Points of Distribution . Points of Distribution are centralized locations where the public picks up life sustaining commodities following a disaster or emergency . Commodities usually include shelf stable food and water What are Points of Distribution or PODs? During a disaster, one method of issuing supplies may not be enough. A Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA) could use other distribution systems or use all of them at once. All three complement each other and provide expanded distribution coverage. For this Guide, we will focus on Points of Distribution or PODs. PODs can accommodate vehicle traffic (drive-thru), pedestrian traffic (walk thru), and mass transit traffic (bus or rail). Each person or vehicle receives a set amount of supplies. The recommended amount is for each person/vehicle to receive enough for a household of three. The amount of supplies provided will differ depending on the type of transportation used. For instance, more supplies are provided to someone in a car than to a pedestrian who must hand carry items."

Course Overview The purpose of this course is to increase awareness and understanding of the need for full inclusion of disaster survivors and FEMA staff who are people with disabilities, and people with access and functional needs. The course provides an overview of disabilities and access and functional needs and explains how disaster staff can apply inclusive practices in their disaster assignments. Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants should be able to: -Explain the importance of including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations at the JFO and field locations. -Describe how JFO and field staff can support and include people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations. -Describe principles and FEMA initiatives that provide a foundation for the integration of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations. -Describe the history of the treatment of and services for people with disabilities. -Identify laws that provide the legal foundation for issues related to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. -Describe the function of the Disability Integration Advisor. -Describe personal actions to support the integration of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in the JFO and field disaster operations. Primary Audience This course is designed for all personnel involved in disaster operations at the Joint Field Office (JFO) and in other disaster facilities and activities.

"This course is for emergency managers and related professionals working with all types of volunteers and coordinating with voluntary agencies. [It] provides procedures and tools for building and working with voluntary organizations."--Page 4 of cover.

Meant to aid State & local emergency managers in their efforts to develop & maintain a viable all-hazard emergency operations plan. This guide clarifies the preparedness, response, & short-term recovery planning elements that warrant inclusion in emergency operations plans. It offers the best judgment & recommendations on how to deal with the entire planning process -- from forming a planning team to writing the plan. Specific topics of discussion include: preliminary considerations, the planning process, emergency operations plan format, basic plan content, functional annex content, hazard-unique planning, & linking Federal & State operations.

Social media is a new technology that not only allows for another channel of broadcasting messages to the public, but also allows for two way communication between emergency managers and major stakeholder groups. Increasingly the public is turning to social media technologies to obtain up to date information during emergencies and to share data about the disaster in the form of geo data, text, pictures, video, or a combination of these media. Social media also can allow for greater situational awareness for emergency responders. While social media allows for many opportunities to engage in an effective conversation with stakeholders, it also holds many challenges for emergency managers. The purpose of this course is to provide the participants with best practices including tools, techniques and a basic roadmap to build capabilities in the use of social media technologies in their own emergency management organizations (State, local, Tribal) in order to further their emergency response missions. By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Explain why social media is important for emergency management Describe the major functions and features of common social media sites currently used in emergency management Describe the opportunities and challenges of using social media applications during the 5 phases of emergency management Describe better practices for using social media applications during the 5 phases of emergency management Describe the process for building the capabilities and to sustain the use of social media in an emergency management organization (State, local, tribal, territorial)"

Focuses on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and how it has functioned since its placement in the Department of Homeland Security.