Individual and Community Preparedness Newsletter

In This Issue: Ready Tips CERT & Communities Children & Disasters Financial Preparedness Important Dates

Ready Tips

Tsunami Awareness for Spring Break Many people will take the opportunity to travel during March to coastal areas for spring break and fun in the sun! Throughout this time, coastal areas around the country will hold weekly programs to promote tsunami awareness. Whether you are home in a coastal region for a staycation or visiting one for vacation, learning the signs of a tsunami and how to stay safe can save lives. For example, Tilly Smith was only ten years old when, while vacationing with her family in Thailand, she saw the signs of a tsunami she learned at school. She warned her family and many other beachgoers, giving them enough time to get to higher ground. If you live near or are visiting a coastal area, here are some tips to help you prepare: Know the signs of a potential tsunami: an earthquake; a loud ocean roar; a sudden rise or draining of ocean water. Know and practice community evacuation plans and map out your routes from home, work, and play. (If traveling, ask your place of lodging about local tsunami safety.) Make and practice an emergency plan for communication and evacuation. Sign up for and pay attention to alerts and listen to local officials. Create a disaster supplies kit for emergencies. (If traveling, create a portable kit to take with you.) Visit https://www.ready.gov/tsunamis to learn more. Be ready to take action!

CERT & Communities

Campus Community Emergency Response Team to the Rescue When disasters strike, our first responders are in high demand; but with the help of schools like the University of Washington-Bothell (UW-Bothell) and Cascadia College, first responders are rarely in short supply. Located in Bothell, Washington, UW-Bothell shares a campus with Cascadia College, making up the UW-Bothell/Cascadia College Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The partnership between these two schools makes the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin look like amateurs! Read more…

Information about Floods from the National Household Survey Flooding is the leading cause of severe weather-related deaths in the U.S., claiming nearly 100 lives a year. Data from the 2019 National Household Survey (NHS) indicates that overall, people in flood regions will take the same or fewer flood preparedness actions when compared to the national estimates. Only 29% of the 2019 NHS respondents in flood regions attended a local meeting or training to prepare for a disaster. To increase the preparedness of individuals in flood regions, remember to spread the flood safety message “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”. Learn more about preparing for floods here. Webinar—Active Shooter Exercise Toolkit for Houses of Worship Join FEMA Region II on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET to learn about a new toolkit designed to increase preparedness for houses of worship. The toolkit contains the materials needed for a house of worship to conduct its own tabletop exercise, with little or no previous exercise experience. This event features Devin Kerins, Community Preparedness Officer of Region 2, who will discuss the toolkit’s contents and provide some simple tips for structuring your exercise to maximize your benefit. The webinar will also cover some of the internal factors that influence people to prepare. For more information and to register, click here.   FEMA Releases New PrepTalk Watch the new FEMA Prep talk “Human Biases: Why People Underprepare for Disasters” by Dr. Howard Kunreuther, Co-Director of the Risk Management Center and James G. Dinan Professor Emeritus of Operations, Information and Decisions at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton. In this session, Dr. Kunreuther explores why damages and fatalities from disasters increased across the globe through the early twenty-first century despite advances in forecasting and warnings. He also identifies six human biases behind the underinvestment in protection against disasters and explains why understanding these biases can help design strategies to improve preparedness. To watch Dr. Kunreuther’s PrepTalk video and access other resources, please visit www.fema.gov/preptalks. Webinar—Protecting our Communities: Signs of Terrorism, What to Look For, and How to Help Law Enforcement Join FEMA Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET to learn about the signs of terrorism and related suspicious activity that law enforcement agencies look for to keep Americans safe. The state of New Jersey has undertaken homeland security initiatives that bring law enforcement, first responders, and other private and public partners together to inform communities across the state on threats and hazards. This event features David Kanig from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Learn more and register by clicking here.

Children & Disasters

YPC Connects with Libraries for Financial Preparedness April is National Financial Capability Month (NFCM)! This year, FEMA’s National and Regional Youth Preparedness Councils (YPC) will engage with local libraries to promote financial preparedness. Throughout the month, libraries will promote financial preparedness by sharing a YPC-designed graphic that shows library patrons the steps to financially prepare for an emergency. Read more…

Financial Preparedness

National Financial Capability Month Activities According to FEMA’s 2019 National Household Survey, nearly half of adults have set aside less than $700 for an emergency. With April’s National Financial Capability Month (NCFM) right around the corner, now is a great time to increase your preparedness by planning your finances for an unexpected event. FEMA has a variety of activities and events planned for National Financial Capability Month (NFCM) to help get you started! After all, part of being prepared for an emergency or disaster, is understanding your finances. Read more… Webinar— Money Matters: A Community Approach to Financial Preparedness Join FEMA and other organizations on April 29th at 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET as they offer tips that will provide you and members of your community proven techniques that improve the financial resiliency of Americans. To register for the webinar, click here.

Important Dates

Until March 8: Apply for FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) March 10: Webinar— Active Shooter Exercise Toolkit for Houses of Worship (Noon ET) March 12: Webinar—Protecting our Communities: Signs of Terrorism, What to Look For, and How To Help Law Enforcement (Noon ET) April: National Financial Capability Month April 29: Webinar— Money Matters: A Community Approach to Financial Preparedness (1 p.m. ET) Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events, entities, organizations, services, or products. Please let us know about other events and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting  FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov.