[HCRA] FEMA Releases “Getting Ready For Disaster” Preparedness DVD

[Daniel Sullivan]

FEMA Releases “Getting Ready For Disaster” Preparedness DVD
Release Date: March 29, 2006
Release Number: HQ-06-045

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.
http://communitydispatch.com/artman/publish/article_4407.shtml