SAFETY TIPS

Disaster Resources

With the recent hurricanes and other disasters in our country and around the world, you might be wondering where you can find more information about what is happening even after the news teams stop reporting on an area. One suggestion is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.FEMA.gov). FEMA started in 1979 with an executive order signed by President Jimmy Carter. Their mission is “helping people before, during, and after disasters.”[1] They maintain ten regional offices with about four to eight states and/or territories in each. In March 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

You might find the following areas of their website useful:

· About Us: This page provides background information about FEMA and links to each of the regional offices. From this page, you will also find links to some of their offices like Disability Integration & Coordination, External Affairs, Equal Rights, and Response & Recovery.

· Ready.gov: On the home page they list things like power outages, wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, emergency alerts, financial preparedness, active shooter, and more. Under each topic are tips and resources. Each main page also includes a list of related topics with additional information. For example, under Make & Practice Your Plan is the related topic of Pets & Animals.

· Resources: FEMA has an extensive collection of photographs, multimedia, documents, brochures; most of them are not protected by copyright and are available for anyone to use. This link is a little difficult to find, so try typing into your browser the following link: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/#{}. On this page you have access to at least a dozen different options to help you find exactly the items you need. So, the next time the science teacher needs some pictures of tornado damage, you have a resource you can recommend.

· Podcasts: There is a link on the FEMA homepage to their series of podcasts. The topics range from preparing for disasters to follow-up from previous disasters. There is an interesting 25-minute piece on how the University of Iowa came back from the 2008 flood. There is a new 20-30-minute podcast added every week.

Some of the information on the FEMA website will help you and your family stay safe in the years to come. There is also information available you can use to supplement what is shared within your school district. You might also be able to connect with someone who can do a safety presentation at your next affiliate conference.

Katherine G. H. Reichley, CEOE

NAEOP Secretary / Treasurer

[1] FEMA, Mission Statement, https://www.fema.gov/about-agency.