Thursday, October 4, 2012

Children and Youth in Disasters


United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - A Life in the Community for Everyone: Behavioral Health is Essential to Health, Prevention Works, Treatment is Effective, People Recover


Available Now: Cultural Awareness: Children and Youth in Disasters
The goal of this 60-minute podcast is to assist disaster behavioral health responders in providing culturally aware and appropriate disaster behavioral health services for children, youth, and families affected by natural and human-caused disasters.
The podcast aims to accomplish the following:
  • Define cultural awareness.
  • Demonstrate the importance of cultural awareness in disaster services, particularly with children and youth.
  • Identify common reactions of children to disaster and trauma.
  • Present helpful approaches to working with children affected by a disaster.
Featured speakers include April Naturale, Ph.D., of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC), and Russell T. Jones, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech University (VCU). Dr. Naturale is a traumatic stress specialist with 25 years of experience in health/mental health administration. Dr. Jones is a professor of psychology at VCU and a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma psychology. His areas of expertise are natural and technological disasters as well as interpersonal violence.
SAMHSA DTAC encourages participation by:
  • Behavioral health, public health, and other professionals involved in emergency management/disaster response activities
  • Those who are interested in learning more about working with children and youth following a disaster
  • Those who need a refresher about disaster response issues specific to this population.
You may download the slides and the transcript by visiting the SAMHSA DTAC webinar page.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Lori McGee at 240-515-8414 or lori.mcgee@icfi.com. We would appreciate your thoughts on this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts/webinars. Please send feedback to dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Individual State Voter Registration



NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION

There is no 1-800 number to register to vote since each state may have a different process.

Check with your local voter registration office.

The information listed below is from the National Voter Registration Day website (http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org  )



FAQs

Q: Where do I get voter registration cards?
A: You can visit your county or state elections office for printed forms or you can print the nationally accepted universal voter registration form here: http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx

Q: What do I do with the voter registration cards after they're filled out?
A: Once a card is filled out - you must ensure they're delivered to an designated National Voter Registration Day representative or the correct local elections offices. Examples of National Voter Registration Day representatives are State Lead Organizations or our supporting partner Head Count.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Katrina long term effects: Final opportunities to enroll in NIH oil spill health study



Embargoed for Release
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
3 p.m. EDT
Contact:
Robin Mackar
919-541-0073


GuLF STUDY makes final call for study participants

Time is running out for workers and volunteers who helped with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup to enroll in a long-term study of the possible effects of the oil spill on human health. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is conducting the study, is seeking anyone who helped with the oil spill cleanup in any capacity to call and enroll. Enrollment in the GuLF STUDY (Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study) will close soon and would-be participants have until the end of December 2012 to sign up.

"With the help of over 80 community and professional groups across the Gulf Coast, the GuLF STUDY has enrolled more than 29,000 people to date. The cleanup response involved a wide range of tasks carried out by a large number of people who each experienced exposures to oil and dispersants under unique circumstances. We want to understand the experiences of all types of workers," said Dale Sandler, Ph.D., chief of the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch and lead researcher of the study.

"The oil spill raised a lot of questions for people here who helped with the cleanup, and we hope the GuLF STUDY will provide answers," said Paige Rucker, a GuLF STUDY community partner and the state director of Project Rebound, an Alabama nonprofit organization assisting those impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. "A lot of people along the coast have been affected by the spill, and the data on the GuLF STUDY will be invaluable in knowing how best to treat them."

NIEHS is seeking all eligible workers and volunteers — those who are healthy as well as those who may have health challenges — to enroll. NIEHS is also making a special request for anyone who worked near the source of the spill, such as oil rig workers and rig support personnel, to enroll. Because of their proximity to the spill, it will be important to understand how their exposure might affect their health.
Anyone who helped with the cleanup may have been contacted by mail, text message, or phone call to participate in the study. Those who have not yet enrolled are being urged to call now.

