Partners in Prevention View our photos on flickr  View our videos on YouTube Visit our blog View our profile on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook
Volume 20, Issue 5, May 2018
Month in Review
Philip Strouse, FEMA
Leaders Embrace Ready Business to Get #HurricaneStrong

More than 75 business, organization, and government representatives attended the Ready Business - Hurricane Workshop on April 26 at the Leon County Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. The agenda focused on hurricane and hazards, continuing a series of free preparedness workshops that feature Ready Business Toolkits with proven readiness and mitigation content.

Legacy Partners FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Leon County Government, and FLASH presented the event. FDEM Director Wesley Maul set the tone for the day by making the case for post-disaster business resilience and workforce preservation. Director Maul shared examples of how businesses contribute to overall community recovery as well, highlighting donations of goods, services, and hotel space following Hurricane Irma and the Pulse Nightclub shooting.  Read More >
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, DHS
CFSI Engages Future Leaders

On April 19, FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson attended the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) 30th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium in Washington, D.C. with more than 1,500 fire and emergency services leaders from across the country.

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen served as keynote speaker with an inspirational address and tribute to the dedication and commitment of our nation's firefighters and emergency services personnel. Secretary Nielsen made the case for disaster resilience and the FEMA strategic goal to establish a culture of preparedness. She also outlined the challenges and heroism following the 2017 disaster seasons, including the devastating California wildfires.

Established in 1989, the CFSI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy institute designed to educate members of Congress about the role of our nation's fire service in protecting our homeland.  Additional information about CFSI is available at www.cfsi.org .
New Commentary Featured in Road to Resilience Leadership Blog

The first installments from the new commentary, Learning from the 2017 Disasters to Create a Reliably Resilient U.S., are now available on the Road to Resilience blog by FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson. The balance of the commentary will be shared throughout May in recognition of Building Safety Month and the 2018 National Hurricane Resilience Initiative - #HurricaneStrong .

Please click here to join this critical conversation about the often-overlooked foundation of resilience: building codes and standards. You can request a copy of the commentary by emailing info@flash.org , or visit the commentary section in the newsroom at www.flash.org . The complete commentary will be posted by June 1, 2018.
Partner Spotlight
Robert Andrews, Verisk
Partner Spotlight - 
Robert Andrews, Vice President and Chief Field Operations Officer at Verisk Analytics

Q:   What is your background, education, and experience?
 
A:  I currently have nationwide operational oversight of all Verisk commercial property field data collection, including Survey Services (Commercial Property and Casualty), Commercial Real Estate, Public Protection (PPC®), Building Code (BCEGS®), Community Rating System (CRS), Engineering Group and Technical Training. As Vice President and Chief Field Operations Officer, I manage 600 full-time employees in multiple areas of the company. I have been fortunate to be a part of Verisk (ISO) since 1989, in which I have served as a field representative on up to Vice President and Chief Field Operations Officer. I've been blessed to be part of numerous private industry, academia and government agency collaborations over the years.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University, and have additional certificates and advanced executive leadership training from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, the Harvard Business School, and The Verisk Leadership Institute.  Read More >
Partner News
Join Today's FEMA Webinar - Helping Your Community Get Ready for Hurricanes: Innovations from the Field

Today, learn innovations in preparedness that you can implement in your community. Participants will hear from local and national leaders. Attendees can engage one another in a conversation with the goal of building resilience for the coming hurricane season.

How to Join the Webinar:
  • Please register for the event using the Adobe Connect registration web link.
  • Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting.
  • This webinar will offer captioning.
For more information, please contact FEMA-Prepare@fema.dhs.gov.
NSSA Foundation Launches New Website

"Be Prepared for Any Storm" is the theme of the nonprofit National Storm Shelter Association Education and Outreach Foundation's new website. The Foundation's mission is to inform the public about storm shelter safety and reliability as part of its vision to provide reliable information to people in areas at risk from severe wind events.

"We developed the new website in order to bring reliable information to all people in areas at risk from severe wind or tornadoes," said Executive Director for the National Storm Shelter Association Dr. Ernst Kiesling.

Aimed at the general public, the site explains that tested and approved shelters can provide life-saving protection from destructive storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes, especially to those without a basement. It provides pros and cons about underground storm shelters and safe rooms and best-recommended uses of each so consumers can select the best option for their situation .

Information on the site includes tips for purchasing a storm shelter, where to purchase shelters, documentation to look for to ensure the shelter is safe and reliable, and how to properly install a shelter.

