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Volume 20, Issue 9, September 2018
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FLASH and PCA "Reach Wide for Resilience"
On August 28,
FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson provided the opening presentation for the 2018 Summer Meeting of Legacy Partner Portland Cement Association. The Chicago gathering featured information and dialogue regarding the resilience of buildings, building codes and standards, and resilience as a social value. Leslie joined a lineup that included new FLASH Partner Evan Reis of the US Resiliency Council, FLASH Board Director/ICC CEO Dominic Sims, and many other leading voices in the disaster safety and resilience movement.
According to PCA Senior Director of Market Development Alpa Swinger, "Connecting our members to the FLASH Partnership and the many opportunities to advance resilience is invaluable. We are especially focused on promoting strong, modern building codes based on proven science and reliable testing."
Special thanks to PCA partners Mark Justman and Alpa Swinger for creating the opportunity and for sustaining the longstanding partnership.
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FEMA Resilience Session Features New FLASH Building Code Project
New research findings from the FLASH Building Code Awareness Project took
center stage
at the FEMA "brown bag" webinar and session on August 31 in Washington D.C. After opening remarks by FEMA
Deputy Administrator for
Resilience
, Dr. Daniel Kaniewski
and Deputy Assistant Administrator, Risk Management Directorate
Angie Gladwell, Lead Physical Scientist, PTS Building Science Program Manager-Building Science Branch
John Ingargiola, Leslie Chapman-Henderson, and Peter Mitchell of Marketing for Change presented the findings
that reveal consumer attitudes and levels of understanding regarding building codes.
"The research project has provided important insights into how consumers view building codes as well as how they approach risk overall," said Leslie. "The next step in this project is to build a system to create transparency, so that families can understand the true status of the building codes used in their communities."
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USA TODAY Features the FLASH Partnership
FLASH hurricane mitigation content was featured in a
USA TODAY
story where FEMA Administrator Brock Long describes challenges regarding America's "Culture of Preparedness." The story was picked up from Texas to New York in 68 outlets. A modified version is running as a straight preparedness "how to" story on many broadcast stations as well.
This important information will help prevent losses in the wake of Hurricane Florence, now a Category 4 storm, so FLASH is asking for your help to expand the impact of this outreach by following and Re-Tweeting
@FederalAlliance
or sharing it from the
FLASH Facebook page
or from Leslie Chapman Henderson's LinkedIn feed.
FLASH will continue messaging on a variety of relevant topics this week and next to ensure we do our part to motivate useful action. We will be supporting our partners' messaging efforts as well.
Read the full article here.
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Bryan Koon |
Partner Spotlight - Bryan Koon
Bryan Koon is the former Director at the Florida Division of Emergency Management and serves as IEM's Vice President of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Koon currently serves as the Chair of the Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC), an independent, non-governmental entity of leading experts in mitigation that helps inform policy and advocates for smart mitigation practices nationwide. Bryan has spent his career focused on improving emergency response operations and engaging communities in becoming better prepared for emergencies and disasters. Bryan currently sits on the Board of Directors for FLASH.
Q: What is your background, education, and experience?
I grew up in North Florida in Suwannee county. I received a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, a master's degree in Business Administration from the George
Washington University (GWU), and a Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Crisis
Management from GWU.
I served as the Florida Director of Emergency Management from 2011 to 2017. In this role, I also served as Chair of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and Vice Chair of the Domestic Security Oversight Council (DSOC).
Prior to working for Florida, I was the Operations Manager and Director of Emergency Management for Walmart, responsible for emergency management operations for 8,500 facilities and 2.2 million employees worldwide during disasters. While on active duty with the Navy, I worked at the White House Military Office in the President's Emergency Operations Center under Presidents Clinton and Bush. Read More >
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David Halstead
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Former Board Advisor David Halstead to Lead Pinellas County EM as Interim Director
Pinellas county tapped former state official and FLASH Advisor David Halstead to serve as interim director until a candidate is hired.
"I am honored to serve Pinellas County in this interim role and look forward to working with the rest of the county team as we help our citizens plan and prepare," Halstead said in a statement.
Halstead has led emergency responses for wildfire disasters, major hurricanes and other rescue operations, according to Pinellas County.
From 1972 to 1998, Halstead worked at the Altamonte Springs Fire Department and retired as an assistant chief. He joined the state Division of Emergency Management in 1999 and left in 2012. Since then, he has worked as a consultant on emergency management and homeland security issues.
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Disasters Happen: Prepare Now, Learn Now
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to remind us that we must prepare ourselves and our families for disasters to occur at any time throughout the year. The 2018 FEMA NPM focuses on planning, with an overarching theme:
Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.
The 2018 weekly themes are:
Week 1: Sept 1-8 - Make and Practice Your Plan
Week 2: Sept 9-15* - Learn Life Saving Skills
Week 3: Sept 16-22 - Check Your Insurance Coverage
Week 4: Sept 23-29 - Save For an Emergency
*September 15 is a National Day of Action
Visit
https://www.ready.gov/september
to download tips and ideas to promote preparedness. For more engaging messages, attach appropriately sized graphics for specific social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook) and add emoji's.
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The International Code Council Board of Directors creates new Ad Hoc Committee on Building Safety and Security
The committee will bring together experts from across many different disciplines to tackle one of the toughest, most important issues of our time
Washington, D.C., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - The International Code Council Board of Directors established an ad hoc committee to comprehensively explore and assess building safety and security. Building safety is an issue of upmost importance to our families and communities as we tackle outdated facilities, fire safety concerns, active shooters and other emergency situations. Read More >
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From LPI: Separating Lightning Facts from Fiction
Lightning is beautiful to watch, but it's nothing to play around with.
Each year, there are about 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service, with about 300 people being struck by lightning (and about 10 percent of those people are killed).
North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation in lightning strike fatalities, for the period of 2008-2017. There have been no lightning fatalities in the state so far this year. Let's keep it that way.
With the assistance of the National Weather Service, here are tips for staying safe from lightning. Read More >
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Collaboration Opportunities and Upcoming Events
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New QuakeSmart Workshops Set for Fall
Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
The workshops are designed for building officials, businesses, corporations, engineers, emergency managers, homebuilders, leaders, manufacturers, nonprofits, organizations, policymakers, public officials, risk managers, and small businesses.
Attendees will receive streamlined business continuity planning and mitigation project plans with simple, step-by-step instructions to help reduce risk and protect employees, clients, customers, and communities.
Read More >
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NDRC18 Room Block Expiring Soon
Each year, the NDRC18 brings together the nation's foremost voices in the disaster safety and resilience movement, drawing a diverse crowd of experts and organizations.
This year's lineup of presenters includes Kenneth Graham, National Hurricane Center Director; Leslie Chapman-Henderson, FLASH President and CEO, National Weatherperson of the Year Ada Monzón, Meteorologist, CBM - WIPR-TV; Lt. Col. Kaitlyn Woods, Hurricane Hunter - Chief Meteorologist, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, USAF; Roy E. Wright, President & Chief Executive Officer IBHS, and many more.
Read More >
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