New Preparedness, LLC Website Launched

We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Preparedness, LLC website. The mobile-friendly site still includes hundreds of links to preparedness resources (all verified or updated) as well as new and revised Preparedness Bulletins to help with the development, implementation, and evaluation of your emergency management, business continuity, and crisis management programs.

Since the organization of the website has changed, may we suggest you update your bookmarks and links to the page.

Please send us your suggestions for new links and subjects for future Preparedness Bulletins.

2013 Edition of NFPA 1600 Close to Publication

The 2013 edition of NFPA 1600, "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" is complete. NFPA did not receive any "Notices of Intent To Make A Motion" (NITMAM), which would have required action at NFPA's annual meeting. Therefore, NFPA 1600-2013 will be approved by NFPA's Standards Council on or about November 27, 2012. The 2013 edition should become available in December or January.

If you would like to preview the 2013 edition, you can review the "Report on Comments" draft that was developed at the technical committee meeting March 20-22, 2012. You can monitor the progress of the technical committee by visiting the NFPA website.

Numerous resources pertaining to NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs” can be found on the “NFPA 1600” page of the Preparedness, LLC website.

Donald L. Schmidt, ARM, CBCP, CBCLA, CEM® is the chair of NFPA’s Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which is responsible for NFPA 1600. Mr. Schmidt has been involved in the development of every edition of NFPA 1600. He is the editor of “Implementing NFPA 1600 National Preparedness Standard," and he is also the lead instructor for NFPA’s professional development course on NFPA 1600.

Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week is October 6-12. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871. [NFPA]

In the event of a fire, remember that every second counts, so you and your family must always be prepared. Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly. In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become engulfed in flames.

Prepare and practice your fire escape plan twice a year with everyone in your household, including children and people with disabilities. It's also a good idea to practice your plan with overnight guests. Some tips to consider when preparing your escape plan include:

• Draw a map of each level of your home and show all doors and windows. Have two ways out of each room. Make sure all doors and windows that lead outside open easily.
• Only purchase collapsible escape ladders evaluated by a recognized testing laboratory. Use the ladder only in a real emergency.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you cannot help them.
• Have a plan for everyone in your home who has a disability.
• Practice your fire escape plan at night and during the daytime.

Watch and download the U.S. Fire Administration’s Public Service Announcement: “Have Two Ways Out.” Also be sure to check out the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week campaign website.

Information on fire protection, emergency planning, and business continuity can be found on the “Resources” page of the Preparedness, LLC website.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Recognizing the importance of cybersecurity, President Obama designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). NCSAM is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity and increasing the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. October 2012 marks the ninth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).
Follow these simple steps to keep yourself, your personal assets, and your private information safe online:

• Set strong passwords and don’t share them with anyone.
• Keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates.
• Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.
• Limit the amount of personal information you post online and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.
• Be cautious about what you receive or read online – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Check out the resources for information security on the "Resources" page of the Preparedness, LLC website.

McGraw-Hill 2012 Homeland Security Handbook

The 2012 edition of the McGraw-Hill Homeland Security Handbook is scheduled for publication late in 2012. Donald L Schmidt, CEO of Preparedness, LLC, once again has authored a chapter on Corporate Emergency Management.

This handbook aims to foster an integrated and coordinated approach to homeland security, emergency management, and enterprise resilience. The Handbook has several important features:

• The 2012 edition of the Handbook provides extensive thematic coverage, offering an opportunity to understand how homeland security challenges are interconnected. As pointed out in the foreword to the 2006 edition, only a team of individuals with genuine crosscutting knowledge and practical experience will be able to understand the complexity of any particular homeland security challenge, devise an efficient and viable strategy for dealing with the problem, and implement this strategy effectively.
• The contributors include distinguished members of government, industry, and academia, many of whom combine theory with practical experience in homeland security and are active in educating the next generation of national security leaders.
• As no country has a monopoly on best practices, this edition has an expanded section on international approaches, with perspectives and insights from past disasters.
• This edition includes management principles, models, concepts, and specific practical guidance. Many chapters present practical steps that security, emergency preparedness, and business continuity professionals can apply immediately to create vigilant, prepared, and resilient communities and business enterprises.
• The book emphasizes the importance of systems thinking, holistic interoperability, and information sharing protocol development. The need for this emphasis stems from the reality that, since the last edition was published, the world has witnessed numerous occasions when poor information sharing and coordination undermined counterterrorism defenses and crisis consequence management following catastrophic natural disasters.
• The book covers recent homeland security policy developments, such as Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8) with National Frameworks for Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery.

The website at www.HomelandSecurityBook.com provides valuable resources for further study.

Hazard & Vulnerability Assessment for Public Health Departments

Hazard and vulnerability assessment (HVA) is a foundation of public health and emergency management. Understanding what could happen enables preparedness.

Check out "Hazard & Vulnerability Assessment: Understanding What Could Happen," which was delivered to the Massachusetts Health Officers Association, to learn about the elements of an HVA. The relationships between hazards, probability of occurrence, magnitude, assets at risk, vulnerabilities, and impacts are explained. A methodology for conducting an HVA will be presented, and many hazard scenarios of interest to public health officers are included.

Go to the "Resources" page of the Preparedness, LLC website to access many resources to help you conduct a risk assessment.

Preparedness, LLC eNewsletter - Supply Chain Risk

Disasters around the world have and continue to disrupt the global supply chain. In 2011, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan hit the supply chain for the automotive and electronics industries hard. Flooding in Thailand impacted the manufacture of paints, hard disk drives, and tires. Catastrophic tornadoes in the central United States caused widespread destruction. 2012 has seen wildfires, Hurricane Isaac, and severe drought, which have impacted shipping on the Mississippi River.

If you would like to learn about how to assess supply chain risk, check out the latest Preparedness, LLC technical eNewsletter.

If you would to review past eNewsletters, click here. If you would like to subscribe to the eNewsletter, please click here.