Community Preparedness
- Preparing Citizens—
- Preparing Communities—
Preparing Citizens at Home
Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness (PDF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2002
This guide provides practical information on how families (including pets) can prepare for
disasters. It includes hazard-specific safety tips and covers most natural and technological
disasters.
Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Disaster Preparedness (PDF)
Wirthlin Worldwide, American Red Cross, July 20, 2004
This survey queried more than 1,000 American adults regarding their personal disaster preparedness beliefs and plans. Researchers found that although the American public understands that personal preparedness for all types of disasters is key to homeland security, many have difficulty finding out exactly how to prepare for a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.
Chemical Agents: Facts About Sheltering in Place (PDF)
Centers for Disease Control, 2003
This fact sheet describes "sheltering in place" in response to a chemical incident. It outlines how
to prepare the shelter, how to know when to shelter in place, and how to secure your safe room.
A Citizen's Guide to Terrorism Preparedness
Armando Bevelacqua and Richard Stilp, Delmar Learning, 2003
This handbook is designed specifically for citizens who want to prepare for a possible terrorist
attack. Explosives and biological and chemical weapons are discussed in nontechnical terms,
quick access charts provide facts immediately, and tips for safe travel are included. A section on
what not to do in preparation for a terrorist attack is aimed at providing peace of mind by helping
citizens focus their preparedness efforts.
Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (PDF)
Operation Hope, September 2004
The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit assists users in maintaining financial stability in the event of an emergency by helping them identify and organize key financial records and serving as a quick reference to their most important financial documents. The kit was produced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corps, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, USA Freedom Corps, and Operation HOPE.
 Emergency Preparedness Checklist (PDF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2002
This four-page tool walks individuals through the process of creating their own home emergency
plan. It features a list of disaster kit supplies, a place to consolidate emergency contact
information, a process for developing an escape plan, and a list of ways to improve the safety of
one's home.
Fact Sheet: National Preparedness Month
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, September 1, 2004
The National Preparedness Month Coalition, which includes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 80 organizations, and all 56 states and territories, will encourage Americans to take simple steps in September to prepare themselves and their families for possible emergencies.
A Federal Employee's Family Preparedness Guide (PDF)
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2003
This guide will help you to learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency; create an
emergency plan for your family; and prepare an "Emergency Go Kit."
How to Prepare for Any Disaster: Your Easy Step-by-Step Preparedness Guide
Emergency Preparedness Center, 2002
This guide discusses how to prepare for a disaster and what to do if a disaster occurs. Contents
include information on home safety checklists, evacuation kits, and disaster-specific action plans.
 Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological
Terrorist Attacks
Lynn E. Davis, Tom LaTourrette, David Mosher, Lois Davis, and David Howell, RAND
Corporation, 2003
This 232-page report identifies actions--linked specifically to chemical, radiological, nuclear,
and biological terrorist attacks--that individuals can take to protect their health and safety. The
actions are appropriate regardless of likelihood of an attack, scale of attack, or level of
government alert. A 33-page "quick guide" also is available.
Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness (PDF)
Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness
This report documents the progress federal agencies have made to better prepare people with disabilities for emergency situations and to raise awareness of their needs among emergency management officials. The report also includes eight recommendations for coordination-based solutions that the council believes will better integrate people with disabilities into the nation's disaster and emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
Preparing for Emergencies: A Checklist for People with Mobility Problems (PDF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1992
This checklist focuses on preparedness for people with impaired mobility. Topics include
arranging for help, teaching helpers what needs to be done, and stocking up medication and
medical supplies.
Residential Shelter-in-Place (Video)
Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, 2002
This video teaches residents how to shelter in place during an accidental or intentional release of
chemical agent vapor. A companion student workbook is also available in PDF format.
Terrorism—Preparing for the Unexpected
American Red Cross, 2003
This publication directs households in how to develop emergency communications plans,
establish meeting places, and assemble disaster supply kits. It also features basic first aid
techniques.
Your Family Disaster Plan (PDF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1991
This document includes multiple checklists for creating a disaster plan, gathering emergency
supplies, evacuating your home, practicing the plan, and responding to disaster.
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Preparing Citizens at Work
2004 Emergency Response Guidebook
U.S. Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico, 2004
The Emergency Response Guidebook was developed for firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous material. It offers first responders information to quickly identify the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved and protect themselves and the public during the initial response phase of the incident.
Anthrax Vaccine: What You Need to Know (PDF)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2003
This vaccine information statement informs vaccine recipients, their parents, or legal representatives about the benefits and risks of anthrax vaccine.
