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International ShakeOut Day is always the third Thursday of
October(this year: October 15). While COVID-19 has brought
many uncertainties and challenges,one thing's for sure:
ShakeOut still happened this year! Share your best Shakeout
photos with us on Facebook or Twitter @a IdahoOEM.
Greetings,
It's hard to believe this is the final 2020 IOEM newsletter. As I look at the last
quarter, it's incredible to see once again how busy we were — and how quickly
time passes.
But pass it does,and IOEM has continued to stay busy through the Fall. One
area of particular pride has been IOEM's efforts to evaluate the statewide
response to COVID. The first step,which has already taken place at the writing
of this letter,was to gather data through an online survey. We have compiled r
information from all State agencies, as well as local government officials,and
plan to utilize responses as we begin an After Action Report.
We know the importance of response evaluation. Having a clear picture of
the statewide response,and its strengths and pitfalls,allows us to craft a
better, more comprehensive response plan for the future. I wanted to share
my gratitude with everyone that has taken the time to help supply us with this
data. The work you have done as a first responder is vital,and taking the time
to reflect honestly on the statewide response is deeply appreciated.
We have also had the opportunity to engage in projects outside of COVID, This is the official newsletter of the Idaho
such as participating in the Great Idaho ShakeOut.We reached over 70,000 of
individuals through our digital outreach network,and were excited to have publication produced Boise,Idaho
is intended
many participants from across the state.The Shakeout provided an importantlegislators,for use the State of Idaho's emergency
management government
reminder that even as we continue our response to COVID,we cannot forget officials, others who are interested in
to bolster our preparedness in other fields as well. The fact that a pandemic learning about Idaho's '' ''
ment
around the Gem state.
is ongoing is not going to convince wildfires to settle down for the year. " ' ' ' '
ures
Earthquakes and severe winter weather are also not easily swayed.
Finally,the end of the year fast approaching, I am reminded of the gratitude I Brad Little,Idaho Governor
have for the entire IOEM team. This organization is blessed with hard working, Brad
dedicated individuals that work every day to ensure Idaho and its citizens are i Director,Idaho Office of Emergency
prepared for whatever disasters might befall our state. We could not do this
work without the partnerships that we have built with each of you.The working Janice Witherspoon,Editor
relationships that we have are the foundation for a prepared and resilient state.
1 thank you for all your effort in 2020,and I am excited to share 2021 with each
of you. D' o p o Design d
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Brad Richy
Director, IOEM
Prevention
Protection
mitigation
Response
8, EMI-
0 Recovery
FEMA REGION X YOUTH PREPAREDNESS CAMP HOSTED VIRTUALLY
JULY 27-29
8 Idaho students participated in the digital camp event in August
Eight Idaho teens had the opportunity to attend the annual FEMA Region X Virtual Youth Preparedness Camp this past July.
The students were selected from over 70 applicants throughout the State based on their interests in disaster preparedness
and community service. Originally scheduled to take place in Chugiak,Alaska,the organizers of the camp were able to create
a fun, interactive,and educational virtual experience for the participants. The teens interacted with subject matter experts
and peers from throughout Region X,and received instructions and hands-on training on fire suppression, light search and
rescue,and disaster medical operations. All of the Idaho students are actively working on projects to share the skills they
learned during camp with their friends,families,and fellow teens.
Do you know a student in eighth to eleventh grade who wants to get involved in preparedness? Encourage them to apply for
the Youth Preparedness Council (YPC)!The application for the 2020-2022 YPC will be available in January. Applicants will
be considered for the National YPC as well as for their Regional YPC, if applicable. Students who are interested in disaster
preparedness and making a difference in their communities are encouraged
to apply. Check back at Ready.gov/kids/youth-preparedness-council for
the application in mid-January. The application will stay open for several
months.
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3
IOEM'S PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERHSIPS PROGRAM COURTS
IDAHO BUSINESSES
It's been a dynamic year of growth and adaptation for IOEM's Public Private Partnerships Program (PPP). The program, which
is part of the national effort to foster community resiliency and engagement in the private sector, has the primary mission of
outreach and education. It was established to advance the "whole-community" approach FEMA has championed since the
breadth and pace of large-scale disasters began pushing the government's ability to effectively respond.
