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2011 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards

DHS and FEMA logo

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards.  Winners were selected in thirteen categories of awards, and a special award was presented to the late John D. Solomon, founder of the blog In Case of Emergency, Read Blog, http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/.  The Awards, previously known as the Citizen Corps Achievement Awards, recognize accomplishments that took place during the award period of January 1, 2010 through June 1, 2011.  They recognize the innovative practices and achievements of organizations and individuals that work to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to manage any emergency situation.

Leadership from National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and FEMA selected this year’s winners from among applicants from 36 States, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The applications reflected the full breadth of the Whole Community, with submissions from faith-based, tribal, non-profit, private sector, and community-based organizations, as well as individuals.

Winning applications demonstrated remarkable innovation and creativity in preparing their communities. For example, the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians developed a “Send Word Now” system which provides SMS text, email and voice alerts to tribal members during emergencies. Others were exemplary in their ability to train and educate community members. For instance, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago trained more than 55,000 youth and their families in over 20 different low income neighborhoods. The Earthquake Country Alliance is extremely successful in their ability to conduct the Great California ShakeOut, an annual statewide earthquake drill that involves millions of participants and has been replicated in other states and countries. Many of this year’s winners also distinguished themselves by bringing together the whole community in emergency preparedness.  The New York City Citizen Corps program collaborates with more than 60 community organizations, government agencies, private sector organizations, and volunteer programs.

 

2011 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

Arkansas State Citizen Corps (AR)

Arkansas has 21 registered Citizen Corps Councils and 11 registered Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). During 2011, Arkansas improved their social media presence; developed and implemented the Ready Arkansas: A State of Preparedness program; trained new CERT instructors and increased participation of volunteers and community outreach.  As a program, Arkansas CCP has begun integrating programs, like the Arkansas Citizen Volunteer Advisory Council (ACVAC), into an umbrella program to be better identifiable and consolidate efforts.  They were instrumental in setting long-term goals for the Ready Arkansas Network.  During the federally declared disasters in Arkansas in 2011, information previously collected for the Arkansas Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster (ARVOAD), aided in the quick response to flooding, tornadoes and winter storms.  Arkansas CCP now tracks volunteer hours to enable our volunteers to be eligible for Presidential Service Awards.  Volunteers track their hours at http://bit.ly/CCPVolunteer_Hours.  This information is reviewed quarterly to check for qualifying volunteers.

Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

New York City Citizen Corps (NY)

The New York City Citizen Corps Council (NYC CCC) engages the disaster volunteer community through its annual Disaster Volunteer Conference, Volunteer Development Program, and National Preparedness Month. NYC CCC has collaborated with more than 60 community organizations, government, private sector, and volunteer programs. In Fall 2010, the NYC CCC’s Special Needs Task Force co-hosted the Emergency Preparedness Strategies for People with Special Needs Symposium, bringing together more than 130 consumers, caregivers, and home care providers. To engage community-based organizations who work with immigrants, the NYC CCC began the Immigrant Task Force Speaker Series in January 2011.

Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives

NBC Universal CERT (CA)

The NBC Universal CERT program consists of 250 employee volunteers who have completed the standard CERT training. This group is led by one full-time Emergency Manager and a group of volunteers who act as a CERT advisory council to lead the program. During the  award period NBC Universal CERT team developed the following:  improved the check-in process and accountability of CERT members by building a CERT focused staging and accountability system to efficiently check-in, stage, and deploy CERT members ; developed a Rapid Intervention Team for CERT members; assisted in conducting a preparedness fair involving various community partners; supplemented  the City’s CERT team for Burbank’s 2010 ShakeOut drill; and participated in an exercise conducted at the on-site child care center to test the efficacy of a pediatric curriculum.

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

American Red Cross of Greater Chicago (IL)

During the award period the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago Chapter’s Preparedness Safety Program provided preparedness programs that reached and trained more than 55,000 youth and their families in over 20 different low income neighborhoods.  The Kid Safety Program taught student fire safety and prevention; water safety and drowning prevention; and proper hygiene and disease prevention techniques. Examples of community-kid preparedness efforts including improvements in “Community Safety Days,” “Team Firestopper,” and other prevention and safety programs aimed at children.

Preparing the Whole Community

San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians (CA)

The San Manuel reservation lies at the intersection of several fault lines along the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. The CERT and the Tribal Emergency Response Team (CERT/TERT) utilizes a comprehensive Wi-Fi system supported by an information technology department has created unique and robust alert systems to inform the community immediately of an emergency.  The Tribe has implemented a “Send Word Now” system which provides SMS text, email and voice alerts to community members on a communication platform of choice. All of the CERT/TERT instructors are subject matter experts who provide training at no cost to participants. This year disaster response capabilities were increased by strategically placing mobile disaster support kits that provide instant access to hand tools and additional resources that may be needed on site in an emergency. The CERT/TERT is also in the process of providing in-home emergency survival kits for each Tribal residence along with back-up power sources for each home and business.

