High Alert Institute

Planning4Good

 

 

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Planning4Good Approach

Since the 9/11 attacks, the United States government has spent billions of dollars to develop, deploy, train and maintain a robust disaster readiness and business continuity system. Thousand of training opportunities and toolkits are available for use by anyone who needs to use these valuable business gems. But like any valuable gem, you have to know where to find them and how to integrate them appropriately. In addition to curating lists of the best FREE Disaster and Business Continuity training, resources, white papers and articles, The High Alert Institute is proud to present the method we use to integrate the free planning tools provided by the US government. We call this approach Planning4Good. As listed below, the method combines the resources of four government agencies in a continuous Risk Assessment, Planning, Training, and Evaluation process that takes less than 40 hours to complete each year. Below you will find not only the step-by-step method but links to all needed resources and exclusive access to our actual Risk Assessment and Disaster/Business Continuity plan as examples.

Planning4Good Step by Step

STEP 1 - REQUEST UNLIMITED TRAINING ACCESS
STEP 1 - REQUEST UNLIMITED TRAINING ACCESS

Individuals, Groups, and Businesses need to request unlimited access to the High Alert Institute training Library, Expert Resources, and Knowledgebase by completing an access request form.

STEP 2 - DOWNLOAD ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING TOOLS
STEP 2 - DOWNLOAD ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING TOOLS

Unlimited access members of the High Alert Institute should download the 

  • HHS/ASPR RISC Assessment Toolkit, 
  • DHS Business Continuity Planning Suite

STEP 3 – COMPLETE PREREQUISITE TRAINING
STEP 4 – COMPLETE HHS/APSR RISC TRAINING
STEP 4 – COMPLETE HHS/APSR RISC TRAINING
STEP 5 – COMPLETE HHS/ASPR RISC PARTS 1-4
STEP 5 – COMPLETE HHS/ASPR RISC PARTS 1-4

Although the HHS/ASPR RISC Toolkit was designed with healthcare facilities in mind, this locations based risk assessment tool provides users with an accurate relative risk for use and mitigation assessment for use in the DHS Business Continuity Suite software. Nonhealthcare facilities should select the “Federal Office” option for the facility description and answer any questions about “patients” using data about their customers or visitors. Animal welfare organizations, shelters, rescues, zoos and aquariums should answer questions about “patients” using data about animals in their onsite care.

STEP 6 – COMPLETE DHS BCPS VIDEO TRAINING
STEP 6 – COMPLETE DHS BCPS VIDEO TRAINING

STEP 7 – COMPLETE DHS/BCPS PARTS 1-6
STEP 7 – COMPLETE DHS/BCPS PARTS 1-6

Although the DHS Business Continuity Suite software is designed as a stand alone suite, the High Alert Institute has found the number one impediment for clients to develop a successful plan is identifying risk scenarios, assigning relative risk values to the scenarios identified, and determining the risk reduction for various mitigation strategies. The HHS/ASPR RISC Toolkit provides the data for these sections of the DHS Business Continuity Suite software. The Institute also recommends exporting the finished plan to a Word (.docx) document for grammar check, spelling check, and formatting before creating a PDF version or printing the plan to place in a binder. The Word document allows users to complete other required continuity plan forms from the Disaster/Business Continuity Plan.

STEP 8 –TEAM TRAINING FOR YOUR PLAN
STEP 8 –TEAM TRAINING FOR YOUR PLAN

Once your plan is complete it is time to train your team and orient them to the plan. Use the High Alert Institute Training library to meet your training needs

STEP 9 – COMPLETE DISASTER DRILL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
STEP 9 – COMPLETE DISASTER DRILL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

Exercises are a key component of preparedness and business continuity, providing the opportunity to shape planning, assess and validate capabilities, and address areas for improvement.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides a set of guiding principles for exercise and evaluation programs,
as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. FEMA provides a simplified video training series on YouTube for businesses to develop their own training and exercise programs. Click on the HSEEP logo to access the FEMA HSEEP Video Training.

STEP 10 – DEVELOP A DISASTER DRILL FOR YOUR PLAN
STEP 10 – DEVELOP A DISASTER DRILL FOR YOUR PLAN

Now that you are trained, plan the best type of disaster exercise for your facility and add your exercise plan to the Disaster/Business Continuity Plan binder.

STEP 11 – COMPLETE DISASTER EXERCISE AND REVIEW
STEP 11 – COMPLETE DISASTER EXERCISE AND REVIEW

Test your Disaster/Business Continuity Plan using your Disaster exercise and review the successes and challenges. Remember, no plan completely survives its first encounter with the exercise field.

