OCTOBER 2011
|
 Quick, Duck! University of Oregon takes part in ShakeOut The University of Oregon, one of the organizers of the Great Oregon ShakeOut drill, was held on January 26 in Lane County Recently they finalized their "how to" video featuring the Oregon Duck 'ducking, covering, and holding on' in preparation for the drill. |
|
|
|
|
Free SF CARD Coffee Talk of 2011 - October 11th
A Few Seats are Still Available!
| Can you answer the following?. . . What can you learn from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) about earthquake potential in the Bay Area and earthquake preparedness? How will your organization respond? What sort of earthquake-specific supplies and policies should your organization have prepared? What earthquake preparedness training should you get?
Specifically, we are going to hear an overview of earthquake hazards, long-term forecasting of earthquakes in the Bay Area and its associated geology. We do hope you will make a note in your calendars to join us! SF CARD and the USGS are partnering to bring you the next Coffee Talk on October 11th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the beautiful St. Mark's Lutheran Church downstairs in the Heritage Hall.
. . . COME AND GET YOUR ANSWERS . . .
from Dr. Jack Boatwright, Bay Area Earthquake Alliance Co-Chair & USGS Coordinator for Earthquake Hazards Investigation in Northern California. Dr. Jack Boatwright is the Northern California Earthquake Hazards Investigations Coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Science Center and also serves as the chair of the Bay Area Earthquake Alliance. Jack has developed maps showing the shaking intensity from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and similar maps for the 1868 Hayward earthquake. The results of his work show that a repeat of either the 1906 or 1868 earthquake will produce strong shaking and damage throughout the Bay Area. His expertise is the effects of earthquakes and what shaking levels to expect from future earthquakes in the region. Jack received his PhD in Seismology from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University and joined the USGS directly after.
Coffee Talk Agenda
- 09:30 am Welcome and opening remarks by Alessa Adamo, SF CARD Executive Director
- 09:40 am Overview on Church Disaster Preparedness by Rev. Elizabeth Ekdale, Lead Pastor / Mr. Jun Ranches, Director of Church Administration and Operation
- 09:55 am USGS Presentation by Dr. Jack Boatwright of USGS
- 10:45 am Q & A
- 11:00 am Overview of the Earthquake Country Alliance, its role in earthquake and tsunami awareness, and how it coordinates the Great California ShakeOut scheduled for October 20th, 2011 at 10:20 am by Brian Whitlow, SF CARD Program Manager
- 11:25 am Closing remarks by Alessa Adamo
Also, this is a wonderful opportunity to network. We encourage you to speak with others who are also undertaking the disaster preparedness process!
To register call 415 955-8946 x 253 or email RegisterForCoffeeTalk@sfcard.org to reserve your seats at the next SF CARD Coffee Talk.
Location Address: 1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Parking is on the street, so be sure to arrive about 15 minutes early to find your spot. There is 2 hour parking along Franklin and Gough streets or in the St. Mary's parking lot. St. Mark's is kindly providing a tea & coffee service with bagels due to the early hour.
|
|
10 Days Remaining Till ShakeOut!
| |
Major earthquakes can cause unprecedented catastrophes. With earthquakes as an inevitable part of our future, non-profits should make plans and take actions to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes. What we do now will determine what our lives will be like afterwards.
With this in mind, the Earthquake Country Alliance (www.earthquakecountry.org) created the ShakeOut, an earthquake drill and preparedness activity in which everyone can participate. In particular, non-profits of all sizes can use the drill to get their employees, volunteers, partners, and even their clients and customers, involved and prepared for a big earthquake. Furthermore, the level of your staffs' own personal and family preparedness will be key to their availability to support your organization's response and recovery efforts after a disaster.
To leverage all of the past great work our community and its leaders have undertaken, SF CARD with assistance from the SF Department of Emergency Management, SF Department of Public Health, SF Community Clinic Consortium, NICOS, the American Red Cross Bay Area, and Disaster Resistant Communities Group (DRG) will be holding a web-based earthquake exercise. The exercise will be free to participate for individuals who will represent a non-profit or faith-based organization. What is great about the exercise is that you can either participate with your colleagues from your desk at your office or participate at the Emergency Operations Center at 1011 Turk Street in San Francisco. This is a fantastic opportunity to test your organizational disaster recovery plan and to work with other organizations.
If you would like to participate in the exercise at the EOC, please register your name and anyone else who is planning on joining you at the EOC at register@sfcard.org. This is a requirement as the Sheriffs Office will be checking for identification upon entry.
Please contact Brian Whitlow, Program Manager at Brian@sfcard.org with specific questions.
