Thursday, October 25, 2012

Deepwater Horizon: Long Term Effects. October 2012


Press Release
Response Logo
Deepwater Horizon Incident
Joint Information Center
(713) 323-1670

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10/25/2012 10:56 AM EDT

NEW ORLEANS - The Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in New Orleans authorized BP to proceed with a plan to cap and plug the containment dome.

In 2010, the 40-foot-tall containment dome was used as a part of an attempt to capture oil and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the surface. The technique was unsuccessful and the equipment was moved away from the well head and riser and set in its current position approximately 500 meters from the original Macando well head.

The operation, which began Tuesday, included BP mobilizing a remotely operated vehicle from the offshore construction vessel Skandi Neptune to the containment dome to place a cap on top of the stove pipe and plug the ROV connection ports on the sides and top of the structure. The cap and plugs were successfully put in place and no further oil emissions from the containment dome were observed.

BP has collected data via satellite throughout the operation and will continue to do so for a five-day period following, in order to detect changes in the surface sheen and to evaluate the effectiveness of these actions in abating or eliminating the sheen. In addition, the Coast Guard plans an overflight of the area later in the week.
Representatives from the Coast Guard, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Gulf Coast Incident Management Team's Department of Interior Liaison, as well as state on-scene coordinators from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida observed the controlled feed in New Orleans.

The FOSC has further directed BP to submit a feasibility plan that considers the next steps toward either removing or remediating the threats of oil posed by the riser pipe and containment dome.

The operation and proposed plan were in response to an oil sheen in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon incident first reported to the National Response Center Sept. 16. The Coast Guard issued a Notice of Federal Interest to BP and Transocean after the reported sheen was correlated to the oil that originated from BP's Macondo well.

The public is reminded to contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 to report all pollution incidents or the 8th Coast Guard District command center at 504-589-6225 in the event of a marine emergency.

Webinar: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

MLK

Raising Resources and In-Kind Donations


The next MLK Day planning webinar is on Wednesday, October 31st at 3 P.M. ET. It will include information about how to raise resources and in-kind donations. Such as:
  • Creating a fundraising committee
  • Utilizing leaders and champions
  • Identifying resource goals
  • Looking for in-kind donations
  • Making the ask
  • Acknowledging donors

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Webinar: EMForum. Attacker Types and Threat Assessment. October 24, 2012


Mass Shootings

Attacker Types and Threat Assessment

October 24, 2012 -- 12:00 Noon Eastern Time

EMForum.org is pleased to host a one hour presentation and interactive discussion Wednesday, October 24, 2012, beginning at 12:00 Noon Eastern time (please convert to your local time). In follow up to a previous EMForum program, this session will focus on various types of attackers and threat assessment of advance warnings and indicators. Our guest will be August Vernon, instructor, author, and Operations Officer for the Forsyth County, NC Office of Emergency Management.

Please make plans to join us, and see the Background Page for links to related resources and participant Instructions. On the day of the program, use the Webinar Login link not more than 30 minutes before the scheduled time. The password is attend. As always, please feel free to extend this invitation to your colleagues.
 
In partnership with Jacksonville State University, EIIP offers CEUs for attending EMForum.org Webinars.  See http://www.emforum.org/CEUs.htm for details.

Is your organization interested in becoming an EIIP Partner? Click here to review our Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles and access the Memorandum of Partnership.
 
 

This educational opportunity is provided by the Emergency Information Infrastructure Project (EIIP).

First Responders: Wills for Heroes Foundation


Wills for Heroes

The YLS is an affiliate of the Wills for Heroes Foundation and proudly organizes volunteers for Wills for Heroes events.

