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Community Preparedness

Being prepared for a disaster is often the key to surviving one. This page links to publications and other resources that help citizens and communities prepare for catastrophic events such as acts of terrorism, industrial accidents, and natural disasters. The information provided below can help citizens respond appropriately during a disaster, no matter where they happen to be when it occurs.

Preparing Citizens at Home

Ready.govReady.gov
Ready.gov is the Department of Homeland Security's public web site on emergency preparedness. It explains how to assemble emergency supplies and create a family communication plan and recommends actions for a variety of terrorist-related emergency situations.

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Preparing Citizens at Work

Every Business Should Have a Plan (PDF)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2004
This brochure outlines the new Ready Business initiative, including measures that business owners and managers can take to better prepare for an emergency.

Homeland Security: Fire and Explosion Planning MatrixHomeland Security: Fire and Explosion Planning Matrix
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA has developed this matrix to provide employers with guidelines and online resources that may help reduce their vulnerability to or mitigate the results of a terrorist's explosive device or act of arson.

Ready Business
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this web site provides business owners and managers with tools to promote business continuity during a disaster.

Virtual Disaster Planning Portal for Libraries
In memory of the librarians killed or injured on September 11, 2001, the Special Libraries Association has created this web portal highlighting resources on disaster planning for libraries.

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Preparing Citizens at School

Disaster Discovery
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
This entertaining and educational web-based board game has been prepared by FEMA to educate kids about what to do during emergencies. It also includes instructions for offline play.

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
IACLEA advances public safety for educational institutions by providing educational resources, advocacy, and professional development. More than 1,000 colleges and universities in 20 countries are members of IACLEA.

Lead & Manage My School: Emergency Planning
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
This web site provides school leaders with information necessary for developing emergency response plans for natural disasters, violent incidents, and terrorist acts. It includes sections on crisis planning and promising practices of emergency response in schools.

National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers (NASSLEO)
NASSLEO, the oldest school safety organization in the United States, is a nonprofit association of law enforcement and security administrators, professionals, and experts dedicated to the safety of students, faculty, and institutional property. NASSLEO is a leading authority on issues involving school-based crime and violence. By offering conferences and training symposiums, NASSLEO keeps its members apprized of cutting-edge developments in the security, safety, and law enforcement fields.

National School Safety Center (NSSC)
NSSC serves as an advocate for safe, secure, and peaceful schools worldwide. As a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence, NSSC provides school communities and their school safety partners with quality information, resources, and consultation and training services. NSSC identifies and promotes strategies, promising practices, and programs that support safe schools for all students as part of the total academic mission.

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Preparing Communities at the Local Level

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross provides localized relief for victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The web site offers guidelines and resource materials for dealing with terrorism and unexpected events.

Citizen Corps
Citizen Corps, a component of USA Freedom Corps, was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to emergency situations.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
CERT promotes both improved emergency response and partnerships between emergency services and the communities they serve by enlisting emergency responders to train community members in basic response skills.

Disaster Help.gov
This web site is a product of The Disaster Management e-Government Initiative, a cross-agency effort to provide information and services related to the four pillars of disaster management: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Emergency Alert System (EAS)
EAS replaced the Emergency Broadcast System in 1994 as a tool to warn the public about emergency situations. On this web site, the Federal Communications Commission offers EAS handbooks, rules, and other current items of interest.

The Emergency Email and Wireless Network
This free public service notifies citizens of local, regional, national, and international emergencies through the Internet and e-mail in a secure and expedient manner.

Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Health Care Needs
American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003
This web site provides emergency medical forms developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) for summarizing critical information about children with special health-care needs. These are intended for completion by a pediatrician.

Exiting Metro in An EmergencyExiting Metro in An Emergency
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), August 2003
WMATA created this interactive guide to ensure the safety of passengers using its metrorail transit system. It provides specific steps for passengers to take in the case of an emergency, such as the August 2003 power outage that affected the northeastern United States.

FEMA and American Radio Relay League Partner in Preparedness Through Citizen Corps
Federal Emergency Management Agency, June 2003
The partnership among FEMA, the American Radio Relay League, and Citizen Corps aims to raise awareness about the use of amateur radio as a public safety resource, provide training and accreditation for amateur radio emergency communications, and assist Citizen Corps Councils with public education, training, and volunteer service opportunities that support first responders, disaster relief organizations, and community safety efforts.

Listo Campaign
On December 8, 2003, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched the Listo Campaign—a Spanish-language version of DHS's Ready Campaign. Through television, radio, print, outdoor, and Internet advertising, the campaign will empower Spanish-speaking Americans and residents to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist attacks.

Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps gives health professionals the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills to assist their communities before and during a large-scale emergency and with ongoing public health needs.

National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)--Homeland SecurityNational Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)—Homeland Security
NCPC's mission is to help people create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur. This site provides links to homeland security-related issues such as national and religious profiling, emergency preparedness, workplace and building security, community mobilization and volunteerism, and terrorism prevention.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)
NVOAD coordinates planning efforts by many voluntary organizations responding to disaster. Member organizations provide more effective and less duplicative service by coordinating activities before disasters strike.

Neighborhood Watch Gets Residents Prepared
National Crime Prevention Council, 2002
This publication reviews and explains how to implement a Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, Town Watch, Apartment Watch, or Crime Watch program to protect neighborhoods and enhance homeland security at the local level.

Ready New York
Centered around a household preparedness guide, Ready New York is a citywide household preparedness campaign designed to help residents of New York City better prepare themselves for all types of emergencies. The campaign includes public service announcements, a speakers bureau, and tips and information available on the web.

Terrorism Awareness and Prevention
This online resource, created by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, educates citizens about the realities and myths of terrorists and terrorism and describes how individuals can play an important role in protecting their communities.

Volunteers in Police Service
Initiated by the Citizen Corps program and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) works to enhance the presence of volunteers in state and local law enforcement. VIPS meets a volunteer's desire to serve and an agency's need for support.

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Preparing Communities at the State Level

Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA's responsibilities include reducing the loss of life and property in emergency situations and protecting the nation's critical infrastructure through a comprehensive, risk-based emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

National Emergency Response Team (NERT)
NERT is committed to the establishment of independent and joint ventures to conceive, develop, and implement disaster response services and education programs that coordinate publicly available resources during a crisis situation.

Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP)
ODP (formerly the Office for State & Local Domestic Preparedness) is the program office within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responsible for enhancing the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to respond to, and mitigate the consequences of, incidents of domestic terrorism.

Operation LIBERTY SHIELD
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2003
Operation LIBERTY SHIELD is designed to increase protections for America's citizens and infrastructure while maintaining the free flow of goods and people across our borders. It focuses on border security, transportation security, public health, federal response resources, and threat disruption.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Disasters and Emergencies
HHS' Disasters and Emergencies web site provides terrorism-related information on topics such as anthrax, small pox, and dirty bombs.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
DHS educates the public, on a continuing basis, about how to prepare for a national emergency, including a possible terrorist attack.

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