This document summarizes an orientation for ALERT chairpersons on disaster preparedness and relief. It discusses the principles of preparedness, the role of chairpersons in analyzing risks, developing plans, and identifying partnerships. It also reviews Lions' commitment to relief efforts over the past year and results from a needs assessment survey. Resources described include the ALERT guide, checklists, and information on applying for LCIF emergency grants to support immediate disaster needs.
5. Disaster Preparedness Principles
• Disaster Preparedness and Relief is a continuous
cycle of taking corrective action in an effort to
ensuring effective coordination during incident
response by:
○Planning Plan
○Organizing
○Training Evaluate/ Organize/
Improve Equip
○Exercising
○Evaluating
Exercise Train
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6. Role of the ALERT Chairpersons
Lions are often the first ones on
the ground as soon as a disaster
hits a region
• Conduct an analysis of what
natural disasters are prone in
your region
•Work with your club to develop an ALERT Plan
•Organize disaster preparedness activities and
projects
•Identify key partnerships in your area
•Integrate Disaster Preparedness Principles
•Plan, Organize, Train, Exercise, and Evaluate
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7. Establish Local Partnerships
Ways you can develop local
partnerships:
• Identify key disaster relief
organizations in your region
• Contact them and introduce yourself
as a Disaster Preparedness and
Relief Chairperson for Lions Clubs
International
• Communicate potential
opportunities for collaboration and
discuss a potential partnership
• Collaborate with them on future
projects
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8. International Federation of Red Cross
• IFRC works in regions all around
the world providing disaster
preparedness and relief services
• Partner with your local IFRC
agency
• Blood Collection Partnerships
Lions in Khanpur Pakistan
conducted a Blood Drive in Sept
26th 2012 with the Red Cross
collected over 100 pints of Blood
Indonesian Lions partnered with the
Red Cross in July and collected a
total of 27 bags of Blood
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9. Lions Commitment to Preparedness and Relief
• During the 2011-12 fiscal year, reporting
clubs dedicated nearly 588 thousand
service hours to Disaster
Preparedness and Relief
• About 56% of those hours went to
Blood collection services
• Lions have engaged in a total of 16
thousand disaster preparedness and
relief activities
• Lions have served a total of 15,028,653
people in the current fiscal year under
Disaster Preparedness and Relief
services
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10. Needs Assessment Survey Findings
• NEEDS
Communication efforts between LCI and chairpersons should
be enhanced (86%)
Increased service activity visibility is needed (72%)
The ability to promote and increase visibility of clubs’ service to
the community was a need (75%)
Relevant activity planning resources for clubs (68%)
Means to share ideas and best practices with other
chairpersons (63%)
Quarterly Newsletters would be most effective (75%)
Intercommunication through Chairperson-to-Chairperson online
forums (57%)
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11. Resources for Disaster Preparedness & Relief
ALERT Chairpersons- appointed by district governors to
oversee Lions disaster preparedness and relief efforts,
develop emergency preparedness plans, and
communicate with local disaster management authorities.
• ALERT Planning materials (available on the LCI Web
site):
Lions ALERT guide
Checklist – How to Develop a Lions ALERT Plan
Checklist – Personal Safety
Checklist – After a Disaster Occurs
View some Sample Plans in Action
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12. ALERT Guide
• Helps you identify the different levels of
emergency
• Teaches you how to organize a Lions ALERT
Committee
• Shows you how to develop an Emergency
response plan
• Introduces you to the four phases of emergency
management
• Provides you with basic planning guidelines
• Gives you tools on how to communicate
effectively during a crisis
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13. LCIF Emergency Grant
• Since 1985, the Foundation has been
able to award more than US$36.7
million in disaster relief funds through
this grant
• Each year LCIF awards between
US$1.2 and US$1.4 million in
Emergency grants, mostly for flooding.
• Lions district governors may apply for
funds to help meet immediate needs
such as:
Food
Water
Clothing
Medical supplies
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14. Thank you for your participation
Visit our website for more resources &
contact me at:
vanessa.avila@lionsclubs.org
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Notas do Editor
Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for the ALERT Chairperson Orientation webcast.My name is Vanessa Avila and I work in the Program Development Department here at LCI Headquarters. I am joined by my manager Kate Barcal who some of you may know. Thank you for participating in today’s webcast, we are here today because we want to hear from you on how we can support you further in your role as ALERT Chairpersons.
I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to all of you on your new appointment as ALERT Chairpersons. For those who have served as ALERT Chairpersons in the past, I am looking forward to working with you on sharing best practices with your fellow ALERT chairs. ALERT Chairpersons have an important role in the entire disaster preparedness and relief operation. They serve as leaders and guides for preparation practices and implementation for disaster preparedness and relief.This year we aim to strengthen our communication with all chairpersons and have sent out a survey to develop more resources. The survey was sent to you via email and it will be used to assess your needs as Disaster Preparedness and Relief chairs. Information collected through the survey will be used to enhance existing activity planning resources and enable LCI staff to provide you with the support you need to guide clubs in planning and implementing their service activities. We are pleased to work with you to help you better serve Lions and in your community.
To give you a general outline of today’s presentation, we will begin a brief overview of the following:Disaster Preparedness and ReliefPrinciplesRole of ChairpersonsDisaster Relief ChallengesPartnershipsInsightsReported Disaster Relief Service ActivitiesNeeds Assessment Survey ResultsResourcesALERT GuideLCIF Emergency GrantQuestionsWe will also take a few moments to answer your questions at the end of the presentation. We will be polling you throughout the presentation so please participate in our polls.This webcasts is an important opportunity for us to hear from you so I hope that you will share your thoughts with us and ask any questions you may have. Your feedback is very important to us as we rely on this information to make further enhancements in the development of resources.
As many of you may know, disaster relief varies from region to region. The preparedness practices for a tornado are different from the preparedness practices for an earthquake. The prevalence of natural disasters can depend on where you are geographically speaking. Different natural disasters affect different areas of the globe in different capacities. This map illustrates the prevalence of earthquakes, volcanoes, tropical storms, and cyclones. As you can see even within the same country you can experience different natural disasters. Let’s take a look at the U.S. On this map you can see that the eastern portion of the US is prone to Tropical storms and cyclones whereas the western portion is more prone to earth quakes. This means that a Disaster Preparedness and Relief chair from a district in New York may have different preparedness practices when compared to a chairperson from Los Angeles or even Florida.As ALERT chairpersons it is important that you identify the potential for natural disasters in your area.
Although there are different natural disasters in different geographic locations, the principles of disaster preparedness remain universal.Whether you are preparing for a potential tsunami or happen to live near a volcano we have established some general rules of preparedness:Planning for a potential disaster is key! Having an ALERT plan in place will help you strategize your emergency relief practices. It is also important to share this plan with your district to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regards to the plan.Organizing and equipping your club with the tools needed to prepare for a potential disaster is also very important. Once you have established your ALERT plan it is necessary to have the tools needed to execute the plan. This can include preparing a kit which includes valuable disaster relief materials like a flash light, batteries, bottled water, rope, etc. Training your club members on how to respond once a disaster hits will solidify the planning and create for better preparation. Once a club is trained on how to respond to a natural disaster they will feel confident in becoming leaders in their communities.Exercising your proposed plan of action is important after planning, organizing, and training. Practicing the plan in place will help members gain familiarity with the plan in place.Evaluating its efficiency and looking for areas of improvement will help strengthen your plan. You can review your ALERT plan with others and assess ways to improve it.These are general guidelines that we use for disaster preparedness.
Lions are often the first ones on the ground as soon as a disaster hits a regionConduct an analysis of what natural disasters are prone in your regionWork with your club to develop an ALERT PlanOrganize disaster preparedness activities and projectsIdentify key partnerships in your areaIntegrate Disaster Preparedness PrinciplesPlan, Organize, Train, Exercise, and Evaluate
Ways you can develop local partnerships:Identify key disaster relief organizations in your regionEx. FEMA, UN agencies, local first respondersContact them and introduce yourself as a Disaster Preparedness and Relief Chairperson for Lions Clubs InternationalCommunicate potential opportunities for collaboration and discuss a potential partnershipInvite them to an ALERT eventTalk about disaster preparedness projects your club is doingCollaborate with them on future projects
LCI has a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide Lions with additional resources. Our partnership with the Red Cross provides a framework for collaboration between Lions clubs and Red Cross offices world-wide. We encourage you to work with Lions in your area to explore local partnerships with the Red Cross or the Red Crescent to further enhance their efforts in assisting communities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergencies.
Lions are committed to disaster preparedness and relief.During the current fiscal year, reporting clubs dedicated nearly 588 thousand service hours to Disaster Preparedness and ReliefAbout 56% of those hours went to Blood collection servicesLions have engaged in a total of 16 thousand disaster preparedness and relief activitiesLions have served a total of 15,028,653 people in the current fiscal year under Disaster Preparedness and Relief services
The results shared here reflect the findings of the ALERT needs assessment survey. There were a total of 59 survey respondents for ALERT surveys in all languages. 86% Agreed that communication efforts between LCI and chairpersons should be enhanced72% Agreed thatincreased service activity visibility is neededNEEDS?75% noted that the ability to promote and increase visibility of clubs’ service to the community was a need68%need relevant activity planning resources for clubs63%need a means to share ideas and best practices with other chairpersonsWhich of the following communication outlets do you feel would be the most effective in the dissemination of information? 75% of respondents noted that Quarterly Newsletters would be most effective57% want intercommunication through Chairperson-to-Chairperson online forums
The following resources will serve to assist you in your planning process. ALERT Chairpersons- appointed by district governors to oversee Lions disaster preparedness and relief efforts, develop emergency preparedness plans, and communicate with local disaster management authorities.ALERT Planning materials (available on the LCI Web site):Lions ALERT guideChecklist – How to Develop a Lions ALERT PlanChecklist – Personal SafetyChecklist – After a Disaster OccursView some Sample Plans in Action
The ALERT guide will inform you on:Help you identify the different levels of emergencyTeach you how to organize a Lions ALERT CommitteeShow you how to develop an Emergency response planIntroduce you to the four phases of emergency managementProvide you with basic planning guidelinesGive you tools on how to communicate effectively during a crisis
Since 1985, the Foundation has been able to award more than Emergency grants is closer to US$36.7 million. Each year LCIF awards between US$1.2 and US$1.4 million in Emergency grants, mostly for flooding.•You should familiarize yourself with the LCIF Emergency grant criteria in advance. LCIF recommends that you contact them in advance to get ideas on what types of relief activities can be implemented using the Emergency grant funds. Especially those Chairpersons that live in areas where disasters are frequent. •Emergency grants may not be requested for man-made calamities, famine, drought, infestations, disease outbreaks, political strife, war or refugee situations. Only immediate needs following a natural disaster. •The District Governor must make the request to LCIF for Emergency grants within 30 days of the disaster's occurrence. After 30 days, requests are no longer valid as the immediate need phase has passed. We highly recommend that you have an ALERT Plan in place before applying for the grant. Please visit the foundations website to learn more.