Finding Your Role In America’s Homeland Security

1. Finding Your Role In America’s Homeland Security Carolyn Washburn, MS Family Consumer Science Agent Utah State University Washington County

2. What is Homeland Security? A concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur.

3. Homeland Security Act 2002 Title V Emergency Preparedness and Response Section 501- provides for: • Help secure standards of preparedness • Establish standards of training • Aid recovery of attacks or disasters • Develop programs acquiring skills, technology, etc

4. "We want to be a Nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass." President George W. BushState of the Union, January 29, 2002 Community Preparedness is not the work of any one group. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of every citizen in every community. The Citizen Corps Council extends an open invitation to all residents.

5. Executive Order: Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives March 7, 2006 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to help the Federal Government coordinate a national effort to expand opportunities for faith-based and other community organizations and to strengthen their capacity to better meet America's social and community needs, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section1. Establishment of a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Homeland Security. Fran Townsend Homeland Security Advisor

10. Preparedness Goals • Individuals must be self sustaining for 12-72 hours before help may arrive. • Information must be provided to families, individuals, and communities. (Estimated that only 30% of American’ have disaster plans)

11. Emergency Resources

12. Facts About First Responders There are over 1 million firefighters in the United States, of which approximately 750,000 are volunteers. Local police departments have an estimated 556,000 full-time employees including about 436,000 sworn enforcement personnel. Sheriffs' offices reported about 291,000 full-time employees, including about 186,000 sworn personnel. There are over 155,000 nationally registered emergency medical technicians (EMT)

13. Why Prepare? • Disasters impact thousands of lives each year. Each disaster has a lasting effect. You should try to be self sufficient for at least 3 days. (This could mean shelter, food, water, first aid and sanitation.) • Being prepared helps to reduce the fear and anxiety that accompanies disasters. • People can reduce the impact of disasters by securing items and being prepared.

14. Floods are America’s #1 disaster

15. Which disasters could effect you and your family? Wildfires Floods Hurricanes Thunderstorms Winter Storms/Cold Extreme heat Volcanoes Landslides Tsunamis Fire Earthquakes Biological Attack

16. Who is providing help?

17. Who is providing information?

18. Restoration Help

19. What information is needed?

20. Needed Fact Sheets • Water Storage and Usage • Food Storage and Usage • Illness and Prevention Measures • Vaccination Information • Clean Up • Restoration • Services Available in Community • Available Funding Sources

21. Preparedness Information • 72 Hour Kits • Survival Foods • 3 Days Water Supply • Disaster Family Plan • Disaster of Locality

22. Family Plan • Outside area contact • School Plan • Review plans every 6 months • Contact Card for each family member • Family Emergency Kits

23. News Releases • News Articles • Radio Spots • Local Television • Network with Public Health Dept.

24. Order your copy: 1-800-480-2520 or www.ready.gov

25. What Resources Do We Have?

27. Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC) • Is funded by counties and made up of Police, Fire, Hospital, EMT, and other Emergency personal. • This committee is concerned with supplies, materials, immediate danger, and moving people. They are not responsible for preparedness of the community members.

28. Certified Emergency Response Team Members (CERT) • The CERT Team is responsible to prepare community members to become responders and self prepared. • The Citizens Corp sponsors this program and certification.

29. Waiting for Training • More than 15,000 volunteers are looking to be trained in emergency response skills through FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team program (CERT). • Almost 7,000 volunteers have signed up to get involved in Neighborhood Watch activities in their communities. • More than 15,000 potential volunteers have expressed interest in the new Volunteers in Police Service and Operation TIPS programs being developed by the Department of Justice. • More than 5,000 potential volunteers have expressed an interest in joining a Medical Reserve Corps in their community as part of a program being developed by the Department of Health and Human Services to tap the skills of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in times of community crisis.

30. Sponsor Programs • Adult Training • Family Preparedness Certification • Youth and 4-H Training Youth are a valuable resource in times of disasters. They have strength and with training, excellent resources.

31. READY EXTENSION

32. America’s Spirit

34. Resources for You FEMA http://www.fema.gov/hazards/floods Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster Citizen Corpshttp://citizencorps.gov/ Center for Disease Control http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/index.as EDEN http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden Ready Gov http://ready.gov USU http://www.ext.usu.edu