FEMA Corp Members Sworn In September 2012

For Immediate Release  Thursday, September 13, 2012  CNCS Press Office: 202-355-2173 FEMA News Desk: 202-646-3272 Nation’s First FEMA Corps Members Sworn In to Begin Disaster Response Service Sep. 13, 2012 -- CEO Wendy Spencer addresses the inaugural class of FEMA Corps members at the induction ceremony in Vicksburg, Miss. Vicksburg, Miss. -- A historic new collaboration between two federal agencies to strengthen the nation’s disaster response capabilities was launched today as the nation’s first 240 FEMA Corps members were sworn into service at an induction ceremony in Vicksburg, Mississippi. FEMA Corps is an innovative partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to enhance disaster response and recovery capacity while expanding career opportunities for young people. Established as a new unit within the existing AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), FEMA Corps engages young adults ages 18 to 24 to provide ten months of full-time service on disaster response and recovery projects. Members will be deployed to assignments ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovery centers to sharing disaster response and mitigation information with the public. At today’s induction ceremony, members of the inaugural FEMA Corps class took the AmeriCorps pledge to “get things done for America” and heard from agency leaders about the important work that lies ahead.  FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino and CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer were on hand to welcome the members and thank them for their commitment to service. “When I visit communities devastated by disasters like Joplin, Mo., I always find members of AmeriCorps lending a helping hand to survivors,” said Serino. “Today’s inductees are taking part in an exciting new pursuit -- combining the exceptional record of citizen service at AmeriCorps NCCC with FEMA’s specialized mission of supporting survivors with their recovery after a disaster. I commend and thank every member of the inaugural class of FEMA Corps for their dedication to helping communities in need.” “I commend you for answering the call to serve and making a difference for people and communities in need,” said Spencer.  “As the nation’s very first FEMA Corps members, you are helping write a new chapter in the history of national service.  With your training, backed by your team, and inspired by your passion, you will bring much-needed hope and assistance to disasters survivors. As you help others, this year will help you – giving you skills, expanding your opportunities, and setting you on a lifelong path of service to others.” Today’s induction ceremony marked the end of one month of AmeriCorps NCCC training and the start of FEMA position-specific training. After completing training this month, members will be deployed to their first assignments. FEMA Corps will supplement FEMA’s existing Reservist workforce in assisting citizens and communities who have been impacted by disasters. After completing 1,700 hours of service, FEMA Corps members will receive a $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for tuition or pay student loans.  Members will gain significant training and experience in disaster services that can serve as a pathway to employment in the emergency management profession. FEMA Corps members will be based out of five AmeriCorps NCCC campuses across the country: Sacramento, Calif; Denver, Colo; Vinton, Iowa; Perry Point, Md; and, Vicksburg, Miss.  The program will engage 1,600 members annually when fully operational next year. To learn more about FEMA Corps or to apply (individuals aged 18-24), visit AmeriCorps' or FEMA's websites. Photos from the induction ceremony can be found here.  ### FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Social Innovation Fund, and other programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

World: Humanitarian and Country Icons 2012

World

 

ReliefWeb, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Download ZIP (1.71 MB)ocha humanitarian icons in png

Download DOCX (688.41 KB)ocha humanitarian icons in emf

Download PDF (1.02 MB)ocha humanitarian icons in editable vector format

Download ZIP (1.45 MB)ocha country icons in png

Download PDF (14.48 MB)ocha country icons in editable vector format

Download PDF (384.61 KB)ocha humanitarian icons posters

Download DOCX (1.56 MB)ocha country icons in docx

OCHA adds 500 free humanitarian symbols to communications tools and services

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA) has created a set of 500 freely available humanitarian icons to help relief workers present emergency and crisis-related information quickly and simply.

When a disaster strikes, it is vital that the humanitarian community can gather reliable data on the locations and needs of affected people and who is best placed to assist them. This often involves the need to present complex information in a way that everyone can understand.

“Clearly presenting and visualizing this information is the next step and hopefully leads to more effective and timely humanitarian assistance,” said Akiko Harayama, Head of OCHA’s Advocacy and Visual Media Unit (AVMU), OCHA.

OCHA’s icons are used throughout the range of information products it produces for the humanitarian community, such as maps, reports, infographics and websites (http://reliefweb.int/maps?sl=environment-report_listing%252Ctaxonomy_ind...).

”After the first set was released in 2008, we started to receive requests for new symbols from our humanitarian partners, including UN agencies and NGOs in the field around the world,” said Harayama. “In the midst of a crisis response, relief workers would not have the time or design skills to create useable symbols.”

The set of symbols has since expanded to cover everything from natural disasters, such as tsunamis and earthquakes, to relief supplies, such as water containers and shelter kits. It also includes complex humanitarian issues, such as access to people in need and protection of civilians. Countries and territories are also covered.

Sofya Polyakov is the co-founder and CEO of The Noun Project—a website that offers a crowdsourced collection of universally recognizable icons for visual communication. She explains: “Symbols are some of the best communication tools we have to overcome many language and cultural barriers. By making symbols easily accessible, OCHA is helping humanitarians, disaster responders and people around the world to quickly and easily communicate important concepts, no matter where they are.”

