REACT Feeds

NPM 2011 is history.

Sincere thanks to Teams that participated and especially to those that contributed to the NPM discussions or posted NPM events . They helped generate some good national and international PR for REACT. Next year we will try to do even better.

Rest up for a few days, but be planning in your minds for this upcoming Tornado exercise. Ready your Team for it. Put your PIO to work on a media release concerning it. That release should go to all media around October 10, but no later than October 15. It is a tabletop exercise. See below for full details.

REACTers can register and do it alone. Better yet, several can get together to work on it. You can and should apply your ICS training to it, so it has double benefits. Climate change has tornadoes appearing in unusual places that have not had them before, so every Team would be smart to get practised up. What you learn from this exercise will benefit your Team in any disaster situation, so take full advantage.

Get some photos of your Team in uniform poring over maps or developing strategies and send them to Dawn for ‘The REACTer’. Post them on your Team website and its Facebook page too. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.

As always, questions off-line are most welcome.

Ron McCracken,
Public Information

Formidable Footprint – The New Season

National Community / Neighborhood Exercise Series

A new season of Formidable Footprint exercises continues and now is the time
for neighborhood, community and faith based organizations to make plans to
participate by registering today.

The first seven Formidable Footprint exercises had 1,527 teams from
throughout the United States and several foreign countries assessing their
disaster planning and response capabilities in a meaningful internet based
exercise opportunity.

Tornado Exercise – October 29 2011

Exercises have also been scheduled for the following scenarios:

Earthquake – Flood – Hurricane -
Pandemic – Tornado – Wildfire

The Formidable Footprint exercise series has been developed in accordance
with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) protocols.
The objective of the exercise series is for CERTs, Neighborhood Watch
Programs, Neighborhood Associations, Community / Faith Based Organizations,
Citizen Corps, Fire Corps and others to work as a team to become better
prepared for the next disaster their community may face.

There is NO CHARGE for participation in any of the Formidable Footprint
exercises.

For additional information or to register for the up-coming Earthquake
Exercise please access the following web site today:

www.FormidableFootprint.org

Please Share This Important Disaster Exercise Opportunity With Others

Has your REACT Team achieved something in local emergency preparedness? Here is a chance to gain recognition for your efforts.

Note the deadline for submissions. Submit as early as possible. Copy your submission to ‘The REACTer’ for further recognition and to give other Teams ideas. Best wishes.

Ron McCracken,
Public Information

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce that the agency is currently accepting submissions for the 2011 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. Formerly the National Citizen Corps Achievement Awards, the name was changed to reflect FEMA’s intent to recognize the innovative and outstanding achievements of all of the individuals, communities, and organizations working to ensure that the United States is better prepared and more resilient.

The Awards showcase the work of the agency’s partners at the State, territorial, local and tribal levels. This includes nongovernmental organizations in the nonprofit, faith-based, and private sector communities, as well as diverse individuals, families, and communities. It is these partners who are FEMA’s most important assets and allies in the agency’s ability to respond to and recover from any major disaster. FEMA would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate all of last year’s winners and finalists, which are listed at www.citizencorps.gov/councils/awards/.

Submissions should emphasize achievements taking place between January 1, 2010, and June 1, 2011, and can feature examples of any outstanding achievements in individual and community preparedness worthy of recognition, regardless of category. While nominations do not need to be submitted for specific award categories, below are samples of award categories to consider when recommending award candidates and submitting applications:

– CERT in Action

– Local Citizen Corps Council Programs (Citizen
Corps only)

– Creating a Culture of Preparedness

– Creative Practices and Programs, including
Innovative Website Development

– Collaborative Preparedness Activities

– National Preparedness Month Participation

– Organizational Preparedness

– Public Preparedness Initiatives and/or Programs

– Resources: Doing More With Less

– Rural Area Programs

– Social Media Initiatives

– State Citizen Corps Initiatives (Citizen Corps only)

– Underrepresented Communities Programs

– Volunteer Integration in Exercises, Response, and Recovery

– Whole Community Engagement Initiatives

– Youth Preparedness Programs

Winners will be announced in September 2011, during National Preparedness Month, and will be FEMA’s honored guests at a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington, D.C. One winner will be selected to attend the 2011 International Association of Emergency Managers Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., and to participate on a FEMA community preparedness panel.
Please visit the following website to download instructions for submitting an application: http://citizencorps.gov/councils/awards/2011/awards2011.shtm.

Entries must be received by August 26, 11:59 p.m. EDT

We look forward to learning more about the excellent work being done across the Nation!

Sincerely,

The National Office of Citizen Corps

FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division

Get out your quill, or fire up your PC.

It’s time for the first-ever electronic edition of ‘The REACTer’. Be part of history. Submit an article now.

Deadline for this historic edition is July 31. How about an article or two from some of our techies? What about a review of your newest piece of equipment that you really love…or hate. Dawn is waiting to receive your submission. Humour her. Help make this premiere electronic edition the biggest and best in a long time.

Remember, one advantage of an electronic ‘REACTer’ is that it can be any number of ‘pages’. No printing or postage costs either to eat up dues. The content can be a lot fresher too, since the long, involved printing process is eliminated. You will also be able to print as many extra copies as you wish for your Team’s contacts in emergency services, any Team member without email, elected officials, grantors, etc. You can enlarge the print as needed, too.

The ball is in your court. Help make this first new ‘REACTer’ all you would like it to be. Thanks for getting involved. Send submissions to: D.Drury@REACTintl.org .