Yesterday, the White House honored Champions of Change in Emergency Preparedness The stories and examples of these awardees may inspire you to take action within your own community.
With the thought and statement that Everyone can contribute to safeguarding the Nation from harm, the President signed Presidential Policy Directive-8: National Preparedness (PPD-8) in March, 2011. This directive replaces Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-8 (National Preparedness), issued December 17, 2003, and HSPD-8 Annex I (National Planning), issued December 4, 2007, except for paragraph 44 of HSPD-S Annex I.
The directive established a vision for nationwide preparedness. As part of the directive, the Secretary of Homeland Security and FEMA were tasked to organize a “Campaign to Build and Sustain National Preparedness (Preparedness Campaign).”
FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD), responsible for launching and leading the campaign, is inviting coalition members to take an active role by volunteering to serve as community organizers during the campaign’s launch in 2013.
The national preparedness goal shall be informed by the risk of specific threats and vulnerabilities -taking into account regional variations -and include concrete, measurable, and prioritized objectives to mitigate that risk .
Individuals and communities will have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of preparedness activities organized at the community level while supporting a national initiative. The other executive departments and agencies will coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security and consult with State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public. FEMA is asking for help to get the word out and drive participation, so we’ll see more information about this in the new year.
You can learn more about the Preparedness Planning Cycle from FEMA.