The Houston Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Initiative (RCPI) and the Houston Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) hosted a planning seminar with the focus of incorporating the unique requirements of individuals with functional and access needs in all areas of emergency planning.

Bringing leaders together from emergency management and disability communities, this event focused on building partnerships, increasing resilience, and identifying Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS) best practices. The group also reviewed the Texas FNSS tool kit, a document designed to assist emergency planners in understanding the requirements related to sheltering and serving those who have access and functional needs. Attendees and speakers included local advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and local and state emergency officials.

Read more @ houston.cbslocal.com

from the FEMA Blog

It’s the beginning of a New Year and we are excited so many of you have taken part in our January activities. Two weeks ago we honored the Individual and Community Preparedness Award winners as Champions of Change at the White House and last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Citizen Corps Program. As we continue to promote what you do, we also want to provide you with new resources, so I am proud to say the Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD) hosted one of the most highly attended Community Preparedness Webinar Series webinars on record.

More than 1,800 individuals registered for the FREE Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) webinar. Every state within the U.S. was represented and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate even stopped by to say a few words. He talked about the importance of these new CERT tools and resources for CERT volunteers, local program managers and those wishing to start a CERT program in their own locality.

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Public safety software saves lives. Public safety agencies the world over depend on software to deliver services. Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management, Jail Management, Courts Management, Human Resources, Resource Tracking, Common Operating Picture, Emergency Management, Communications, and other software applications help public safety agencies achieve their operational mission every day. Software applications form the building blocks to deliver services better, faster, and cheaper. Well, sometimes they do. The 2009 CHAOS study found that 68% of government IT projects fail to be delivered on time, on budget, and with the required features and functions. That is dismal considering the current economic pressures. No public safety agency can afford to fail in their effort to find and implement the right software solution.

Read more @ www.emergencymgmt.com

Encouraging residents to be prepared and reaching a wide audience can be a challenge. To encourage preparedness among San Francisco’s tech-savvy population, the city launched an iPhone application on Oct. 14 that’s part social game and part offline reference for when Internet connectivity may not be available following a disaster.

The city’s SF Heroes application includes quizzes and checklists users can complete to earn points and badges as they become more prepared. The completed actions yield tangible benefits such as a family emergency plan or an emergency contact list users can access offline in case of an emergency. Progress through the game can also be shared with friends through Facebook and Twitter to encourage competition. (more…)