Have a great ShakeOut this year!
|
|
What an Impact!
| |
We want to express our appreciation to everyone that supported our Empower Your Community Campaign this summer. We were moved by your generous contributions and words of support. With your help, we were able to raise over $4,000 in support of disaster resiliency programs and services for nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
With over 100 nonprofit and faith-based organizations served, we are committed to building a disaster resilient community. Our goal is to benefit the entire community by strengthening essential organizations' capacity to perform their critical missions before, during and long after a disaster strikes. Your support is essential to our mission, and will help further our reach and continue to provide assistance and resources to many more organizations in our community.
If you haven't had the opportunity to donate during our campaign, and you would like to make a difference, feel free to visit our web site at anytime at www.sfcard.org and make a secure online donation. We are truly grateful for all the individuals and organizations that have made a difference.
|
Health Corner- Many play Russian Roulette with the flu, don't let it be you.
- SF CARD went to see it . . . The "Contagion" Movie & How CDC Controls REAL Global Disease Outbreaks
By Elisabeth K Whitney
| |
Many are playing Russian Roulette with the flu, don't let it be you.
It may not seem like flu season is here yet, but we need to plan to have these shots soon.
October 3, 2011
People are playing Russian roulette with their lives every year by not protecting themselves against seasonal flu, according to the United Kingdom government's chief medical officer. The U.K. Department of Health is warning millions of people in at-risk groups to get vaccinated. The BBC's Phil Lavelle reports. Video from the BBC.
Timing of Vaccination:
When should I get the 2011-2012 influenza vaccine?
CDC recommends that people get vaccinated against influenza as soon as vaccine becomes available in their community, but vaccination can take place at any time throughout the influenza season. Influenza seasons are unpredictable, and can begin as early as October. And, it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. Therefore, CDC recommends people be vaccinated as soon as vaccine becomes available to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before influenza season begins.
Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?
CDC recommends an influenza (flu) vaccine every year as the first and best way to protect against getting the flu. By 2 weeks after vaccination, the body develops antibodies to protect against the viruses in the vaccine. Those antibodies help protect us from influenza viruses if we come in contact with them later.
Who should get vaccinated this season?
Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. This recommendation has been in place since February 24, 2010 when CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.
- Pregnant women
- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
- People 50 years of age and older
- People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
- Health care workers
- Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
What does the flu vaccine protect me from?
While this question may seem obvious, read below on what it is designed to protect you from.
Vaccine Selection for the 2011-2012 Influenza Season, from the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccine-selection.htm).
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has chosen the three influenza (flu) viruses for inclusion in the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine based on recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). Each year, experts from FDA, WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other institutions study virus samples collected from around the world to identify the influenza viruses that are the most likely to cause illness during the upcoming flu season so that people can be protected against them through vaccination.
How are the viruses selected to make flu vaccine?
The influenza (flu) viruses selected for inclusion in the seasonal flu vaccines are updated each year based on information about which influenza viruses are being found, how they are spreading, and how well the previous season's vaccine viruses might protect against any that are being newly identified. Currently, 136 national influenza centers in 106 countries conduct year-round surveillance for influenza viruses and disease activity. These laboratories then send influenza viruses for additional analyses to the five World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Influenza, which are located in the following places:
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC);
- London, United Kingdom (National Institute for Medical Research);
- Melbourne, Australia (Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory);
- Tokyo, Japan (National Institute for Infectious Diseases); and
- Beijing, China (National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention).
The seasonal flu vaccine is a trivalent vaccine (a three-component vaccine) with each component selected to protect against one of the three main groups of influenza viruses circulating in humans.
Three vaccine viruses are chosen to maximize the likelihood that the influenza vaccine will protect against the viruses most likely to spread and cause illness among people during the upcoming flu season. WHO recommends specific vaccine viruses for influenza vaccine production, but then individual countries make their own decisions for licensing of vaccines in their country. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines what viruses will be used in U.S.-licensed vaccines.
What flu viruses are included in the Northern Hemisphere seasonal vaccine for 2011-2012?
WHO recommended that the Northern Hemisphere's 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine contain the following three vaccine viruses:
- an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
- an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
These are the same viruses that were selected for the Northern Hemisphere for the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine.
If I got a vaccine in 2010-2011, why do I need to get another one this season if the vaccine formulation didn't change?
Your body's level of immunity from a vaccine received last season is expected to have declined. You may not have enough immunity to be protected from getting sick this season. You should be vaccinated again to raise your immune levels against the three viruses that research indicates are likely to circulate again this season. Also, multiple studies conducted over different seasons and across vaccine types and influenza virus subtypes have shown that the body's immunity to influenza viruses (acquired either through natural infection or vaccination) declines over time. The decline in antibodies is influenced by several factors, including a person's age, the antigen used in the vaccine, and the person's general health (for example, certain chronic health conditions may have an impact on immunity). While specific data on the duration of immunity from the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine is not available, CDC experts believe that immunity from vaccination (or infection) last season will have decreased by now in most people. It is not possible to say whether this reduced immunity would still be sufficient to prevent infection in 2011-2012 and therefore it is recommended that everyone 6 months of age and older get vaccinated this season, regardless of whether they were vaccinated last season.
