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.

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

On June 30th, 1906, the United States Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act. This legislation was initially concerned with proper labeling of products to protect the public. Use this anniversary to properly label your emergency food, medical items and other supplies.

Label the location of supplies, so you and other people can find them quickly. Put the expiration date (and if needed, the date of storage) on perishable items in your emergency kits. All medicines should be clearly marked with the name of the patient; the condition the medication is used to treat; and any contra-indications or other warnings. Label your supplies now, while you are calm and clear thinking, for use when you may be under stress. Take a few steps now to keep things clear when it counts.

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June 30th, 2008 | Tags: Emergency, legislation, supplies | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

Sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the American Humane Association, June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. It’s a good reminder that many emergency public shelters can’t accept pets, so animal lovers need to take action! Keep kits for them, with appropriate food, medications, water, collars/ID tags, veterinarian information, bowls, carriers, and/or any other special items your pets may need. Talk to a neighbor or friend about what to do if something happens when you aren’t at home. And be considerate of others: people at shelters, or anywhere, may have allergies or other concerns related to your animal. Help your pets be as prepared as you would want to be!

More information on preparedness for pets is at:
ASPCA:   http://snipurl.com/aspca
AHA:   http://www.americanhumane.org
Contra Costa County Animal Services:   http://www.ccasd.org

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June 23rd, 2008 | Tags: animals, Emergency | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

From the end of June to the beginning of September, many of us travel: near and far; in-state and out. While enjoying this chance to catch up with family or friends, take an easy step and speak to them about being each other’s Out-of-Area contact person in case of a crisis.

In an emergency, phone calls may be hard to make. You would only have to place one call if you had a contact outside the affected area – who would then pass on information about you to concerned family and friends.

Carry that contact information with you, and inform everyone of your arrangement. Remember: keep things in the spirit of your summer vacation, and focus on the positive conversation of how we can help each other stay safe.

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June 16th, 2008 | Tags: crisis, Emergency, Information | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

On June 9, 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey became the first woman to drive across the continental United States. She navigated the 3,800 miles – some of it unmarked, unpaved roadway – from Manhattan to San Francisco in 59 days. She did all the driving, and some minor repairs, on her own.

Take a few steps now to enhance the usefulness of your vehicle in an emergency. Keep vehicles well maintained and gas tanks at least half full (these steps can save money as well as hassle). Store a small kit containing items like a flashlight, marker, and bandana inside the car, and a larger kit including water, comfortable shoes and warm clothes in the trunk. These simple actions can help ensure that your journey goes smoothly during a crisis.

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June 9th, 2008 | Tags: crisis, Emergency | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

May 5, 1891 was the grand opening of the world-renowned concert venue Carnegie Hall (originally the Music Hall of New York), and it featured guest conductor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Consistently high quality performances inspired the famous refrain: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice. Practice. Practice!” Few things will benefit your community more than to practice, practice, practice key preparedness and response actions. Some simple things to practice could be: finding utility shutoffs, evacuating your building, sheltering in place, sending a simple (email?) message to your stakeholders (and asking them to confirm receipt), or properly lifting a person out of wheelchair. Encourage and help your community members to practice simple skills so they will perform at their best during a real emergency.

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May 5th, 2008 | Tags: Emergency, performance, Preparedness | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

Born April 23rd 1564, William Shakespeare wrote some of the most famous plays in history: Hamlet; Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet. His lyrical, evocative style is still appreciated around the world, despite using a vocabulary unfamiliar to many audiences. The less-lyrical vocabulary of emergency services is often burdened by acronyms and jargon. For insiders, jargon and acronyms can increase speed and comprehension. For guests and new people, they can alienate and make full participation a challenge. To reduce barriers when writing: use everyday language when possible; explain words and acronyms in the text; and include glossaries. When speaking, empower audiences to question unfamiliar terms, and list them at the front of the room. Help people move along the preparedness continuum by ensuring they can follow along.

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April 21st, 2008 | Tags: Emergency, empower, Shakespeare | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

On March 31st, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France. Originally planned as the temporary centerpiece for an exhibition, the Eiffel Tower has become an international symbol for France and one of the world’s most visited monuments. The tower is so prominent in the landscape of Paris that directions to most everything else are given relative to it. As you provide information on the location of preparedness and response resources, be sure you help to orient newcomers, tourists and directionally challenged people by including the major landmarks in the area. Natural and human-made markers help people orient themselves when emergency situations leave people disoriented or make directions difficult. Plot key landmarks — major buildings, mountains, bodies of water — on your maps to make them better preparedness resources.

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March 31st, 2008 | Tags: Emergency, monument, resources | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

On March 4th 2008, “Dungeons and Dragons” co-creator Gary Gygax passed away. In Gygax’s enduringly popular role-playing game — known as D&D — players band together to face all manner of fantastical difficulties. Since 1974, millions of people have learned to solve challenging problems in this fun, interactive, collaborative, table-top setting. As players imagine dragons, treasure and magic potions, they practice their ability to think, communicate, and then mobilize resources — a critical skill-set for emergencies. Shake up your next table-top exercise by adding some D&D elements: tap into people’s natural desire to find solutions; encourage the use of diverse skills and interests; have effective collaboration be the goal. Turn your “what if” worst-case scenarios into creative, engaging, team-building experiences.

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March 10th, 2008 | Tags: collaboration, Emergency | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment