National Preparedness Month tips

By now I hope you are aware of FEMA's "National Preparedness Month"
campaign and their website listing emergency groups from all over the
country. You can see it at

http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/READYNPM/grouphome

One problem I spotted is that many ham folks are not sure what "group"
to list their ARES or similar organization under. Hundreds of ARES
groups sign up, but our impact get diluted when they are split into
different categories. So I have two suggestions:

First - list your group under the non-profit category on their website.

Yes, there "was" a communications category a couple days
ago, but it disappeared and may or may not be stable.

Second - when you list your group, be sure to put the words "Amateur
Radio" somewhere in your group name - even as a suffix.
In that way we can do a search for ham groups using
those words. For example, we'd probably never find the
"Podunk County ARC" but we'd see them as the "Podunk
County Amateur Radio Club"
Neither of these suggestions is a definite fix, but they should help.
Most of all - sign your group up! If you provide emergency services to
other, let's get the recognition.

Allen Pitts, W1AGP
Media & PR Manager
ARRL - the national association for Amateur Radio
225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111
www.ARRL.org

National Preparedness Month #NPM11

This just came in today - and there are only 3 weeks left before
September, (yikes!) so time to sign up is short.  In the past years,
clubs and ARES groups have been among the very top activities listed on
this national government website - and it got noticed!  It doesn't
require you to do much more than what your groups is probably doing
already, so there's no reason not to sign in.  Besides that, you can get
good materials for newsletters and promotional media for free from them.




Once you sign up, look around their website - there are places you can
post pictures and stories on their national website too.



It's a no-brainer for PIOs and national exposure.



-Allen   w1agp

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Dear FEMA National Preparedness Month Partner,



We at the Ready Campaign appreciate your commitment over the years to
preparing our nation in the event of a disaster. We noticed that you
have not yet signed up to be a 2011 NPM Coalition Member this year.  We
need your commitment to join us again.  Coalition Members have to renew
their commitment each year by registering on the NPM website, which
takes just 2 minutes!



This year is going to be our biggest National Preparedness Month ever,
and we know that you will want to be a part of it. We listened to your
comments from last year and have made a lot of improvements to our site
based on that feedback.  You'll be connected to new partners in
preparedness in your region.



Here's the new website: http://community.fema.gov




This year, once you've registered, you will have access to:



1. National and Regional discussion forums so you can engage with fellow
Coalition Members as well as FEMA representatives.

2. Event Calendars to post and promote your preparedness events at both
the National and Regional level.

3. Success Stories so you can share your experiences and read about what
other groups have done for inspiration.

4. All of the Coalition Member resources we've made available, including
this year's toolkit, banners, and customizable materials.



Thank you for the support and work you've already done this year. If you
have any questions, email us at npm@fema.gov <mailto:npm@fema.gov>

FEMA Encourages Americans to Participate in National Preparedness Month

WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, today announced the launch of new web tools that will make it easier for individuals and organizations throughout the nation to join the 2011 National Preparedness Month (NPM) coalition and pledge their support to help prepare their families, businesses and communities for emergencies of all kinds.

The eighth annual NPM will kickoff this September, using the slogan: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare." The campaign seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.  

"As we move forward with planning for this year's events and activities, we also recognize that this September marks the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "By doing what we can to ensure that our communities, and our nation, are prepared to respond and recover from all types of disasters and hazards, we honor the memory of those who were lost that day."

Individuals and groups can now register to become NPM coalition members by visiting http://community.fema.gov. Once registered, members have access to a toolkit that includes suggestions for activities and events, templates, articles, banners and customizable materials. Coalition members also have access to an events calendar allowing them to post and promote preparedness events, share success stories, and participate in national and regional discussion forums to engage with fellow coalition members and FEMA representatives.

By hosting events, promoting volunteer programs and sharing emergency preparedness information, coalition members can help ensure that their communities are prepared for emergencies. Becoming a coalition member is easy and free, so register now to get started. Nearly 2,000 coalition members have already joined this year's campaign.

While NPM is held each September, FEMA's Ready Campaign promotes individual emergency preparedness at home, in the workplace, and throughout America's communities throughout the year. Ready is a national campaign, produced in partnership with The Ad Council, designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.

The Ready Campaign's websites (ready.gov and listo.gov) and toll-free numbers (1-800-BE-READY and 1-888-SE-LISTO) provide free emergency preparedness information and resources available in English and Spanish. Additionally, through FEMA's partnership with the Ad Council, public service announcements are available to increase the American public's involvement in preparedness.

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