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FEMA Calls for 2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Submissions

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce the application period for the 2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards is now open.

These awards recognize outstanding individuals, organizations, Citizen Corps Councils and programs working to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared for any disaster or emergency event. Submissions will be accepted April 22 through June 5, 2013.

To be considered for this year’s Awards, all submissions must be received by June 5, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. and are required to feature program activities taking place during the period of January 1, 2012 through June 5, 2013. FEMA will review all entries and select the finalists. A distinguished panel of judges from the emergency management industry will select a winner in each of the following categories:

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives
Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives
Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness
Preparing the Whole Community
Awareness to Action
Community Preparedness Heroes

Winners of the 2013 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards will be announced in Fall 2013.

Whether it is an individual or a faith-based, non-profit, private sector, community-based, or tribal organization – everyone makes a difference in our community. Acknowledge the work you or someone you know has done to build a more resilient nation and submit an application.

Visit the following website for information on the Awards and to download instructions for submitting an application: www.ready.gov/citizen-corps-awards.

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FEMA Calls for 2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Submissions

Be Prepared: Severe Weather Is on the Way

WARWICK, R.I.–Americans live in the most severe weather-prone country on Earth, according to The National Weather Service. To raise public awareness of severe weather threats and the importance of being prepared, The National Weather Service and FEMA have designated March 3 to 9 as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Each year, Americans cope with an average of 100,000 thunderstorms, 10,000 of which are severe; 5,000 floods; 1,000 tornadoes; and an average of 2 landfalling deadly hurricanes. And this on top of lethal winter storms, summer heat, high winds, wild fires and other severe weather.

“Severe weather can happen anytime, anywhere,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “We urge everyone to take steps in advance and to pledge to prepare, take action and share what you have done with others.”

We have more information than ever before to let us know when severe weather is approaching. “But this information can save lives and property only if individuals and communities know when and how to take proper action,” said Dr. Louis Uccellini, director of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service.

You can find a tool kit to help your family be prepared for severe weather at ready.gov/severeweather.

This week find tweets about severe weather preparedness at www.twitter.com/femaregion1. Other resources include http://blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. On Twitter, use the hashtags #ImPrepared and #ImAForce to show you’ve pledged to prepare and are taking the first step in preparing your family and friends for severe weather.

Talk with family, friends and neighbors about preparedness. Other ideas for helping to spread the word: creating a preparedness video and posting it on a video sharing site, posting your preparedness story through your social media network or commenting on a blog. Be a good example and share the steps you took to help us achieve the goal of being a Weather-Ready Nation.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.

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Be Prepared: Severe Weather Is on the Way

Be Prepared for Severe Weather: Get Flood Insurance and Develop a Disaster Plan

WINDSOR, Conn. – Springtime brings with it the risk of flooding, but flood damage is not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Only a policy from the National Flood Insurance Program provides flood insurance, but it takes 30 days to go into effect.

The sooner a homeowner or business owner purchases flood insurance, the sooner their property will be covered against the destructive hazard of flooding. A separate policy is required to cover a structure’s contents.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages those lacking flood insurance to visit www.floodsmart.gov, the official website of the National Flood Insurance Program. Find out more about flood risks, residential and commercial coverage, preparation and recovery.

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week (March 3 – 9) is an opportunity for all individuals, families and communities to focus on disaster preparedness. A disaster supply kit is essential – make sure that your family has the provisions needed for each individual. Get information on preparedness from local emergency management agencies or from FEMA at www.ready.gov/severe-weather and develop a plan so that your family knows what to do when disaster strikes.

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 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

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Be Prepared for Severe Weather: Get Flood Insurance and Develop a Disaster Plan

Resolve to be Ready in Mississippi, Commit to Emergency Preparedness in 2013!

Resolve to be Ready in Mississippi, Commit to Emergency Preparedness in 2013!

ATLANTA — This year was characterized by extremely active and devastating weather events across the country; flooding in the Southeast as a result of Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Isaac, wildfires across the Midwest, and Hurricane Sandy which devastated parts of the Northeast and was the second-largest Atlantic storm on record.

