Archive for the ‘RJW News/Updates’ Category
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

The RJWestmore Training System Version 3.0
RJWestmore Training System Version 3.0
RJWestmore Inc. is proud to announce the release of Version 3.0 of our comprehensive e-based safety training program. The new system boasts features that property managers and building owners, employers and occupants have come to depend on for building specific safety training, such as the integration and automation that brings together facility managers, fire safety directors and local fire departments. The system upgrade showcases our continued commitment to offer the most user-friendly and complete training system on the market. Here is a snapshot of some of the new functionality that RJWestmore trainees will enjoy with Version 3.0:
New “Basics for individuals who need Special Assistance”
Basic Special Assistance Guidelines are now automatically sent when individual users add themselves to the RJWestmore Special Assistance List. Users will find copies of this in “Your Resources,” under the “Forms, Lists and Guidelines bullet point.

Version 3.0 offers lots of great features.
New “Management Report”
All user-training base information (relative to the past and current year) is contained in one easy-to-use Excel report.
New “Occupants” Page
The “Occupants” Tab in all users’ database management system now displays:
- Floor and suite information for every person
- Color-coded “Previous” and “Current Year” certification dates
- Past due training alert icon (over12 months)
New “System Notifications” Page
- How users choose how to view messages
- New Messages
- Read Messages
- Archived Messages—users can choose which messages to archive

New Social Media Links
- This enables users to share news of their life-saving training with friends.

- If you own or manage a building, or know someone who does, do them a favor. Let them know about the RJWestmore Training System. Choosing our service cuts property management training related workloads by 90% and saves users over 50% compared to conventional training! More importantly, IT SAVES LIVES! BE SAFE.
When a disaster of any kind strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJWestmore, Inc. Our new Version 3.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. What’s more, the NEW RJWestmore Property Messaging System is included FREE for all RJWestmore Online Training System users. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.
Tags: BE SAFE, RJWestmore Training System Upgrades
Posted in Disaster Communications, disaster preparedness, Emergency Alert System, evacuation plan, online safety training, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 3.0 | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
Created in 1996, the AMBER Alert System is a legacy to Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas. While she was yet missing, local residents called radio stations in the Dallas area to offer their help. The active citizen involvement, though tragically unsuccessful in Amber’s case, led to the creation of broadcast alerts to help thwart child abductions across the nation.
Today, AMBER Alert is a partnership program involving law enforcement agencies, broadcasters and departments of transportation. Statistics show that most children who are kidnapped and later found murdered die within the first three hours of being taken. During an AMBER Alert, urgent news bulletins are broadcast over airwaves and posted to highway alert signs to enlist the aid of the public to find missing children and stop perpetrators in the all-important hours immediately following child abductions.
The AMBER Alert system is based on the same concept used to alert the public to a severe weather emergencies. During alerts, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly called the Emergency Broadcast System, airs a description of the abducted child as well as his or her suspected abductor. The purpose is to instantly galvanize the entire community to search for and safely return abducted children. Studies show that when ordinary citizens become the eyes and ears of law enforcement, lives can be saved.
RJWestmore users can access the amber alert national map from their RJWestmore homepage:
- Under “Your Resources” click “More Emergency Info.”
- Open the “More Emergency Info” PDF and scroll down to the “Satellite Imagery” section.
- Click on “Global Incident Map” and select “Amber Alerts.”


