Responder Preparedness: Issues, Policies and Preparations A broad look at responder preparedness from the perspectives of 911, the American Red Cross, CERT and the USPHS Medical Reserve Corps. Physical and mental health and safety are covered as are supplies and equipment.  A pre-recorded, no cost, program is available now.    RATINGS: [EC] [SP] [CS] [CM] [EM] [MD]  Program Description Emergency responders are our first line of defense. Emergency responders - from first responders to those who support them, such as 911, the Red Cross, US Public Health Service, CERT and others - must personally plan to protect themselves, and their loved ones, while they are protecting the rest of us. This LEAPS.TV series, Responder Preparedness, moderated by Judith Weshinskey-Price, manager of Amarillo Emergency Communications, will cover topics of particular interest to first responders and the managers and policy makers who must assure responder safety in an emergency. This program, Issues, Policies and Preparations includes representatives of four organizations who routinely prepare their responders to enter and survive emergency situations: US Public Health Service, FEMA's Citizen Emergency Response Teams, American Red Cross, and 911. Each of Judith's guests will state what they feel are the top three issues of responder preparedness, their related policies and then present and describe the mandatory and recommended equipment for their responders prior to being placed into an emergency. Both physical and psychological well-being of responders will be addressed. This recording of a live, online program is the ideal opportunity to learn from the best. Forty minutes of the one hour program are set aside for presenters to share their information with the audience and the final 20 minutes of the program was open for Q&A and interactive discussion. [Recommend this LEAPS.TV program to a colleague.] Guest Bios Captain Robert J. Tosatto, Director, Medical Reserve Corps US Public Health Service Captain Rob Tosatto is the Director of the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps and the principal advisor to the Surgeon General and the Assistant Secretary of Health on issues of civilian volunteers and their participation in public health initiatives and preparedness/response activities. He is responsible for overseeing the establishment, implementation, and coordination of MRC units in communities nationwide. Launched in 2002 as a way for medical, public health, and other volunteers to improve the health and safety of their communities, the MRC concept is now accepted across the nation, and MRC units have organized more than 170,000 members. Captain Tosatto has been a U.S. Public Health Service officer since 1988. He has previously completed tours of duty with the Office of Global Health Affairs, the DC Commission on Mental Health Services, and the Indian Health Service, including assignments with the Navajo, Shoshone-Bannock, and Lakota tribes. He is a recognized leader in the realm of emergency preparedness and response. He has been deployed on numerous occasions, including response missions following the anthrax mailings in 2001 and several national special security events, as well as the "Operation Provide Refuge" health clinic for Kosovar refugees. Captain Tosatto is the recipient of USPHS Meritorious Service Medal and the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and master's degrees in public health and business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Candace Burrell, Community Preparedness Program Manager FEMA Region IV / CERT Candace Burrell is the Community Preparedness Program Manager for the Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV, in Atlanta, Georgia. She manages the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and she has been involved in Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III programs since 2003. In addition, Ms. Burrell has evaluated and participated in numerous Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness (CSEPP) and Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) exercises. As Emergency Services Branch Director for the Regional Response Coordination Center Ms. Burrell has responded to multiple disasters, including every hurricane since Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Prior to her employment with FEMA, she served in the United States Army as a chemical operations specialist from 1990 to 2002. Ms. Burrell is currently pursuing a degree in chemical engineering and has completed FEMA's professional development series and various courses in emergency management. She is a Georgia Certified Emergency Manager and a certified Level III HAZMAT technician. Gary Niki, Senior Associate, Safety & Security, WMD/Terrorism Program American Red Cross National Headquarters Disaster Services Gary Nobuo Niki is a Senior Associate, Safety and Security, Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism Program and has served as the American Red Cross National Headquarters Disaster Services Safety & Security Function Lead starting with 60 SAS Team members and five managers. He currently serves as the Life Safety & Asset Protection Activity Lead in the Disaster Operations Center in Washington, DC where he leads a team of over 1,550 Life Safety & Asset Protection members and 23 managers from across the United States and the Territories who respond to National Disaster Relief Operations. He has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters Interagency Safety and Health Committee, Liaison DHS/FEMA Headquarters Security Office, Liaison DHS/FEMA Headquarters Safety Office of the Chief Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) and Federal Interagency Working Group on Emergency Preparedness. Mr. Niki is a National Disaster Instructor-Trainer, National Instructor Training Conference Faculty member, National Human Resources Instructor, Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism & Mass Casualty Instructor-Trainer, National Headquarters Critical Response Team Trainer-Instructor-member, FEMA Instructor-Trainer and has completed the Federal Emergency Management Agency Professional Development Series and attended and instructed additional training from FEMA in Virginia and Arizona and completed the National Fire Protection Association 1035 Level I training and testing. He has been awarded State Certification by the Arizona State Fire Marshal as a Certified Fire and Life Safety Educator. He is also know as "The Samurai Poet" and his poem "I'm Always Here" was published in 2006 and has been embraced multiple times to offer comfort and hope at funerals and memorial services. Debbie Vance, Director Gordon County (GA) E9-1-1 Debbie Vance serves as the Director for Gordon County (GA) E9-1-1. Director Vance has worked in public safety communications for twelve years, working her way up from front-line Communications Officer to Training Officer to Deputy Director before moving to her current position. Debbie is certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council as a General Instructor, is active in both Georgia Association of Public safety Communications Officials, International (APCO) and Georgia Terminal Agency Coordinators (TAC) and serves on the board of directors of both organizations. She is also currently serving as Secretary for the Georgia 9-1-1 Directors Association. Debbie co-authored Best Practices for Communications and has taught the class throughout the state. Debbie holds many certifications such as Domestic Violence Intervention, Communications Training Officer, Homeland Security for Telecommunicators, Hostage Negotiations, Leadership Development, Crisis Negotiations, Terrorism Preparedness, Suicide Intervention, Professional Survival, Gang Awareness, Ethics & Professionalism and ICS 100-200-700-800-300 to name a few. Currently Debbie and her staff are working on emergency planning procedures for the staff so that when disaster strikes the staff will be cared for and able to perform their duties to care for the citizens and visitors to Gordon County. Moderator Bio Judith Weshinskey-Price, Manager Amarillo Emergency Communications Judith Weshinskey-Price is Emergency Communication Center Manager with the City of Amarillo. Her initial duties include the consolidation of three separate Public Safety Access Points (PSAPs/dispatch centers) into the new Amarillo Emergency Communication Center. Prior to coming to the City of Amarillo Ms. Weshinskey-Price spent five years as a shift supervisor with Brown County Public Safety Communications in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a consolidated center that acted as the PSAP for the county and dispatched almost all of the area response agencies including police, fire, and EMS. Ms. Price also spent several years as a dispatcher and supervisor with the Victoria (TX) Police Department. She is active in the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) having served on the Member and Chapter Services Committees and participated as a subject matter expert with the Member Assistance Advisory Program. Ms. Weshinskey-Price holds a bachelor's degree in Emergency Management from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and has earned her Registered Public-Safety Leader certification through APCO. She has been active in almost all aspects of emergency communications including training, quality assurance, policy development, instructing, dispatching, and call taking. Advisors   > Rick Cox, Program Advisor         CERT Member, Trainer, Author, Training Institute for Public Safety (911 TIPS)   > Brian E. Leary, Program Advisor         EMS Officer, Sandwich Fire Dept.   > Brad Smith, NREMT-P, Program Advisor         EMD Manager , AMR Eastern New England Sponsored by This program is being made available at no charge to the law enforcement and public safety community thanks to the generous support of The Law Enforcement And Public Safety Channel.