We must prepare for the possibility of incidents that may occur either at work or home. The employees and contractors responsible for executing the NOAA mission are also responsible for families and loved ones and must prepare for emergencies that may affect our lives outside of the workplace. The Web sites listed below are being provided to you as a source of information to help you prepare for emergencies that extend beyond the scope of the Occupant Emergency Plans of our offices and laboratories to our homes.

While these sites are just a small example of available emergency planning resources, they can provide valuable content contributing to the development of your personal contingency plans. Please direct questions to David Meiselman, NOAA Finance and Administration, Office of Environmental Compliance, Health, Safety, and Security at (301)713-2870 x110.

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling a supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, as you will see throughout the pages of READY.GOV, there are important differences among potential terrorist threats that will affect the decisions you make and the actions you take. The emergency planners in your area can advise you about local evacuation routes.

• Office of Personnel Management: This site provides a ready access to OPM
  information and guidance. Includes: OPM guides published for Federal Employees and for Federal Managers; Managers Handbook on Handling Traumatic Events; Anthrax and Other Bioterrorism Issues, and more (Please note that since traffic on this site is extremely heavy it may not open immediately).

• Federal Emergency Management Administration
  
  • Are You Ready?: A Guide to Citizen Preparedness brings together facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster-specific information, and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters.
    
• Disaster Services - Your Family Disaster Plan: Families can — and do — cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. This site provides clear steps to create a disaster plan for your family.
  
• Disaster Preparedness For People With Disabilities: Being prepared for emergencies can reduce the fear, panic and inconvenience that surrounds a disaster.
  
• FEMA for Kids: Herman the Spokescrab for this FEMA website teaches children how to be prepared for disasters and how to mitigate disaster damage. The site covers causes of disasters, games and stories; guidance on how to become a Disaster Action Kid; and a story about Herman’s search for a disaster-proof shell.
  
• FEMA's Emergency Management Institute Independent Study Program: The program consists of self-paced courses designed for both the general public and people who have emergency management responsibilities. They are offered free-of-charge to all who qualify for enrollment.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  
  • CDC Information Networks and Other Information Sources: Look under "State and Local Health Departments" to find links to your state and local health departments.
  • CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
  
  

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Date Last Updated: March 19, 2003 5:33 PM