As 2012 comes to a close and people make resolutions for the new year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) are encouraging everyone to Resolve to be Ready in 2013 by committing to emergency preparedness.

MEMA’s goal for the new year is for every Mississippian to be prepared for any type of disaster, whether natural or man-made.

“The events of the past year prove that preparedness is the most important aspect of disasters,” said MEMA Director Robert Latham. “Preparedness begins with individuals and families, but should include the whole community. When everyone is prepared, residents will have to depend less on local, state and federal government to recover after a disaster.”

As we have seen in 2012, including the recent severe weather affecting many parts of the country during the holidays, disasters can strike anytime, anywhere, and being prepared is one of the most effective things we can do to protect our homes, businesses and loved ones. Resolve to be Ready in 2013 is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies in the new year.

“Resolve to be Ready is one new year’s resolution you’ll want to keep,” said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May. “There are simple steps you can take to prepare for emergencies, such as putting together an emergency supply kit and creating a family emergency plan. Taking these steps will help keep you and your family safe, and could be the most important pledge you make.”

By making a resolution to take a few simple steps in advance, people can minimize the impact of an emergency on their families, homes and businesses. To take the pledge, visit www.ready.gov/resolve or www.listo.gov, which includes free information, checklists and guidelines about how to put together a kit and make a plan.

Here are a few important tips to get you started:

Be informed. Know the hazards and risks in your area and learn what you need to do to get ready for them. One way you can do this is by signing up to receive information on your mobile device. Here are a few agency websites that offer timely information:

Make a family emergency plan so you know how you would communicate with and find your loved ones when a disaster strikes. Think about how you would reach your kids at school or your spouse at work. If you had to evacuate, where would you go? Thinking this through in advance will make a big difference.

Build two emergency supply kits – one for home and one for the car – that include water, food and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lose power or are stranded in your car. This is especially important for dealing with icy roads and snowstorms this winter.

Get Involved. Be an advocate and educator for safety and emergency preparedness within your community. Contact your local Citizen Corps.

Spread the word to your loved ones and encourage them to Resolve to be Ready in 2013. Anyone can learn more by visiting Ready.gov or Listo.gov.

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Resolve to be Ready in Mississippi, Commit to Emergency Preparedness in 2013!

Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

ATLANTA – Today marks the end of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season, but disasters aren’t limited to hurricanes or a specific time of year. Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, and it’s important to be prepared year round.

“While today is the end of an active hurricane season, it serves as an important reminder of just how critical it is for all of us to be prepared so that we can protect our families, homes, businesses and communities from the potentially devastating effects of a disaster,” said Phil May, Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV Administrator. “There are some simple steps we should all take, such as make a family communications plan and put together a disaster supplies kit, which will help keep us safe when we’re faced with an emergency.”

Emergencies can range from natural disasters such as flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes, to events such as power outages. Visit www.Ready.gov to learn about different hazards, and how to prepare for them.

Here are a few tips to help you get ready:

Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime–be informed about the hazards that exist in your area.
When tailoring your family communications plan, consider working with others to create networks of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers who will assist each other in an emergency.
Among the items in your basic disaster supplies kit, include enough food for at least three days, and one gallon of water per person per day.
Since you can’t predict where you will be for disasters, it’s important to have plans and supplies for the locations you and your household go to regularly.
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster, but standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. To protect your property, consider getting flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
Check out opportunities to get involved in programs and activities to make your family, home and community safer from risks and threats.

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Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

FEMA Obligates $1 Million to St. John Parish for Emergency Measures

BATON ROUGE, La. – A new $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help St. John Parish cover its costs for emergency efforts for protecting citizens during Hurricane Isaac in late August, FEMA has announced.

Responding to the hurricane, the parish ordered evacuations and rerouted traffic away from storm-affected areas, conducted search-and-rescue operations and secured improved properties, among other protective efforts.

The $1,004,306 FEMA grant will pay the federal share of St. John’s eligible costs for overtime labor, equipment and materials for the operations. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant cover the remaining 25 percent.