SF CARD went to see the "Contagion" Movie & Find out how the CDC Controls REAL Global Disease Outbreaks
On a lighter note, I am delighted to report that the entire SF CARD staff went as a group to see "Contagion," the movie. . . We all walked out acutely aware when someone coughed, and my hand hesitated to touch the rail of the escalator as we left the theater. Enjoy the movie! Seriously though, find out what the CDC does during real global disease outbreaks. Disease outbreaks are natural plots for compelling entertainment. But life and death situations and heroic scientists battling against time and heavy odds to track the source of killer diseases and contain them before they wipe out entire communities are not just movie plots. They really happen. And the real stories of the CDC's detectives and their investigations are just as exciting as anything you will see in the theater. In just the last 10 years, CDC scientists and researchers have played a role in understanding and halting the spread of SARS, quickly creating a vaccine for the H1N1 virus, and tracing deadly foodborne outbreaks to their source. Follow the CDC link to learn what a CDC disease detective does every day, and how their hard work and dedication keep you, your family, your friends and your community safe. Also, see the Contagion movie trailer. |
|
Disaster Communication Technology - Is Free Working?
Part 2
By Siobhann Bellinger
| |
Last month, I reported that a new American Red Cross study on the use of social media during disasters demonstrated some interesting developments - not only are Americans increasingly relying on free tools like Twitter and Facebook to follow and respond to emergencies, but they are expecting their response agencies to do the same. But responders should consider: what are the risks to using these Internet heavies to push out official messaging? Are paid solutions better? Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to technology when serving the public?
I had the opportunity to toss these questions and more at Rachel De Sain, a veteran of mobile services development, who currently explores ways to improve health services via emerging technologies. A Kiwi by birth, she was living in Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria, when violent bush fires of 2009 ravaged the area. When I asked how local government used sites like Twitter to support their response, she scoffed. 'At that time, they saw it as a toy for nerds,' she opined. Two years later, she told me, the officials had read the electronic writing on the wall: after this year's flooding in the same region, the Emergency Management Agency for Victoria
commissioned a study after the event, to trap lessons from the emergency use of Social Media.
Some of the highlights from their video presentation include:
- The key user behavior was to spread messages
- Most comments were helpful and positive
- The old model was one-to-many broadcasting in emergencies. Social media allows for one-to-one broadcasting. Using both is important!
- The Government must get their messages where people are, and people are on social media sites
- Key Issue: filtering through volumes of content
Oz isn't the only land down under that's tweeting during disaster: the outpouring of tweets during and after the 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch, NZ was also quite dramatic (people tweeting while ducking and covering!). Rachel De Sain spoke to this fact as does blogger Kalena Jordan on her site Ask Kalena. She even collected a series of the first 3 tweets from several of the people she was following that day. Kalena's key observation was that real-time updates were dramatically increased by Twitter-user behavior compared to those she'd acquired by word of mouth, neighbors and TV reports following past earthquakes.
New media benefits seem clear: people tend to share positive and accurate information, more often than not.. But what are the social media pitfalls? In a word, information and too much of it! Kim Stephens, lead blogger at http://idisaster.wordpress.com/, provides an informed perspective on this matter. As her bio states, 'Her special focus is the application of social media to the practice of emergency management in the public sector.' She posted a piece on the use of Social Media in Haiti during the earthquake response. Like the study from Victoria, many in Haiti observed that social media left them swimming in a sea of data. As responders struggle to turn information streams into actionable steps, new roles in field response could be created - and probably already are!
If you get quite a bit for free, what do you get if you pay? There is no shortage of players in the Emergency notification space, to be certain. A paid solution for emergency notification may be an appropriate fit for a company working with highly-regulated patient health or financial information. Many paid solutions I uncovered counted schools, health facilities and other highly regulated operations amongst their clients. Yet others served branches of the US Military. One thing that seems to come at a premium (or at least a high enough price to not be advertised on a website) are tools that guarantee the reliability of a message's sender. This is hard to assure when looking online for information. Paying for expertise may be worthwhile, especially if your budget allows for it. If you're a government agency or subject to banking laws, you may not have a choice in the matter.
