[FLham] Are You Ready?

[Radioguy]

FEMA Releases "Getting Ready For Disaster" Preparedness DVD

WASHINGTON D.C. -- With The Department of Homeland Security's Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) facing the upcoming 2006 hurricane 
season - being touted as just as active as last years'- and watching 
killer tornados, floods and wildfires from Illinois to California 
wreak death and destruction, a new citizen preparedness DVD titled, " 
Getting Ready For Disaster- One Family's Experience" is ready for 
distribution to help people get ready for those natural and man-made 
disasters that may impact their families and their communities.

The DVD guides viewers through important steps of disaster 
preparedness and brings into focus issues such as drafting a family 
disaster plan, stockpiling food and water; helping children cope with 
disasters and preparedness for special populations such as the 
elderly and people with disabilities.

"Being prepared for disasters is everyone's responsibility," said 
FEMA's Acting Director, R. David Paulison. "We're excited that this 
professionally-produced and highly informative product is now 
available as we approach what's expected to be another active 
hurricane season. And it's not just for hurricane preparedness, but 
rather follows FEMA's all hazards approach to disaster preparedness.

The content is based on the most reliable hazard awareness and 
emergency education information, such as the latest scientific 
knowledge and physical research on what happens in disasters.

The DVD's story surrounds a 12 year-old boy, whose school assignment 
challenges him to learn about disasters and emergencies. He is 
instructed to develop a disaster plan and a disaster supplies kit for 
his family with his family's help. As a result of following the easy 
steps to preparedness, the youngster and his family 1) get prepared 
together, 2) manage to help others as they get prepared, and 3) 
decide to volunteer so that they can help even more of their 
neighbors get prepared.

The DVD's seven segments include: 1) Getting Informed; 2) Making a 
Plan; 3) Assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit; 4) Food and Water in an 
Emergency; 5) Helping Children Cope with Disaster; 6) Disability and 
Special Needs Populations; and 7) Getting Involved - Citizen Corps - 
and walk the viewer, step by step, through lifesaving procedures for 
being ahead of the storm and knowing what to do when danger 
threatens. The DVD is designated # "FEMA 500" for ordering purposes 
and is now available at the FEMA Distribution Center by calling 
1-800-480-2520. Orders are being limited to one DVD per caller for 
the time being. In the coming months, the DVD will be translated to 
Spanish and will be available in both languages on a single DVD.

FEMA officials say the DVD, produced with funds from Homeland 
Security's United States Fire Administration, is designed to be used 
with FEMA's 200-page Are You Ready? An In Depth Guide to Citizen 
Preparedness and accompanying facilitator manual for teaching 
preparedness principles in small group or classroom settings. More 
than 267,000 Are You Ready? guides have been ordered from FEMA in 
only 18 months, with more that 5,000 facilitator guides in the hands 
of trainers across the country. Thanks to the guides and the cadre of 
trainers, citizens are learning how to get informed about local 
emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their area, and 
how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and 
build their own disaster supplies kit.

Are You Ready? is just one of many resources Homeland Security 
provides American citizens to help them be prepared against all types 
of hazards. Homeland Security's Ready campaign seeks to help America 
be better prepared for even unlikely emergency scenarios. Information 
on how the public can be ready in case of a national emergency, 
including a possible terrorism attack involving biological, chemical 
or radiological weapons, can be found by logging on to www.ready.gov 
or by calling 800-BE-READY for printed information.

EMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any 
national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains 
first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and 
manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA joined the U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security in March 2003.