The symbols can be downloaded for free on ReliefWeb http://reliefweb.int/map/world/world-humanitarian-and-country-icons-2012 and The Noun Project http://thenounproject.com/collections/ocha-humanitarian-icons/. Whenever possible, credit as follows: “Source: OCHA”. We would appreciate a notification via email with a link to your work for our records. Suggestions and feedback can be sent to ochaavmu@un.org.

Also, the OCHA graphics style book that describes the OCHA visual identity (colour, font and logo), best practices in visual design and different ways to represent information (charts, maps, photos) is available onhttp://www.unocha.org/about-us/publications/thematic.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit http://unocha.org/.

BlogTalkRadio. Wealthy Sistas interview of Millicent West on 9/11

Interview of Ms. Millicent West, President of West and Associates on BlogTalkRadio.com's Wealthy Sistas program September 10, 2012 at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wealthysistas/2012/09/10/wealthy-sistas-homeland-security-expert-millicent-d-west, as she discusses remembrances of September 11, 2001,

Training Opportunity: Functional needs individuals. Autistic Individuals Fire Safety

ATTENTION:  Non-members of BEMA:

 

The following information is so vital for the protection of children with functional needs that I am compelled to forward this information to individuals and organizations as an unsolicited email.  Sorry for any interruption or sending unsolicited.

 

Thanks to David Ofwono for the contact and resource information from my initial inquiry.

 

Here is the URL directly to the site:     http://www.woodsidefire.org/when-words-are-not-enough/

 

Please pass this information on to parents, and for those that need it in education, and first responder (Fire\EMS, Law Enforcement) circles.   All children are our future and need our protection.

 

BEMA is your association for networking and other opportunities.

 

Charles  D. Sharp 

Charles D. Sharp
Chief Executive
Black Emergency Managers Association   
bEMA
 
"I Care...."

-----Original Message-----
From: David Ofwono [mailto:dofwono@firstoncompliance.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 10:44 AM
To: BEMA@BlackEmergManagersAssociation.org
Subject: RE: Assistance.....Functional needs individuals. Autistic Individuals Fire Safety.

Hi Charles,

I hope you are enjoying the weekend and not working like me. I have been pursuing this request because the subject matter is of interest to me. I realize that this request may be long resolved BUT just in case or for future reference this is what I have so far.

Hi Dave...Selena and I would be happy to help you in any way we can.  I am a retired Occupational Therapist (married to a retired fire chief) and Selena is the Pub. Ed person for Woodside Fire Protection District.  Woodside has a good website that has our program in it.  The program is called, When Words Are Not Enough and consists of a video, manual, poster and other materials.  There is also a good website that had an excellent Feb. newsletter with lots of experts on the topic of help for kids on the Autism Spectrum with regards to emergency situations.  It is called OAR (organization for Autism Research).  You can google it then get into their back issues of newsletters and see all the great ideas and programs existing.  Selena and I have one article in that issue that is part of the list.  Please contact either Selena or me if we can help you further.  Hope this is helpful. Glenda Fuge

Regards,

Dave Ofwono

From: BEMA [mailto:bema@blackemergmanagersassociation.org]
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 4:10 PM
To: BEMA
Subject: Assistance.....Functional needs individuals. Autistic Individuals Fire Safety.

BEMA Network members (All):

Request to BEMA members before I send an inquiry outside of our network to the DHS\FEMA National Preparedness Forum.

One of our members in the Washington, D.C. area would like information or assistance as to whether the following is available:

      Subject:       Functional Needs Individuals.  Autistic children

          Need:       Fire Safety instructional material, drills, exercises, etc

  Audience:    

1.        Autistic children to be instructed by parent in what to do if there is a fire

2.        Parents, teachers, adult supervision.

-Methods of teaching fire safety procedures to autistic children

-Use of drill, exercises, etc.

Type of Instruction:

1.        Games

2.        Drills

3.        Exercise

4.        Individual instruction

5.        Group instruction

Thanks.

Charles

Charles D. Sharp

Chief Executive

Black Emergency Managers Association   

bEMA

"I Care...."

ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Sept. 7, 2012

ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Sept. 7, 2012

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Sept. 6, 2012 — Man arrested for transporting teen girl for prostitution
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested a Guatemalan who transported and prostituted a teen girl from Maryland. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Full Story

Sept. 6, 2012 — Mexican national pleads guilty to illegally re-entering the US
A Mexican national, who had been deported from the United States three times, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally re-entering the United States after deportation. ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is investigating this case. Full Story

Sept. 5, 2012 — 21 individuals charged in "Operation Knot So Fast 2012"
Multiple indictments charging 21 individuals with conspiracy and/or immigration benefit fraud (marriage fraud) were unsealed Wednesday. If convicted the maximum penalty for each violation is five years in federal prison. Full Story

Sept. 5, 2012 — ICE's national search for 'Jane Doe' child pornographer nets 2 in Oregon
HSI's nationwide search for a "Jane Doe" suspected child pornographer ended Tuesday with the arrest of two Salem, Ore., residents. The pair is accused of producing child pornography videos featuring them engaging in sexual contact with two child victims. Full Story

Sept. 5, 2012 — Los Angeles manufacturing company, its owner criminally charged for hiring violations
Following an HSI probe, federal criminal charges were filed against a Van Nuys manufacturing company and one of its owners for hiring unauthorized alien workers and repeatedly taking steps to cover up the illegal activity. Full Story