Last Friday, I had the opportunity to meet the second group of the inaugural class of FEMA Corps during their induction ceremony in Vinton, Iowa.  Soon, this group will join their fellow FEMA Corps inductees in regional offices and joint field offices around the country.  Similar to the induction ceremony in Vicksburg, I couldn’t help but come away from this ceremony energized, knowing this group of young people is sharply focused on making a difference in their world – particularly in the lives of disaster survivors.

For those that don’t know, FEMA Corps is a program that establishes a service cadre of 18-24 year olds dedicated to disaster response and recovery.  The graduates of the program will contribute to a dedicated, trained, and reliable disaster workforce by working full-time for ten months on federal disaster response and recovery efforts.  FEMA Corps sets the foundation for a new generation of emergency managers – promoting civic engagement, community service, and teamwork – all while strengthening the nation’s disaster response by supplementing FEMA’s existing Reservist workforce.

The program was created through a partnership between FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Amelia Rubin, one of the new inductees, addressed her peers at last week’s induction ceremony, highlighting the limitless potential of the young people blazing a trail in the newly formed FEMA Corps program.  

I stopped for a photo with Amelia Rubin, who provided an inspiring speech at the induction ceremony of the inaugural FEMA Corps class from Vinton, Iowa.

Amelia’s speech is worth sharing as her words echo the enthusiasm and optimism I saw in every one of our newly inducted FEMA Corps members. I hope that reading it through this blog post will transmit the same level of energy felt by those in the room.  Here is Amelia’s speech:

Good evening distinguished guests, team leaders, family, friends, and fellow corps members. As you know we are celebrating a new collaboration and our first FEMA-Corps class! We are pioneers!  According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a pioneer is: a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development.

As pioneers forging the road ahead in the new partnership between FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service, we have a very special responsibility, gift, and challenge. It is a scary gift, but we have to have faith; in ourselves, our team and unit leaders, and our mission.

To quote Martin Luther King Jr., “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

We have the privilege of helping to create our staircase, the challenge of having and keeping the faith when we can’t see the next stair, and the responsibility to keep walking until we’ve reached the end. We’ve been working so hard these last four weeks, so walking up this staircase is a well-earned challenge that we are totally capable of, we just have to keep a positive mental attitude.

Our attitude will influence not only our time here as a group, but the work we do for the communities we are sent to, and the people from those communities whom we hope to help during their times of need. A quote I really like from Grandma Moses is “Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.”

Grandma Moses was a farm wife in the late 1800s and is cited as an example of someone who has discovered her passion (which for her was painting American folk art) at a late age and decided to pursue it anyway. We have the opportunity to pursue our passion right now! I mean, that passion, burning as a small flame in our chests, is what led us here in the first place. Once we all got to campus and started our training, those little flames came together to create a raging wildfire. During our training, we have learned how to control that fire and use it to create change and help new things grow.

Even though we have been given informative, thorough training by both National Civilian Community Corps staff members and FEMA representatives, being the first anything can be a mystery.  Neil Armstrong said, “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand.” We as class 19 are embracing the wonder and desire to understand and coupling that with our shared ambitions to make a difference in the world we live. I can’t think of a more powerful force than this. So, also in the words of Neil Armstrong, let me say to you, NCCC Class 19 and first FEMA-Corps class of the North/central Region, let’s make sure that even though “This is one small step for [us]…” it will be “one giant leap for mankind.”

Great job, Amelia!  As evidence Amelia’s speech, the FEMA Corps members are excited and energized to become part of the FEMA team.

Congratulations to all the new members of our inaugural FEMA Corps class!  To learn more about the FEMA Corps program and how to get involved, visit fema.gov/fema-corps.

Did you know every state has its own emergency management office? A lot of big cities do too. We got to check out the Washington, D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (D.C. HSEMA) and we learned a lot about the important work people do at these offices every day.

First, HSEMA let us peek into their Emergency Operations Center.   Even though the room was empty, when there’s an emergency, it’s filled with people busy working to make things better.  The room fills with people from lots of different places -- federal agencies like FEMA, businesses like power companies, and volunteer groups like the American Red Cross.   Everyone has a chair at the table and is part of the team!  When everyone works together in the same room, it’s a lot easier to talk about emergencies and solve problems.

The Emergency Operations Center also has a lot of monitors.  These screens help state and local emergency managers stay aware of current road conditions, watch the approaching weather, and see video of impacted areas.  

D.C. HSEMA doesn’t just manage emergencies in their building – they take it to the streets!   We rode in their mobile emergency operations center, which is a big vehicle with radios and equipment so they can manage the emergency from anywhere.

For our last stop, we learned about the work D.C. HSEMA does day-to-day even when there isn’t a big disaster.  We toured the city’s 9-1-1 Call Center, a big room with people that answer emergency calls.  These people are called dispatchers, and they answer hundreds of calls every day.  They then talk on the radio with local police officers and fire departments who respond to that person’s emergency.  We were so impressed by how calmly the dispatchers responded to each person’s call for help.   

We also learned that D.C. is one of only a few places that use Smart 9-1-1.   Smart 9-1-1 is a system that allows citizens to create a safety profile with information such as medical conditions and medications, if anyone in their household has access or functional needs, and other information that would be helpful for first responders to know when responding to their emergency.   When a citizen calls 9-1-1, all of this information pops up on the dispatcher’s screen.  This helps save time -- and lives.   It’s free for citizens to use, so we encourage everyone to create their own Smart 9-1-1 safety profile as part of their steps to get prepared for an emergency.  

If you live in the nation’s capital and want to stay informed, you can download HSEMA’s app on your phone.  Their smartphone app provides information about current alerts and warnings, preparedness tips, and how to respond to emergencies.  They even link to FEMA’s smartphone app!

Our visit to the D.C. emergency management office was very educational and we learned a lot about the important work our state partners do every day.   We can’t wait to visit our next emergency operations center.  Tell us where you think we should visit next!  

National Preparedness Month is a good time to consider the unique challenges we face in our communities when disaster strikes. FEMA Region V located in downtown Chicago, IL. -- the third largest city in the U.S. in a vibrant metropolitan area. Every day millions of people commute to work, attend school, and enjoy our beautiful parks and attractions - right in our downtown area. Chicago is not unlike many urban areas around the county, but how many of us consider the unique challenges and threats that can arise when we live and work in the heart of all the action?

Living and working in an urban area, it’s easy to take for granted that everything you need is at your fingertips. But what would you do if there was an emergency? How would your family cope if the power was out? What would you do if your family was separated and you couldn’t reach them?

No matter if you live in a small or large city, the infrastructure you depend upon for everyday activities could be disrupted. Transportation routes could be closed or changed due to severe weather or any number of emergencies. Power and public utility outages could last for days. This could mean that you and your family could be separated for a period of time. It is also possible that communication infrastructure could be disrupted, so calling or e-mailing each other may not be an option.

So what can you do to keep your family safe?

First, identify a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for family members to notify that you are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

Second, teach family members how to use text messaging. Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

Third, subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management website.

Finally, download the simple Family Emergency Plan (FEP) (PDF - 508 Kb) and fill out the sections before printing it or emailing it to your family and friends.

Check out www.Ready.gov for more information about preparing your family for emergencies, no matter where you live or work.