Social networks set tone for community information during LA fires | Researchers announcement advancements in disaster communications | State and local governments to get federal information sharing guideline suggestions | Report finds nonprofits underprepared in DC area | Disaster response accountability group | International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Day | Hurricane Ike wrap-up | Hurricane Ike heads toward Houston | Myspace and DHS announce hurricane awareness partnership | As Gustav heads toward Gulf Coast, partnerships help to build information portals for community members and response organizations |
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Why Your Membership in ReadyCorps Will Help Strengthen Homeland Security

September 11, 2001 has not only changed the way communities view their preparation and response to crisis, but also redefined the role that citizens and corporations have in helping their communities prepare for and respond to threat and crisis. Though local, state and federal governments are responsible at one level or another, there just are not enough resources to protect all communities and property at all times, nor to respond equally or quickly. The threat and the country are too open and large.

ReadyCorps' Role

The National Council on Readiness and Preparedness has formed ReadyCorps to bring corporations together with communities, responders and governments to increase community surge capacity during incidents of mass casualty or destruction. ReadyCorps members will establish a corporate Crisis Response Officer (CRO) for each corporate facility, to serve as a contact point between responders and corporations to share information and assets, create preparedness response strategies and generally develop simple but effective ways to train and prepare employees for threat or crisis as resources to the responder sector during community response.


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Today's Top News
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Social networks set tone for community information during LA fires

November 17 '08: As wildfires destroy homes in Southern California, social networking sites have been used by community first responders and citizens to spread important information, updates and maps in real-time. The fires have burned more than 1,000 homes, forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate and have claimed over 20,000 acres in the past four days, Reuters reported. CNN reported Monday that at least one of the fires has been linked to human activity.

Researchers announcement advancements in disaster communications

November 10 '08: Researchers working on disaster response communication technologies have announced new advancements in understanding how radio frequencies behave in difficult areas such as collapsed buildings, mine shafts and tunnels, CNN reported. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology told the cable news channel that a "sweet spot" frequency has been found which allows radio communication to travel the farthest.

State and local governments to get federal information sharing guideline suggestions

November 3 '08: According to Washington Technology, the federal government is making preparations for the release of updated information sharing guidelines for state and local governments to help "achieve baseline capabilities necessary to share terrorism and law enforcement data." The guideline suggestions, which include increased partnership and participation with the private sector, will be published in a report titled "Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers."

Report finds nonprofits underprepared in DC area

October 27 '08: In a report that is being considered a first of its kind for the DC area, the Washington Post reported a new collaboration between the Nonprofit Roundtable and Deloitte to look at the ability of nonprofit groups to coordinate and respond to a disaster.

Disaster response accountability group

October 17 '08: Thanks to John Solomon over at Incaseofemergencyblog.com for the tip regarding the Disaster Accountability Project and its article in the Natural Hazards Observer which appeared in last month's edition. DAP, begun in August 2007, was established to help improve the national disaster response framework through citizen oversight, research, whistle-blower engagement, and policy research, the website read.

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Day

October 14 '08: Last week, October 8, the United Nations observed the International Day for Disaster Reduction. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said recent disasters such as Cyclone Nargis and the Wenchuan Earthquake have pushed highlighted the imperative for international disaster response initiatives and partnership for local, state and international communities and governments.

Hurricane Ike wrap-up

It has been one month since the formation of Hurricane Ike, the ninth named storm of the 2008 hurricane season. Since the storm hit the Texas coast, more than 300 people are still missing while the storm claimed 67 lives, and could end up costing close to $22 billion officials said. The storm also was responsible for high winds and rain in the interior parts of the country, causing power outages, flooding and gas shortages in the Midwest and Southeastern US.

Hurricane Ike heads toward Houston

September 12 '08: Category 2 Hurricane Ike is heading toward the Houston/Galveston communities and is already flooding the streets of Galveston which "forecasters warned could reach up to 22 feet and bring 'certain death' to anyone who remained in Galveston Bay homes," CNN reported. Galveston has been known for its hurricane response partnerships to aid with evacuation, special needs care and recovery operations.

Myspace and DHS announce hurricane awareness partnership

September 5 '08: As Tropical Storm Hanna heads toward the East Coast, federal emergency officials have announced a new partnership to spread information to the more web-focused populations who could be affected by severe weather. Agence France-Presse reported that officials at the Department of Homeland Security have partnered with the creators of Myspace to develop a widget that can link users to information about hurricanes, flooding, severe weather or other emergency alerts.

As Gustav heads toward Gulf Coast, partnerships help to build information portals for community members and response organizations

August 29 '08: State and local officials in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states have begun to make preparations for Hurricane Gustav as it begins to strengthen into a hurricane. In New Orleans, city officials have begun to make evacuation preparations on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Associated Press reported. And in Louisiana, the Getagameplan.org website, the product of a partnership between the United Way, the American Red Cross, the State of Louisiana and the Governor's Office of Louisiana, is live with up-to-date information for those preparing for the storm.

 


 


National Press Club Briefing
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NCORP press briefing at the National Press Club

June 20: The first 72 hours of a crisis are the most important times for a community to be prepared until federal, state and local emergency response operations can begin to help those residents in need. That was the message at the National Press Club on Tuesday when officials from local first responders and leaders of the private sector and academia gathered to discuss the creation and organization of the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness. Former Virginia Governor James Gilmore said, "We need to have a plan for the first 72 hours," so that, "NCORP can push forward on individual initiative to not wait for anyone else to do it for us. ... We can't wait any longer. We cannot expect the federal government to help us in the first 72 hours. There is no 'they'."

NCORP, a grass-roots organization, was formed to continue the work of the Gilmore Commission, a Congressionally-mandated commission begun during the Clinton administration, which was charged with identifying the most pressing security threats to the United States. Because of the nature of responding to an emergency, NCORP developed five key areas that would work to "integrate resources into the national template template by providing essential resources and networks that link them together."

Across the country since the attacks on September 11, 2001 and in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, there have been local and regional efforts by the private sector and individual people to help bring together communities and organizations to build response plans, however those efforts have been "uneven and unorganized," according to Gilmore. NCORP would help "facilitate those efforts. ... We can't dictate what do, but we can suggest," he continued.

"There has to be a game plan," to coordinate state and local governments, the private sector and the community with the federal government because "there is a need for a vehicle to facilitate partnership with the Department of Homeland Security."

Through a program called the Ready America Initiative, NCORP outlined five major areas of emergency response and preparedness: addressing public health and medical situations, surge capacity and the ability of regional, local and community health officials to respond to a crisis; training and equipping citizens with the necessary tools to help respond to a threat or crisis; giving the public the necessary information to help make educated decisions about how to best prepare; providing information for federal, state, local and tribal communities on disaster readiness and networking; and helping to respond and contain an emergency when it happens.

NCORP is a 501c(3) established to enhance community and public/private partnerships concerning community preparedness. For more information about NCORP please visit the website at http://www.ncorp.org/ or call Governor Gilmore at 202.342.8506. Media Contact: Dan Kreske at 202.342.8561 (office) or 804.852.9042 (mobile).

 

 

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