Overview

Be Ready Alliance Coordinating For Emergencies (BRACE) has undertaken a unique community partnership building initiative with the goal of enhancing disaster readiness and response capabilities of community and faith based organizations as well as businesses throughout Florida's northern Gulf Coast counties.

Between now and November 2012 the Community Partner Initiative will be working with county emergency management departments and numerous other agencies and organizations to strengthen relationships and disaster preparedness, response and recovery capabilities in the following counties:

Ranking Emergency Management Priorities

During the Community Partner Stakeholder Meetings held in January and February, participants had the opportunity to identify important Emergency Management Priorities for their community.

These priorities ranged from providing additional disaster preparedness and response training to individuals, families, neighborhoods and businesses to ensuring that the disaster needs of senior citizens and the disabled are addressed during and following future disasters.

Your help is now needed to rank the identified priorities and submit any additional priorities that were not identified during the meetings.

Please take a few minutes to access the list of counties found below to rank the listed Emergency Management Priorities.

Initiative Goals / Objectives

The primary goal of the initiative is to enhance each county's disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation capabilities by thoroughly engaging community and faith based organizations along with the business community as participants in a countywide Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) or Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) structure.

1. Community Partner Identification: Develop a comprehensive listing of community and faith based organizations along with business within each county that could assist in times of emergencies or disasters.
2. Resource Identification: While identifying community partners develop an inventory of any resources that could be accessed during emergencies or disasters.
3. COOP Exercise: Facilitate a series of continuity of operations exercises designed to help organizations and businesses strengthen their capability to survive a hurricane and remain operational to support the disaster caused needs of county residents.
4. Best Practices: Identify best practices that are currently being implemented by community partners.
5. Statewide Hurricane Exercise: Participate in Florida's annual statewide hurricane exercise as a member of each county's VOAD / COAD to measure the capabilities of community and faith-based organizations along with businesses working together to meet the needs of disaster survivors.
6. Training: Determine the training needs of each county then schedule and facilitate the identified training.

A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management

FEMA's "A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes and Pathways for Action" presents a foundation for increasing individual preparedness and engaging community partners in a collaborative effort to enhance the resiliency and security of our Nation through a Whole Community approach.

Hurricane Biz - A Workplace Tabletop Exercise

As part of the Community Partner Initiative the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) is providing an opportunity for workplace managers and business owners to participate in Hurricane Biz - A Workplace Tabletop Exercise at NO CHARGE.

“Hurricane Biz” is an online tabletop exercise designed to help owners and managers of businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies, along with their employees, to assess the capabilities and capacity of their disaster response plan in regards to a hurricane.

During the exercise, management and staff will have the opportunity to work together as a unified disaster response team. The team will work through the various activities associated with preparing for, then responding to and recovering from, a category two hurricane. Whether you have a disaster plan in place that you want to assess, or if you are looking for a compelling reason develop one, “Hurricane Biz” will provide you with both the tools and experience to help you reach your goal.

Register for the Hurricane Biz Exercise for your county by accessing the "Hurricane Biz Exercise Schedule".