March 15, 2006 -- EM Update


Mar. 15, 2006
Hurricane preparedness poll More than 59 percent of participants in a recent poll said they have not done anything to prepare for the next hurricane season. The Elon University Poll was conducted in late February and early March and included 1,277 coastal and non-coastal respondents in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Nearly half said they would not evacuate in the event of a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane. When respondents were asked which level of government they had the most confidence in to manage events after a hurricane, about 37 percent chose state and local levels, while just over 15 percent chose the federal level. The poll is available on Elon University's Web site. Post-Katrina stakeholders' meeting summaries online Summaries of the post-Katrina stakeholders' meetings are now available online. Two concurrent sessions discussed ways to strengthen Emergency Management Assistance Compact plans and evacuation/sheltering procedures in Virginia, post-hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A subcommittee will address the evacuation/sheltering procedures to develop the best possible plan guidance for the Commonwealth, addressing the most critical identified elements. The subcommittee is made up of local emergency managers and representatives from Virginia Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster, the American Red Cross and the Virginia departments of Emergency Management, Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Rail and Public Transportation, Social Services, and Transportation. COOP Toolkit online and enhanced grants section A Continuity of Operations Planning Toolkit will be available March 17 on the VDEM Web site. The Toolkit will include: The planning manual, with worksheets and templates A training presentation, "How to Develop a COOP Plan Using the VDEM COOP Planning Manual" Information for additional funding toward planning An activities overview of the COOP steering committee, made up of state agency representatives who manage the COOP program through assessing COOP opportunities, coordinating exercises and monitoring legal requirements, among other responsibilities. Eventually, the Toolkit will include a lessons learned section for COOP planners to share their experiences In addition, the Grant Information section of the VDEM Web site has been redesigned and enhanced with a new section that contains state and federal Web links. All grant application and reporting forms are consolidated to one page and grant information, guidance and additional resources are also available. South Korea chooses VDEM training program as model The Republic of Korea National Emergency Management Agency chose VDEM's training program as the model to develop their new emergency management training academy. Two representatives came to the Commonwealth to learn training methods, materials and resource management strategies that will be tailored to the ROK's needs. They will return to Virginia to continue taking classes later this year. The ROK chose Virginia’s program because of the wide variety and large availability of classes. New VDEM chief technology officer Kevin Price has been selected to serve as chief technology officer in the Information Technology Office at VDEM. Previously, he served as senior technical project manager for CACI, Inc., where he designed the information technology and audiovisual systems as lead technical manager on the new Virginia Emergency Operations Center project. Prior to that, Price was chief technology officer at Cost Management Systems in Vienna, Va. As chief technology officer, he is responsible for the decisions, purchases and management of all IT-related items in the agency, including software, hardware, AV systems and some wireless devices. Price is also a volunteer medic in Fauquier County. Conferences... VEMA Conference The Virginia Emergency Management Association's 2006 spring conference, "Quarterbacking Emergency Management," will be at the Williamsburg Marriott. Pre-conference seminars on April 4 and the main conference April 5-7 will feature topics such as exercise coordination, special events planning, stress management and lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. The conference brochure and registration form are available for download from VDEM's Web site. Training... Basic Public Information Officer Designed for the new or less experienced Public Information Officer, this class emphasizes the fundamental skills and knowledge needed for emergency management public information functions. Topics include: the role of the PIO in emergency management, preparing and conducting awareness campaigns, news release writing, and public speaking and television interviews. This course is a prerequisite for the Advanced Public Information Course (E388) at the Emergency Management Institute. Classes are offered April 4-6 in South Hampton Roads and June 20-22 (location to be determined).
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