FEMA Announces 2015 Youth Preparedness Council Members

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce the members of the 2015-2016 National Youth Preparedness Council (Council). The six new Council members are:

• FEMA Region III: Angelo DeGraff (Maryland);
• FEMA Region VI: Ty Zaunbrecher (Louisiana);
• FEMA Region IX: Kiahna Lee Espia (Guam);
• FEMA Region IX: Divakar Saini (California);
• FEMA Region X: Hailey Starr (Washington); and
  
• FEMA Region X: Megan Stutzman (Oregon).

The returning Council members are:

• Council Chairperson: Obie Jones (FEMA Region VI, Texas);
• Vice Chairperson: Weston Lee (FEMA Region VIII, Utah);
• FEMA Region I: Bridget Smith (Connecticut);
• FEMA Region II: James Collins (New Jersey);
• FEMA Region III: Sahara Duncan (Pennsylvania);
• FEMA Region IV: Matthew Mayfield (Alabama);
• FEMA Region IV: Jonathan Salazar (Florida);
• FEMA Region V: Isaiah Garcia (Michigan); and
  
• FEMA Region VII: Austin Witt (Iowa).

Created in 2012, the Council brings together youth leaders from across the country that are interested in advocating on behalf of preparedness and making a difference in their communities.

To learn more about the FEMA Youth Preparedness Council, please visit: www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council .

National Emergency Medical Services Week

May 17 – 23 is National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week . This observance, established in 1974 by President Gerald Ford, brings together local communities and medical personnel to promote safety and honor the dedication of those who serve as the first line of defense when an emergency strikes.

Our nation's emergency responders do a great job keeping community members safe, but they cannot do it alone. We can all contribute to the safety and security of our communities.

There are organizations in your community that host community-planning meetings, provide preparedness information and volunteer opportunities to community members and when in need, are available to respond to a disaster.

Celebrate National EMS Week by joining one of Citizen Corps' partner programs . These programs help build capacity for first responders through the use of volunteers and include:

• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT);
• Fire Corps;
• National Neighborhood Watch Program;
• Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)
• Medical Reserve Corps (MRC); and
• Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

Prepare with State Sales Tax Holidays

State sales tax holidays are the perfect opportunity to ensure your disaster supply kit is up-to-date or purchase other items which may help you during a disaster. With hurricane season approaching, there is no better time to stock up on preparedness supplies.

Taking advantage of state sales tax holidays is just one more incentive to stock up on bottled water, extra batteries, and items for your disaster supply kit . Many states also offer sales-tax-free school supplies – backpacks can make helpful “go bags” during an emergency or disaster. Upcoming sales tax holidays for other states include:

• Texas – May 23-25 and August 7-9
• Virginia – May 25-31 and August 7-9
• Louisiana – May 30 – 31
• Georgia – July 31-August 1 and October 2-4
  
• Alabama – August 7-9

Don't miss out! Use this opportunity to save a few extra dollars and make sure you and your home are prepared! View the full list of 2015 state sales tax holidays today! Don't see your state on the list? Check with your local Citizen Corps Council to see if your state, county, city, or town is sponsoring an upcoming sales tax holiday. 

Disaster Preparedness Exercises For Your Business

Every business should have a disaster preparedness program and conduct exercises to determine how quickly operations will be restored following a disaster. Conducting program exercises help improve the overall strength of a disaster plan and the ability of employees to perform their roles and responsibilities.

The Ready campaign outlines several types of exercises that can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your disaster preparedness program, including:

• Walkthroughs, workshops, or orientation seminars – Basic training for team members are designed to familiarize employees with emergency response, business continuity and crisis communications plans, and their roles and responsibilities as defined in the plans;
• Tabletop exercises – Discussion-based sessions where employees review their roles during an emergency and their responses to a particular emergency situation;
• Full-scale exercises – Take place on location using the specific equipment and personnel that would be called upon during a real disaster event. These exercises are conducted by public agencies and often include participation from local businesses; and
• Functional exercises – Allow personnel to validate plans and readiness by performing their duties in a simulated operational environment. Activities for a functional exercise are scenario-driven, such as the failure of a critical business function or for a specific hazard.

Medical Reserve Corps Gets Results

Last month, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) network participated in a nationwide drill in conjunction with America's PrepareAthon! The drill was part of MRC's month-long Healthy Home program designed to bring awareness to hazards including lead, mold, and carbon monoxide.

During the April 30 drill, MRC Regional Coordinators asked MRC Unit Leaders across the country to respond to a simple, yet critical question: “Have you checked the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home within the past 60 days?” At the end of the exercise, responses were tallied and reported to the MRC network, which is comprised of nearly 1,000 MRC Units.

According to MRC Director Captain Rob Tosatto, 685 MRC Units replied to the question, and out of those who responded, 516 participants indicated that their carbon monoxide and smoke detectors were checked, and in good working order.

“At its heart, this drill was about personal preparedness and increasing the safety and security of individuals within our MRC network. Our Healthy Homes initiative proved, yet again, that the MRC is a robust and active network which models and promotes preparedness measures,” said Tosatto.

FEMA Seeks Input from Whole Community on National Planning Framework

FEMA is working with its Federal partners to update each of the National Planning Frameworks. The National Planning Frameworks, which are part of the National Preparedness System , set the strategy and doctrine for building, sustaining, and delivering the core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal .

As called for under Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8), the goal sets a vision for preparedness, and states that “a secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk,” and identifies the core capabilities necessary to achieve the goal.

FEMA is seeking input from the whole community on all five Frameworks, which cover the mission areas of Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery. The draft of each Framework and the comment forms can be found in the FEMA Resource and Document Library .

Please submit all comment forms to PPD8-Engagement@fema.dhs.gov by Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 5:00 PM EDT .

Dates for Your Calendar!

• May 28 – 31: International Hazardous Materials Response Team Conference – Baltimore, MD
• May 31 – June 2: Nuclear Energy Institute's Emergency Preparedness Training Course – Denver, CO
• May 31 – June 5: Association of State Floodplain Managers National Conference – Atlanta, GA
• June 2: Preparing for Disasters and Emergency Incidents Workshop – Arlington, TX
• June 3 – 4: Nuclear Energy Institute's Emergency Preparedness Forum – Denver, CO