FEMA Blog

Posted by: Rich Serino, Deputy Administrator

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:








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.

Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs 



Washington, D.C., Sep. 28, 2012 -- FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and UNCF Special Programs Interim President and CEO, Michael J. Hester, sign memorandums of agreement between UNCFSP and FEMA.

As a federal agency, there are lots of policies, procedures, and agreements that dictate how you do business.  The best of these documents are the ones that are flexible, have practical implications regardless of who the leadership is, and inspire action that makes a positive impact.
Last week, FEMA signed a memorandum of agreement with the UNCF Special Programs Corporation (UNCFSP) that embodies the characteristics of those meaningful documents that result in a positive impact.

The agreement will specifically allow for:

• FEMA to participate in lectures, conferences and other events at minority institutions, providing students invaluable access to subject matter experts in emergency management and preparedness. 
• UNCFSP to work with FEMA to distribute potentially life-saving information, such as training and other educational and organizational resources to support community-based disaster preparedness efforts.

After the signing ceremony, I was able to catch up with the leaders of both organizations so they could explain, in their own words, why this agreement will make a difference.  Here are the questions and answers:

Question: Why is it important to involve members of the UNCFSP in emergency management initiatives?

Question: How does this agreement align with your strategic goals for FEMA and how can it make a difference in emergency management as a whole?

Question: What could this mean for students in historically black colleges and universities?

To learn more about UNCFSP, visit www.uncfsp.org.

Other links

- Last year, FEMA signed a similar agreement with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

Posted by: FEMA Flat Stanley & Flat Stella

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!

Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs

At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

National Preparedness Month Wrap-Up

As we end the month, we want to take a second to thank everyone who participated in this year’s National Preparedness Month, particularly those who became an NPM coalition member and helped us educate others about emergency preparedness. All month long, we’ve encouraged individuals, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to learn about the local hazards in their communities, make a family communication plan, build an emergency kit, then get involved in their local community preparedness efforts. Just because the month is ending, that doesn’t mean that you have to stop doing your part to help your family, friends, and community become better prepared for an emergency.

We hope that you continue to encourage others to take an active role in preparedness to ensure that together we become a more resilient nation. We encourage you to continue to host preparedness community outreach events, fairs, workshops, webinars and trainings.

This NPM was a success because of the commitment you made to help create a culture of preparedness, and we simply could not have done it without you. Visit www.ready.gov for more information and resources on how you can continue to promote preparedness all year long.

And to help close out National Preparedness Month, join us next Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. EDT for a National Preparedness Month Twitter chat with Paulette Aniskoff, Director of FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division. During the chat, we’ll discuss different ways people prepared during the month, useful tools and resources for promoting preparedness and take questions you may have. Join the conversation and ask questions by using #NatlPrepChat.

Again, thank you to everyone who participated this month!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.

Posted by: Andrew Velasquez III, FEMA Region V Administrator

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.

Posted by: Mary Jo Flynn, Assistant Director of Emergency Management, Anaheim CERT

The Anaheim Citizen Corps Program was honored to have FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella join us for a day of training in Anaheim, California. They were really excited to participate with our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and meet some of our residents and businesses in the area who wanted to be better prepared for disasters. They learned that the City of Los Angeles, Anaheim’s neighbor 30 miles to the north, started the CERT program after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake as a way for neighbors to help one another after emergencies. Anaheim has had a CERT program since 1992 and they are celebrating their 20th anniversary this November. FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella are certainly on the guest list!

Flat Stanley and Stella joined me in welcoming CERT students and encouraged them to become volunteers with the city once their training was complete.



As the CERT class was getting ready to practice some of their skills, Fire Department volunteers spent some time with Flat Stanley and Stella reviewing fire safety, how to use a fire extinguisher and the importance of having a buddy with you.



Flat Stanley and Stella also took a close look at an A-B-C fire extinguisher, which is one of the most common types of fire extinguishers to use for smaller fires.



In addition to the CERT volunteers, Anaheim also has volunteers who specialize in radio communications who are members of Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) and were showing off their communications trailer and radio equipment to Flat Stanley and Stella.



Finally, they were invited by CERT and RACES volunteer, Norman Todd, to get on the radio and practice sending messages. They learned that Norman and the RACES volunteers in Anaheim are part of a world-wide network of volunteers who have agreed to help first responders by relaying messages when other systems like telephone lines may not be working.



Before leaving to head back to Washington, D.C. we all stopped by the Anaheim Emergency Operations Center where they met RACES volunteer Jonathan Ramos who gave them a tour of the facility. They saw firsthand the value and importance each volunteer makes as part of Emergency Operations during disasters and how they are part of a much larger network of first responders from the local, regional, state and federal level.



We look forward to future visits from FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella and we hope they are able to share with other communities the tremendous impact and difference volunteers make within a community.

Posted by: Flat Stanley and Flat Stella

Although we’ve only been working at FEMA for a few months now, we have learned how important it is to be prepared, no matter where you are. And with the new school year underway, we’ve been learning some important things to help keep kids and parents safer. Things like:

Complete an emergency contact card for each child in your family. Put the cards in their backpacks or book bags.



Find out how often they have students practice what to do in the event of severe weather or a fire.



Teach your children how and when to call 9-1-1 or your local emergency medical services number for help.



Ask your child's school for a copy of their emergency plan for you to keep at home or work.

And finally, parents should be sure to check with their children’s day care or school about what emergency plans they have. That way both parents and kids know what to expect during and after an emergency.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe school year! In case you missed any of our other adventures, check out our blog posts!

Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs

Posted by: FEMA Flat Stanley & Flat Stella

Posted by: Bob Fenton, Assistant Administrator, Response Directorate