Whatever work is being done, whether at the local, state, or federal level, it must include educational institutions as an participant. Often, educational institutions have tremendous resource pools that will assist with all areas of preparing for, responding too, and recovering from incidents and will posses some of greatest risk potentials. Nation-wide, there is a push to incorporate private sector assistance ...more »
Support inter- and intra-state mutual aid by assisting states/regions/local communities with funding and technical assistance to type resources and credential personnel in responder disciplines (all appropriate for response; not just governmental). Work towards an interactive resource information and request system to shorten and sustain response to a disaster or catastrophic event. Strive to align the EMAC Mission Packages ...more »
Preparedness Policy and Guidance
Develop and implement a professional career track for emergency planners. Ten years ago in North Carolina, we had one all-hazards plan and one hazard-specific one (hurricanes). Today we still have the one base plan and 15 hazard-specific ones. During this period, EM planning postions dropped from 14 to 9. Other state agencies have increased their preparedness planning, but we do not have a standard planning process. ...more »
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 »
Preparedness Capabilities and Assessments
Find a way to incorporate location technology in cell phones to allow agencies to send emergency messages. Is there an app for that?
Work to train and engage volunteers prior to an event.
ICS doctrine has a problem with using standard ICS in EOCs, and AHIMT classes have no meaningful content on EOC integration (and the one FEMA class on ICS/EOC integration does not add much). The Planning function in and EOC may have the same purpose as that at an incident, but the practice is very different; ditto Logs and Ops (or what functions under "Ops" in an EOC: prioritizing resource allocation for field incidents). ...more »
Preparedness Policy and Guidance
Require agencies that have access to interoperable radio systems to include their use in their written policies. I work as a police/fire dispatcher for a local agency in Colorado. I'm a big fan of our radio system. The mutual aid channels are set up well and easy to understand. Working in the Denver metro area, I have the ability to communicate with any agency in the state. The big problem is that we have the technology, ...more »
CERT teams should conduct SEVERAL family preparedness meetings in the community at schools, churches (maybe link with ministerial alliance folks) and fire houses. These meetings would present family and individual preparedness topics to include fire safety and having a fire plan for the family, but also being prepared for disasters, communication plans, etc. Partner with local hardware stores to publish lists of materials ...more »
Individual/Community Preparedness
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 »
Develop self-assessment templates to help private businesses and individuals assess their vulnerability to hazards.
It is unreasonable to assume that the myriad of agencies within a region will effectively work together when each agency has its own and sometimes multiple funding streams, and each funding stream has its own set of extensive requirements. The Federal Government needs to evaluate a funding stream that creates an incentive for all actors in a region to work collaboratively instead of operating like silos. "A row of silos ...more »
Support CERT and MRC volunteers with supplies and educational materials so that they can host "preparedness parties" educating their friends and neighbors on preparedness and work to build community resiliency with these sessions.
My father was a WWII survivor of three South Pacifice Island invasions. He consistently taught me to never underestimate the ability of man to treat each other in ways unimaginable. As an Eagle scout and later Explorer Scout I was a member of our county civil defense program. Seems like our nation should always have some degree of public education and awareness of civil defense in case of nuclear war, EMP, chemical ...more »
Individual/Community Preparedness
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 »