Promising Partnerships

Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) (FL)

The Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) is a non-profit organization and is a public-private partnership that has expanded the membership of the Citizen Corps Councils it supports to a membership of over 450 organizations representing over 100,000 individuals from the multiple sectors reflecting the whole community.  During the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, BRACE recruited, registered, oriented, deployed and coordinated over 950 volunteers within 30 hours of activation. BRACE ultimately coordinated the service of over 1,900 volunteers that provided in excess of 10,000 hours of volunteer service during the months long activation for the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. BRACE also convened the leadership of public and private organizations from 12 different sectors of the community to plan a comprehensive recovery effort that considered the impacts of the Oil Spill on the economy, ecology, physical and emotional health, and other response and recovery priorities.

Engagement with Faith-Based Communities

David L. Maack (WI)

David Maack works with the faith-based community and partnered with the City of Racine Mayor’s Office of Strategic Partnerships and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare to present a forum on preparedness for our churches and faith-based organizations.  46 individuals representing churches attended the seminar.  A concerted effort was also made to reach inner city churches. Goals included reaching an underrepresented community and fostering a culture of preparedness within the faith-based community.  Mr. Maack was a plenary session keynote speaker at a Faithful Readiness conference sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security.

Innovative Training and Education Programs

Washington State Emergency Management (Map Your Neighborhood) (WA)

The Washington State Emergency Management Division’s Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program prepares neighborhoods to survive emergencies and disaster situations, saving lives, reducing the severity of injuries and trauma, and reducing property damage. MYN is currently active in thirty-four states, including Washington. MYN, designed to improve disaster readiness at the neighborhood level (generally 15-20 homes in urban areas or 5-7 in rural areas – MYN can also be implemented in condos and apartment complexes), teaches neighbors to rely on each other during the hours or days before fire, medical, police, or utility responders may be able to reach them.MYN begins with a single individual inviting the neighborhood to his or her home for a 90-minute meeting, facilitated by the MYN program DVD. In 2010-2011 MYN WA State obtained 55 new partners, and was implemented in six new states, and two new countries. MYN also won FEMA’s Challenge.gov Award this year.

Outstanding Drill, Exercise, or Event

The Great Central United States ShakeOut (TN)

At 10:15 AM. on April 28, 2011, communities throughout the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) Member States (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee) and Associate States of Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, took part in the largest earthquake preparedness effort in central U.S. history, the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut.  The ShakeOut was designed as a way for the general public to learn about earthquakes and take specific actions to prepare themselves before the next damaging earthquake strikes.  It was promoted through a central website, where people were encouraged to register and pledge their participation to take part in the drill.  Participants were asked to use resources on the website (drill manuals and broadcasts, scenarios, and safety information) to help develop their drills.   Other ShakeOut promotional collateral (videos, web banners, flyers, etc.) were made available on the website as well. 

Awareness to Action

Earthquake Country Alliance (ShakeOut) (CA)

The ECA is composed currently of three regional alliances: the Southern California Earthquake Alliance, the Bay Area Earthquake Alliance, and the Redwood Coast Tsunami Working Group. Many organizations work together with ECA including SCEC, CalEMA, USGS, California Earthquake Authority, FEMA, American Red Cross, State Farm, and many city and county government agencies across California. The ECA’s cornerstone activity is The Great California ShakeOut, an annual statewide earthquake drill that began in 2008 and which involves millions of participants each year all across California. The ShakeOut has now been replicated in many states and in other countries. SCEC hosts the website, registration system, and provides consultation for each of these drills, to maintain consistency in the brand and work towards unified earthquake preparedness. ECA distributes Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country and other publications, and maintains and supports the EPIcenter network of museums and other informal learning venues. The ECA also publishes a number of region-specific earthquake and tsunami preparedness handbooks, as well as maintaining a website (www.earthquakecountry.org).

Innovative Use of Technology

Citizen Corps of St. Clair County (MI)

The Citizen Corps of St. Clair County launched a new Public Preparedness Campaign called "Be Ready St. Clair County" that focuses on FEMA's Ready message of "Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Prepared." St. Clair created an interactive website for the campaign, www.BeReadyStClairCounty.org, where residents can click “My Kit,” “My Plan,” and “My Info” to help prepare themselves and their families.  The site also contains preparedness videos and fact sheets on area risks and how to be prepared.  During its most active month the website reached nearly 5000 page views.  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages were also created.  The Facebook group has over 700 members, and is most active during severe weather events in which residents share information with one another by reporting on storm activity, follow watches and warnings, and post storm-related pictures and videos.  A series of preparedness PSAs were also recorded by various officials and community members and aired on six radio stations over 1,600 times during the award period. Video PSAs airing before movies at local theatres were seen by approximately 330,000 people. St. Clair County also launched its first annual video and ad contest.