Wills for Heroes is a free and easy service that provides Wills, Living Wills, Health Care and Financial Powers of Attorney to first responders and their spouses/partners.  The foundation was started in response to the tragic events of 9/11. Of the 403 first responders who died that day, most did not have a will in place. First responders risk their lives each day to make our communities safer. This program provides free wills and other estate planning documents to our local heroes in about one hour using a program supplied free-of-charge by LexisNexis.

http://www.yls.org/sec_comm/sections/yls/projects.asp


Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Effectiveness of Collaboration



Collaborative networks are crucial

Working together is not often the smoothest way to get things done. However, collaboration by definition in emergency management is the collective agencies, departments, as well as all internal and external stakeholders working towards shared objectives, and goals. This means that collaboration takes place at all levels.

Collaboration should be taking place from agencies and organizations that hope to improve upon and make strides in effectively providing disaster aid to affected communities. To do this you need to have mutual trust in each other’s capabilities, decision support on all levels, and shared values and goals. You cannot be separate on any of the above qualities if you hope to have a collaborative network. Each of these qualities should be fostered in the foundation of each organization in the collaboration to have it be effective long term.

Further, for more insightful and effective outlooks on collaboration and its effects I suggest readingCollaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management, by (Streib & Waugh Jr., 2006). The authors discuss leadership and effectiveness of collaboration in disaster situations, why they have failed in the past, and how they can improve in the future with the use of collaboration.

Whether or not you feel you know it all, it is always best to have partners, to bring in experts in different fields, and to have many stakeholders. Essentially it is important to collaborate at every level so that when you need the support you have a strong network to back up your community.

Works Cited:
Streib , G., & Waugh Jr., W. L. (2006). Collaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management.Public Administration Review .




Wednesday, October 17, 2012

FYI: Minority Resources...Money & More

Link to HHS.gov

FYI: Minority Resources...Money & More

From the Office of Minority Health Resource Center's Information Services Team
October 17, 2012
 

Funding

Federal Grants

$500k or more . . .  
  • HHS/National Institutes of Health: Limited Competition: Data Coordinating Center for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) Study (UC4) Grant. View Full Announcement
  • HHS/National Institutes of Health (NIH) & U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science for Research Relevant to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (P50). View Full Announcement
  • HHS/National Institutes of Health: Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Trials (R01) Grant View Full Announcement
$500k or less . . .  
  • HHS/National Institutes of Health (NIH): Prevention of HIV Transmission/Acquisition through a better understanding of Reproductive Health (R01). View Full Announcement
  • USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program Grant View Full Announcement
  • Delta Regional Authority: Health IT Workforce Revolving Loan Fund. View Full Announcement

Non Federal Grants

$500k or less . . . 

Resources

  • HHS/Administration for Children and Families: Funding resource guide now available. A Guide to Resources and Funding for Community & Faith-Based Organizations. Learn More [PDF | 1.16MB]

Scholarships/Fellowships

Resources

  • CDC: New digital press kit available. Multistate Meningitis Outbreak. Digital Kit includes: quotes, resources, websites, and more. Learn More

American Indians/Alaska Native Health

Events

  • CDC/NCEH-Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry/APHA: Webinar. This is the fourth in a four-part series. When Every Drop Counts: Initiatives in Indian Country Monday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. EDT. Learn More Exit Disclaimer

Cancer

  • Office of Minority Health Resource Center: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Find action Steps for your community, resources and more. Learn More
  • HHS: App challenge. Reducing Cancer Among Women of Color. The challenge invites developers to create an application (app) for mobile devices that can help improve the prevention and treatment of breast, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Learn More

Diabetes

Events

  • American Diabetes Association: 5th Disparities Partnership Forum. Overcoming Diabetes: Diabetes Care in High Risk Populations. October 22 - 23, 2012 in Washington, DC. Learn More Exit Disclaimer

Health Care

  • AHRQ: New toolkit released. The CUSP Toolkit includes training tools to build the capacity to address safety issues by combining clinical best practices and the science of safety in order to improve the foundation of how physicians, nurses, and other clinical team members work together. Learn More
  • The Commonwealth Fund: New report brief released. The Impact of Health Reform on the Medicare Advantage Program: Realigning Payment with Performance. Read Full Report Exit Disclaimer

Health Equity

Events

  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Health Forum. 24th National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care. December 9-12, 2012, in Orlando, Florida. Scholarships available for NAPH members. Learn More Exit Disclaimer

Heart Disease

  • HHS: App Challenge. The Million HeartsTM Risk Check Challenge invites developers to create a mobile app that will help consumers take a heart health risk assessment, find places to get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and use the results to work with their health care professional to develop a plan to improve their heart health. Learn More

Hispanic/Latino Health

Events

  • AARP/Latino Magazine: No Mas Hambre Forum, is part of a nationwide initiative launched to raise awareness of hunger in the Latino community. October 24, 2012 in Atlanta, GA Learn More Exit Disclaimer
  • HHS: Webinar. Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators? Webinar: Substance Abuse. October 24 from 12:00 to 12:45 p.m. EDT Learn More

HIV/AIDS-STDs

  • CDC: New data report released. HIV Testing at CDC-Funded Sites, United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2010. Read Full Report [PDF | 691KB]

Infant/Child Health

  • Office of Safe and Healthy Students: New training toolkit available. Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation's Classrooms. Learn More
  • National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition-Perinatal Nutrition Working Group: New consumer guide available. A Seafood Lover's Guide to Eating During Pregnancy. Learn More Exit Disclaimer
  • Society for Public Health Education: October 15-19th is National Health Education Week (NHEW) 2012. Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a Healthier Generation. Resources now available. Learn More Exit Disclaimer
  • Health & Disability Working Group: New report released. Financing the Special Health Care Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care: A Primer. Read Full Report Exit Disclaimer

Events

  • March of Dimes: 2012 March of Dimes Perinatal Conference for Health Professionals. Delivering Change. November 7, 2012 in Overland Park, KS 66210. Speakers include: Tonya Lewis Lee, National Spokesperson for OMH's "Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign. Learn More Exit Disclaimer
  • The Prematurity Prevention Network: Webinar. The Puzzle of the Early Detection of Preterm Labor and Prevention of Preterm Birth. October 26th from 12:00pm-1:30pm EDT. Learn More Exit Disclaimer

Mental Health

  • SAMHSA: Annual Report to Congress 2010 released. Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, Evaluation Findings. Read Full Report

Substance Abuse

  • SAMHSA: A new online analysis system now available allows researchers to produce frequencies and cross-tabulations using restricted-use data files. Restricted-Use Data Analysis System (R-DAS). Learn More Exit Disclaimer

Violence Prevention

  • SAMHSA: October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Latest resource now available. Learn More

Vision

  • White House: President Proclamation. Blind Americans Equality Day, 2012, which is honored on October 15, 2012. Learn More

Managing compassionately. Wisdom without compassion is ruthlessness, compassion without wisdom is folly