 Business Continuity Guideline: A Practical Approach for Emergency Preparedness, Crisis Management, and Disaster Recovery (PDF)
ASIS International, 2005
This guideline serves as a planning tool for businesses and organizations to use when preparing for and responding to a crisis, enhancing their viability and ensuring their infrastructure.
Company Primer on Preparedness and Response Planning for Terrorist and Bioterrorist
Attacks (PDF)
Business Executives for National Security, Metro Atlanta Region, January 2007
Preparing businesses for a terrorist attack is not dramatically different from developing response
plans for natural disasters or other crises. However, "hardening" the workplace, increasing
awareness of potential terrorist threats, training, and interacting with governmental agencies is.
This document suggests policies and procedures for workplace preparation for and reaction to a
terrorist attack.
Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety: A Guide for People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitations (PDF)
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professionals, 2002
This guide focuses on people with disabilities and activity limitations successfully evacuating buildings. Its goal is to help strengthen their evacuation preparedness.
A Federal Employee's Emergency Guide (PDF)
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2004
This guide educates federal employees on the repercussions of various attack scenarios or accidents, including releases of biological, chemical, and nuclear or radiological contaminants, and identifies the steps that employees can take before and following a terrorist incident.
Federal Manager's/Decision Maker's Emergency Guide (PDF)
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2004
This guide serves as an educational tool for federal managers at all levels, guiding them in their roles in preparing for an emergency. The guide also helps managers implement their agency preparedness plans.
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Preparing Citizens at School
Bomb Threat Response: An Interactive Planning Tool For Schools (CD-ROM)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Education,
October 7, 2003
This interactive CD-ROM helps school administrators and state and local public safety officials
better prepare for bomb threats against schools. It provides a flexible process that will work for
any school and ensures that each school will create an effective plan tailored to its situation. The
CD-ROM also is supported by a Web site, THREATPLAN.org.
 Homeland Security: The Role of Schools in a Post 9-11 Environment
National School Safety Center, 2003
This online document emphasizes the need for schools to develop emergency procedures that
include threat assessment protocol, campus access policies, disaster-specific response plans, staff
training, notification procedures, student drills, and appropriate recordkeeping systems.
Letter From the Department of Education Regarding the Terrorist Attack in Beslan, Russia (PDF)
U.S. Department of Education, October 2004
This letter shares information regarding some lessons learned from the Beslan school incident in an effort to better understand how it happened and apply lessons that might be used to protect U.S. schools.
 Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities (PDF)
Department of Education, 2003
This guide offers schools, districts, and communities the critical concepts and components of
good crisis planning, stimulates thinking about the crisis preparedness process, and provides
examples of promising practices.
The Role of Schools in Meeting Community Needs During Bioterrorism (PDF)
Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, November 4, 2003
This journal article examines the potential role of schools and school districts in meeting
community needs during a bioterrorism attack. It focuses specifically on emotional and
behavioral challenges posed by bioterrorism, discusses how existing strategies and tools may be
improved, and suggests that schools and school districts become active and full partners in a
communitywide public health response.
September 11th Anniversary Guides—Preparing for the Anniversary of 9/11 and the
Coming School Year: A Systems Approach to a Teachable Moment for Elementary,
Middle, and High Schools
Crisis Management Institute, July 2002
Elementary Schools (PDF)
Middle Schools (PDF)
High Schools (PDF)
This series of reports provides suggestions for superintendents, principals, and teachers on school
preparations for the September 11th anniversary. Each guide contains a note for superintendents,
guidelines for principals, activities for classrooms, and a template for a letter to parents about
activities the family can do together. Activities are age relevant.
Teaching Guide on International Terrorism: Definitions, Causes and Responses
U.S. Institute of Peace
In an effort to assist teachers, this high school-level guide provides lesson plans, bibliographic
sources, and factual material to help students explore the varying views and definitions of
terrorism, some of terrorism's possible origins, and different ways in which terrorism may be
addressed.
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Preparing Communities at the Local Level
An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities
Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, September 2004
This guide provides local government officials with tips on making their emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities.
 Citizen Corps
Bureau of Justice Assistance, June 2004
This document presents an overview of Citizen Corps, a nationwide program that promotes volunteer activities that support community safety and homeland security. It also illustrates other similar programs, including Volunteers in Police Service, National Neighborhood Watch, Community Emergency Response Teams, and the Medical Reserve Corps.
Citizen Corps: A Guide for Local Officials (PDF)
The White House, 2002
This document describes the Citizen Corps philosophy; the initiative's component programs,
resources, and expected funding; and how local communities can establish their own Citizen
Corps Council.