Outstanding Achievement in Public Health

Cobb County Public Health Preparedness and Response (GA)

Cobb County Safety Village is an eight-acre safety training environment where elementary school students learn about public health, safety, and emergency preparedness through interactive learning modules and activities. The village features reduced-scale buildings on street replicas that include sidewalks, traffic signals, and other local structures and landmarks. In 2011 Cobb Public Health designed a six-part education project with the goal of creating and implementing hands-on interactive safety and preparedness training for children that aligns with local, state, and federal preparedness guidelines. The project, funded by a $78,000 grant from the CDC, was specifically designed for presentation in the miniature public health building in the safety village. Over 20,000 local students are expected to complete this training during 2011.

Community Preparedness Heroes

Brenda Gormley (TX)

Brenda Gormley has been volunteering as the Denton County, Texas, CERT Coordinator and has grown the Denton County CERT program to include over 500 members. She has trained and established specialized teams to respond to local and regional search and rescue, damage assessment and rehab needs, coordinated cross-training with the Denton County MRC and other Citizen Corps programs, and facilitated the merger of Denton County VOAD and the Denton County Citizen Corps Council. Brenda has also been instrumental in the success of the youth preparedness initiative in Denton County through Teen CERT. In addition to her other CERT duties, she personally instructs two Teen CERT classes per semester in Denton County, and at one time during 2010, three. Brenda is the secretary of the Denton County Citizen Corps Council, serves as the Citizen Corps representative on the Urban Area Security Initiative Working Group and as the Citizen Corps representative on the Non-Profit Security Grant scoring committee.

Tod Pritchard (WI)

Tod Pritchard joined Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) as the State Preparedness Coordinator in August 2010. He reinvigorated the statewide preparedness campaign, "ReadyWisconsin" by updating our website, coordinating various weather campaigns, as well as September Preparedness Month, and helping launch a student preparedness initiative in Wisconsin. The campaigns he coordinated include the 2010 Wisconsin Winter Awareness Campaign (with NASCAR driver and Wisconsin native Matt Kenseth) and STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning) in Wisconsin. The program teaches fifth grade students to learn to be ready for disasters and emergencies. Tod is currently coordinating September Preparedness Month 2011.

Carolyn Bluhm (CO)

For six years Carolyn Bluhm, from the Denver Office of Emergency Management, has provided CERT and community preparedness trainings to diverse populations. She has gone out of her way to train community members and organizations in multiple diverse communities including low-income Hispanic neighborhoods, multi-ethnic Muslim populations, multi-tribal urban Native Americans, African American and Asian American communities. She provides these communities with training primarily on evenings and weekends, when the most people could attend. She volunteers much of her own time to address the training and technical assistance needs of the communities with whom she works. Due to her efforts at a local church a fully Spanish-bilingual CERT team was created with over 60 people. She also helped the Colorado Muslim Society to establish a CERT and emergency operations team bi-lingual in Arabic, and a number of other languages such as Farsi, Urdu, and Somali. She trained CERT trainers in both communities so that they can perpetuate the trainings on their own.

First Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Preparedness Award

John D. Solomon, Creator of In Case of Emergency, Read Blog (NY)

John’s blog, In Case of Emergency, Read Blog: A Citizen’s Eye View Of Public Preparedness was launched in March 2008 as research for a book he was writing on emergency preparedness from the vantage point of a father-husband-and-son interested in helping safeguard his family and community. His body of work until his untimely death in November2010 was striking in its reporting, analysis, engagement and impact, in preparing the public, informing professionals, and effecting change in the public and private sectors. John reported from conferences he’d helped to organize as well as those he had not; posting interviews and being interviewed; devising legislation to incentivize the sale of emergency supplies via “tax holidays”; evaluating how government and non-profit disaster relief organizations were using social media tools; celebrating others’ initiatives by calling them to the attention of policy makers; conducting contests to foster citizen preparedness; and videotaping leaders in the preparedness community for their tips on readiness for his series “What Should I Tell the Public?” including one with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, which they filmed just two months before John’s death. At his passing, Administrator Fugate stated that John “set the standard for what it meant to be part of our nation's emergency management team.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

Preparing the Whole Community

Promising Partnerships

Engagement with Faith-Based Communities

Innovative Training and Education Programs

Outstanding Drill, Exercise, or Event

Awareness to Action

Innovative Use of Technology

Outstanding Achievement in Public Health