So how can average citizens help?
- Be on the lookout for abducted children and suspects.
- If you spot a child, adult, or vehicle fitting an AMBER Alert description, call 911 immediately and provide authorities with as much information as possible.
- Each state or regional program has its own mechanism for relaying AMBER Alerts to the public. Check with the AMBER Alert coordinator in your local community to find out more about their procedures.
- For more information about the national AMBER Alert plan and to find the name of your state AMBER Alert coordinator, visit the Department of Justice website.
- Work with your local law enforcement agency to host a safety seminar at your school, church, community center, civic organization or neighborhood group.
- Pay close attention to missing-children flyers and notices.
- Keep current information and photos of your own children. Better safe than sorry.
- Report emergency situations or provide information about missing or exploited children, call 911 to notify local police, or call 800–THE–LOST (800–843–5678)
- Report information about child pornography, child molestation, child prostitution, or the online enticement of children, log on to the CyberTipLine.
- Find out more information about missing and exploited children by visiting the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
When a disaster of any kind strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJWestmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. What’s more, the NEW RJWestmore Property Messaging System is included FREE for all RJWestmore Online Training System users. Visit www.RJWestmore.com for more information.
Tags: AMBER Alerts, Cyber TipLine, Emergency Alert System, National Center for Missing & Exploited Chidlren
Posted in disaster preparedness, Public Safety, RJW News/Updates | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 12th, 2011

We are pleased to announce our new Fan Page on Facebook! The RJWestmore Training System Fan Page is intended as a meeting place for emergency management professionals to “virtually gather” to share information. Our goal is to facilitate engaging discussions about disaster preparedness, fire life safety and building management among Facebook users around the world.
We remain committed to continually advance our social media presence as a service to the community—to help business leaders, property owners and managers, first-responders, healthcare professionals and everyday folks prepare for and recover from disasters of all kinds. Serving commercial real estate companies for more than 20 years, we at RJWestmore Inc. offer a state-of-the-art Training System, which was recently upgraded to Version 2.5, to building managers and property owners throughout the country.

Our fully-integrated system allows property management companies to administer one site or an entire portfolio, with all users in the same system. Property Managers can train occupants, floor wardens, and fire safety directors, with all user-training and testing recorded. Subscribers also enjoy quick-access to building-specific Emergency Responder information and other resources. What’s more, the RJW Training System Our system automatically routes certifications and sends compliance reports to every tenant-subscriber.
Our fully-automated system features personalized certificates, which are instantly sent to users via email upon course completion. And annual reminders for each training-module are also automatically sent to each user along with quarterly employee-compliance reports, which are sent to every tenant.
An added benefit, the RJW Training System sends out automatic notifications to local fire departments. And higher-level users can automatically create real time Special Assistance and Floor Warden lists and get automatic notification of updates to Special Assistance, Floor Warden and Fire Safety Director lists. Automatic updates and maintenance make the system even easier to use.
Fans of our Facebook page will receive updates about our training system, further enhancing our innovative service. We also want to encourage clients to talk to each other, to share tips about best practices for emergency and disaster preparedness and recovery.
Highlights of our new Fan Page:
- Use it as a social media gateway to our corporate blog, RJ the Firedog blog, Twitter feed, and YouTube content.
- Take advantage of information available through daily posts which will detail the latest news and best practices in emergency management—covering a myriad of topics such as earthquake preparedness, indoor air quality, government agency news, fire safety, evacuation procedures, disease prevention and CDC warnings, cyber threats and many other related topics.
- Learn about industry events such as conferences for emergency management and first- responder professionals as well as security training summits.
- View engaging photos and videos relative to emergency management communications and training.
Like our Fan Page today to become a part of the best emergency preparedness group on the web. As our fan base grows, we hope the page will emerge as a central hub for networking and information-sharing for dedicated emergency management and building management professionals, property owners, building managers and safety personnel across the country.
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
Tags: BE SAFE, fire safety director information, floor warden information, New RJWestmore Facebook Fanpage
Posted in disaster preparedness, Health & Welfare, in the news, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.5 | No Comments »
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

The RJW Training System is extremely easy to navigate. Sign up today!
Tags: BE SAFE, ease of use of RJW Training System, easy online navigation, RJWestmore Online Fire Life Training System, Version 2.5
Posted in disaster preparedness, Fire Safety, online safety training, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.5 | No Comments »
Monday, October 10th, 2011

October is Fire Safety Month
October 9-15 is the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) official “Fire Prevention Week,” which is an annual event that promotes fire safety for families and businesses.
Fire Prevention Week was created to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. During the 40th anniversary of that tragic event, the Fire Marshals Association of North America began the first National Fire Prevention Day. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first official National Fire Prevention Week and called up a massive change in fire prevention planning.
According to the NFPA, a home structure fire was reported every 87 seconds in 2009, and nearly seven people died each day in those blazes. The economic toll from residential and business fire is vast, with $7.6 billion in losses recorded in 2009. However, through educational efforts such as National Fire Prevention Week, the occurrence of fires has dropped drastically over the years, from more than 700,000 house fires in 1977 to 370,000 in 2010.
Every year the NFPA selects a theme for National Fire Prevention Week. The theme for 2011 is “Protect your family from fire,” and focuses on coordinated efforts for family members and teachers. Here are a few of the themes from past years:
- The Nation’s Greatest Menace! Do Your Part to Stop This Waste!” (1929)
- “Learn Not To Burn – Wherever You Are” (1982)
- “Use Candles with Care” (2005)
Fire Prevention Week activities at schools and other organizations focus on preparedness in several key areas:
- Establishment and practicing sensible escape routes with designated alternates
- Inspection and care of home smoke detectors
- Information about home sprinkler systems and their ability to stop fires within minutes
- Dangers associated with fires from heating appliances, fireplaces, and stoves
- Special emphasis on smokers and the acute risk of fire from un-extinguished cigarettes
- Candle care and safety
For businesses, fire safety should be a 52-week focus, not just one that is observed during Fire Prevention Week. Business and facility management can take many steps to reduce the risk of fire:
- Create a sound fire plan that includes evacuation routes, designated fire wardens and procedures to account for every employee and visitor during a fire emergency.
- Install and inspect to make sure the right classes of fire extinguishers are located in code-required locations.
- Implement clear rules on the use of space heaters and other portable devices that can pose safety hazards.
- Encourage employees to report dangerous situations. Give them the opportunity to reach your building manager confidentiality if they need to report a sensitive issue.
Fire Safety Week is an ideal chance for individuals and businesses to reflect on what they can do to keep people and property protected from fire. Practicing common sense and building a knowledge base about fire are the best ways for people to avoid tragedy.
Covering more than 300 million square feet of commercial property, the RJWestmore Fire Life Safety Training System ensures compliance with related fire codes. It is an interactive e-learning system that provides tenants, building owners, and facility managers with instant feedback. Convenient and affordable for businesses of any size, the RJWestmore Fire Life Safety Training System can reduce training workloads by 90 percent while saving more than 50 percent when compared to conventional training methods. Proper training and code compliance can greatly reduce your liability in the event of a disaster.
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJWestmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
Tags: candle care & safety, commercial properties, economic foll of fire, escape routes, fire emergencies, fire extinguishers, fire prevention week, Great Chicago Fire, home smoke detectors, home structure fires, learn not to burn wherever you are, national fire prevention association, nfpa, President Calvin Coolidge's role in fire prevention month, the nation's greatest menace, use candles with care
Posted in disaster preparedness, evacuation plan, fire, Fire Safety, Health & Welfare, in the news, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.5 | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

The RJWestmore Training System has been upgraded to Version 2.5
RJWestmore Inc. is proud to announce the release of Version 2.5 of our comprehensive e-based safety training program. The new system boasts features that property managers and building owners, employers and occupants have come to depend on for building specific safety training, such as the integration and automation that brings together facility managers, fire safety directors and local fire departments.
The system upgrade showcases our continued commitment to offer the most user-friendly and complete training system on the market. Here is a snapshot of some of the new functionality that RJWestmore trainees will enjoy with Version 2.5:
- A New User Interface
- New Special Assistance for Evacuation Interface
- New NOAA Weather Interface
- New Facebook Interface
- New Twitter Interface
- New pop-up notifications
What’s more, new and current RJWestmore trainees will continue to benefit from program features that have made us the e-based safety training program of choice among property managers and building owners from coast to coast: We are approved by every major fire department and are now training more than 350 million square feet across the United States

- Version 2.5 of the RJWestmore Training System demonstrates our continued commitment to provide the most user-friendly, complete training system on the market.
Our system offers real-time reporting with just one click which—
- Identifies tenants that need special assistance in the case of emergency
- Provides instant access to a list of floor wardens that is shared with building management and the fire department
- Enhanced Fire Department Access—
- One home screen allows department access to all RJWestmore System companies in the city
- Departments can monitor individual building testing and training of floor wardens and fire safety directors.
- Building-specific emergency manuals, diagrams and maps provide pre-response building information.
- Automated Features—
- Automatic personalized certificates are sent to each user via email immediately upon completion
- Employee compliance reports are prepared for each tenant. View, print or export to Excel.
- Annual reminders are sent to each user on their training anniversary date.
- State of the Art Confidentiality and System Control
- Multiple tiers of system access help control the distribution of information
- Confidential Information Access is granted for resources such as maps, emergency plans and reports.
The RJ Westmore Training System, Version 2.5 gives building owners a complete picture of their emergency preparedness as well as user-friendly interfaces. We map out an exterior refuge map with a satellite picture of each building. We can also include a map of the lobby showing the best exit routes, fire control room location, hose connections, etc. Elevator banks and stairwells can also be graphed, to show a comprehensive picture of accessibility and egress.
More info about the RJWestmore Training System Version 2.5:
- 30-day implementation with a simple monthly flats-rate fixed fee
- All updates, training, and other resources are provided for no additional fee
- Property managers can easily print and export building training information via their Management section.
- Training and procedures are available for any kind of disaster, be it manmade or natural
If you own or manage a building, or know someone who does, do them a favor. Let them know about the RJWestmore Training System. Choosing our service cuts property management training related workloads by 90% and saves users over 50% compared to conventional training! More importantly, IT SAVES LIVES! BE SAFE.
Tags: 30-day implementation, approved by every major fire department, BE SAFE, building management, building testing and training, compliance reports, confidential information access, confidentiality and system control, disaster training, emergency manuals, Facebook integration, facility managers, fire safety directors, floor wardens, local fire departments, new-user interfaces, NOAA Weather Interface, personalized certificates, pop-up notifications, RJWestmore Safety Training System, RJWestmore trainees, system upgrade, tenants who need special assistance, The RJWestmore Training System SAVES LIVES!, training fire safety directors, training floor wardens, Twitter integration, user-friendly online safety training, Version 2.5
Posted in disaster preparedness, evacuation plan, Fire Safety, Health & Welfare, in the news, online safety training, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.5 | No Comments »
Monday, June 13th, 2011

You can get back to work following any disaster.
Your business has planned for any disaster. Fire extinguishers are frequently checked and positioned in the right area. You have a well thought out evacuation route with primary and secondary meeting places. But does your business have a plan for getting back to work after a disaster?
According to the Insurance Information Institute, up to 40 percent of businesses adversely affected by natural or man-made disasters fail to reopen. To be a part of the other 60 percent requires prior planning and a sound disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
Before you begin a disaster recovery plan, you need to take these steps:
- Form an internal team comprised of individuals from several departments who possess deep knowledge about the business. (Include employees from several levels. You wouldn’t want only upper management involved.)
- Build a list of critical processes and services that must be up and running after a disaster. Plans that have specific and tested tasks are critical. For example: “Product ordering available within 24 hours of the disaster.”
- Review your rental agreement for specific terms regarding the landlord’s responsibilities. If your building burns down because of the actions of another tenant, what is your recourse?
- Consider hiring an auditor to review your procedures. These professionals can determine if your plan is unrealistically optimistic or if it includes any logistical holes.
Key disaster recovery plan components to get your business back to work:
- Establish procedures to let all employees know that a disaster has occurred. Ensure personal email addresses and cell phone numbers are available and frequently updated for key disaster implementation personnel.
- Review the disaster to determine if the delay in business functions will be temporary or could last weeks. (The detailed disaster plan should have specific tasks based on the duration of the disaster.)
- Store insurance documents and other critical documents both as scanned images on an off-site server and in hard copies stowed in a safety-deposit box.
- Select alternative warehouse or inventory locations in case primary locations are damaged in a disaster.
- Find alternative locations for business operations. Determine, in the planning stages, which employees need to be congregated together and which ones can work remotely.
- Consider options for manufacturing products if your facility is damaged. Can you lease space from another facility that is under-capacity?
- If your company produces non-perishable items that aren’t custom built, then you should calculate how many days or weeks you can fulfill orders using current inventory. If the disaster will put you out of commission for a month but you can only fulfill 10 days of orders, then you have a problem!
For many businesses, essential business functions can go on even if the organization’s facilities are determined to be unsafe. With cloud computing storing virtual data, real-time chat and other tools, many employees will be able to work from home or gathered together in small groups at remote locations.
Tips for protecting your company data and enabling seamless work productivity after a disaster:
- Task the IT department with finding the best solution for off-site data backup. New advancements in cloud computing allow redundant systems to be set up quickly and inexpensively. Older tape-backup systems can be cumbersome to retrieve or lost in transport–putting your company’s data at risk.
- Consider backing up entire applications and processes, not just data. Nearly every professional function can now be performed virtually.
- Give employees the option to check email from home. Even if “working from home” is not currently part of corporate culture, providing access in advance may help your company in the long run, as employees with ready access to key documents and applications will be well prepared to work immediately following any natural or manmade disaster.
- Protect your intellectual property. If you run a manufacturing company, you might use a proprietary process to make your product. Make sure this information is stored offsite and is not simply located in on-site computers or assembly machines.
For businesses, failure to plan concrete steps necessary for recovering after disasters can result in complete business failure. Creating a disaster recovery and business continuity plan is a worthwhile exercise to encourage your company to consider and manage worst-case scenarios.
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
Tags: BE SAFE, cloud computing, disaster preparedness, disaster recovery plan, evacuation route, fire extinguishers, getting back to work following a natural or manmade disaster, Insurance Information Institute, intellectual property protection, landlord's responsibilities, planning for disaster, rental agreement, storing information off-site, tenant responsibilities, work productivity following disasters, working from home
Posted in disaster preparedness, earthquake, Emergency Exit, evacuation plan, fire, Floods, Health & Welfare, hurricanes, in the news, online safety training, RJW News/Updates, Survival, Uncategorized, Version 2.0 | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

All passwords for the RJWestmore Training System are fully-encrypted.
With the recent hack of various Gmail accounts by cyber criminals, companies are again casting an eye at ways to ensure data security and circumvent the risks associated with cyber crime. Cyber attacks are particularly difficult for law enforcement because they occur anonymously over great distances and are often conducted by highly intelligent individuals who are skilled at covering their digital tracks.
The disruption caused by cyber attack presents businesses with more than just a minor annoyance. High profile breaches, such as the recent attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network, caused significant losses, as thousands of insecure customers bugged out. As a result, Sony claimed to have lost more than $170 million as a result of the breach.
For some entities, such as utilities or defense contractors, cyber attacks cause disruptions which go far beyond the scope of financial loss. A recent survey of senior level IT professionals indicated that they hold cybercrime to be the most dangerous threat for their business, ranking above the fear of natural disasters.
Details of the Recent Gmail Account Hack:
- Some of the hacked accounts included senior U.S. Government officials, Chinese political activists, and journalists, prompting many to suspect that the Chinese government had something to do with the attack.
- The accounts were compromised through a phishing attack, which involves gaining access to an account by presenting the user with a legitimate-looking, fraudulent emails or texts. (Many bank customers have been caught by phishing schemes where the crook will say he represents the client’s bank and needs user account information)
- The Gmail criminals used information from hacked email accounts to contact and infiltrate other user accounts, since people tend to trust messages sent from someone they know.
What Can Businesses Do to Better Safeguard Electronic Information?
- Establish robust firewalls to prevent intrusions.
- Conduct an internal employee survey to find out how many of your employees are using “1234” for their password. Prepare to be shocked by the results. Require employees to follow set procedures for password creation and changing of passwords at regular intervals.
- A popular method for creating hack-resistant passwords is to think of a phrase such as “Cybercrime is a risk I want to manage.” Then, use the first letter of each word from the phrase to create a password: “CIARIWTM.” Then, to mix it up further, add two or three memorable numbers and a symbol to the mix: CI$AR&IW@TM. Also, use different cases instead of all caps or lowercase letters: Ci$aR&iW@Tm. Breaking a password this complicated will keep hackers at bay, since easily-cracked “1234” passwords are easier targets of opportunity. (This is for the same reason thieves prefer to break into cars that have open windows and keys in the ignition than vehicles that are locked and armed with alarms.)
- Password reset software can be used following a breach to bring passwords back.
- Review outside vendors who have access to your data. Even if your company has state of the art protection, it is worthless if one of your vendors operates in an open environment which can easily be hacked.
- Carefully guard client email lists and account numbers. The recent loss of email data by Epsilon cost the company millions of dollars, as customers canceled their credit cards after they discovered their data had been compromised.
- Run routine security updates on your computer system. But be careful not to click on screen messages from anyone other than the system you subscribe to. Make sure that your employees know they should do a hard reset (manual shut-down) if anything out of the ordinary appears on their computer screens.
A breach not only costs time and money in the short term, but it can be detrimental to customer perception and trust. This is especially true of companies that hold customer data such as social security numbers or financial information. Virtual disasters should demand the same foresight and planning as natural large-scale events such as floods, fires and earthquakes.
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
Tags: band customers, BE SAFE, cyber attacks, cyber crime, cyber criminals, data security, digital tracks, encrypted passwords, Episolan, firewalls, Gmail Accounts, hacked accounts, hard reset, IT professionals, password protection, password reset software, phishing schemes, safeguarding electronic information, Sony's PlayStation Network
Posted in Cyber Security, disaster preparedness, Identity Theft, in the news, online safety training, Public Safety, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.0 | No Comments »
Monday, May 30th, 2011

Make sure you are prepared for everything--even zombies!
When you think about preparing for an emergency, you likely worry about threats that occur in your area. Californians contend with fires, mudslides and the specter of big quakes. East Coasters have hurricanes, floods, and damaging thunderstorms. But one threat can affect everyone from San Francisco through Topeka and beyond to Jacksonville. Zombies. Yep, brain-eating zombies who are bent on destruction.
Few scary scenarios capture popular culture quite like zombies. In real life, some individuals such as this man profiled by National Geographic Television view zombies and a possible outbreak as real scenarios that deserve proper planning. There even exists a book called “The
Zombie Survival Guide.”
Wait. Isn’t this blog about disaster planning? Well, the CDC has a current campaign that warns of the coming “Zombie Apocalypse.” Citizens are encouraged to plan for “zombies” by taking certain initiatives. While the premise is silly, the CDC is using thoughts of a zombie takeover to get people really thinking about how to plan and manage big disasters.
For businesses that want to promote the zombie campaign, the CDC offers various images such as this one that look like the poster art for the newest zombie scare fest.
To prepare for the coming hordes of zombies, the CDC recommends some planning tips:
Create a disaster plan:
- Discussing a disaster plan in advance can allow cooler heads to prevail (and not be eaten…) during an emergency.
- Set two emergency meeting places. A primary spot and a distant alternate to be used in case the first one is inaccessible.
Stock your disaster kit:
- Include some of the basics, such as light, food, and water. You need multiple flashlights with extra batteries, some canned or dried meals, and up to one gallon of water per person per day.
- Additional items such as duct tape, plastic tarps, radios, and a whistle allow you to be prepared or reenact an episode of MacGyver.
- Important family documents such as passports, insurance papers, and other essentials.
- The CDC wisely leaves off the list items such as mines or bats that would truly be useful in a real zombie pandemic!
It’s refreshing to see such a serious organization as the CDC employing some humor like “Zombie Apocalypse” to get its point across. The campaign was also perfectly timed, coming days before the “end of the world” that thankfully did not come to pass. The zombie blog was so popular that it crashed the campaign’s site (not the CDC’s main site).
So what exactly is the point of the “Zombie Apocalypse?” For any type of disaster, preparation is the key. If you over prepare for the worst case scenario (it doesn’t get worse than flesh-eating zombies), then you will be able to handle any emergency.
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
Tags: BE SAFE, big disasters, CDC, disaster plan, disaster planning, earthquakes, emergency, emergency supplies, floods, hurricanes, mudslides, thunderstorms, Zombie Apocalypse, zombies
Posted in disaster preparedness, Emergency Exit, evacuation plan, fire, Floods, Hazardous Materials, Health & Welfare, hurricanes, in the news, Public Safety, RJW News/Updates, Survival, Uncategorized, Version 2.0 | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 24th, 2011

Take steps to make sure you are prepared in case of an earthquake or other disaster.
It’s easy to talk about disaster preparedness. At RJWestmore, Inc., we like to walk the talk. One example of the way we practice what we preach is our participation in the 2010 Great California ShakeOut, which was recognized by Cal EMA and the Earthquake Country Alliance. We were in good company, as some 7.9 million people actively participated in the 2010 event.
The 2011 ShakeOut will be held on October 20th, 2011 at 10:20 in the morning! So, why are we talking about an event that is six months away? Because earthquakes can happen at any time and often without advance warning. So, to limit loss of life and property, planning ahead is paramount to safety. We would also like to give you plenty of notice so you can make plans to participate in the next ShakeOut.
Unfortunately, much of the latest information about best practices to deal with earthquakes comes from past incidents. Despite the tragedy in terms of lives lost, it is important to take a broader review of disasters (such as the recent Japan quake), to prepare for the inevitability of future earthquake-related disasters:
- Information sharing is critical. Some Japanese agencies received criticism for the slow spread of information relative to the depth of damage to infrastructure, particularly concerning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
- Tsunami and earthquake damage are under review by teams from several countries. The sheer scale of the disaster makes it an obvious example of a worst-case scenario, where individuals on top of four-story buildings were not even afforded safety. Groups from the United States are examining the types of buildings that did or did not escape the tsunami unscathed. The research could lead to drastic changes in building codes and provide opportunities for better safety in the future.
- Scientists use data from the Japan quake to examine similarities in other geographic regions. Researchers are closely reviewing the Pacific Northwest of the United States which is in a similar subduction zone to Japan. Further review will allow better future placement of tsunami offshore beacons and will likely lead to changes in building strategies as well as warning systems.
- In California, greater emphasis is placed on events like the ShakeOut because the desire to mine earthquake preparedness tips is so dire. Major California cities have avoided a massive earthquake for more than a century. And renewed vigilance is important to recognize the threat posed by a quake.
In the disaster planning field, unfortunately, actual disasters are often the most useful for emergency training. For example, large-scale tragedies can lead to analyzing and revamping building codes and emergency procedures to greatly reduce future destruction. So, when educational opportunities such as the ShakeOut arise, make sure you avail yourself of safe opportunities to learn.
Proper planning and learning the “Do’s” are the keys to managing the situation when disasters strike. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.
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Tags: BE SAFE, Cal EMA, disaster planning, Earthquake County Alliance, educational opportunities, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Great California Shakeout 2011, Information sharing, risk of earthquake, tsunami
Posted in disaster preparedness, earthquake, evacuation plan, Health & Welfare, in the news, laws/codes, Public Safety, RJW News/Updates, Uncategorized, Version 2.0 | No Comments »