IOEM's PPP was in the middle of planning and executing outreach in the spring, in the form of a traveling training program
for Idaho business just as COVID-19 was taking off. As a result,the program had to quickly shift gears to coordinate private
sector awareness, response, and recovery activities. That effort was spread out across just about every aspect of our
Community Lifelines. To Communications, Health and Medical, Transport, Energy and Food,Water& Shelter, our great private
sector partners mobilized their resources to help. It even helped in the coordination of COVID-19 testing locations during
those early months.
Idaho's Grocers from small independent grocery stores to large corporate box stores were pulled together and into large
regional coordination calls with our emergency managers to work through things like shortages, transport, supply chain,
community-spread problems and food bank needs which ALL seriously threatened many of our communities.
The challenges ranged from big to small and everything in between. The key to overcoming them was timely coordination
between emergency managers and the private sector. In one memorable case,the tiny Idaho community of Atlanta had to
reach out to IOEM for help to get their bi-weekly list of vital supplies. The volunteer fire department, which actually did the
entire grocery shopping for the tiny town, was having trouble getting around the mandatory maximum limits imposed on
some commodities during those early days of the pandemic. Fred Meyer's crisis management team was informed of the
problem and then took over to ensure the town got everything it needed. That was just one example, but there were so many
more.
As the Pandemic grew,the PPP program revised IOEM's business pandemic planning guide to give our Idaho businesses the
tools they need to stay open and survive whatever the next phase of this pandemic throws at us. A link to that guide can be
found here:
htt s: ioem_idnho.gov-about administration-outreach ublic_ rivate-partnershi s
We expect the new year to be another of dynamic growth and opportunity for this program as we pull more and more Idaho
businesses into the fold. Let's all hope 2021 treats us better!
."r C
IOEM CONTINUES TO UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA TO DISTRIBUTE
IMPORTANT COVID-19 SAFETY INFORMATION
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and isolating for many people. Gatherings during the upcoming holidays can
be an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. Unfortunately,the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening, and small
household gatherings are a large contributor to the rise in COVID-19 cases. This holiday season, consider how your holiday
plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe.
Recognizing this conflict, the Idaho Office of Emergency
Management has been highlighting ways to bring people
together during the holiday season, while also paying a careful HAMILTON WRITE MARIE
mind to public health. For local organizational use,feel free
to email iwitherspoon@imd.idaho.gov. Alternatively, you can " Blessed is the
also find these images shared on IOEM's Twitter and Facebook,
along with full posts about Holiday safety tips. We wish you aseason which
safe and happy holiday season this year!
• • •
esthe
whole world in
19 a conspiracy of
love..
01
y Just because you are physically
'I seperate from some friends and
family,doesn't mean you have to
_ - be completely seperate.Use
technology to bridge the distance
02
Traditions don't have to come to an
end,they can change to
accomodate for this time and • • •
space.Protect your family,and find S
x•
ways to honor your traditions.
r
5
IDAHO STRONG CAMPAIGN FALL UPDATE
As the COVID Crisis Care line moves from an immediate support program, to a routine support
program, the Idaho Strong campaign has several updates to share
The Idaho Office of Emergency Management, partnering with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, BPA Behavioral
Health, and others began an immediate support program to help with the immediate needs building in Idaho communities
from COVID-19. The program was built in early summer 2020 to be a one stop shop for any resources an Idaho citizen would
need to make it through the COVID-19 global pandemic. The partners developed a website with an organized comprehensive
list of all the resources offered to citizens in Idaho. The list of resources continues to grow as the program grows and
discovers more about what Idaho has to offer their citizens. The program also provides a call line,text line, and website chat
feature to allow Idaho citizens the opportunity to have a representative help them find the right resources for their individual
situations. The program met with stakeholders, and other organizations to help get the line promoted in Idaho communities
and businesses.
Within the first few months of the call line being up,there were over 100,000 people reached in Idaho. As the call line
continues, more agencies are promoting the call line around Idaho, and more citizens interact with the social media platforms
promoting the call line.
The program is now looking to promote the resources offered to Idaho's Spanish speaking population. Community outreach is
also improving as Idaho Strong continues. Community colleges, universities, churches, and health facilities are learning about
the call line and beginning to promote it. As the program moves out of their immediate support and into their routine support,
we look forward to more of Idaho's affected populations reaching out. As we move forward,we hope to reach everyone in
Idaho affected by COVID-19. We hope to truly make Idaho strong.
Idaho Strong ...