City of Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness for People With Disabilities (PDF)
City of Los Angeles, 2001
This booklet provides information of special interest to individuals with special medical needs or
visual, auditory, and mobility disabilities, as well as owners of service animals and pets.
Combating Terrorism: How Prepared Are State and Local Response Organizations?(PDF)
RAND Corporation, November 2006
This book presents the results of the third and final wave of a national survey to assess the activities undertaken by state and local response agencies after 9/11 to respond to terrorist-related incidents, and of federal programs intended to improve preparedness and readiness for acts of terrorism. The survey found that areas still in need of improvement include coordination with the private sector, coordination among nontraditional partners such as public health, and expectations of the role of the military.
Differences in Individual-Level Terrorism Preparedness in Los Angeles County (PDF)
American Journal of Preventative Medicine, September 2006
This article presents data collected between October 2002 and February 2003 regarding the preparedness of the noninstitutionalized population of Los Angeles in the event of a national disaster or emergency. The data were analyzed in 2004 by the Los Angeles County Health Survey, and were collected using a random-digit-dialed telephone survey of Los Angeles County.
Emergency Preparedness Initiative: Guide on the Special Needs of People With Disabilities: For Emergency Managers, Planners & Responders (PDF)
National Organization on Disability, January 2005
This guide highlights key disability concerns for officials and experts responsible for emergency planning in their communities, assisting them in developing plans that will take into account the needs and insights of people with disabilities before, during, and after an emergency.
Exemplary Practices in Public Health Preparedness (PDF)
RAND Corporation, 2005
This report reviews exemplary practices in public health preparedness and includes the methods and criteria used to nominate and select them. Under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the RAND Corporation developed a repository of practices for public health emergency and bioterrorism preparedness at state and local levels that can serve as exemplars of preparedness for responding to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. This repository/report is a resource for state and local public health departments that are working to improve their own preparedness.
Federal Response Plan (PDF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2003
The Federal Response Plan (FRP) outlines how the Federal Government can assist local and state
governments when an emergency overwhelms their ability to respond effectively; protect public
health, safety, and property; and restore their communities.
Five Years After 9/11: Essays on Counterterrorism, Counterinsurgency, and Homeland Security (PDF)
RAND Corporation, September 2006
This issue of the RAND Review includes the following articles: “True Grit: To Counter Terror, We Must Conquer Our Own Fear,” by Brian Michael Jenkins; “Grassroots Defenses: Community Leaders, Businesses, and Citizens Can Help Prevent Suicide Attacks,” by Bruce Hoffman; “From Algeria to Iraq: All But Forgotten from Nearly 50 Years Ago,” by David Galula; “Protecting Emergency Responders at Sites of Collapsed Buildings,” by Henry H. Willis; and “Public Health Preparedness: An Opportunity and a Challenge,” by Nicole Lurie.
Free E-mail Updates
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
DHS.gov now offers free e-mail notifications of web site updates. Recipients may stipulate when they are notified and on what topics (e.g., travel documentation, grant information, Press Room items, the Leadership Journal).
Gearing Up and Getting There: Improving Local Response to Chemical Terrorism (PDF)
RAND Corporation, April 2004
Using Los Angeles, California, as a case study, this report identifies policies and organizational options at the local level that have the potential to save lives and reduce injuries from a chemical attack.
Homeland Security: Effective Regional Coordination Can Enhance Emergency Preparedness (PDF)
U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 15, 2004
The Government Accountability Office reviewed coordination practices in various metropolitan areas to find regional programs with lessons learned that could be applied to the national capital region and elsewhere.
Identifying the Links Between White-Collar Crime and Terrorism (PDF)
National White Collar Crime Center, April 2005
Terrorist activities require funding not only for weaponry, but also for training, travel, and living expenses. As such, terrorists commit many white-collar crimes (e.g., money laundering; identity theft; tax evasion; credit card, insurance, and immigration fraud) to further their goals. This report describes the relationship between white-collar crime and terrorism in a way that helps state and local law enforcement officials and prosecutors recognize and deter terrorist activities.
Medical Reserve Corps Technical Assistance Series
Medical Reserve Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, February 2004
As part of its effort to support the growth of Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units across the nation, the MRC program office developed a series of technical assistance booklets that address topics considered important for MRC units. Units are made of locally based medical and public health volunteers who can assist their communities during emergencies, including acts of terrorism. Titles in the series include the following:
Oklahoma City—Seven Years Later: Lessons for Other Communities
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, 2002
This pamphlet examines the lessons learned from the Oklahoma City bombing and offers advice for schools, clergy, first responders, city officials, volunteer organizations, and others.
