http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/ Latest National Community Preparedness News en-us citizencorps@dhs.gov (Citizen Corps) Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:00 -0400 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:53:32 -0400 http://www.citizencorps.gov/rss/images/cc_main_tag_rgb.jpg http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/ http://www.arcno.org/index.php?bShow=249&cat=1 Five years after a hurricane season that wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, the American Red Cross (ARC) released “Bringing Help, Bringing Hope,” a report that details the Red Cross response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the ensuing years of recovery for the survivors. The Red Cross gave 1.4 million families — approximately 4.5 million people — emergency financial assistance in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, which was 19 times more than the previous record. Donors gave the organization a total of $2.2 billion for people affected by the storms. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1844 President Obama awarded 13 Americans the 2010 Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor, for their exemplary acts of service. This year's recipients are powerful reminders of the impact individuals can have on their community: a Chicago nurse and childcare professional who opened a live-in resource center to mentor hundreds of pregnant teenagers; a school bus driver who delivers hot meals and coffee to New York City's homeless daily; and a paralyzed woman who founded Kids' Food Basket, which provides meals to thousands of needy children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1845 The Corporation for National and Community Service awarded its new Nonprofit Capacity Building Program grants totaling $1 million to increase the capacity of nonprofits to improve lives in communities facing economic hardships. The two-year grants were awarded to five organizations to build and implement performance management systems to help achieve greater results for nonprofits in diverse communities. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/20100809a.html U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $250 million in grants for New Access Points for the delivery of primary health care services for under served and vulnerable populations under the Health Center Program. The funds, made available by the Affordable Care Act, will be awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=52348 While FEMA and the State of West Virginia are providing a restart for many homes in the counties hardest hit by June storms, voluntary community service and faith-based organizations are tackling the longer term needs of many households. Voluntary agencies supplement the efforts of FEMA to keep residents warm, safe and dry as well as provide hope. Among the voluntary agencies helping in West Virginia are the American Baptist and Southern Baptist Churches, Appalachian Service Project, Catholic Charities, Community Lutheran Partners, Group Work Camps, Methodist Disaster Recovery and Volunteers in Mission, Southern Appalachian Labor School and some non denominational communities. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/rci/ As part of the West Virginia University (WVU) Energy and Community Resilience Programs and Initiatives, this is a "West Virginia and regionally focused initiative to improve community resilience in response to hazardous events and increase economic development potential of small and rural communities" according to their website. WVU is working with the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory on this initiative. Their goal is to help "West Virginia's small and rural communities become more resilient and better able to withstand and recover from human-made and natural disasters." Thu, 08 July 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=52320 NOAA's National Weather Service issued its latest forecast for the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, reaffirming its May forecast of an active Atlantic hurricane season. In light of this latest forecast, FEMA reminds Americans living in coastal states that the time is now to ensure their family is prepared for a hurricane or other emergency. Wed, 11 Aug 2010 1:16:02 -0400 http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=6bb5a96d0a94a210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD A new American Red Cross (ARC) survey shows many web users would turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies—and they expect first responders to be listening. Wed, 11 Aug 2010 1:16:02 -0400 https://email.fema.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.fema.gov/preparednesstaskforce The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Protection and National Preparedness are hosting a National Dialogue on Preparedness to supplement the mission and recommendations of the Local, State, Tribal, and Federal Preparedness Task Force. At the direction of Congress, the Task Force—comprised of 35 local, state, and tribal members and 24 Federal ex officio members with diverse expertise in homeland security and emergency management—was formed in April to assess the state of disaster preparedness and make recommendations for improvement throughout the nation. The Task Force has been working on this mission since April, through face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, and web-based collaboration. In order to supplement and build upon the discussions of the Task Force membership, DHS is opening a dialogue to a broader range of stakeholders—to include individuals from the private sector, non-governmental and volunteer organizations, additional governmental partners across all levels, and the general public. The Department’s broad stakeholder community is encouraged to join the National Dialogue, by submitting feedback and ideas at: http://preparedness.ideascale.com. DHS appreciates your support by sharing the link with your employees, colleagues, members, or stakeholders so they can participate in this important event. Engaging a wide variety of preparedness stakeholders in this way will help DHS identify similarities and differences for how various organizations view preparedness issues and will also help DHS capture a wide range of diverse perspectives and meaningful input for Preparedness Task Force deliberation. The National Dialogue on Preparedness Website will be open through August 31, and will allow individuals to propose ideas, vote on popular recommendations, and tag discussion topics. Fri, 06 Aug 2010 1:16:02 -0400 http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1280864546408.shtm Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced a series of initiatives to support state and local law enforcement and community groups across the country in identifying and mitigating threats to their communities and expanded DHS' "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign to the Washington, D.C., area in conjunction with National Night Out, an annual anticrime campaign involving citizens, police and neighborhood groups. "Homeland security begins with hometown security, and our efforts to confront threats in our communities are most effective when they are led by local law enforcement and involve strong collaboration with the communities and citizens they serve," said Secretary Napolitano. Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:15:20 -0400 http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=13f825d459d3a210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD In preparation for the height of what could be a very active hurricane season, the American Red Cross has unveiled new and updated technology to help families stay safe and reconnect during a disaster. “Every day, millions of people use the web to connect with friends and family, and the Red Cross is using the same technology to help people prepare for, stay safe and connect with loved ones during an emergency,” said Joe Becker, senior vice president for Red Cross Disaster Services. “And we’re very excited to have both an improved Safe and Well site and a real-time way to find shelter locations this hurricane season.” Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:15:20 -0400 http://armylive.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/08/antiterrorism-awareness-month/ August is Antiterrorism Awareness Month accross the Army. This month, the Army will promote the antiterrorism (AT) program, which is designed to protect personnel, information, property, and facilities in all locations and situations against terrorism. This month, the Army plans to release a series of informational flyers, posters and programs to focus on terrorism awareness. Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:12:03 -0400 http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1829 In response to the increasing health needs, economic challenges and gaps in youth achievement facing low-income rural and urban communities, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced its inaugural Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants. The grants will target millions in public and private funds to grow effective solutions to persistent social challenges across more than 20 states. Thu, 29 July 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/07/20100726a.html Americans with disabilities will have more help to live independently and remain in their homes and communities instead of in institutional long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, through the availability of $2.25 billion in grants to states. The new grant solicitation issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages states not yet part of the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing (MFP) Demonstration to apply for grant funds. Thu, 29 July 2010 12:16:43 -0400 http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/2010gulfoilspill/health_surveillance.asp CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation. Thu, 29 July 2010 09:53:43 -0400 http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/psa.asp The CDC has a variety of earthquake Audio, Video, and Multimedia Resources available. These include Public Service Announcements (PSAs), Podcasts, TV Crawls, and American Sign Language Resources. CDC Earthquake PSAs and Podcasts provide timely messages about what you can do to protect yourself and your family from earthquakes. Thu, 29 July 2010 12:41:31 -0400 http://www.weather.gov/com/stratplan/ The National Weather Service (NWS) draft Strategic Plan is ready for public comment. This strategic plan works to "anticipate service needs in the 2020 time frame, project what science and technology will allow, and establish meaningful outcome-oriented goals and objectives for NWS 2020." Thu, 29 July 2010 12:40:48 -0400 http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=52219 This week Craig Fugate, the Administrator of FEMA, issued a statement in honor of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He began with "The Americans with Disabilities Act was a critical milestone in our nation's civil rights history. Twenty years later, the law's impact can be seen everywhere, from our schools to our hospitals to our businesses. It has opened doors for millions of Americans. Today as we honor that progress it's important to remember that we also have a lot of work left to do, especially when it comes to disaster preparedness, response and recovery." Mon, 26 July 2010 12:39:48 -0400