The Bridge - August 2007
New Hampshire CERT Teams
When the April nor'easter hit New Hampshire, a new Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) had just completed training. CERT is a program that trains individuals on how to provide initial assistance during an emergency response situation until professional first responders arrive. The program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. "Seven members of the team responded when we called on them to help manage traffic," said Laconia fire chief and emergency manager Ken Erickson. Full Story
Partner Playback
Hurricanes are born and bred in the tropics. Every so often, one of these storms reaches New England's corner of the world. We call them low-frequency, high-impact events. Hurricanes don't visit us often, but when they do, it's usually memorable. It would be unwise to assume that you have experienced a worst case scenario for your area. Each storm has a different track and a unique 'personality' and the prospect of sea level rise raises the stakes from coastal flooding. Full Story
New England Notes
New England Debris Summit
It's often an afterthought to many in the initial disaster response, but if not dealt with quickly it can pose a serious problem. Disaster debris can block access to critical facilities and harbor potential illness. Officials from the six New England states gathered for a summit to develop debris management plans.
Full Story
FEMA's Albie Lewis and Tim Barnett outline the goals of the Debris Managment Summit (3.0 MB)
Transcript of Debris Management Summit Comments
Art's Message
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In the aftermath of the Patriots' Day Storms, FEMA Region I and the New England states pulled together for a remarkable response effort. We also have several exciting initiatives underway to further strengthen bonds with our state and local partners. Full Story |
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Advisory Council Members Named
Last month, FEMA announced the membership of the National Advisory Council (NAC). The council advises the Administrator of FEMA on all aspects of emergency management to ensure close coordination with the agency's partners across the country.
"The private sector is a wealth of technical support and has an enormous potential for providing technical assistance for all aspects of national disaster response and recovery." - Robert Gougelet, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical CenterFull Story
News and Views
Harvard is Stormready®
Harvard University was recently recognized as a StormReady® community - the first university in New England so designated. This means that Harvard has met its emergency communications capabilities and preparedness responsibilities in the event of a disaster. Full Story
Vermont 211: The Right Call
Vermont's 2-1-1 health and human services helpline recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary with a significant change in operations: service is now available around the clock. Vermont 2-1-1 was launched in February of 2005 to help people with health and human services needs connect with private, local, state and national agencies that help meet those needs. Full Story
Connecticut State Employees Take Opportunity to Volunteer
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, countless Americans sought ways to help out by volunteering. In Connecticut, with the support of Governor Jodi Rell and the American Red Cross, more than 800 state employees have become certified disaster volunteers. Full Story
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