STEP 12 – UPDATE YOUR PLAN AS NEEDED BASED ON THE YEARLY REVIEW
STEP 12 – UPDATE YOUR PLAN AS NEEDED BASED ON THE YEARLY REVIEW

Update your plan after every exercise, event and annual review.

PLANNING4GOOD FAQ

Q: Why are IS-100.c, IS-200.c, IS-700.b and IS-800.d mandatory training for disaster readiness and continuity plan education?

An understanding of the overall emergency management system, disaster response, and the agencies and planning documents that define local, state and national disaster response is essential for anyone performing a risk assessment, planning for disaster/business continuity, or involved in disaster exercises. The ICS training defined by Homeland Presidential Directives provide that basic information and training.
All federal, state, territorial, local, tribal, private sector, and non-governmental personnel at the entry-level, first-line supervisor level, middle management level, and command and general staff level of emergency management operations must complete ICS-100 level training.
All federal, state, territorial, local, tribal, private sector, and non-governmental personnel at the first line supervisor level, middle management level, and command and general staff level of emergency management operations must complete ICS-200 level training.
All federal, state, territorial, local, tribal, private sector, and non-governmental personnel at the first line supervisor level, middle management level, and command and general staff level of emergency management operations must complete NIMS (ICS-700) and NRF (ICS-800) level training.

Q: I am responsible for planning and executing our facility disaster exercise. Do I need to be HSEEP certified?

The Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Certification is designed for those training, exercise, and emergency management professionals responsible for designing, planning, conducting, evaluating, and reviewing disaster exercises for critical infrastructure industries, critical services industries, governments, interagency cooperatives, and communities. The training is comprehensive and invaluable, however, most businesses do not require an HSEEP-certified exercise professional to design an effective disaster exercise program. Most businesses benefit more from repeated exercises throughout the year that result in incremental improvement than a large-scale complex exercise. If your business wants to be part of a Disaster Exercise performed by HSEEP-certified professionals, contact your local office of emergency management and volunteer to participate in your community’s disaster exercises.

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Griffin Works offers Pawsitive Interactions with Service Dogs During Response Operations©, an audience-customized training that breaks down barriers by offering hands-on handling training and demonstrations with working service dogs for fire departments, EMS agencies, and public safety organizations.

Part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium and home to the National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center, TEEX has been leading homeland security training since 1998. The major TEEX programs include fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, and homeland security. As a member of The Texas A&M University System, TEEX is unique in its ability to access a broad range of emerging research and technical expertise. Beginning with course design and development all the way through hands-on instruction and national certification testing, TEEX delivers comprehensive training through both classroom and hands-on instruction and as online courses.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) was created by Congress in 2000 as part of the Children’s Health Act to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. This unique network of child-serving professionals, caregivers and young adults, researchers, and national partners is committed to changing the course of children’s lives by improving their care and moving scientific gains quickly into practice across the U.S. The NCTSN is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and coordinated by the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS). 

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The EMI provides national leadership in developing and delivering training to ensure that individuals and groups having key emergency management responsibilities possess the requisite skills to effectively perform their jobs.

The High Alert Institute maintains a list of reviewed courses provided by governments, universities and professional organizations. This list is geared towards the non-emergency management person who participates in disaster planning, preparedness, response, recovery or mitigation as part of their job responsibilities.

The High Alert Institute has partnered with Shutterstock to distribute stock images from the nature images donated by our supporters. For eligible stock images, Shutterstock will donate a portion of the royalty to the High Alert Institute. There is no cost to charitable organizations or to Shutterstock customers.

For eligible purchases through AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the High Alert Institute. There is no cost to charitable organizations or to AmazonSmile customers. All you need to do is push the SMILE NOW button and select to support THE HIGH ALERT INSTITUTE on AmazonSmile.

Koi need forever homes, too! For pond enthusiasts, freshwater exotic and ornamental fish may not be available through pet stores or rescues in their area. The High Alert Institute Aquatic Pet Shelter Rehoming Program will be happy to assist you in stocking your new pond or adding a new finned friend to your school. Coming soon – when you adopt a Koi from the High Alert Institute Aquatic Pet Shelter Rehoming Program, we can arrange for delivery to your door anywhere in the continental United States.

Have you always wanted a Koi pond but don’t have the space one? Sponsor a Koi in our community shelter pond and we send you photos of your sponsored animal. Coming soon are live Koi Cameras above and below the water to enjoy your sponsored Koi anytime.

