Some people are just technophiles: they’ll happily engage in most any pursuit — so long as it involves technology. Use this taste for technology to build your readiness by giving some of these super-helpful techie activities to them. Conduct a Backup & Restore Drill – test your ability to access key files quickly from your computer backups (of course you back up!) Try accessing files stored on disks, tapes or in the cloud.

- Download emergency preparedness and productivity Apps for everyone with a Smartphones, iPads, iPods or tablets.

- Create an Emergency Jump Drive for every key position in your response team. Include checklists, staff and client rosters, Incident Command System tip sheets, media talking points – anything that will help people perform their disaster duties well.

- Empower your tech-lovers to take you to heights of preparedness and response capacity.

Tip: If you have a zealous computer/IT person on your team, be sure to share the resources from TechSoup with them!

Share

February 18th, 2011 | Tags: disaster, disasters, emergency preparedness, plan, Planning, Preparedness, technology prepardness | Category: 2011, STAT, STAT 5MM | Comments (1)

As the year 2010 comes to an end, take time to reflect on — and document — all that was and wasn’t accomplished with your emergency preparedness and disaster readiness initiatives.  Thumb through your to-do lists, preparedness promises, planning calendars and other records to capture: what worked, what didn’t, what still needs to be done, and what items should be revisited.

It doesn’t matter whether your projects were booming successes, crashing failures, non-starters or something else.  Whatever you find, simply acknowledge it, document it, and move forward.  Begin 2011 by being complete with 2010, strengthened by your successes and failures, with a clean slate, and with renewed energy for future efforts.

Tip: Give the members of your team the opportunity to be complete as well. Whether they were the rock stars of readiness or the dead-weights of your disaster work, give everyone the chance to start fresh.

Happy New Year to all. Thank you for supporting CARD and our efforts to serve nonprofits! We are looking forward to serving you in 2011.

Share

December 27th, 2010 | Tags: disaster, disasters, emergency preparedness, message, New Year Preparedness, Preparedness, Year End | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hi All,

Below are some of the great highlights for the upcoming CESA2010 Conference. This is the professional Emergency Managers conference for the State of California. It’s happening September 14-17 in beautiful Monterey, California — there is still time to register! www.CESA2010.org.

As the Social Media Evangelist, I’ll be leading trainings on using social media for all aspects of emergency services. Whether you are an ‘early adopter’ or part of the ‘vocal resistance’ — the CESA2010 Social Media trainings will help you to take advantage of the social media phenomenon, do more with less time and effort, and be more confident, connected and able to communicate using these dynamic tools. A few lucky participants will win some great social media training CDs.  We will also have a CyberCafe — so you can immediately share and connect with conference participants and your colleagues back home. I’m passionate about social media and how emergency managers can use it to reach, unite and prepare our communities!

Other great things happening at CESA2010…

• Amanda Ripley, award-winning journalist and author of The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disasters Strike — and Why, will be our featured keynote speaker. Among many things, you’ll learn about the 3 phases your brain goes thru in a disaster, and you’ll learn about the myth of panic. Amanda Ripley traveled the world researching this book, and this is a great opportunity to learn what really happens when people face emergencies, disasters and high-stress situations. Join us and allow this conference to transform how you share preparedness in your community.

• Jeff Burrow and Gary Watts of Valley Wealth, Inc. an SEC registered Investment Advisory Firm, will present “How Will You Deal With the Upcoming Financial Disaster?” We’ve always known about the POSSIBILITY of a financial crisis, but the PROBABILITY of it actually occurring has increased dramatically. This session will discuss the economy, the risks we all face, and how we can best prepare for the future.

• CEM/AEM Examination Preparatory Course Examination. If you are planning on becoming a Certified Emergency Manager, there isn’t a better place to do it! Join us in Monterey, surrounded by emergency managers of all levels!

• Emergency Management for Senior and Elected Officials (Pre-Conference Training): Taught by Texas A&M University, this course provides insight into their key roles in disaster operations.  Includes a tabletop exercise “Shooter on Campus” that hightlights the need for pre-event coordination with public, private and non-governmental organizations.  Only $75. Bring your entire team!

• ARkStorm: Going Where No One Has Gone Before with Anne Wein – USGS. Attendees of this session will gain critical insights on how they can prepare their organization for participating in the Golden Guardian 2011: ARkStorm Statewide Exercise.  Increase your organization’s preparedness and response for a variety of humanmade and natural disasters.

• Next Generation Communications: The Joint Information Center and New Media with Karen Terrill. An explosion has occurred in the sleepy town of Central City California. This humorous, hands-on session will bring “volunteers” from the group into a Joint Information Center (JIC) that is set up to address the crisis. The participants will simulate a few of the 21 functions of a JIC according to the NIMS model for Emergency Public Information. Lucky participants will receive a copy of the award winning Go Book.

• “The Prime Directive: Ethics and Moral Guidance for Decision Makers During Disasters” — Keynote by Dr. Harvey Kayman. Every natural and man-made catastrophe presents unique challenges to affected institutions and agencies. Finding one’s way ethically is particularly problematic. Issues of professional conduct and responsibility, of civil rights and civil liberties, and of conscience, are bound to appear. In the midst of catastrophe, hard decisions will have to be made rapidly under anxiety filled and emergency conditions.

And so much more…Register Now! www.CESA2010.org. Please also link to us on www.Twitter.com/CESA2010 and on Facebook at www.TinyUrl.com/FacebookCESA.

Share

August 26th, 2010 | Tags: Amanda Ripley, CESA2010, conference, disasters, Emergency, Next Generation, Planning | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

January 29th is the birthday of Thomas Paine (1737-1809), famous for writing the booklet “Common Sense”, which helped inspire the American Revolution. Unfortunately, “common sense” is as uncommon today as it ever was, especially when it comes to disasters and preparedness. This is partly because different people have different abilities, values, priorities and perspectives — what makes sense to one person may not make sense to another. Do not depend on people demonstrating what you consider “common sense”. Review your preparedness and response planning. If you need people to act in certain ways, make sure you take steps to teach, empower and encourage it.

Share

January 29th, 2007 | Tags: disasters, Preparedness | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment