Incentivize preparedness
Provide an incentive for people to become better prepared. Allow them to have a tax deduction for purchasing emergency supplies or performing retrofit work on their homes.
Browse Ideas with tag 'preparedness':
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled30 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.Preparedness Grant Programs and Incentives »9 comments for Idea: Incentivize preparedness -
I agree
Voting is Disabled
25 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Stimulate a Community Grassroots Education Effort
I suggest that government and large corporations offer grant funding to local organizations that would stimulate a grassroots response to community disaster education and resilience. This initiative would focus on recruiting volunteers (retired, self-employed, etc.) to teach community disaster education and disaster resilience through the churches and other faith-based organizations, schools, and civic organizations in ...more »
9 comments for Idea: Stimulate a Community Grassroots Education Effort
I suggest that government and large corporations offer grant funding to local organizations that would stimulate a grassroots response to community disaster education and resilience. This initiative would focus on recruiting volunteers (retired, self-employed, etc.) to teach community disaster education and disaster resilience through the churches and other faith-based organizations, schools, and civic organizations in their areas.
It would be cost-effective as a “train-the-trainer” program. This would augment the services and training offered by Emergency Preparedness, the ARC, and other larger disaster response organizations whose focus is largely on response and whose manpower is limited.
In 2005 I started a nonprofit, Community in Crisis, Inc. to teach disaster education and preparedness in small, rural communities, primarily through churches. We received a grant from the BCBS Foundation of N. C. to teach Latino and Vulnerable Populations. In the last five years we’ve taught our seminars in over 50 churches in eastern N. C. However, in the last year we’ve had to dissolve due to lack of funding.
As an individual I’ve continued to teach when asked. My teaching includes a component of disaster mental health, as I am a licensed therapist and specialize in corporate crisis response and PTSD as well as being a marital therapist. I understand the long-term result when there is a lack of education in rural communities and believe that every citizen should have access to this information and learn how to help others.
My focus is strictly education in small communities and rural villages that would likely not receive much help in the event of a large disaster. We do not compete with CERT, Emergency Preparedness, or other large disaster response agencies. In fact, a component of our training is teaching about these and what they do, and how to interact with them responsibly.
My vision is to write a manual and create a set of DVD training videos specifically for churches and rural organizations. We also teach via audio recordings aired over short-wave satellite in Asia, Africa, and South America through World Harvest Radio in South Bend, Indiana.
Recently I was asked by the Methodist Conference of El Salvadore to teach my seminar to pastors there and did so this past July. I taught 40 pastors disaster mental health, counseling techniques, understanding the emotional needs of vulnerable populations, and community disaster response with limited resources. This went so well there are plans for expanding this to invite Guatemala and Honduras next year. We are seeking funding for this now. Any help or direction you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
I will be glad to help you in any way as well.
Deborah Dunn, LMFT
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
19 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.Individual/Community Preparedness »Publish Action-based Templates
Create and publish templates for personal and organizational preparedness, response, recovery,and mitigation. There is currently no central source that can be accessed which guides a person through the process of identifying the scope of what needs to be done for their family, their business, their neighborhood, their community, etc. Laypeople who are assigned/assume emergency management responsibilities at work, at ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Publish Action-based TemplatesCreate and publish templates for personal and organizational preparedness, response, recovery,and mitigation. There is currently no central source that can be accessed which guides a person through the process of identifying the scope of what needs to be done for their family, their business, their neighborhood, their community, etc. Laypeople who are assigned/assume emergency management responsibilities at work, at church, or in their neighborhood must do extensive research to gain an awareness of what they should do and the factors to be considered in how to do it. A series of templates could greatly expedite the process and improve the quality of the work accomplished. Sample questions to be addressed might include: (1) What are the hazards that should be considered? (2) How do I assess the risk associated with each of these hazards? (3) What factors need to be considered in my Family/Church/Business/Neighborhood Response Plan? (4) What actions should be included in my Family/Church/Business/Neighborhood Mitigation Plans? (5) Who can I/we partner with in order to develop some synergy?
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
17 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.Individual/Community Preparedness »Revise FEMA's IS-22 Are You Ready? course (last updated in 2004)
The FEMA "IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" should be revised and updated. The course was last revised in August 2004 - before the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and well before the explosive growth of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The curriculum revision should involve representation from communities across the nation, including people who have been using the curriculum to provide ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Revise FEMA's IS-22 Are You Ready? course (last updated in 2004)The FEMA "IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" should be revised and updated. The course was last revised in August 2004 - before the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and well before the explosive growth of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The curriculum revision should involve representation from communities across the nation, including people who have been using the curriculum to provide training in their communities.
For those unfamiliar with the course, please visit http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/is/is22.asp
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
12 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »FEMA "Make a Kit" iPhone App
2 comments for Idea: FEMA "Make a Kit" iPhone AppCreate an iPhone app that assists the public in creating kits by:
* Helping them decide how many kits they need (home, car, work, etc.)
* Helping them decide what should go in each kit.
* Helping them shop for kit packages / items.
* Helping them keep track of what they have already purchased or assembled
* Helping them maintain the kit (replace water, etc.)
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
8 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Levels of Preparedness
Introduce the concept of "Levels of Preparedness" to encourage citizens to prepare for emergencies. Too many citizens think the tasks of "preparing" for an emergency is too daunting. Too many things to buy. Too hard to make a plan. So many do not start or do not finish becoming prepared. FEMA should introduce the "Levels of Preparedness" to guide citizens to the most important levels right away (3 days of water, etc.), ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Levels of PreparednessIntroduce the concept of "Levels of Preparedness" to encourage citizens to prepare for emergencies.
Too many citizens think the tasks of "preparing" for an emergency is too daunting. Too many things to buy. Too hard to make a plan. So many do not start or do not finish becoming prepared.
FEMA should introduce the "Levels of Preparedness" to guide citizens to the most important levels right away (3 days of water, etc.), then to intermediate levels (simple kits, 3 days food, out-of-state contacts), and then to more advanced levels (training, written plan, 2 weeks food and water, etc.).
This will naturally guide citizens to take a step-by-step approach to becoming fully prepared.
Some will be encouraged to achieve the higher levels, others will know that at least have achieved some level of preparedness.
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
7 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »School CERT
1 comment for Idea: School CERTSchool CERT
I am a trained CERT instructor and the manager of emergency preparedness for school district of 24,000 students in the earthquake prone desert of Southern California. I tweeked the CERT course to make a course for school personnel which I entitled SERT (school emergency response teams) - We have a trained team on each elementary and secondary campus
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
3 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Civic Resilience Corps - Community Health and Civic Resilience Alliance (CHACRA)
I suggest you create a “Civic Resilience Corps”, the CRCs, because the current approach to preparedness turns many people off and the avenues for citizen engagement in emergency management processes are not adequate. It is also a way to address our current economic recession/depression, very much like the Civilian Conservation Corps in the past. Citizen Corps, CERT, American Red Cross, Neighborhood Watch, etc. are all ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Civic Resilience Corps - Community Health and Civic Resilience Alliance (CHACRA)I suggest you create a “Civic Resilience Corps”, the CRCs, because the current approach to preparedness turns many people off and the avenues for citizen engagement in emergency management processes are not adequate. It is also a way to address our current economic recession/depression, very much like the Civilian Conservation Corps in the past.
Citizen Corps, CERT, American Red Cross, Neighborhood Watch, etc. are all myopic and problem oriented; the emphasis is on crime, preparing and volunteering in government response efforts during times of acute disaster. These programs are not available in all areas and do not take into consideration the conditions in rural America, especially those with a relatively low risk for disasters.
However, we are experiencing a serious chronic disaster in many of our communities, things are getting worse and a “perfect storm” is heading our way, i.e. pandemic, peak oil, climate change implications (increased frequency, severity, concurrency of natural hazard events) and centralized system instability.
We must take an all hazard, worse case scenario approach but must also have fun within a positive, goal-oriented approach.
The draft National Recovery Framework is a good document that includes cross-sector collaboration and incorporates the components of resilience. (http://www.fema.gov/pdf/recoveryframework/omb_ndrf.pdf) However, it also presents resilience building as a way to decrease recovery time, a way to return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Our current era is one of great change, returning to a state of normalcy based upon how things were in the past is not adequate. We must be forward thinking and incorporate processes of adaptation and preparedness that includes community networking and basic skill development.
Dr. Plovnick, with the Community and Regional Resilience Institute, stated, “Resilience is positive adaptation to perceived adversity”. Shanna Ratner and Dr. Susanne Moser, in a report to the The US Endowment for Forestry and Community, Inc., report: “Resilience rests on the combined abilities to deal with and bounce back from disturbances and shocks, the ability to adapt to change, and the ability to be proactive, forward-looking and self-determining, rather than just reactive and outside-determined, to create a desirable future.
I am the coordinator for the “Community Health and Civic Resilience Alliance” (CHACRA) in my local rural neighborhood and the architect for a replicable, scalable national effort that also addresses rural needs.