Dumping of freshwater non-native species and exotic aquatic pets into wild habitats is a man-made disaster that is truly preventable. The Institute’s Aquatic Pet Welfare Partnership works to raise awareness and reduce the impact on healthy ecosystems through education, as well as rescue and rehoming. Joined by champions of animal welfare and environmental stewardship, this  association of aquatic pet rescue operations and aquatic pet shelters across the United States aims to save our finned friends and preserve our waterways together.

Want to share our cause with family, friends, and colleagues? Looking for a non-traditional way to celebrate a birthday or honor someone special? Support the Institute by starting your own Peer-to-Peer fundraising challenge! Let your contacts know why our mission is important to you and what they can do to support your cause. START YOUR OWN FUNDRAISER for the High Alert Institute.

From the staffing pool to the shelter ponds, from the boardroom to the classroom, and from reading the science to writing the analyses, High Alert Institute programs and services benefit from the experience, expertise, and generosity of our volunteers. Put your talents to use for good and to good use – VOLUNTEER TODAY.

Make your donation twice as nice by rehoming aquatic pets and providing a rehabilitation companion pet to a deserving person, family, or facility. Sponsor part or all of a Joy of Koi Program pond installation – complete with rehomed koi – and give the gifts of love and recovery.

Professional photographers, amateurs, and legal copywrite holders are all welcome to participate in the High Alert Institute Nature Photo Donation Program. Sales of the images benefit the Institute and donors are eligible for tax deductions equivalent to the fair market value of their photos. Landscapes, seascapes, animals, flowers – all may be accepted – whether new or vintage  images. People may be included in the photo but only if unidentifiable (i.e., blurred figures at a distance).

Did you know that unused patents and copyrights can be donated to charity? Intellectual Property (IP) just sitting on a shelf will lose value as it becomes obsolete. The High Alert Institute IP Donation Program seeks to rescue stranded, technology-related IP with the potential for development into marketable products. Once accepted by the program, the owner/inventor is eligible for a tax deduction equivalent to the fair market value of the IP. The Institute receives the patent licensing fees or revenue from the sale of the IP to businesses, helping us to fund our mission. In turn, businesses are able to advance their markets and create jobs for less money than starting a project from scratch.

Disasters are defined as situations in which needs exceed or overwhelm available resources. Some disasters affect an entire community, while other disasters impact individuals and families. Crises of physical or psychological health can be very personal disasters.
The therapeutic value of pets during illness, trauma, and recovery is well established. And Koi fish may be well suited for people who are not able to provide verbal pet commands or physically care for pets like dogs and cats. Koi ponds are also a source of beauty and peace, providing an ideal setting for quiet reflection or meditation.
We are working to partner with pond installers and aquatic pet rescues/shelters to offer free or reduced-cost ponds with rehomed Koi fish to people seeking this type of pet therapy.

Disasters disrupt life and impact our sense of personal, family, and community safety. Survivors and responders alike often are not aware of the emotional, psychological or spiritual challenges that they may face from disaster onset through recovery. With two decades of experience training responders and communities to prepare for the behavioral health aspects of disasters, we will continue to provide education and a curated list of resources to groups or individuals.

Non-medical factors that impact overall health are termed Social Determinants of Health or SDoH. Noise pollution, poor air quality, and poor water quality are three environmental factors known to have a strong link to overall health. And the same environmental factors that impact humans impact their pets and other animals in their care. We continue to assist in advocacy, education, and technology development to mitigate the impact of SDoH on humans and animals alike.

Our efforts in shelter and rescue are the main focus of our environmental stewardship, reducing the environmental impact of non-native aquatic animals being dumped into public waterways. The High Alert Institute also assists innovators with the design, development, and evaluation of green and renewable energy technologies. Reducing the carbon footprint associated with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery furthers our continued mission to mitigate risk and improve resilience.

We partner with public and private organizations, sharing resources and fostering partnerships to improve disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, and mitigation.

The High Alert Institute team has over a century of combined research experience in medical, nursing, behavioral health, and disaster sciences. Our team provides support to researchers and technology developers through comprehensive literature searches and reviews, as well as failure mode database searches and adjudicated reviews.

When disaster strikes, most aquatic pet owners have limited options to secure the safety of their pets. Sheltering in place may not be possible if there is no power to provide aeration and “pet-friendly” shelters do not include ponds or aquariums. Our goal is to provide an option for aquatic pet owners in need of rescue and shelter for their finned friends.

Our goal is to share our two decades of disaster readiness experience with animal welfare organizations, shelters, caretakers, and pet owners, as they implement contingency  plans for natural and manmade disasters.