Volunteer Reception Center Use a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) to create a location designated for volunteer management. Be sure to prepare ahead of time to quickly implement the VRC by identifying multiple locations for the center, assigning leadership roles and preparing key documents like, sign-in and sign-out sheets and VRC setup instructions. Volunteer Credentialing… Read more
Mutual and Automatic Aid Agreements Ensure that your locality has a Mutual Aid Agreement or Automatic Aid Agreement in place and be familiar with the specifications and legalities of the agreement prior to the emergency situation. Familiarize yourself with both state-to-state aid agreements, like EMAC, in addition to agreements with localities in your state. … Read more
During a natural disaster, volunteers can be a tremendous asset or a liability. Emergency management professionals can help ensure that volunteers are able to help during response and recovery by following these tips. Volunteer Safety Training: Have a basic volunteer safety training program in place that can quickly be given to volunteers before they are… Read more
Mutual and Automatic Aid Agreements Ensure that your locality has a Mutual Aid Agreement or Automatic Aid Agreement in place and be familiar with the specifications and legalities of the agreement prior to an emergency situation. Familiarize yourself with both state-to-state aid agreements, like EMAC, in addition to agreements with localities in your state.… Read more
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and its offshoot discount incentive program, the Community Rating System (CRS), help communities get back on their feet in the wake of flooding incidents by providing affordable insurance to property owners and encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations. The program, managed by the Federal Emergency Management… Read more
Mutual aid agreements and other types of assistance agreements facilitate the rapid sharing of emergency aid and resources among governments and organizations at all levels. These can involve pre-existing agreements like the or may require the creation of new instruments to address emerging events or parties outside of existing compacts. Depending on the nature and… Read more
The Synergy of Structure and Good Intentions When disaster – natural or man-made – strikes a community, specific emergency management and nonprofit organizations automatically respond according to a pre-established plan. Each of these designated organizations has a specific role to play in ensuring an effective response to and recovery from the disaster’s devastation. Yet one… Read more
This application guide contains the forms and necessary information required for submission of the 2015 /CERT Program Subgrant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Program. The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015, includes provisions for providing funding assistance to… Read more
Volunteers are often a valuable resource following a disaster, but only if managed properly. To avoid a potentially chaotic volunteer situation during or after a disaster, localities should factor volunteer engagement into their disaster planning process. Localities can start by identifying which localities and volunteers are available to help in a disaster event. This process… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, however they come with a big caveat – when not managed properly, they can escalate an already dangerous and chaotic situation by overwhelming first-responders and putting themselves and others in danger. Public information officers can play an important role in helping… Read more
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