One thing that paid solutions advertise that seems undisputed in emergency communication circles is that the answer to communication is not 'which tool' but rather 'which approach.' There is no one-fits-all solution, not Twitter, not CNN, not your office PA system and not a complex platform that triggers emails to be sent to thousands. The best way forward is preparedness and the best way to prepare is to consider how many channels you can use to push your message and to be able to use as many of them as possible in a disaster.
|
Japan: How a Quake Changed a Culture By Brian E Whitlow | |
Seven months after the devastating earthquake in Japan researchers, sociologists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders alike are seeing changes in Japan's culture post earthquake. From the high number of people volunteering to an increase in religious activity, Japan's social landscape is changing, for the better some are saying.
In a wonderful article by Michael Fitzpatrick posted on one of my favorite news websites Global Post, Mr. Fitzpatrick highlights several areas where change is being seen.
An Excerpt from Global Post
What this translates to in everyday Japan is a more caring populace, Fujiwara says. Previously Japan was marked by a comparatively complacent middle class, which had little sense of solidarity and which gave less time to civil society and less money to charities than its Western counterparts.
Now, volunteerism is all the rage.
River Furuta, 34, turned to charity work immediately following the quake. She now works as a program manager at quake relief charity Hands on Tokyo.
"One has to visit Tohoku to truly understand the severity of the damage the tsunami has left behind," she said.
"What you can see there is enough to instill some kind of change in anyone. After two days of volunteering, I came back home wanting to go back again to help."
Furuta agrees that there has been a sea-change among her compatriots - younger folks previously labelled as ineffectual and self-centered by pundits here and abroad.
"I think the younger generation is conserving energy more actively and has learned the value of human networks - family, friends, colleagues, classmates, etc. What one cannot do alone can be done in a team. Also, the disaster has acted as a catalyst, challenging everyone's priorities and values."
After absorbing the shock of the devastation and experiencing a long bout of navel-gazing and stock-taking, some observers say consumerist Japan has also been knocked off its axis.
To read the full article, go to
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/japan/111004/japan-culture-tsunami-earthquake-marriage-religion-work
|
|
Upcoming Events, Trainings, & Services
|
Upcoming Events and Trainings Spotlighted:
Last of the Free SF CARD Quarterly Trainings for the year - October 19 & 21
Do you have new staff? . . . Send them for FREE disaster training!!
Make sure your staff is personally prepared for disaster. This helps to ensure they are available to help out at your organization in a disaster.
STAFF READINESS
The SF CARD Staff Readiness training course is designed to help the staff of nonprofit and faith-based organizations to individually prepare for a disaster. The class is presented using a workbook which enables students to complete several of the components of staff preparedness in the classroom setting. The SF CARD Preparing Staff for Emergencies Workbook covers the following:
1. Education on Emergencies - "What to do when a specific emergency happens?"
2.Getting your family prepared - Home and go-kits, mitigating your home & your surroundings, and identifying those things you love.
3.Pre-planning for emergencies - Family Communication Plan, Evacuation Plan: Getting out of the House, and Rally Spot: Reunifying with a loved one.
4.Exercises and Resources - How to use what you have, Whistle & Flashlight exercise, and resources for Information and Supplies.
Don't miss this interactive class!
INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS)
The SF CARD Incident Command System (ICS) training is designed to teach nonprofit and faith-based organization staff and volunteers how to use this nationally accepted and tested disaster response and management system. This course introduces the Incident Command System by describing the history, features, principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. The training also uses a tabletop exercise to reinforce the learning objectives in a scenario setting.
(This interactive class lasts for three hours.)
All these trainings will take place at SF CARD. The address is 1675 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 (in the Volunteer Center).
SCHEDULE OF TRAININGS 2011:
October 19th Staff Readiness training 10 - 12 noon
October 21st ICS training 1 - 4pm
To register: registerforclasses@sfcard.org or (415) 955-8946 x 253
Speakers Bureau Offer from SF CARD
Looking for outstanding, professional speakers who specialize in disaster preparedness, response and recovery? Need a dynamic, motivational speaker for your upcoming event, conference or trade show?
We have a great opportunity for you to learn more about SF CARD and what we do in the community. We are available for all groups including corporations, civic and neighborhood associations, organizations, clubs, schools and religious centers.
This is a complimentary service that allows us to share important information with the community, putting in practice our mission and core values. If you would like to set up an event with one of our speakers or need additional information, please contact Kristin Szafraniec at Kristin@sfcard.org or (415) 982-8999 ext. 223.
________________________________________________________________________
If you're interested in finding out about other ongoing events, trainings, & services visit the following agency specific websites: SF CARD: http://sfcard.org/wp/upcoming-events American Red Cross Bay Area:Training Schedule for Red Cross DSHR Volunteers - For more information, or to register visit http://www.redcrossbayarea.org. You may also call (510) 595-4444 or email at ARCBADSTraining@usa.redcross.org
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of San Francisco:
http://www.bomasf.org
SF Safe:
http://sfsafe.org/events/
San Francisco NERT:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/sfnert |
|
|
|
|
|
|