“Our primary goal is to protect lives during a disaster event like Hurricane Isaac, and St. John Parish made considerable effort to do just that,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “FEMA grants for protective measures strongly support these activities.”

Once FEMA pays the funds to the state of Louisiana, their management, including disbursement to local governments and organizations performing services, is the responsibility of the state. The obligated funds are a portion of more than $108 million in total Public Assistance recovery funds obligated to the state since the Aug. 29 declaration for Hurricane Isaac.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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FEMA Obligates $1 Million to St. John Parish for Emergency Measures

FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the recipients of the 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. These Awards recognize the innovative practices and achievements of individuals, Citizen Corps Councils, and non-profit, 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.

“It has been shown time and time again that after a disaster, the very first responders are our neighbors,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The award recipients promote preparedness across America’s communities – the bedrock of our national resiliency. I commend each and every one of the awardees for their service and innovation. They serve as a model for communities everywhere.”

Each applicant demonstrated their ability to engage the Whole Community through partnerships, achievements, and activities that took place from January 2011 to June 2012. For example, the American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State Region chapter trained more than 16,000 individuals in lifesaving skills, such as disaster preparedness, CPR, and basic first aid, and developed a cadre of more than 200 bilingual volunteers. The Texas State Citizen Corps Program trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers who were integrated into the response to the Bastrop Complex Fire last fall and North Texas tornadoes earlier this year.

Other awardees participated in emergency planning activities and established creative methods to address the needs of their communities. For example, North Dakota State University developed two Smartphone applications, one to address the needs of individuals and families affected by local flooding and one with information for residents stranded during a winter storm.

The Second Annual John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is being presented to Florida’s Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) for collaborative work as a team of nearly 500 disaster preparedness and response organizations, engaging in efforts that reach the business community, children and youth, under-served populations, faith-based organizations, first responders, and individuals with access and functional needs, and more. The John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is named for the late creator of the groundbreaking blog, In Case of Emergency, Read Blog: A Citizen’s Eye View Of Public Preparedness. John’s body of work was striking in its reporting, analysis, engagement and impact, in preparing the public, informing professionals, and effecting change in the public and private sectors. Administrator Fugate once stated that he “set the standard for what it meant to be part of our nation’s emergency management team.”

All winners will be invited, as FEMA’s honored guests, to a community roundtable event in Washington, D.C. During the roundtable the honorees will share their innovative and successful approaches to community preparedness with emergency management leadership.

FEMA congratulates the following awardees:

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

Texas Citizen Corps (TX)

Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

New York City Citizen Corps Council (NY)

Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives

CERT Program and Volunteers, City of Newport Beach (CA)

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

Chinatown Community Development Center (CA)

Preparing the Whole Community

American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State (CA)

Promising Partnerships

Partners in Preparedness (NY)

Awareness to Action

American Red Cross of the Poconos (PA)

Innovative Use of Technology

North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication (ND)

Volunteer Integration

West Pierce County Fire and Rescue CERT Program (WA)

Community Preparedness Heroes

Michael Parker (CA)
Mohamed Ali (WA)
Scott Ellis (NJ)

Second Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Preparedness Award

Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) (FL)

The award winners were selected by a panel of leaders representing the Whole Community, including the National Emergency Management Association, the International Association of Emergency Managers, Target, the American Red Cross and FEMA.

For a description of the award categories, please see the Application Guide.

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FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the application period is open for a new funding opportunity to build local resilience, through a Whole Community approach, in communities across America: the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge.

Though National Preparedness Month comes to a close at the end of September, FEMA and its partners know that preparedness must continue in communities year-round. This new opportunity is designed to continue to move community preparedness forward and assist local areas in building and revitalizing community-based partnerships to advance the nation’s resilience to disasters.

“The best resiliency ideas originate in our states and communities – not from Washington, DC,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The goal of this program is to empower communities to collaborate and develop innovative ways to effectively respond to disasters.”

The opportunity is provided through the Rockefeller Foundation and FEMA and will be administered by the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation who will act as a third-party intermediary to encourage local communities to engage in creative activities that enhance disaster resilience. Funding levels will range, with a maximum award of $35,000, and applications are open to most local, state, and tribal agencies and governments; business entities; associations; organizations and groups. Submissions will be accepted through October 26.

Key assessment areas for the awards will be the applicants’ demonstration that their approach to community resilience is innovative, collaborative with community stakeholders, sustainable, repeatable—in that the approach enables other communities to replicate their successful outcomes—and beneficial to the community in measurable ways.

FEMA recognizes that a government-centric approach to disaster management is insufficient to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident. To meet our Nation’s preparedness goals, the Whole Community must be actively involved in all phases of the preparedness, response, and recovery cycle. These awards are designed to invest in and enhance the Whole Community effort.

Additional information on the Challenge program criteria and application process can be found at www.fema.gov and www.ResilienceChallenge.org.

Follow FEMA online at http://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.

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FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge

Follow Community Guidelines on Debris Cleanup

BATON ROUGE, La. – As survivors of Hurricane Isaac continue cleaning up after the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges everyone to check with their local officials regarding their community’s plan for storm debris cleanup and disposal.

“Our first recommendation is for everyone to carefully follow the community’s guidelines,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall. “Debris created by a hurricane has unique challenges and we want everyone to help clean up and start getting their neighborhoods back to normal. But, we want them to do it safely.”

To get current information about the types and schedules of debris disposal, storm survivors should contact their local officials, city or parish waste disposal online sites, or local waste-disposal agency.

Affected communities have varying methods of disposing of storm debris. That debris may include: household garbage; construction debris such as wood, drywall and carpet; household hazardous waste such as motor oil and batteries; vegetation debris; electronic items; and white goods such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, and air conditioners. Residents should clearly mark the contents on the debris containers.

If your community offers curbside pickup, please leave all household debris at the curbside. Do not leave debris leaning against trees or poles or on private property, as this makes it harder to retrieve the debris.

If a community does not offer curbside pickup, residents should contact local officials for instructions.

Survivors can register for disaster aid online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Follow Community Guidelines on Debris Cleanup

Hurricane Andrew 20th Anniversary Is A Reminder To Prepare For Emergencies

ATLANTA— August 24 marks 20 years since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida, devastating Homestead, Florida City and parts of Miami.

When Andrew struck, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinated across the entire federal government to deploy response assets, move personnel, equipment and supplies. FEMA provided more than $290 million in federal assistance to more than 108,000 people affected by the storm in Florida, and provided more than $746 million to help rebuild public infrastructure. At the time, Hurricane Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

“Hurricane Andrew was a life-changing event for many people,” said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May. “As the Federal Coordinating Officer for the disaster, I saw the destruction first hand as FEMA worked with disaster survivors and community officials throughout the area. We knew we had years of recovery ahead of us given the severe impact that this storm had on South Florida communities, and it was clear the government couldn’t do it alone. At FEMA we often highlight the importance of working together as a team in emergency management—storms like Andrew remind us how critical that team really is. Federal, state and local partners, the private sector, the faith-based and non-profit groups, and especially the public–everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked together to help people recover from the storm.”

“We learned a lot from Hurricane Andrew and today our team is stronger than ever,” said May. “Over the years, the emergency management community has evolved and improved the way it communicates and leverages resources to prepare for the next emergency or disaster. We’ve expanded our relationships with the private sector, our coordination with our state emergency management partners is better, and we communicate more effectively with the public. Weather forecasting technology has also improved to give us more lead time before a storm. But the most critical members of the team are still the public. The better prepared individuals and families are, the safer our communities will be across the country.”

Hurricane Andrew’s anniversary is a reminder that now is the time to get ready for disasters and other emergencies. Next month marks the ninth annual National Preparedness Month, and this year’s slogan is “Pledge to Prepare”. Individuals, families, and organizations in all sectors can support this effort and find resources on emergency preparedness by ‘pledging’ on the National Preparedness Coalition Online Community. The goal this year is to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take specific steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are ready for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

“Preparedness is important not just for governments and first responders, but for the public. I encourage everyone to pledge to prepare and visit www.Ready.gov for more information.”

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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Hurricane Andrew 20th Anniversary Is A Reminder To Prepare For Emergencies

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