COVID Help Now is live and ready to help!If
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you re facing hardships Caused by COVID-19,
give us a call and we can provide you with
inTUCinra: resources for a variety of situations including
food insecunty,housing,parenting,mental
health,and more
+IdahoSTRONG is here to provide you with
I 0 resources through the COVID-19 Help Now Lin,.
p Our reesentatives will be waiting to help you
S T R 0 rT G text(98)hardships caused by l Free 119 Call or
text r986)a6�-to73 or call Toll free 1a6619aT-
5186 to speak to a representative.COVID Help
Now Liners staffed from Sam to Spm Mountain
Time,7 days a week.Carers may also leave a
message during off nouns and receive a return
call the following day.Responders do not classify,
label,or diagnose people and no records are
kept
Mutt-lingual representatives are available.Also
visit—�oem diiho gov,'—dhelp—to
access resources electronically
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7
IOEM BOOSTS EFFORTS TO OPTIMIZE COMMUNICATIONS
INTEROPERABILITY
We live in turbulent and exciting times. Communications technology continues to grow in capacity, speed,capability,
and complexity. Existing systems like Land Mobile Radio (LMR) continue to be a workhorse for public safety
communications and emergency communications. Over the past several years, new digital broadband and cellular
technologies promise to further the reach, speed and connectivity of our networks. Our ability to communicate in not
only everyday situations, but when it really counts remains vital. Along with these opportunities comes a responsibility
to orchestrate interagency coordination and cooperation.
As part of this explosive change in the communications
ecosystem, IOEM hired a full time Statewide
Interoperability Coordinator(SWIC). The SWIC plays a
pivotal role in the state's emergency communications
interoperability initiatives. This includes the development k..
of state level strategic guidance captured in the r
Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SLIP), �*
advancement of the National Emergency Communications ?�
Plan (NECP), and advising Idaho's public safety
community on emerging technology supporting effective
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response across the region.
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The SWIC is heavily involved in working
-y with stakeholders thru the Idaho Public
y Safety Communications Commission
(IPSCC) and in each of Idaho's regional
District Interoperability Governance Boards
(DIGBs). This year alone promises to be a
milestone in developing an updated SCIP
as well as the first ever Idaho Tactical
Interoperability Communications Plan
(TICP) and accompanying Field Operations
,y Guide (FOG). These documents provide
the strategic framework to assist Idaho
in keeping pace with communications
technology, governance, and operational
methods both now and in the future.
9
AGE OF COUNTY EOP IN YEARS
0.00 7.50 15.00+
DID YOU KNOW?
It's recommended that EOPs be
updated every two years or after
a major event or disaster.
AVERAGE NUMBER OF
DISASTERS PER YEAR
0.06 2.35
e
REACH OUT TO IOEM PLANNING FOR
ANY HELP YOU NEED
Email dedmunds@imd.idaho.gov for
guidance on bringing your county's EOP
up to date.
10
HONORING EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE: VALERIE MILLS
Valerie Mills joined the IDEOC Reservist program three years ago. She has attended the training and exercises with
enthusiasm that transfers to all of those around her. Valerie deployed to the IDEOC early on for the activation for Coronavirus
pandemic in Idaho as a documentation specialist. Her focus and
organizational skills have allowed her to build a documentation system
for this incident that has had different requirements than any other we
have seen in the past.Valerie's knowledge of the incident from early on
and her hard work have led to her helping with the response to COVID
as well as now working with Recovery for their documentation needs.
She has proven to be a great asset to Idaho by volunteering to help
when the IDEOC needed more staffing.
Valerie exemplifies that true dedication to service,and we are grateful
that she has chosen to share her energy,kindness,and excellent work
ethic with us at IOEM.Thank you Valerie!
IOEM WELCOMES YOLANDI FAULKNER TO THE TEAM!
Yolandi Faulkner started with IOEM as a Cost Recovery contractor for the state's HazMat teams. In the last quarter,she has
become a permanent part of the IOEM team as the HazMat Regulatory Compliance Specialist. In addition to her supporting
role to the teams,she is also responsible for managing the state's annual Tier
II reporting program and is a vital member of the Idaho Emergency Operations
Logistics Section during activations.
Yolandi is pleased to have made Boise her permanent home and loves all the
splendor and outdoors that the Treasure Valley has to offer.
Yolandi is an avid baker, loves true crime and exploring biking trails with her
two boys.
11
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Know your area's risk for winter storms. Extreme winter weather can leave communities without utilities or other
services for long periods of time. Get prepared today and find more helpful tips at ioem.idaho.gov!