I propose we secure the funds to place a part-time RN CHACRA coordinator in every Township/Parish to help address current health needs while building localized community resilience and communication pathways with County, Regional, State, National entities. Such a nurse conducts community assessments with sustainability in mind (social, economic, environmental), develops resource directories, an on-line neighborhood network and an inter-independent cross-sector collaborative architecture.
The infrastructure is reflective of the National Response Framework ESF functions with teams to address basic needs and support services at the local level. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) ensures efficient and effective delegation, clear communication pipelines and streamlined efforts with our local response partners during times of disaster while maintaining a horizontal team approach.
Of course, educational outreach is vitally important and includes introductions to the emergency management planning processes, access to American Red Cross training programs, basic life skills, etc. Active collaboration with Citizen Corps, CERT, Neighborhood Watch, etc. is also an important component.
CHACRA is a grassroots effort that seeks to build bridges with our government partners in an effort to maximize health, re-weave our community safety nets, promote health and help people prepare to stay at home for extended periods while also being better positioned to help take care of our neighbors, especially our vulnerable populations. After all, most responders prefer that people stay home during emergencies and the most resilient communities are those that know help may be greatly delayed, or non-existent. As we make the transition away from oil, it is vital for us to rebuild our localized systems. Taking an acute disaster approach to preparedness based upon historical precedent simply is not adequate anymore.
The CHACRA strategy emerged from my role as the County-City Public Health Infrastructure Coordinator and is based upon a thorough review of available research and reports that revealed numerous weak/missing links, like civic engagement in planning processes, the need for more women and domestic violence specialists, etc.
The strategy is a bottom-up/top-down approach reflective of the Transition Towns Initiatives but one that also takes active steps to bridge with emergency management processes. Each neighborhood RN CHACRA coordinator is the grounding pin for resilience building efforts, with sector working groups emerging around basic needs and support services. For example, shelter is a basic need, energy and communications are support services.
Here at the Broad Well Learning Center we have created a passive solar structure with an off-grid photovoltaic electrical system and an amateur radio base station, hard line phone/fax and high-speed internet (not available in our area except via satellite internet). In times of need we will be able to provide electricity to our vulnerable neighbors with medical equipment, a place to charge batteries and a way to communicate with the outside world.
The communications support service team is also a way to develop radio communications within the neighborhood area, increase the number of HAM radio operators and help meet current needs for more volunteers to participate in non-emergency public service events. The other basic need and support service teams also address current needs while building systems of resilience to better respond and adapt to whatever may arise. We also host numerous fun neighborhood gatherings to help strengthen our relationships, host diverse conversations/community counsels, and provide re-skilling workshops.
Addressing our national energy needs is a complex and dynamic challenge. We propose that one-step toward preparedness in this arena is for every neighborhood to establish an off-grid electrical system, i.e. with a battery bank, to provide a similar services. In addition, we propose that a shelter-working group could also address our current neighborhood economic needs by offering Bed & Breakfast lodging during non-emergency times.
However, such things are very difficult for mobilized citizens to accomplish without financial assistance. There are many RNs across the nation, such as myself, who have left the health care workforce due to its dysfunction and unhealthy work conditions, are now unemployed and who are eager and willing to participate in such a CHACRA initiative in there neighborhoods. They can serve on the physical/psychosocial health and education teams and most of the RNs already know the people and the cultural circumstances in their respective neighborhoods.
The CHACRA initiative is a way to rebuild our communities in a sustainable fashion, address current needs and develop robust and resilient systems capable of responding in collaboration with our emergency response partners in a worse case scenario. Such a strategy also establishes a solid base for our grandchildren and future generations to build upon as they adapt to a world of great change.
Thank you for offering this opportunity for dialogue.
However, if we wait for government action it will be too little too late, if we act as individuals it will be too little, but if we act as communities it may be just enough just in time.
Please feel welcome to contact me if you would like additional information, to initiate a CHACRA effort in your neighborhood or would like to donate funds or services to our efforts here in Appalachia.
Thank you!
Kathy Jacobson, RN
kathy@broadwellhill.org
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
3 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.Individual/Community Preparedness »Hands on Approach to Preparedness Training
Add your comment for Idea: Hands on Approach to Preparedness TrainingA vast majority of the training opportunities is classroom based or online when it comes to preparedness. While it is important to to provide information in that manner we should begin to create a more hands on approach. People tend to learn more by doing than trying to absorb information given to them by a presenter.