"It is important that workers and volunteers who helped with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup make the call today, so they can share their stories before we close out enrollment," said Sandler. “Every worker and volunteer has a story to tell, and we would like to hear every story to better understand the potential health effects of oil and dispersants.”

Expected to last at least 10 years, the GuLF STUDY will generate important data that may help inform policy decisions on health care and health services in the Gulf Coast region. Findings may also influence responses to other oil spills in the future.

For more information, call the GuLF STUDY toll-free at 1-855-NIH-GULF (1-855-644-4853) or visit the GuLF STUDY website at http://www.gulfstudy.nih.gov.

NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visitwww.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health ®


Disaster Bookstore - Emergency Management Professional Development


Disaster Bookstore - Emergency Management Books and Related Products
A new online bookstore, featuring high-quality, low-cost books on emergency and risk management, hazards, and disasters, as well as related products, such as disaster time line charts.

The bookstore features:

"Managing Long-Term Community Recovery in the Aftermath of Disaster." by D.Alesch et al.; 2nd printing; <http://disasterbookstore.com/managing-for-long-term-community-recovery-in-t
he-aftermath-of-disaster/> and
 
"Emergency Management, The American Experience, 1900-2010" (2nd edition, Claire B. Rubin, Editor <http://disasterbookstore.com/emergency-management-the-american-experience-1
900-2010-2nd-edition/>

A major clearance sale is going on, which means all books are very inexpensive.

Visit the bookstore online today at <www.disasterbookstore.com!>


Training: FAA & Transportation Related Courses



Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident, 25-26 October 2012: The National Transportation Safety Board has announced a course that is intended to teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media.  NTSB - Course Information <http://www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/CourseInfo/2012-Courses/PA302_2012.html>
THIS IS NOT A FREE COURSE: $802 early registration, by October 8, 2012, or $852 late registration, between October 9 and 12:00 pm (noon) ET on October 24, 2012.

Transportation Disaster Response - A Course For Emergency Responders, 14-16 November 2012: Designed specifically for emergency responders and planners, this course, developed by the National Transportation Safety Board, provides participants with the tools to most effectively manage a major transportation disaster. Audio/video materials, case studies, recent examples and panel discussions are employed to illustrate key principles of the unique aspects of responding to major transportation disasters.  NTSB - Course Information <http://www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/CourseInfo/2012-Courses/TDA402_2012.html
>  THIS IS NOT A FREE COURSE: $1,198 early registration, or by October
> 29,
2012, $1,248 late registration, between October 30, 2012 and 12 pm (noon) ET on November 13, 2012.

Free Cyber Courses




17 More Top Universities Offer Free Cyber Courses: Seventeen leading universities in the U.S. and abroad will start offering free cyber courses through the online education platform Course.  The announcement underscores the rapid expansion of so-called MOOCs, or massive open online courses, that are reshaping the higher education landscape.  Associated Press - Full Story <http://www.hstoday.us/single-article/17-more-top-universities-offer-free-cy
ber-courses/47c68bbbe286f5d4ba28fdf5160a4694.html>

October 4th Brown Bag Webinar with IOCC


This is a reminder for the October 4th Brown Bag Webinar with IOCC.


GUEST SPEAKERS
Dan Christopulos, U.S. Country Representative
Fr. Angelo Pappas, Frontline Coordinator
Pascalis Papouras, Special Asst. to the Exec. Office
International Orthodox Christian Ministries-
U.S. Office

IOCC, in the spirit of Christ’s Love, offers emergency relief and development programs to those in need worldwide, without discrimination, and strengthens the capacity of the Orthodox Church to so respond.

When:
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT

Where:
FEMA HQ, 500 C Street, SW, DC
Conference Room

Dial In:
800-320-4330 Pin: 214214#

HOSTED BY:
Voluntary Agency Coordination Section
Individual Assistance Division, Recovery Directorate


A brief 20th Anniversary video, “Respond, Rebuild, Uplift” will be shown that chronicles the first 20 years of IOCC throughout the world.  IOCC efforts with the US Orthodox “Frontline” disaster response group will also be highlighted during the presentation as well as future US goals.


Phil Shaw
Voluntary Agency Liaison
FEMA
Phone: 202-212-2797

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

One Child, One Block at a Time.

Dedicated to:
    Mr. Earnest Williams Jr.
    Mr. Earnest Williams III    (Age 10)
    Mr. Travis Fucien              (Age 12)

Thank you for giving me inspiration.........Charles D. Sharp


BEMA Network Members (All):

It's 11:10 P.M. and I'm diligently working in the BEMA office responding to emails, catching up on readings, and getting set for Wednesdays schedule.

One hour ago thinking of the personal, financial, and professional sacrifices that I've incurred for BEMA.  The cleaning staff of The HIVE arrived.  What threw me off was that I heard an adult, and young male voices.  I ensured that the deadbolt lock and all doors were locked before a came to the second floor area, so whomever entered was probably one of the other member\tenants.

As I reached the top of the stairway the adult male was coming up.  We both introduced ourselves, and stated our purposes for working so late.  Overlooking the area for what needed to be done, I asked was his son with him and that I give him my utmost respect and admiration for having his son with him cleaning office buildings.  He said his son was more interested in what I was driving.  I offered him the keys as an inside joke, with both of us laughing.

Interesting thing is that while the father was upstairs surveying the area, I heard the son downstairs pulling plastic trash bags from the containers on his own and never heard his father at anytime give him direction.  After asking, his 10-year old son was just working with Dad, and Dad wanted to make sure that he knew life was about working all hours of the night and making sacrifices..

Dad went on to mention that his son attended a charter school in the District (Washington, D.C.), and wanted to be a ball player.  If any of you know me this just opened the door for more discussion.  Asked how he does in school, and wanted to show the father a video clip on the BEMA website (www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org) called 'Bring you’re a Game'.   Offered he take a look, and if his sons, and his sons friend that was working with could watch the video clip if permitted.

After 5-minutes of viewing the clip the father mentioned that he never has seen this and wanted his son, and friend to watch the video, and to even show it to a track team that he works with.  Just informed him to check our website on the business card I handed him.  Also mentioned that we tend to remember the last novel event from the day, so that if his son and friend watched it, it just might sink into their dreams.

I can honestly, and sincerely tell you that watching both of these young black men, yes at 10-years old working with Dad to me they are considered men (man child) learning important and vital skills necessary for survival.  Watching the clip and noticing all the real-life ball players, rappers, military, business owners and others tell them that education is the key.  This makes working all hours of the night tolerable.   To know in my heart that there is hope and a light at the end of this difficult path in our communities, if families get involved for our children's future.

I could probably write a short story on this, but to keep it short.  After watching the video I told both of the young men how proud and honored I was at them for working with the one sons father, and especially proud of the father for bringing his son and friend along.

This one instance has given me more inspiration to continue on.  As I explained to the father that one child, one block at a time is all I can do.

Peace.

Have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,


Charles D. Sharp

Charles D. Sharp
Chief Executive
Black Emergency Managers Association  
2027 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:  202-618-9097

"I Care...."

Webinar: Cyber Security related October 11, 2012



REGISTER NOW!

 

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center 
and the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division

invite you to join us for the next session in the National Webcast Initiative Series:

 

Cyber Security: What You Should Know to Stay Safe Online
Thursday, October 11, 2012
2:00pm -- 3:00pm (Eastern)


**********************************************************************
~ Opening Remarks By~


Bobbie Stempfley 
Deputy Assistant Secretary 
United States Department of Homeland Security

 

&

 

Michael Kaiser 
Executive Director 
National Cyber Security Division

 

~ Presenter~

 

Ron Woerner, CISSP 
Professor & Director, CyberSecurity Studies 
College of Science & Technology 
Bellevue University

**********************************************************************

Don't Miss Out -- REGISTER NOW for this FREE Webcast!
Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To register, please visit: http://www.msisac.org/webcast/

Why This Session is Important to You:
As part of the October awareness month activities, the MS-ISAC is coordinating a joint webcast with DHS and NCSA, which will provided useful guidance to the non-technical user on the necessary steps to protect themselves and their computers from cyber incidents.
The Internet is a great place to explore and is a new playground of brilliant possibilities, but there's trouble often hiding in its shadows. That trouble can come in many forms, including malicious software, trickery, and identity theft. In this presentation, Ron Woerner will talk about the evils of the Internet, how the bad hackers can take over your computer and how they get your private information. It's not all doom and gloom, though. He will also show you some easy, everyday steps to protect yourself and others online. This session will focus on the basics of computer security, such as using strong passwords, use of external devices, phishing and social engineering, and protecting mobile devices. Come to this interactive presentation and learn simple tips for online safety and security for you, your organization, and your family.

Format of Webcast:
This session will feature an interactive Powerpoint presentation accompanied by audio.
********************************************************************
The National Webcast Initiative:
The Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a division of the Center for Internet Security, have partnered to establish the National Webcast Initiative comprising a series of national webcasts which examine critical and timely cyber security issues. Embracing the concept that security is everyone's responsibility, these webcasts are available to a broad audience to help raise awareness and knowledge levels. A number of vendors have offered their services at no cost to help develop and deliver the webcasts.

The National Webcast Initiative is also coordinated by the New York State Forum. For more information about the Initiative, please visit: http://www.msisac.org/webcast/. If you have any questions, please contact the MS-ISAC via phone at 518/880-0686 or email at info@msisac.org

Sunday, September 30, 2012

REQUESTING USER NAMES AND PASSWORDS: STATE LAW CHANGE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2012



The Maryland General Assembly recently passed a new law prohibiting employers from requesting or requiring employees or applicants disclose usernames, passwords, or other information aimed at accessing their personal, electronic accounts.  This includes social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter. 
The law is effective October 1, 2012.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/md-employers-cannot-collect-facebook-passwords/2012/04/13/gIQAZwQtJT_story.html


The Washington Post


By Published: April 15
Maryland employers: hands off your employees’ Facebook passwords.
Employers cannot require workers and job applicants to turn over passwords to private social media accounts as a condition of employment, state legislators decided last week in the passage of a first-of-its-kind bill.

Maryland is the first state to pass such a measure; similar proposals are pending in California, Illinois and Michigan. Employment law experts say the move sets important limits on employers’ reach when it comes to the privacy of their employees — and that of friends and family in their online networks — at a time social media plays an ever-increasing role in people’s personal and professional lives.
SB 433 (HB 964), which needs the signature of Gov. Martin O’Malley to become law, was not part of the batch of bills the governor signed Tuesday and O’Malley’s office said it did not know if and when it would land on the governor’s desk.



The bill doesn’t mention social media platforms by name, but the issue surfaced last year after Robert Collins, a former officer with the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, complained about being asked to provide his Facebook log-in information during a recertification interview. The department in 2010 began asking prospective employees for user names and passwords to Facebook accounts as part of a background check to screen employees for gang affiliations, but suspended the practice after the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland filed a complaint on Collins’s behalf, claiming the practice violated his personal privacy.
A second bill, SB 434 (HB 746), which would have outlawed universities from requiring students and college applicants to disclose user names and passwords for personal electronic accounts, passed in the Senate but died in the House. The bill came on the heels of a growing number of universities hiring third-party vendors to monitor student athletes’ Tweets and Facebook posts by having students install social media monitoring software onto personal electronic devices.
Brad Shear, a Bethesda attorney who worked with state Sen. Ronald Young’s (D) office on both bills, said banning employers from collecting password-protected information is a win for both employees and companies.
“It not only protects employees’ privacy, it also protects employers,” said Shear, who in 2010 helped draft Maryland’s election laws regulating candidates’ use of social media pages. “It protects [employers] from having to create new legal duties and liabilities and compliance costs.”

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