Jeff WeinerJeff Weiner  October 15, 2012

Of all the management principles I have adopted over the years, either through direct experience or learning from others, there is one I aspire to live by more than any other. I say "aspire" because as much as I'd like to do it consistently and without fail, given the natural ebb and flow of day-to-day operations and challenges, and the subsequent range of responses that follow, I find this particular principle harder to practice consistently than others. That principle is managing compassionately.  
There are three elements of managing compassionately I've learned through the last decade or so that have very much influenced my career path and management style. They are the meaning of compassion, and specifically how compassion differs from empathy; the fact that compassion can be learned, and is not solely innate; and the importance of striving to achieve both compassion and wisdom, and not one without the other. 
The meaning of compassion 
Through reading the book “The Art of Happiness” -- the teachings of the Dalai Lama as told to author Howard Cutler -- I learned the difference between compassion, defined as walking a mile in another person’s shoes, and empathy, which is feeling what another person feels. Though oftentimes used synonymously in western culture, the contrast between the two is an important one. As the Dalai Lama explains, if you are walking along a trail and come along a person who is being crushed by a boulder, an empathetic reaction would result in you feeling the same sense of crushing suffocation and render you unable to help. The compassionate reaction would put you in the sufferer's shoes, thinking this person must be experiencing horrible pain so you're going to do everything in your power to remove the boulder and alleviate their suffering. Put another way, compassion is a more objective form of empathy. This idea of seeing things clearly through another person's perspective can be invaluable when it comes to relating with others, particularly in tense work situations. 
For example, when strongly disagreeing with another, most of us have a tendency to see things solely through our own world view. In those situations, some will immediately assume that the other person is ignorant and/or has nefarious intentions. Your mind immediately turns to the thought, "How could they possibly not agree with me?"
In these circumstances, it can be constructive to take a minute to understand why the other person has reached the conclusion that they have. For instance, what in their background has led them to take that position? Do they have the appropriate experience to be making optimal decisions? Are they fearful of a particular outcome that may not be obvious at surface level? (Ray Chambers refers to this process as being a spectator to your own thoughts, and offers a good illustration here). Asking yourself these questions, and more importantly, asking the other person these questions, can take what would otherwise be a challenging situation and transform it into a coachable moment and truly collaborative experience. 
Compassion can be taught
Once I had started to fully appreciate the significance of compassion, I oftentimes wondered whether or not it was a quality that could be taught. It turns out the answer is yes; a realization I came to serendipitously.
One night while traveling on business, I was having trouble sleeping and came across a PBS Frontline documentary that has stuck with me to this day. The program was entitled “A Class Divided” and was about Jane Elliott, a third grade teacher in an all-white town in Iowa. The day after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, she divided her class into blue-eyed and brown-eyed students.
On day one, the blue-eyed children received first class treatment at the expense of the brown-eyed. On day two, she flipped everything, so that those who had been subjugated were now in the privileged class. Watching the reaction of the kids in this situation was truly awe-inspiring. The documentary tracked down the students many years later, well into adulthood, and almost to a student, they were advocates of the civil rights movement.
Compassion can and should be taught, not only throughout a child's K-12 curriculum, but in higher education and corporate learning and development programs as well. I can’t think of a more worthwhile thing to teach. 
Wisdom without compassion is ruthlessness, compassion without wisdom is folly
After having worked at Yahoo for seven years and making the decision to leave, I started to think a lot about what I wanted to do next. I've long been interested in education reform, and specifically the democratization of knowledge, which was one of the primary dynamics that drew me to the consumer web, and digital media and search specifically. It had occurred to me that as much value as Google created by organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible, there was still much more to be done in the category. The thinking was that on a classic Information Science continuum, i.e. data > information > knowledge > wisdom, as valuable as information was, it was putting that information into context -- knowledge and ultimately wisdom -- that created true insight.  
The challenge at the time (early 2004) was that for all of the billions of information artifacts that had been indexed by the world's leading search engines, the vast, vast majority of all human knowledge still remained in people's heads. The idea was to make it easier for people to share that knowledge in a universally accessible repository and to not only make use of it, but to expand it as well. Bear in mind, this was long before social platforms and sharing content had reached critical mass on a global basis. Today, this is common practice, and increasingly influences the way in which we find what we are looking for, whether through more socially influenced results produced by search engines or the knowledge being shared directly through social platforms (Fred Wilson shares a great example of the latter here.) However, at the time I was leaving Yahoo in 2008, this was still an evolving concept and one I was passionate about pursuing. I went so far as to draft a personal vision statement: to expand the world's collective wisdom.  
A few weeks later, I found myself at dinner one night with my friend Fred Kofman, founder of Axialent, author of "Conscious Business", and one of the most enlightened people I've met throughout my career.  After sharing my objective with him, he said, "That's very powerful, but bear in mind, wisdom without compassion is ruthlessness, and compassion without wisdom is folly." The line stopped me cold in my tracks. It was so elegant in its simplicity that it required no debate or follow-up. Withhout any further discussion I said I was amending my initial vision to read "to expand the world's collective wisdom and compassion." That objective has influenced every aspect of my work ever since.   
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121015034012-22330283-managing-compassionately?trk=NUS_UNIU_PEOPLE_FOLLOW-megaphone


Jeff Weiner

Jeff Weiner

CEO at Linkedin


 

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