Protecting America's Communities: An Introduction to Public Alert & Warning (PDF)
Partnership for Public Warning, June 2004
This document reviews the development and evaluation of the public warning process.
 Protecting Your Community from Terrorism: The Strategies for Local Law Enforcement Series
Police Executive Research Forum and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
This series of white papers on terrorism takes on issues of primary concern to law enforcement professionals. Available titles follow:
- Volume 1: Local-Federal Partnerships (PDF)
This white paper details more than 50 recommendations on issues such as how to promote effective partnerships, security clearances and information sharing, joint terrorism task forces, FBI strategies, intelligence, multijurisdictional information sharing, and training and awareness.
- Volume 2: Working with Diverse Communities (PDF)
This white paper details recommendations for how law enforcement and minority communities can work together to protect against future terrorist attacks, prevent backlash violence against vulnerable groups, and sensitize officers to cultural issues that can affect interviewing and information sharing.
- Volume 3: Preparing for and Responding to Bioterrorism (PDF)
This white paper discusses the relative threats of various biological and chemical agents and the response challenges for first responders. The chapters cover five critical areas involved in preparing for and responding to a bioterrorist event: detecting a biological attack, notifying the proper first responders, intervening and working with other stakeholders, managing health care surge demands, and maintaining communication among all involved agencies and the public.
- Volume 4: The Production and Sharing of Intelligence
This white paper summarizes the comments of participants at the executive session on intelligence and information sharing. Divided into four substantive chapters, the paper stresses the importance of the intelligence function and information sharing and provides recommendations for preventing future terrorist attacks through analytic policing techniques.
- Volume 5 in the Partnerships To Promote Homeland Security
This white paper is based on the conference proceedings and describes efforts to build on existing models of collaboration, as well as some suggestions for improving effective interagency coordination at many levels of responsibility.
Public Health Preparedness in the 21st Century [Testimony] (PDF)
RAND Corporation, March 28, 2006
Testimony presented before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness.
Ready America: The First 72 Hours (PDF)
Homeland Defense Journal, April 2006
This publication addresses America's ability to respond to the next major terrorist attack and the role of local emergency managers and first responders during the first 72 hours of a crisis.
Rural Communities and Emergency Preparedness (PDF)
Office of Rural Health Policy, 2002
This paper addresses rural community emergency preparedness in the public health infrastructure
and the ability of rural health providers to respond to emergency situations.
State and Local Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress (PDF)
Congressional Research Service, June 9, 2005
According to the Congressional Research Service, despite of the passage of important federal legislation, a host of important state and local homeland security policy issues remain to be addressed. This report reviews these issues, which include unmet emergency responder needs, proposed reduction in appropriations for federal homeland security assistance, an absence of emergency responder equipment standards, development of state and local homeland security strategies, and the limited number of state and local officials with security clearances.
The State & Local Role in Domestic Defense (PDF)
Progressive Policy Institute, 2002
This publication discusses the nation's law enforcement and emergency response systems and
their ties to geographical jurisdictions or to specific functions, and the need to function
cohesively in the event of a terrorist attack.
Threat Advisory System Response Guideline (PDF)
ASIS International, October 2004
This guideline is designed to help organizations respond effectively to U.S. Department of Homeland Security advisories by assisting the private sector in preparing plans, procedures, and response strategies.
Threat Assessment Guide for Houses of Worship
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
This online booklet includes checklists to help houses of worship determine their vulnerability to
fire and bombing incidents. It reviews how bombs may be used in a terrorist attack against
houses of worship.
Working Together When the Worst Happens: Nonprofit Emergency Preparedness in the National Capital Region (PDF)
The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, June 2005
Funded by the Department of Homeland Security, this report describes the efforts taken by 20 organizations, both nonprofits and local government agencies, to coordinate a disaster response and recovery service in the Washington, D.C. area, enhancing the current response plan in the event of a second terrorist attack resulting in mass casualties.
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Preparing Communities at the State Level
Combating Terrorism: How Prepared Are State and Local Response Organizations? (PDF)
RAND Corporation, November 2006
This book presents the results of the third and final wave of a national survey to assess the activities undertaken by state and local response agencies after 9/11 to respond to terrorist-related incidents, and of federal programs intended to improve preparedness and readiness for acts of terrorism. The survey found that areas still in need of improvement include coordination with the private sector, coordination among nontraditional partners such as public health, and expectations of the role of the military.
 Counties Secure America: A Survey of Emergency Preparedness of the Nation's Counties
National Association of Counties, October 2001
This report outlines the results of a survey that asked counties about their disaster response plans
and readiness to address terrorist activity. It also highlights unique activities in various counties
throughout the United States.
Exemplary Practices in Public Health Preparedness (PDF)
RAND Corporation, 2005
This report reviews exemplary practices in public health preparedness and includes the methods and criteria used to nominate and select them. Under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the RAND Corporation developed a repository of practices for public health emergency and bioterrorism preparedness at state and local levels that can serve as exemplars of preparedness for responding to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. This repository/report is a resource for state and local public health departments that are working to improve their own preparedness.
A Governor's Guide to Emergency Management (Volume II: Homeland Security) (PDF)
National Governor's Association, 2002
This report provides policies, procedures, and general information to enhance the understanding
of homeland security issues for governors and their staff. Topics addressed include preparations
and responses, communication strategies, critical infrastructures, chemical weapons, agro- and
cyberterrorism, and nuclear and radiological terrorism.
How Are States Preparing? National Governors Association's Domestic Preparedness
Checklist (PDF)
National Governors Association, 2001
This checklist provides governors with a resource to guide state preparedness against terrorist
acts.
Identifying the Links Between White-Collar Crime and Terrorism (PDF)
National White Collar Crime Center, April 2005
Terrorist activities require funding not only for weaponry, but also for training, travel, and living expenses. As such, terrorists commit many white-collar crimes (e.g., money laundering; identity theft; tax evasion; credit card, insurance, and immigration fraud) to further their goals. This report describes the relationship between white-collar crime and terrorism in a way that helps state and local law enforcement officials and prosecutors recognize and deter terrorist activities.
Operation TIPS
Police Executive Research Forum, 2002
This fact sheet features information about the background and purpose of the Operation TIPS
(Terrorism Information and Prevention System) program.
 Preparing for Public Health Emergencies: Meeting the Challenges in Rural America (PDF)
Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness, January 2005
This report includes proceedings from the first national conference on rural public health emergency preparedness, Bridging the Health Divide: The Rural Public Health Research Agenda. The conference, which was held in September 2004, was a collaborative effort of rural public health experts throughout the country.
Preparing for the War on Terrorism (PDF)
RAND Corporation, 2001
This paper contains the statement of Bruce Hoffman, Vice President of External Affairs and
Director at RAND Corporation's Washington Office, to a congressional subcommittee about the
nation's need to prepare for the war against terrorism.
Public Preparedness: A National Imperative Symposium Report (PDF)
George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, 2004
This report presents the findings of the July 2004 Public Preparedness Symposium hosted by the American Red Cross, the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Council for Excellence in Government.
State and Local Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress (PDF)
Congressional Research Service, June 9, 2005
According to the Congressional Research Service, despite of the passage of important federal legislation, a host of important state and local homeland security policy issues remain to be addressed. This report reviews these issues, which include unmet emergency responder needs, proposed reduction in appropriations for federal homeland security assistance, an absence of emergency responder equipment standards, development of state and local homeland security strategies, and the limited number of state and local officials with security clearances.
The State and Local Role in Domestic Defense (PDF)
Progressive Policy Institute, 2002
This publication discusses the nation's law enforcement and emergency response systems and
their ties to geographical jurisdictions or to specific functions, and the need to function
cohesively in the event of a terrorist attack.
State Official's Guide to Homeland Security (PDF)
Chad S. Foster, The Council of State Governments, 2002
This tool is designed to help state policymakers make important public safety decisions. Intended as a resource for understanding the states' roles before and after September 11, it introduces officials to the critical issues of homeland security and outlines factors to consider and assess when making policy decisions about counter-terrorism and terrorism response.
The Strategic Plan for Safeguarding the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Against Terrorist and Related Threats
Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, December 2002
This report outlines threats that confront the Commonwealth and the nature of the state's vulnerabilities; describes the concrete steps taken by Massachusetts since the events of September 11, 2001 to enhance security and to protect the Commonwealth from terrorism; addresses measures that still need to be taken or continued; and sets forth a series of specific recommendations designed to guide and improve Commonwealth security. As the first statewide blueprint to address the threat of terrorism to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this Strategic Plan builds upon the National Strategy for Homeland Security issued by the Office of Homeland Security in July 2002.
Washington State Hazard Mitigation Plan
Washington Emergency Management Division, April 2004
Washington State is the first state to secure federal approval for a state plan to prevent and handle natural disasters. Its Washington State Plan provides policy guidance for hazard mitigation and identifies goals, objectives, actions, and initiatives for the state government to reduce injury and damage from natural hazards.
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