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

When setting 2010 preparedness goals, it’s great to follow the SMART goal model: Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic, Time-bound.  But for emergency preparedness — a topic that is met with some resistance — it’s even more important to have a BHAG (pronounced “BEE-hag”) – a Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  Popularized in the best-selling book by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, a BHAG is both clear and compelling; it’s “an audacious 10-to-30-year goal to progress towards an envisioned future.”

With feedback from your team and community, create and share a positive uplifting, big picture BHAG. Ideally, all of your related SMART goals, milestones, projects, and objectives should clearly and directly help fulfill this larger, more empowering goal. Tip: Even a draft or “straw man” BHAG can help!

CARD’s BHAG: Have EVERY nonprofit prepared to prosper!

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January 11th, 2010 | Tags: empower, future, goal, objectives, plan, Planning, Preparedness, project, read | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Now is the time (when calendars are still uncrowded) to make sure planning and preparedness activities are woven into 2010.

Some tips to make your calendar a structure for your success:

• Look at last year’s calendar for recurring items, and copy them to your current calendar. Include annual preparedness conferences, monthly emergency manager’s meetings, and other events where you share your preparedness efforts.
• Weeks before Daylight Saving Time, remind yourself to create and send action steps (e.g. rotating disaster supplies) out to your community.
• Note both major events targeting the larger community and small events targeting niche audiences, and see if your preparedness offerings can be included in the program.

Successful preparedness efforts take a bit of planning, so start the year with small manageable bits of preparedness prominently threaded throughout your calendar.

~~~ Save the Date: September 14th -17th 2010,  CESA Conference, Monterey California  ~~~

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January 4th, 2010 | Tags: Calendar, Daylight Saving Time, Planning, Preparedness, reminders, supplies, supply | Category: 2010, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

This coming year, communities across America will be bombarded with many different preparedness messages. The majority of these messages are intentionally generic, so that they can be shared nationwide. Most people, however, are much more likely to resonate with, and take action on, a more personalized and specific message delivered by a trusted messenger. Choose a preparedness action that you can passionately champion in your community throughout 2010. Make sure it’s something you have actually done and currently maintain, so that your conviction is real, your words honest, and you have actual success stories to share.

Remember: Everyone can do something that will leave them feeling safer, more confident and more prepared. Everyone. For an example, see how CARD staffer Maryanne Tracy-Baker walks the world with safety stashed in her crutches and champions this message everywhere. See “What’s Up Your Crutch?” on YouTube!

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December 21st, 2009 | Tags: confident, crutches, health, Planning, Preparedness, Safety | Category: 2009, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

The world-famous physicist Niels Bohr was born October 7, 1885 [d. 1962].  Bohr was a senior member of the Manhattan Project and helped create the field of quantum mechanics.  In attempting to explain quantum mechanics, Bohr said that “nothing exists until it is measured.”  For years, “having a plan” was the key measurement of preparedness. Several disasters have shown that simply having a plan does not necessarily lead to successful implementation. Be ready to articulate implementation in measurable ways. Some examples of meaningful numbers: people confident they can respond; tested ways your team can communicate; backup systems tested and in place. Choose actions that make a difference for your needs.  More than the presence of a plan, the measurable, tangible aspects of implementation are often what matter most to staff, funders, media and the people you serve.

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October 6th, 2008 | Tags: measures, Planning | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

Before landing on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 was delayed by seemingly inexplicable glitches and readings from its computer system. These errors were eventually discovered to be a result of obsolete programming, accidentally carried over from Apollo 10. While the astronauts landed safely, this oversight nearly caused tragedy.

Using data, assumptions and procedures from the past, when planning for emergencies in the future, is a danger. Allow time at your next emergency planning meeting to question some basics elements. For example: is it sustainable through high staff turnover? Does it incorporate new demographic data on your diverse community? Are new communication options, like texting, included?

“You can never plan the future by the past.” Edmund Burke, 1729 – 1797

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July 21st, 2008 | Tags: adapting, changes, Planning | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

On March 24th, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker hit Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil. It devastated the local ecosystem and became one of the largest environmental disasters in US history. The eco-disaster lives on, as does the PR nightmare for Exxon — experts still use the company’s response to illustrate what not to do: disregard your own response plans; appear arrogant by ignoring local advocacy groups; fail to engage the media. Add media training to your disaster planning curriculum; either professional training or using case studies to learn from others’ successes and failures. Particularly if your agency is viewed as being at fault for something, your disaster communications can either fuel the flames of pain, anger and distrust, or it can facilitate hope and healing.

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March 24th, 2008 | Tags: disaster, Planning, response | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

March 3rd, 1879, marks the founding of the United States Geological Survey (www.usgs.gov). As a bureau of the US Department of the Interior, with a staff of nearly10,000, the USGS is devoted to maintaining the most detailed and up-to-date maps of the United States. Accurate and detailed maps are critical for effective planning and response. Free maps are available in many places – search engines; traditional mapmakers; automobile clubs – and by adding your own pertinent information they become even more valuable. Some things to plot on maps include: highway ramps; key staff homes; alternate facilities; off-site storage; open spaces; medical facilities; critical partners; emergency services agencies such as police and fire. Posting a map of key assets and potential major hazards helps everyone to see opportunities, risks and choices.

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March 3rd, 2008 | Tags: Hazard, Information, Planning | Category: 2008, STAT | Leave a comment

Before your 2007 calendar fills up, consider scheduling time for some things that often get overlooked – but will make a big difference in your readiness efforts. Some suggestions: – Block out time to plan for and participate in disaster exercises. – Schedule breakfast or lunch meetings with key colleagues and people of influence – to refresh relationships and do some “power networking.” – Plan one-on-one time before or after scheduled meetings with strategic partners. – Revisit your MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding), and otherwise ensure that your written relationships and agreements are still strong and valid — before you need them.

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January 1st, 2007 | Tags: MOUs, Planning | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment