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Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

DENVER –FEMA has approved a second extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which pays for eligible flood evacuees to stay in participating hotels and motels.

Eligible individuals and families whose homes are still uninhabitable, inaccessible or without utilities may continue to have a safe place to stay through Nov. 2 (checkout Nov. 3). The previous checkout date was Oct. 20.

TSA allows eligible individuals and families to stay temporarily in participating hotels, with FEMA and the state picking up the bill for eligible room costs and taxes.

Survivors may no longer have a need for TSA if their home is inspected and is found to be functional, accessible and has power.

An automated phone message has notified applicants if they are eligible for this period of assistance ending Nov. 2.

Individuals and families who are not eligible for the program may be considered for additional FEMA rental assistance.
- Applicants may need to provide rental agreement information.
- If applicant has any questions regarding assistance contact FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
- Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY can call 1-800-462-7585.
- A total of 598 households stayed in hotels and motels last night under TSA.

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Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

Alaskans Encouraged to Prepare for Extreme Winter Threats

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska’s winters can bring deep cold, high winds, floods, avalanches and more. The key to surviving any unexpected weather hazard is preparation, according to state and federal emergency management officials.

“We urge all Alaskans to plan ahead for the dangerous threats our winters bring,” said State Coordinating Officer Bryan Fisher of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Advance preparation is key to remaining self-reliant and ensuring the safety of our families during hazardous situations.”

Every part of Alaska is vulnerable to natural disasters. Wind-driven waves from intense storms crossing the Bering Sea produce coastal flooding that can drive large chunks of sea ice inland, destroying buildings near the shore.

High winds, especially across Alaska’s Arctic coast, can combine with loose snow to produce a blinding blizzard and life threatening wind chills. Extreme cold and ice fog can last a week or more at a time.

Heavy snow can impact the interior and is common along the southern coast. Heavy snow accumulation in the mountains builds glaciers, but can also cause avalanches or collapse building roofs throughout the state.

“Although there are just three steps to preparing for emergencies, folks tend to put off getting them done,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont of FEMA. “One easy approach is to make preparation a family project for just an hour or two over a couple of weekends.”

The three easy steps to prepare for winter disasters in Alaska are:

Step 1 – Make a Plan:

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another and what each of you will do in case of an emergency.
Decide on an emergency plan together. Keep information handy that isn’t easy to remember and store it in a safe place. Make a game or song to help younger children memorize important information.
Pick one friend or relative for each person to call to help your family get connected if you become separated. An out-of-town contact is best because long-distance phone service is less likely than local service to be affected by an emergency.
Know where you will meet. Pick a meeting place for when family members are at home and find out the evacuation locations for work, school, day care and other place family members often go.
Write down important information for all family members – name, social security number, date of birth and important medical information. Collect telephone numbers for doctors and pharmacies, along with critical health, homeowner and/or rental insurance information.

Step 2 – Get a kit of emergency supplies:

You may need to rely on your own supplies for at least seven days, maybe longer. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately, especially in rural parts of Alaska. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephones could be cut off for days or longer.
Remember to include unique family needs like pet supplies, infant formula and medicines. Store these items in easy-to-carry bags or bins. Consider two kits – one for home and a second lightweight, portable kit to keep in your car.
Both kits should include a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. Thoroughly check and update your family’s emergency supply kit for winter weather.

Step 3 – Stay informed:

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected during Alaska’s winters are the same regardless of the type of emergency. However, it’s important to stay informed about the emergency that may affect your family.
Listen to a NOAA weather radio or local news broadcasts for critical information about changing weather conditions.
Follow instructions from local authorities. Above all, stay calm, be patient and think before you act.

With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected during Alaska’s unpredictable winters. Learn more at http://ready.alaska.gov and http://www.ready.gov.

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Alaskans Encouraged to Prepare for Extreme Winter Threats

Tribal Corps Aids Alaska Flood Recovery: Sweat, Service and Spirit in the Last Frontier

HUGHES, Alaska – On a late September afternoon sprinkled with snow flurries, eight young adults in mud-streaked protective bodysuits and breathing masks installed blankets of insulation to the underside of a weather-worn cabin in the Alaskan Bush.

Two of them partnered off to move 8-foot by 4-foot sheets of plywood from a nearby shed to the house, while five others dragged themselves through the soggy soil in a tiny crawl space to fasten thermal lining to the underbelly of the home.

Later in the day, Cesar Flores, the team’s leader, stood beside a resident’s smokehouse observing a nearly six-foot-wide rack of a bull moose that was taken the day before.

“We don’t normally see things like this where we’re from,” said Flores. “We’re humbled to have been given this opportunity to come all the way out here and help a Native community recover.”

As a result of a major disaster declaration on June 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing assistance to Hughes and other disaster affected communities, including covering transportation and other costs for more than 200 AmeriCorps members and volunteers.

From their center of operations on the largest Native American reservation in California to a small indigenous village in Interior Alaska, the Hughes team worked tirelessly to remove flood-soaked tile and wood from flooring and walls, clear out spoiled furniture, and begin minor repairs on several homes that were damaged when the Koyukuk River overtopped its banks earlier this year.

They are specially trained AmeriCorps members from the Hoopa Tribal Civilian Community Corps (TCCC) — based out of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in Northern California —that helped Alaska Natives in Hughes navigate the rough patches of recovery and reconstruction.

Of the two dozen or so homes in Hughes, nearly a quarter of them were damaged by floodwaters that inundated the village in late May.

Hoopa TCCC members mucked, gutted and prepared six homes before handing them off to Disciples of Christ disaster response volunteers to complete the critical structural repairs. As the construction season comes to an end in Hughes, all but one of the damaged residences have been repaired and families are ready to overwinter in their own homes.

“It was a great idea to have the Hoopa AmeriCorps team come to Hughes to assist in rebuilding the homes,” said Thelma Nicholia of the Hughes Tribe. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it this fall if they didn’t come and help.”

Hoopa TCCC spent nearly two weeks in the Koyukon Athabascan village, a community of about 87 people where traditional ways of life still persist. In September, residents not only had to worry about repairing their homes, they had to hunt, fish and gather food to sustain their families through the winter months — a practice dating back thousands of years.

“Having the Hoopa group in Hughes was a smart decision and it turned out to be a great match,” said Ramona VanCleve, tribal liaison for FEMA’s spring flood recovery operation in Alaska. “They were a nice, thoughtful group to send in to a community so remote and with such a high percentage of Alaska Natives.”

Sitting on three square miles of land pinched between the Koyukuk River and a 500-foot bluff, Hughes is one of the eight communities in Alaska most affected by the spring floods. What’s more, the village’s lack of a road network combined with the state’s harsh climate made it a challenge for disaster response and recovery efforts.

Just before Hoopa TCCC arrived in Hughes, nearly two dozen men from the village were called down to the Lower 48 to help fight the blazes that ripped through parts of Yosemite National Park. While a chunk of the workforce was tied up in California for two weeks, Hoopa TCCC filled in where it could.

“There was a lot of work to be done in Hughes,” said Sebastian Ferris, a Hoopa TCCC member from the Hoopa Valley Tribe. “But we did it, and we happily did more than what was expected because we wanted to help this community — our brothers and sisters.”

Beyond home repairs, the members accompanied locals downriver to gather wood for stovetop cooking and helped to build smokehouses for drying moose meat.

Hoopa TCCC members embraced the Athabascan culture and spent most of their downtime socializing in the community. They played with the village children in the local playground and shared moose stew with the village elders.

“Sharing is an important part of Athabascan culture,” said VanCleve. “To the people in Hughes, what’s more friendship-building than sharing a traditional meal of moose stew?”

“We’re Natives, so there was an instant bond and connection,” said Luis Rea, a Hoopa TCCC member from the Chickasaw Nation. “We really felt like we became part of the family.”

Hoopa TCCC members come from all over the U.S. and represent several Native American tribes. The group serving in Hughes, in particular, is made up of members not only from the Hoopa Valley Tribe — an Athabascan group from the Trinity River valley in California, but also the Pit River Tribe in northeast California, the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

“This is the second time in my 15 years of being with TCCC that we have been mission assigned by FEMA to serve another Native American population in a disaster area,” said Tahsanchat Ferris-Wilson, program director for Hoopa TCCC. “Our program is sensitive to the needs in Indian Country, as we call it. Native people relate to other Native people.”

In events like the flooding in Alaska, the State and FEMA rely on voluntary organizations and national service groups like AmeriCorps to provide critical help for disaster survivors. AmeriCorps, through its parent agency the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), enlisted Hoopa TCCC along with 17 FEMA Corps and 67 other service corps members and staff to join the recovery front in several flood-ravaged areas in Alaska.

“In times of great need TCCC Hoopa is always first in line to serve,” said Kelly DeGraff, senior advisor for Disaster Services at CNCS. “The TCCC members often take on the toughest assignments and they are the perfect illustration of how powerful national service can be when responding to those in need.”

Originally from:

Tribal Corps Aids Alaska Flood Recovery: Sweat, Service and Spirit in the Last Frontier

FEMA Urges Residents to Continue Monitoring Conditions as Tropical Storm Approaches Gulf Coast

Heavy Rains and Flooding Possible in Some Areas

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its national response coordination center in Washington, D.C. and its regional offices in Atlanta, Ga., and Denton, Texas remains in close coordination with states potentially affected by Tropical Storm Karen. According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions are expected along areas of the Gulf Coast as early as this afternoon and into Sunday.

“Residents along the Gulf Coast are encouraged to continue to monitor local conditions and follow the direction of local officials,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “As the storm continues to move toward land, residents may begin to experience strong winds and flooding. Remember that conditions can change with little or no notice.”

Based on applicable legal requirements and consistent with its contingency plan, FEMA has recalled currently furloughed employees necessary to serve functions of the agency that protect life and property as they prepare for potential landfall of Tropical Storm Karen.

FEMA has recalled staff necessary to deploy four incident management assistance teams (IMAT), including a national incident management assistance team (IMAT), to potentially affected states. Each IMAT is supported by its defense coordinating element staffed by the Department of Defense. Liaison officers are currently positioned in emergency operations centers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi to assist with the coordination of planning and response operations. Additional teams are on standby and available for deployment as needed and requested.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate spoke with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant this week about ongoing efforts to prepare for Tropical Storm Karen. Fugate reiterated that Gulf Coast states have the full support of FEMA and the rest of the federal family in advance of the storm making landfall. Fugate’s calls were preceded by outreach from FEMA’s Regional Administrators to emergency management officials in potentially impacted states.

According to the National Weather Service, a tropical storm warning remains in effect from Morgan City, La. to the mouth of the Pearl River. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours. Also, a tropical storm watch remains in effect for metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain and from east of the mouth of the Pearl River to Indian Pass, Fla. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible, generally within 48 hours.

Severe Weather Safety and Preparedness Tips for Potentially-affected Gulf Coast areas:

Have important supplies ready to sustain you and your family, if needed. This includes water, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, cell phone charger, medicines, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies.
History shows that storm tracks can change quickly and unexpectedly, so FEMA encourages coastal residents to monitor weather conditions and take steps now to get prepared for potential severe tropical weather.
Tropical storms can bring high winds and heavy rains, so listen to local officials and follow their instructions.

FEMA, through its regional offices in Chicago, Ill and Kansas City, Mo., also is monitoring the storms affecting and potentially affecting areas of the Central U.S., including portions of Iowa and Nebraska, and has been in touch with state and local officials. FEMA deployed a liaison to the emergency operations center in Nebraska and activated an incident management assistance team (IMAT), positioning the team for immediate deployment should assistance be requested by the states affected. FEMA continues to stand ready to support the states, as requested.

For more information on preparing for hurricanes, severe weather and other natural disasters, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, visit www.Ready.gov or www.listo.gov. Information regarding emergency preparedness and what to do before and after a disaster can also be found at m.fema.gov or by downloading the FEMA app from your smartphone’s app store.

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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.

Original article –

FEMA Urges Residents to Continue Monitoring Conditions as Tropical Storm Approaches Gulf Coast

United Efforts Bring Successful Recovery to Circle

CIRCLE, Alaska – Four months ago, this small native village in northeastern Alaska was left devastated by some of the worst Yukon River flooding seen here in years. Floodwaters had inundated many homes, while mammoth missiles of river ice, known in Alaska as “ballistic ice,” had driven others hundreds of feet from their foundations. Debris and enormous chunks of ice littered the streets.

Today, Circle is steadily working its way back to normalcy, thanks in large part to a united effort among the local villagers, Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers from across the United States, the State of Alaska and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Circle is a small community of about 90 people, predominantly Athabascan Natives. Employment for residents is provided primarily by the tribe, health clinic, Circle School and a few local businesses, including a telephone service and a general store. With a limited cash economy and the high cost of imported food, subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering is a way of life, a tradition for Athabascans dating back thousands of years.

Like other remote Alaskan communities, Circle is very close-knit and self-reliant. However, First Chief Jessica Boyle welcomed the faith-based group’s aid with rebuilding, opening the door for acceptance of volunteers from the Mennonite Disaster Service into the community.

Over six weeks in August and September, the volunteers lived in the village, repairing and rebuilding flood-damaged homes by day and sleeping on cots in the local community hall by night. Known for their skilled carpentry and meticulous workmanship, the Mennonites often worked nine-hour days, six days a week ― and sometimes well into the evening ― to accomplish their goal of completing work on eight homes before winter.

“It was unique that we were right in the center of the community, and we’d stop to talk and visit,” said Mennonite Disaster Service Project Director Wilbur Litwiller. “They either lived next door or nearby, and we learned to know the people we worked with.”

As a result of a major disaster declaration on June 25, FEMA is aiding the community in its recovery, including shipment of building materials to Circle and funds to cover the cost of transportation and meals for the 27 Mennonite volunteers who worked in Circle.

In addition, FEMA has awarded over $265,000 to eligible residents to help pay for the home repairs as well as other disaster-related needs, while FEMA’s Public Assistance program has obligated $520,000 toward repair of the tribal center, campground, youth camp, medical clinic and the establishment of a temporary clinic. Also underway are $151,000 in hazard mitigation projects designed to prevent future flood damage in the village, including elevation of eight buildings.

“As the federal partner in this effort, it’s extremely satisfying to see the progress that has been made in Circle.” said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont of FEMA. “Perhaps more significantly, the Mennonites built relationships with the community that will last well beyond this recovery mission.”

Logistically, recovery in Circle ran smoothly. A two-lane, partially gravel road that connects Circle to Fairbanks, 160 miles south of the village, allowed supplies to be brought in more readily and dependably than other flood-impacted communities that lack roads to the outside.

As the work was wrapping up the last week in September, the Circle community hosted a ceremony, known as a potlatch, to dedicate the rebuilt homes and celebrate the new friendships created as a result of the cooperative effort. The festivities included performances of traditional dances by school children in Athabascan attire and the sharing of customary Native dishes, such as moose stew.

“The community gave us the potlatch in appreciation for what we did, which was very special and the best thank you I’ve received in quite some time,” Litwiller said.

This article:

United Efforts Bring Successful Recovery to Circle

President Declares Disaster for Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of June 26 to July 11, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding in Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Fayette, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lawrence, Venango, and Wayne counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties in the Commonwealth.

Donald L. Keldsen has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Keldsen said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

# # #

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Excerpt from:

President Declares Disaster for Pennsylvania

Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts one year later

Main Content

Release date:

October 1, 2013

Release Number:

MA-033

To mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will offer a series of videos, photos, news releases and Web posts on the Sandy New York webpage, www.fema.gov/SandyNY. The rollout of products begins Oct. 3.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy and www.facebook.com/FEMASandy.

Last Updated:

October 1, 2013 – 15:42

State/Tribal Government or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

Continued here –

Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts one year later

Federal Aid Programs for the State of New Mexico Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

September 30, 2013

Release Number:

HQ-13-108Factsheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of New Mexico.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local and Tribal Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, local and tribal governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for state, local and tribal governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Last Updated:

September 30, 2013 – 21:38

State/Tribal Government or Region:

New Mexico

and

Region VI

Related Disaster:

New Mexico Severe Storms and Flooding

Link:

Federal Aid Programs for the State of New Mexico Declaration

President Declares Disaster for New Mexico

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New Mexico to supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 23-28, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local and tribal governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storms and flooding in Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro counties and the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

Nancy M. Casper has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Casper said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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President Declares Disaster for New Mexico

Kansas State University Pilots "ReadyCampus" on September 30; Campus-wide Event to Engage Students in Real-time, Disaster Preparedness…

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Students and faculty at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, along with their neighbors, will have a unique chance to learn first-hand about the importance of disaster preparedness with the launch of ReadyCampus, a one-day preparedness campus event slated for September 30, 2013.

ReadyCampus, a student-centered initiative, is an innovative partnership between Kansas State University (K-State) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region VII. The event is being hosted by K-State’s School of Leadership Studies’ HandsOn Kansas State (HOKS) as part of their civic learning opportunities. Manhattan Good Neighbors is a program activity, within HandsOn that focuses on campus and community relationship building and service. Timed to coincide with the end of National Preparedness Month 2013, this initiative focuses heavily on existing resources and capabilities accessible to students by combining disaster information and social media.

The three-hour event, from 12 noon to 3 pm, will take place in a “preparedness” social media environment where students and faculty will gather at the Campus Creek Amphitheater outside of K-State’s Leadership Studies Building. There they will hear campus and community preparedness presentations, participate in an eChallenge preparedness hunt and meet student and local organization representatives active in disaster readiness and response such as campus Police and Emergency Management. They will also meet with student groups connected with the Capital Area American Red Cross, Riley County Emergency Management, United Way of Riley County, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, and Citizen Corps groups such as the Community Emergency Response Team, County Animal Rescue Team and Medical Reserve Corps.

“Emergency preparedness remains a high priority not only for Kansas State, but all higher education institutions,” said Lucy Finocchiaro with Manhattan Good Neighbors. “While the administrators of Kansas State have done a phenomenal job of caring for students in emergency situations, many students find themselves unaware of the resources available to them in a disaster. Enhancing student awareness and preparation is the next step for many universities in increasing overall emergency preparedness and we are honored to join with FEMA and our surrounding community partners in piloting ReadyCampus to assist in that mission.”

FEMA Region VII and K-State leaders recognized that preparedness messaging for students runs the risk of becoming old and repetitive, so they created ReadyCampus as a more engaging way to inform and involve students through social media by moving students from preparedness discussions to personal demonstration.

The highlight event is an e-Challenge preparedness hunt. Similar to a traditional scavenger hunt, the e-Challenge Hunt requires teams to locate and identify emergency preparedness resources from around the campus, the community, as well as their own homes.

Participating teams will demonstrate their progress by submitting their entries electronically through Twitter. Responses will be projected onto a screen visible to the general public. Teams will be recognized for their levels of achievements for participation, identified items/locations, and collaborative interactions with one another. Prizes for participating and recognitions will be presented for all levels of achievement.

“We are honored to support the leadership and student body of Kansas State University in this unique and innovative effort” said Phil Kirk, Federal Preparedness Coordinator for FEMA Region VII. “This partnership represents a whole community effort focused on delivering preparedness solutions in a practical and effective manner, one that schools across the country can hopefully replicate within their own institutions of learning.”

Beth Freeman, FEMA Region VII Administrator also applauded the efforts of K-State and its student body for taking an active and voluntary approach to bridging the gap between the academia and emergency management communities.

“FEMA Region VII has partnered with universities, schools and educational groups for many years, primarily in the areas of disaster response planning, exercise and training. This event however, signifies the first time such partnership has materialized so noticeably, primarily for the individuals served the most by these institutions – the students” Freeman said.

Members of the media and the general public are welcome to attend and observe ReadyCampus on September 30. For more information or instructions on accessing the K-State campus on event-day, contact Manhattan Good Neighbors at mgn@k-state.edu and post questions or information on HandsOn Kansas State’s Twitter @handson_kstate #KStateReady.

To learn more about ReadyCampus or school and workplace preparedness contact FEMA Region VII’s National Preparedness Division at 816-283-7925 or visit: www.ready.gov/school-and-workplace.

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Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Find regional updates from FEMA Region VII at www.twitter.com/femaregion7. 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.

Original post:

Kansas State University Pilots "ReadyCampus" on September 30; Campus-wide Event to Engage Students in Real-time, Disaster Preparedness…

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