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
2 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Preparedness Cooperative
I would suggest that various local/count/state planners consider creating a Preparedness Cooperative. Basically what would happen is that the agency would create a coop and advertise within the community. The purpose of the coop is to provide those who join the opportunity to take steps to prepare. Like purchasing emergency supplies. The coop would find/support that action with either wholesale pricing or other leveraging ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Preparedness CooperativeI would suggest that various local/count/state planners consider creating a Preparedness Cooperative. Basically what would happen is that the agency would create a coop and advertise within the community. The purpose of the coop is to provide those who join the opportunity to take steps to prepare. Like purchasing emergency supplies. The coop would find/support that action with either wholesale pricing or other leveraging actions. They would also make available training like 1st aid and other skills to be taught. The members would have to agree to volunteer time to educate others about emergency preparedness, the coop's goals and so on. There are several ways to find funds such as membership fees (nominal), grants and other funding. The idea is to have a ready made resource that goes out and tries to encourage others to prepare and learn. We can use the idea of having children learning about disasters and response. Not only teach them about disaster response but let them tell their parents/family about the coop. Basically the coop would be a way to encourage others to prepare, give them a mechanism to actually prepare and recieve valuable training. And the local agency gets a louder voice/presence in the community as well.l
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
2 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Community Preparedness Initiative (CPI)
Community Preparedness Initiative One of the biggest struggles when it comes to preparedness is distribution of information that will actually grab the attention of those who are reading it. Anybody can build a website and post information but if no one knows where to find it then its meaningless. We need to start thinking outside the box and start a Community Preparedness Initiative (CPI). The concept of CPI would be ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Community Preparedness Initiative (CPI)Community Preparedness Initiative
One of the biggest struggles when it comes to preparedness is distribution of information that will actually grab the attention of those who are reading it. Anybody can build a website and post information but if no one knows where to find it then its meaningless. We need to start thinking outside the box and start a Community Preparedness Initiative (CPI). The concept of CPI would be to develop a single source entity (SSE) whose sole job is to seek out the various networks of information and provide one place for everyone to find it. This concept is similar to the intelligence community. Information is handled by several different agencies and then combined to determine an overall analysis of the threat. The CPI would create a standardized system that would make finding information as easy as a few mouse clicks.
An important component of this CPI would be developing a Public Education System (PES) that would network organizations who can provide various levels of training and education. When push comes to shove an organization or community will hire the lowest bidder because the country is in a recession and everyone is experiencing budget constraints and cuts. From a federal level the CPI can develop a standardized curriculum that defines the education requirements for various levels of officials from the Federal level all the way down to the local and tribal level. Everyone wants to develop their own way of doing things, and in some cases that works, but we need to find a common ground for all entities to start with that allows everyone to have the same minimum education no matter what level of the government you belong to.
Another important component to this CPI is social media networking. Today millions of people find themselves tweeting, blogging, talking to friends on Facebook and Myspace and joining various online communities to discuss topics that are important to them. Over the last five years officials and citizens on all levels have began using these social networking websites to develop a network of friends. We can use this same concept to pass information regarding preparedness. Local Emergency Managers should be utilizing news papers, radio, bulletins, blogging websites, and/or other various social media networks to pass critical information regarding preparedness. Why not publish preparedness tips in your local news paper on Sunday? Why can't we use the radio to pass important preparedness information? We have the tools to pass the word we just don't utilize them to their fullest capabilities.
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
1 vote
I disagreeThis idea is active.General Preparedness »Knowledge is preparedness applied........
It appears that knowledge of preparedness programs that are available to the public as a whole is lacking due to the fact that they are neither covered well enough by the media,nor are they covered often enough, as well as being promoted by various community services impactfully enough. Knowledge helps in becoming better prepared... Let's create a well informed public together...Let's be part of the defining mitigating ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Knowledge is preparedness applied........It appears that knowledge of preparedness programs that are available to the public as a whole is lacking due to the fact that they are neither covered well enough by the media,nor are they covered often enough, as well as being promoted by various community services impactfully enough. Knowledge helps in becoming better prepared...
Let's create a well informed public together...Let's be part of the defining mitigating solution instead of adding to the confusion of understanding preparation.
« less full details »
-
I agree
Voting is Disabled
-2 votes
I disagreeThis idea is active.Individual/Community Preparedness »Increase everyone's awareness of the post disaster brain
Add your comment for Idea: Increase everyone's awareness of the post disaster brainWork to increase the coping resources for the population by increasing the population's understanding of what emotions are in the hours, days and weeks after a traumatic experience. The harm from disasters can be maximized by people not understanding the source of their anger/impulsiveness.