Technical recourses include fact sheets from FLASH Legacy Partner FEMA that address foundation and anchoring criteria for safe rooms and residential tornado safe room doors along with  FEMA P-361 Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes-Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms  .
The Evolution of Mitigation - Florida Keys

The longstanding FEMA commitment and partnership with state and local emergency management officials to improve the standards for building structures is generating continuous improvement in how buildings and infrastructure withstand the forces of Mother Nature. With each disaster, the learning curve continues.

This video highlights the process of evaluating the mistakes of the past, and improving upon those mistakes to provide a safer, brighter future for the residents of The Florida Keys post Hurricane Irma. Watch video.  
May is Building Safety Month - Building Codes Save Lives

May 1 marked the beginning of Legacy Partner International Code Council's Building Safety Month  (BSM), a public awareness campaign celebrated worldwide for the past 38 years to help individuals, families, and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for the adoption of modern, regularly-updated building codes, a strong and efficient system of code enforcement and a well-trained, professional workforce to maintain the system. This year's theme is Building Codes Save Lives.

Week three of BSM, May 13-19, Protecting Communities from Disasters, focuses on the importance of making sure families are prepared for natural disasters. It includes recommendations from FLASH on family preparedness.

For more information about BSM visit www.iccsafe.org .
Collaboration Opportunities and Upcoming Events
New FLASH Councils Now Seeking Members

FLASH is creating four new Councils that will provide opportunities for greater participation by existing, new, and future partners. 

Council members are needed with a wide range of experience including academia, associations, builders, corporations, developers, emergency managers, engineers, finance, government, insurance, journalists, leaders, manufacturers, meteorology, modeling, policymakers, public officials, suppliers, and more. 

Councils will meet quarterly via teleconference and in-person once per year during the  National Disaster Resilience Conference.
  • The Consumer Outreach Council will promote preparedness information and property-protection techniques to the public creating demand and social value for resiliency.
  • The Partnership Council will oversee activities to foster collaboration and develop strategic partnerships to advance the disaster safety movement.
  • The Products, Services, and Technology Council will identify potential impacts of new technology on the disaster safety movement and resiliency efforts throughout the construction industry.
  • The Resilience Policy Council will identify emerging issues related to building codes, beyond-code mitigation, incentive-aligned relief initiatives, and disaster finance programs.
For more information on applying to become a Council member, please email info@flash.org or call (877) 221-SAFE today. 
Next QuakeSmart Workshop Slated for Southern California

Business, nonprofit, and emergency communities will come together on May 30 in Santa Clarita, CA, for a free QuakeSmart Workshop sponsored by FLASH, Legacy Partner FEMA, the City of Santa Clarita, and Disaster Resistant Business Toolkit.
 
The workshop shares QuakeSmart protocols that can reduce damage costs, save lives, and help communities recover more quickly following seismic disasters. This is critical as FEMA estimates that Southern California accounts for 50 percent of the nation's earthquake risk.
 
Attendees will:
  • Learn about business continuity, disaster response, and the cost benefit of preparing for earthquakes and other business interruptions;
  • Identify preparedness and mitigation actions needed to ensure safety and business continuity;
  • Complete assessments and begin planning for retrofit projects; and,
  • Learn how to perform preparedness and mitigation activities using the QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program.
The workshop is free, but advance registration is required. For more information, visit   www.flash.org/readybusiness or  email  Mike@flash.org Click here now to register. 
Show Your Commitment to Disaster Safety by Sponsoring 2018 NDRC

Show your support for resiliency and help define your organization's role in the disaster safety and resilience movement by becoming a sponsor of the   2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference  (NDRC). Take advantage of exclusive opportunities to make sure the voice and value of your brand is heard by key, targeted audiences you want to reach. This year's conference will be held November 7-9, in Clearwater Beach, FL.

The NDRC is the premier leadership conference that brings together the nation's foremost voices in the disaster safety and resilience movement, drawing a diverse crowd of experts and organizations across all sectors.

Several levels of sponsorship are available to spotlight your business and products in the expanded Partner Showcase, and to enjoy invaluable networking opportunities with leaders, new customers, and renew relationships with existing clients.

Click here now to reserve your sponsorship and learn more about the rewards your brand will receive by sponsoring. 
© 2018  Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) | (850) 385-7233 |  www.flash.org
All Rights Reserved
STAY CONNECTED: