally Underserved…

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—No matter who you are, your decisions today will impact whether you’ll be ready to be a hero tomorrow—so the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region VII, is opening up a live, interactive social media discussion with the public about disaster preparedness that leaves no one out!

On Sept. 24, 2013, at 12 noon CDT, FEMA’s Region VII office will host its first-ever LIVE interactive Twitter chat using the hashtag #ALLReadyChat to discuss disaster preparedness for everyone, including older Americans, people with or without disabilities and individuals with access and functional needs, as well as those with service animals or pets. The event is part of activities planned this month for National Preparedness Month (NPM).

“This is a chance for the public to interact with disaster experts in FEMA Region VII, but also with other agencies and organizations who will participate,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman. “Social media gives us a great ‘space’ to get to know one another better—it’s about give and take, not just us providing information, but everyone engaging to support community resilience.”

Superheroes capitalize on their strengths to excel. This sometimes means giving to others and other times it means asking for or accepting help. Superman is no exception! His vice is Kryptonite and there are times he needs and has received help from others to survive when it has weakened him. This empowers him and gives him an opportunity to rise up and help millions of other people. Every one of us has a superhero inside waiting for an opportunity to “save the day,” in one way or another!

Even superhero emergency responders cannot be everywhere at once. It can take minutes, hours or days to get help during a disaster. This makes disaster preparedness especially important for people with disabilities and individuals with access and functional needs, including those with temporary situations—for example, those recovering from surgery, or those who have difficulties moving around for a variety of reasons.

When planning for emergencies, think about things you will need that may be difficult to get during a disaster– like batteries for adaptive medical equipment, medications and or assistance with transportation or moving around. Then plan with friends and family so you’re able to meet all your personal needs for at least three to five days. Share your stories on Twitter about preparedness using #ALLReadyChat and get good tips all week this week and then during the live chat!

The chat will last 30 minutes. The first twenty minutes will include a discussion about “myths versus facts” related to disaster preparedness and the last 10 minutes will be left open for the public and other organizations to ask FEMA questions about disaster preparedness.

Leading up to the live chat, this week, the hashtag #ALLReadyChat is already being used to provide important tips to fuel a conversation around preparedness for everyone, but especially individuals who are members of normally underserved groups. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to follow the #ALLReadyChat conversation on Twitter (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23allreadychat&src=typd). Anyone can follow the discussion by using this link. Twitter members can sign into Twitter to interact with the discussion. The discussion is being hosted by Region VII’s Twitter account.

Learn about other NPM events and activities Region VII and others are involved with and then plan and post your own disaster preparedness activity on the region’s website.

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Visit FEMA Region VII’s website and follow us on social media, at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate on Twitter.  The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

 

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Region VII to Host LIVE Twitter Chat with the Public, Businesses and Partner Organizations About Disaster Preparedness for Traditionally Underserved…

FEMA Honors Achievements In Community Preparedness

2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards Winners Announced

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the winners of the 2013 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards.  The Awards recognize individuals who have taken action to prepare their communities. This year, highlighted accomplishments were achieved between January 1, 2012 and June 5, 2013.

“We can only be prepared for disasters if we have strong leadership in our communities,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Today’s winners represent a cross-section of our community and demonstrate how emergency management is a shared responsibility.”

FEMA received nearly 200 applications from faith-based, non-profit, private sector, and community-based organizations, as well as individuals. Leadership from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and FEMA, with input from representatives of the whole community, selected this year’s winners from among applicants from 39 States and the District of Columbia.

The finalists each demonstrated remarkable innovation and creativity in preparing and supporting their communities. For example, the Texas School Safety Center developed a statewide approach to emphasize youth preparedness by establishing a youth preparedness summer camp that included emergency and community specific action planning in addition to leadership development. The volunteers of the Hoboken Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in New Jersey were essential in assisting the Hoboken Office of Emergency Management following Hurricane Sandy. The Illinois Citizen Corps Council leveraged local partners in their communities to help support their emergency preparedness programs.

This year, the third annual John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award is presented to the Los Angeles Fire Department South Los Angeles Teen CERT Collaborative. Solomon, founder of the blog In Case of Emergency, Read Blog, was an advocate of whole community engagement and collaboration, and noted that youth are the segment of any community most likely to bring about change in attitudes and behaviors toward emergency preparedness and resiliency. The LAFD South Los Angeles Teen CERT Collaborative, which partners with a wide variety of community organizations and empowers local youth, exemplifies many of the core themes of Solomon’s work.

Recipients of FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Awards will be invited to a recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C. during National Preparedness Month. During the ceremony, recipients will share their community preparedness successes and lessons learned with emergency management leadership.

A complete list of this year’s recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available at: www.ready.gov/citizen-corps-awards. Award recipients by category are as follows:

• Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Illinois Citizen Corps

• Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives: City of Austin CERT

• Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Heart of Texas Citizen Corps

• Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness: Texas School Safety Center

• Community Preparedness Heroes: Volunteers of the Hoboken CERT Program

• Awareness to Action: What To Do To Make It Through Campaign

• Third Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award: The Los Angeles Fire Department South Los Angeles Teen CERT Collaborative

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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FEMA Honors Achievements In Community Preparedness

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