Situational Awareness (ZIKA). PAHO set guidelines to ID and confirm ZIKA virus, other information

PAHO, laboratories set guidelines to identify and confirm Zika virus

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CDC Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR)

CIDRAP Update: A Case Hints At Other Severe Birth Defects Tied To Zika

By Ruth McClure Brazilian Experts Investigate If The Common Culex Mosquito Is Transmitting Zika Virus Ruth McClure in CDC Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR)

Webinar. March 2016. “Update/Brief on the Newest Procedures in IPAWS."

“Update/Brief on the Newest Procedures in IPAWS."  

This month’s speaker is Mr. Antwane Johnson who is the Director of the Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS).  

Mr. Johnson is one of the Directors for the National Continuity Programs.  He will be discussing the policy of the United States to have an effective, integrated, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people facing immediate serious situations.  

IPAWS is a National System for local alerting to radio and television as Emergency Alert System broadcasts; cellular phones as Wireless Emergency Alerts; NOAA All Hazards Weather, Radio, Internet applications, and websites.  

This policy is expanded to enable state and local officials to alert local populations during local emergencies and provide for better and more accurate handling of alert reception and rebroadcast.

Invited By:     FEMA-Continuity Webinar (FEMA-ContinuityWebinar@fema.dhs.gov)
When:             Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Time:              2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Speaker:         Antwane Johnson, Director, Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS), National Continuity Programs

Connection Options for Webinar:   

1) Webinar (Do not need to dial into Audio Conference. Webinar can be heard through computer speakers.) 

Click:   https://share.dhs.gov/mar2016

• Enter as a guest.
• Type your FIRST and LAST name.
• Click “Enter Room.”

  
2) Audio Conference (Can be used if having trouble hearing Webinar through computer speakers. Please Dial In Prior to the Meeting Start Time.) 

While participating in the teleconference, please mute your phone.

• Audio Conference Dial-In Number: 1-800-320-4330
• Audio Conference pin: 769214

  
Technical Support 
If your screen freezes or locks up during the Webinar, click the “Refresh” button, or close the window out and reopen.
For technical support questions, contact:  

• Adobe Connect Help Desk: 800-422-3623 or
• E-mail: FEMA-ContinuityWebinar@fema.dhs.gov         

If you have never attended a Connect Pro meeting before, please use the following instructions to test your computer connection before the meeting:
Conduct an Adobe Connect connection diagnostic test at: 

http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/connection-test-connect-meeting.html 

If the test run is successful, your computer should be ready for any Adobe Connect web meeting.  If not, you may be advised to install some “add on” features after the test, please do so as advised.  If the Internet cannot display the page, please go to the advanced tab, Internet Options, and under Security check the box use TLS 1.0. 

Test your connection: http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/connection-test-connect-meeting.html

To get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html
 “NCP’s vision is to be the Nation’s center of excellence for government continuity planning, guidance, and operations. Our mission is to serve the public by protecting our Nation’s constitutional form of government”. 
  
For additional information please contact us: 
  
Email:
FEMA-STTLContinuity@fema.dhs.gov: continuity of operations information for State, Territorial, Tribal and Local government.
FEMA-ContinuityWebinar@fema.dhs.gov: information on the monthly webinar series

Website:
http://www.fema.gov/continuity-operations: continuity news, tools, guidance, and other useful resources.

Continuity Updates:

Please help us get this message out by forwarding this bulletin to others and encouraging them to sign up for their own email updates by clicking here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSFEMA/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDHSFEMA_1010: 

FEMA NAC Council Opportunities. Deadline: March 16, 2016

Reminder: FEMA Seeks Applicants for National Advisory Council

FEMA is requesting individuals who are interested in serving on the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) to apply to be considered for appointment. The NAC is a federal advisory committee established to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. 

The NAC advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management frameworks, strategies, and plans while incorporating the whole community's input through appointed council members.  The NAC will consider individuals for appointment in the following disciplines:

- Emergency Management (one representative appointment)
- Emergency Medical Providers (one Special Government Employee appointment)
- Functional and Access Needs (one representative appointment)
- Non-Elected Local Government Officials (one representative appointment)
- Non-Elected State Government Officials (one representative appointment)
- Public Health (one Special Government Employee appointment)
- Standards Setting and Accrediting (one Special Government Employee appointment)

The administrator may also appoint additional candidates to serve as a FEMA Administrator Selection to represent emerging leaders in emergency management. For this appointment, FEMA seeks to appoint an individual who has academic experience in emergency management, served in the FEMACorps program, is an alumni of FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council, or has contributed to the field of emergency management as an emerging leader.

All appointments are for three-year terms starting in September 2016. All applications must be received by the close of business on March 16, 2016.

Qualified individuals interested in serving on the NAC are invited to apply for appointment. Detailed instructions on how to apply and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Membership Applications webpage at FEMA.Gov.

Youth Opportunity. FEMA Youth Preparedness Council Applications. Deadline: March 1, 2016

Reminder: Youth Preparedness Council Applications

FEMA is seeking applicants for its Youth Preparedness Council formed in 2012 to bring together leaders from across the country engaged in advocating youth preparedness.

Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, efforts in making a difference in their communities, and potential to expand their impact as national advocates for youth preparedness.

All applications and supporting materials must be received no later than March 1, 2016, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) to be eligible. New Youth Preparedness Council members will be announced in May 2016. For more information and to access the application materials, visit the Youth Preparedness Council webpage.

VOTER preparedness.

Pass along…..Important voter registration information.

BEMA and VoteRiders are non-partisan 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and believe that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.

Below is a FACEBOOK chat with VoteRiders for information for a list of states step-by-step registration procedures.  

The right to vote as with disaster\emergency preparedness requires a planned approach to electing local, county, state, and federal representatives for community engagement, capacity and resilience building which part of the mission of BEMA.

Let’s not wait to the last few months to prepare for the electorial process in the U.S., but plan now to obtain voter registration requirements, and locations of voting polls in your community.

Be safe, be prepared.

Charles D. Sharp.  CEO.  BEMA

Has VoteRiders or other voting rights organizations created a list of the most difficult states with voter registrations requirements? Even and entire list for all states and a STEP-BY-STEP for registration would be better for distribution to FRIEND networks, and posting on social media. Thanks...Charles D. Sharp. CEO. Black Emergency Managers Association.

SUN 11:22PM

Thanks so much for getting in touch, Charles! There are currently 32 states with voter ID laws in place. Our current priority state is Wisconsin, and we are also supporting efforts in AL, AZ, FL, GA, IN, KS, MS, NC, ND, NH, RI, SC, TN, TX, and VA.

For detailed information on exact requirements in each state, please visit our "Get Your Voter ID" page: http://www.voteriders.org/voter-id. And if you have any specific questions, please feel free to send them to us at info@voteriders.org.

Get Your Voter ID

VoteRiders is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.

voteriders.org

Chat Conversation End

Black Emergency Managers Association
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097
bEMA

     

"It is my belief that the best results in business come from a creative process, from the ability to see things differently from everyone else, and from finding answers to problems that are not bound by the phrase 'we have always done it this way.' "  Wayne Rogers

Information Sharing.....Individual, family, and community planning. TOOLKIT Neighborhood Disaster Planning

Whole community at work.
       Keep in mind at the neighborhood and community level private\business sector can lead.
  
BEMA  


http://5steps.la/5-step-toolkit /

TOOLKIT

Neighborhood Disaster Planning

We never think a disaster will strike our neighborhood or at least we hope it won’t!  However, it is not a question of if one will happen, but when.

The City of Los Angeles and its partner agencies and organizations have plans and resources ready to help!  

But, with over four million people in the City, rescuers may not be able to provide immediate support to every neighborhood in need. Neighbors should be prepared to help themselves for several days to weeks depending on the size of the disaster.

Take the first step to getting your neighborhood in a better position to prepare and bounce back from disaster by downloading our 5 Steps to Neighborhood Preparedness Toolkit. Included within this comprehensive resource set you will find.......... (More)

Situation Awareness. Michigan and Flint needing a systems approach.

FYI..

Upon review of information in the State of Michigan the issue of the Flint Water Crisis is not just a water security issue, but may be one item that escaped the ‘closed’ system and culture of Michigan of issues that may be within each of the critical infrastructure sectors from the State and County Level, to individual cities within Michigan.

Keep in mind to address the Flint Water Crisis a systems approach shall have to be considered not just for water security but each of the critical infrastructure sectors for full recovery of the city for true resiliency building.

One factor stood out for the State.  Emergency management planning has EM under the span-of-control of the Michigan State Police and Law Enforcement.  Interesting fact.

CDS.  CEO.  BEMA

News from the Department of Homeland Security OIG Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Latest OIG report is available on our website. (Report No. 16-38-D) Oakwood Healthcare System, Dearborn, Michigan, Needed Additional Assistance in Managing its FEMA Public Assistance Grant Funding Oakwood Healthcare System, Inc. (Hospital), in Dearborn, Michigan, received a gross award of $15.2 million from the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (Michigan), a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grantee, for damages resulting from severe storms and flooding in August 2014. The Hospital did not always account for and expend FEMA grant funds according to Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. Although the Hospital competitively awarded contracts for most non-exigent work, it did not always take the required affirmative steps to ensure the use of small and minority firms, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms when possible; and did not include all required contract provisions in its contracts. However, we did not question the costs because insurance proceeds covered essentially all the repair costs except for the insurance deductible. We also found that the Hospital did not initially account for labor costs...Read Full Report Office of Public Affairs E: dhs-oig.officepublicaffairs@oig.dhs.gov                         OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL l DHS WWW.OIG.DHS.GOV  l TWITTER: @DHSOIG DHS OIG Reports by Category Fiscal Year   2015 DHS Agency     CBP    ICE    FEMA    Management    TSA    USCG    USCIS    USSS  OTHERS SAR & Other Publications     Semiannual Report (SAR)    Annual Performance Plan (APP)    Strategic Plan

Deadline 2/28/2016. Law Student. Summer Internship with Public Health Law Program

Summer 2016 Internships and Externships with PHLP

PHLP is accepting applications for summer 2016 internships and externships.  The internships and externships create entry-level experience for rising and current third-year law students who are interested in exploring careers in public health law.  PHLP provides services and resources, such as technical assistance, publications, and workforce development, to CDC programs and state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments.  The program is open only to rising and current 3rd-year law students. Applications for summer 2016 are due by midnight (EST), February 28, 2016.

Webinar 2/25/2016. National African American History Month: Preparing Communities through Partnerships

We are making a difference and change in our communities in the U.S. and internationally.

At BEMA we consider Black History Month as not only a time for remembrance of past and present achievement of people of African Descent in the U.S., but as Ancestry Heritage Month not only for people of African Descent but for all peoples internationally.

Chains are broken not only individually, but by a collective effort by all.

Peace

BEMA


On Thursday, February 25, engage with us on nationwide disaster preparedness and resilience efforts serving African American communities. This effort is in observation of National African American History Month. Share the webinar information with your networks today.

**Register for the event by Clicking Here**

Title: National African American History Month: Preparing Communities through Partnerships

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2016

Time: 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

Featured Speakers:

• Linda Wilson, Chair, Delta Emergency Response Task Force, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will discuss how fraternities and sororities can support disaster preparedness and response.

• Jacqueline Patterson, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program, NAACP will discuss what local civic organizations can do to increase preparedness.
• Shamika Ossey, RN, BSN, PHN, South LA Teen CERT, will discuss youth preparedness and disaster response.

How to Join the Webinar:

• Please register for the event by Clicking Here registration (https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/prepaa1/event/registration.html)
• Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting by clicking here.
• This webinar will offer closed captioning.

FEMA Resource Spotlight - Youth Preparedness Announcements:

1. FEMA is looking for Youth Preparedness Council applicants. Students in 9^th and 10^th grade are encouraged to apply. Applications are due March 1. For more information: http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/113574
2. If you missed the Preparing Youth for Disasters webinar last week featuring several affirmers, you can view the archived presentation at: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/p2qldq13mpi/
3. If you are interested in learning more about the Student Tools for Emergency Planning program, it’s not too late to register for tomorrow’s webinar (Feb. 11 at 2:00 ET): https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/step2/event/registration.html

Sign up for the Children and Disasters Newsletter - The FEMA Children & Disasters Newsletter is a resource for youth preparedness practitioners, educators, parents, children, and teens. It shares timely research, examples of successful youth preparedness programs, safety tips, and resources related to youth preparedness. Subscribe for the latest updates or view archived issues