Disaster Recovery Journal - Spring 2001 Issue- FEMA

DISASTER RECOVERY
JOURNAL

Return to the Spring 2001
Index

P. O. Box 510110
St. Louis, MO 63151
(314) 894-0276
Fax: (314) 894-7474
Internet www.drj.com
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PUBLISHER &
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Richard L. Arnold, CBCP
richard@drj.com

SENIOR EDITOR
Janette Ballman
janette@drj.com

EDITOR
Michelle Saab
michelle@drj.com

COPY EDITORS
Edward H. Pearce, CBCP
drj@drj.com
Richard Sandhofer
richards@drj.com

INTERNET /
ADVERTISING
Robert Arnold
bob@drj.com

_____________

Corporate

President/CEO
Richard L. Arnold, CBCP
richard@drj.com

Vice President
Robert Arnold
bob@drj.com

CONFERENCE COORDINATOR
Patti Fitzgerald, CBCP
patti@drj.com

CONFERENCE REGISTRAR
Merce Knese
mercedes@drj.com

CIRCULATION
Laura Baugh
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INTERNATIONAL
CONTACTS
England: Thom Hetherington
Business Continuity
Phone: 0161-237-1007
thomh@tempus.demon.co.uk

Australia: Anthony J. Harvey
Journal of Business Continuity
Phone: 0011-613-953-0055-8
fax: 0011-613-953-0528
sector@notability.com.au

Japan: Shinji Hosotsubo
Quake Japan Co., Ltd.
Phone: 03-3215-2880
fax: 03-3215-2881

Brazil: Jose Carlos Ferreira
Disaster Recovery Mercosul
Phone: 55 11 3666-9506
conc2000@uol.com.br
ww.drms.com.br

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Making an Impact

- by Cynthia Ramsay Taylor

Each year, the weather seems to become more intense and unpredictable than ever. Resulting from this severe weather are the rising costs of recovery-the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has spent more than $25 billion in repairs and rebuilding over the past 10 years. The year 2000 continued this trend of costly devastation as weather events ravaged homes, businesses and lives. From raging western wildfires to the severe storms, flooding and devastating tornadoes that struck millions across the country, the growing number and strength of natural disasters has left more and more Americans feeling powerless to Mother Nature’s wrath.
FEMA’s empowering initiative, Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities, however, offers a solution to break the cycle of disasters: taking action in advance to prevent the damage and destruction that too often occurs with little or no warning.
Since the month of May marks the crossover of several major disaster “seasons”- including spring flood and tornado seasons and the approach of hurricane and wildfire season-disaster prevention outreach is even more critical during this time of year. To capitalize on this crux of weather phenomena, communities around the country will come together the week of May 20-26, 2001 to participate in “Make an Impact” week, an opportunity to arm governments, businesses and citizens with the tools and knowledge they need to make themselves disaster resistant.
“Make an Impact” week marks a significant milestone for Project Impact-it is the first time since the program’s inception in 1997 that communities across the country will coordinate their public education activities simultaneously to raise awareness about disaster prevention efforts. As part of the week-long initiative, Project Impact communities are encouraged to use the week to conduct outreach and sponsor events that will prompt even more Americans to adopt a proactive approach to reducing disaster damage.
But “Make an Impact” week has broad-based appeal beyond just those communities that have already been designated as Project Impact communities. Any community with an interest in reducing the effects of disasters can promote the spirit of disaster prevention, and it requires only as much or as little effort as a community is willing to put into it.
Building a disaster resistant community requires the leadership and cooperation of emergency managers, businesses, government officials and everyday volunteers. “Make an Impact” week provides an outlet for you to step into a leadership role in which you can change your community’s whole approach to disasters, becoming proactive instead of reactive. Changing the entire approach means “Make an Impact” week is only the kick-off of events and activities a community can initiate. Ultimately you should reach out to citizens throughout the year, not just when people are thinking about disaster. Each community mitigation project can help educate more people about the ways they can save their lives and their property-no matter what the season.
The following are a few suggestions of ways that you can get involved in “Make an Impact” week.
Distribute literature. Make information about disaster prevention available in highly public areas. Volunteers can hand out materials about disaster prevention measures at local home improvement stores, grocery stores, veterinarian offices, animal rescue shelters or even schools. These materials can offer tips about the measures people can take to protect their homes, families and pets from disasters that potentially can strike their area.
Speak out. Personal contact often makes a more lasting impression-especially when the message is one that directly affects the audience. Emergency management officials, disaster survivors or local elected officials can offer their personal experiences to educate the public about the importance of “Make an Impact” week and disaster prevention. Schools, Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce meetings, PTA meetings, scouting troops and houses of worship are great places to reach a broad audience.
Read all about it. Involve your local library or bookstore in prevention by asking them to display materials on natural disasters and disaster prevention throughout “Make an Impact” week. For those who visit the display, have disaster prevention tip sheets on-hand (Project Impact has pre-printed tip sheets available).
Host Pot Luck desserts or dinners. Designate someone with an interest in disaster prevention to host a gathering of neighbors in their home or community recreation center and encourage invitees to bring a dessert or item to share with others as they listen to pointers about making their homes and businesses disaster resistant.
“Make an Impact” with businesses. Work with local businesses that support disaster prevention to set-up a display promoting “Make an Impact” week or disaster prevention at their local store or office. Encourage them to host events that will entice customers to participate and learn, such as an in-store contest. Project Impact has a disaster prevention quiz that can be adapted to a trivia-type contest.
Host an open house. Capitalize on the measures your community has already completed. Has your community constructed a tornado safe community shelter? Have you raised a municipal building or made adjustments for flooding, wildfires or earthquakes at city hall? Show off what your community has done by opening those facilities for the public to tour. Offer refreshments and invite the public in for a discussion of your progress and tips on becoming disaster resistant themselves.
Distribute disaster prevention lesson plans. Children, too, have a stake in disaster prevention and should be included in any outreach plan. Work with your local schools and teachers to present a week-long, special lesson on disaster prevention. If you’re short on ideas, lesson plans, project ideas and publications, including the Disaster Twins and Herman, PIC are available through FEMA and its “FEMA for Kids” website (www.fema.gov/kids).
Target local media. Talk to reporters at your local newspaper, radio or television stations and persuade them to cover a story with a disaster prevention angle. They could report on the events you conduct throughout the week, document what you’ve done in the past, or even highlight some of the greatest success stories you have in your community.
No matter which projects you decide to implement, the end result is the same: empowering those in your community to protect themselves and their property when natural disasters strike. Facing disasters doesn’t mean you have to be a victim. You can save your life, your home, your business-your community.
It’s your chance to make an impact.

Cynthia Ramsay Taylor is the National Public Affairs Manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Project Impact.
FEMA offers numerous publications to assist businesses, communities and individuals in becoming “Disaster Resistant.” To receive these publications or learn more about “Make an Impact” week and Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities, visit the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov/impact.