This episode, Workplace Preparedness, interviews Bob Boyd president and CEO of Agility Recovery, a company that develops disaster preparedness plans for the workplace and business continuity solutions. By the Nation’s Health reporter, Teddi Johnson.

Emergencies and disasters can strike in the blink of an eye and everybody has to be prepared. But older adults often have some special needs. To help seniors and caregivers plan their preparedness stategy, the Get Ready campaign recently interviewed Jim Judge, executive director for Lake Sumter EMS, Inc., in Mount Dora, Florida and a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and chair of the Disaster Health Subcommittee.

On Wednesday, April 6 - Barbara Levin (ISC Chair) and Lisa Carlson (Past ISC Chair) led a discussion on currentwith the current section and SPIG Chairs of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Below you will find the agenda of the conference call.

SECTION CHAIR CONFERENCE CALL

APRIL 6, 2011 — 3:00 PM (EDT)

1)        WELCOME AND OVERVIEW OF MEETING:   Barb Levin, ISC Chair

2)       REVIEW OF WORKPLAN PURPOSE AND FORMAT:  Fran Atkinson, APHA staff

      Barb Levin

3)      REVIEW OF SECTION REPORTS:   Group

4)       COMMUNICATIONS:  2011 CHAIR COHORTLIST SERVE – Lisa Carlson, Past ISC Chair

5)      CHANGING THE SATURDAY ISC SESSION:  Developing a Workshop Format

Need topics of interest from group

6)      COMPONENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

q       Membership

q       Student Involvement

q       Online Donation Tool

q       Awards Deadline

7)        NOMINATIONS TO ASSOCIATION WIDE COMMITTEES, AND TASK FORCES

8)        ANY OTHER BUSINESS

APHA’s Get Ready campaign interviews John Lindsay, Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies at Brandon University in Monitoba, Canada and a member of the American Red Cross’ Scientific Advisory Council on preparing for the cold weather.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign interviews Tina Pettingill, executive director of the Maine Public Health Association, on the launch of their new preparedness campaign called GetMEReady.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign interviews William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and co-chair of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and its Pneumococcal Disease Advisory Board on the importance of getting vaccines to prevent pneumococcal disease in all age groups.

APHA's Get Ready Campaign interviews Bobette Thompson, president of the National Association of Child Care Professionals on the importance of hand-washing for children and parents.

Teddi Johnson, The Nation's Health reporter interviews Molly McGlinchy, Food Resources Coordinater for the Capital Food Bank in Washington, DC.  The interview focuses on the importance of food donations in communities.

TCC Group & BWB Solutions facilitated a business plan development training at the 138th Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. This technical assistance session is a part of a series of trainings offered to provide Affiliates with the training and resources to develop their individual business plan. This session focused on "Understanding and Strengthening your Business Model, Fiscal Elements and Management and Operations."

Shelter in place:  What you need to know about staying put during an emergency

Q&A with Darryl J. Madden, Director of the Federal Emergency Ready Campaign

Tips on what to do when authorities tell you to stay at home, work, school or other locations during an emergency.

ISC Conference Call included discussion on:

• Leadership Development
• Section Report/Workplan
• Candidates' Forum
• Forum Re-Application
• Section Pavilion
• APHA Budget
• APHA Membership

Released: April 29, 2010 Running time: 12:56 Narrators: Jessica Murray, Component Affairs Assistant, American Public Health Association Description: Elaine Swartz, Executive Director of the Kansas Public Health Association discusses her association’s involvement in the Get Ready Campaign and explains the details of an upcoming collaboration to help broaden awareness of the importance of preparedness in Kansas. 

Senior Director of Emergency Services for the Humane Society of the United States, Scotlund Haisley, provides essential information about domesticated animal instincts and behaviors and the importance of preparing for pets during an emergency.  Mr. Haisley also discusses the resources available to pets during disasters.    

Get Ready Episode 11: Interview with Amanda Ripley about “The Unthinkable” Part 1

Interview with Amanda Ripley, conducted by Teddi Dinely Johnson, reporter, The Nation’s Health, APHA; narrated by Jessica Murray, component affairs assistant, APHA. Part 1 of this interview is also available as a podcast and a transcript.

Podcast Highlights: Amanda Ripley discusses the thought process that people encounter during a disaster.  Ripley talks about some counterproductive things that occur in human cognition during a disaster and she discusses the effectiveness of preparedness and its effect on human reaction during extreme situations.  Also, she discusses the surprising, yet common characteristics of human behavior that are more helpful than expected.  Get the details by listening to this podcast.

The discussion with Amanda Ripley continues to outline the unexpected response of the general public in comparison to the expectations of the public by emergency responders.  Human behavior when emergency responders are not present is also explored.  Ripley also goes into further detail about why innate survival tactics are helpful and how people are able to lessen chaos during an emergency, especially an unpredictable emergency.  Information about where to find the book “The Unthinkable” is also mentioned.  Find out where by listening to this podcast.

Lonnie King, DVM, director of the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides and overview of zoonotic diseases and discusses ways to prevent contamination.

“Across the Nation is an interview between the American Public Health Association and the Idaho Public Health Association about their involvement in the Get Ready Campaign.  The Executive Director, Mary Ann Reuter explains why they are a positive example for other organizations aspiring to become more involved with the Get Ready initiative.”