Colorado Division of Emergency Management Weekly Information Report

Carolyn Bluhm Honored as "Unsung Hero"

Carolyn Bluhm, Community Relations Specialist with Denver's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, has been chosen by the Denver Federal Executive Board and the Federal Women's Program (FWP) as the recipient of the 2009 Unsung Hero in Public Service Award. The award recognizes Carolyn's extraordinary efforts in the areas of citizen preparedness and volunteer coordination, including training for Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and efforts to improve emergency preparedness for citizens with disabilities.

CONGRATULATIONS to Carolyn for a job WELL DONE!!!

Grant Writing Workshop in Denver

The Denver Regional Council of Governments and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Denver, September 10-11, 2009. Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend. For more information including venue location, cost, and registration info, please visit - http://grantwritingusa.com/events/write/drcog0909.html or contact Suzi Walker, Denver Regional COG at (303) 480-6729 swalker@drcog.org or Cathy Rittenhouse, Grant Writing USA at (800) 814-8191 cathy@grantwritingusa.com

ABC 7 Denver - EM: Residents Should Not Rely on Warning Sirens Alone

Just a note that DEM did an interview with ABC 7 Denver re: Emergency Managers: Residents Should Not Rely on Warning Sirens Alone on 22 Jul 09. To read (view aired broadcast on right side of page) at http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20148767/detail.html

DHS Wants Your Opinion!

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is conducting the first ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) that will establish the strategic foundation for homeland security activities over the next four years. It will take place during a series of dialogues that require pre-registration. Visit www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org for more info and to pre-register by Aug 3, 2009.

EMAC A-Team and NIMS/ICS Train the Trainer App Deadlines Extended

The application deadlines, originally set for mid-July to register for both the EMAC A-Team and the NIMS/ICS Train the Trainer Programs have been extended to the end of July. For course info, check the CDEM Training Page or contact Robyn Knappe by email at robyn.knappe@state.co.us or at (720) 852-6617.

DEM Info Report - Poll Numbers...

Following last week's call for input regarding the use and future of the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Weekly Report, I wanted to pass along the feedback. Of the 496 people on this circular, with 200 or so known to routinely read or open the document, I received 6 comments. I very much appreciate those that took the time to offer a quick note on what they like about the report and what they would like to see circulated by DEM.

In short (OK, I am a PIO, so I recognize there is every chance this won't be as short as I intend... but...), the singular, common theme in the comments received was the utility of the Weekly for circulating training notices and training contact info (normally, I would, therefore, put the training stuff first... but... Carolyn deserved top billing!!!). One commenter requested more information on regional updates, exercises/lessons learned and more what's new at CDEM info. Another commenter requested Colorado Emergency Planning Commission (CEPC) coverage and requested the DEM CEPC web page be expanded and that Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)/Hazardous Material Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant info and opportunities should also be made available online.. (embarrassingly.. when I checked this one online, the HMEP grant app deadline posted was Oct 08 - I completely missed that one when going through the site! So, you could not be more on-target about the need to update that page... "thanks" [he adds, sheepishly]). One commenter asked whether the decline in content volume on the Weekly is indicative of a move towards more use of social media and another commented that greater use of links might help drive traffic around the site. I wanted to quickly address each of these.

- Training - Agree. I think this is the greatest benefit of the Weekly and it is the primary reason the Weekly continues. I would like to expand this to include Colorado-wide trainings but have to rely on those I am told about, stumble upon or find out about. So, keep 'em coming and I'll post them!. For send around, the simplest way for me to do this is to compile the trainings and generate a bulleted list to include date/location, title and a contact point with an HTML link to a more detailed page, be it CDEM, CDPHE or another site. I'll talk more about this below.

- Regional Updates/Lessons Learned and What's New - Right on. This is the goal of the DEM web site in-development. Because the overwhelming number of visitors to the CDEM web site hail from the EM ranks, the new site is being constructed as a hub for the Colorado EM community as a resource and to help connect us as a Colorado EM community better through comprehensive contact lists for specific personnel, web sites, social media or other streams, available alert systems, updated news/events, etc. . I would like to have specific pages for each of the regions and programs and will be linking to the team/partner pages, seeking updates and provide an opportunity for many involved in the EM Colorado community to use the DEM site as a way of exchanging info.

- CEPC Web Page and LEPC/HMEP Grants - the new web page will continue to maintain a CEPC web page, which will be re-vamped for the launch and appreciate any suggestions on specifics so as I build the page, I can ensure it meets your needs... your page, after all! The other point on grants is dead on, and not just specific to the LEPC/HMEP grants, but grants writ large have been a particular subject that I have discussed as I moved door-to-door around DEM seeking input on projects and online materials we should upload. As such, I can tell you there is going to be a significantly expanded presence for grant information, including forms and assistance tools across the board of grants DEM administers, all accessible from one portal on the front page. For those we do not administer, I will be making a special effort to provide outside links and contacts. I think this is one of the areas we can best serve as an online resource.

- Social Media - No shock here, I am a fan. That said, they are one tool of many. This is another tool of sending around info. In its current format, however, it is not an efficient tool and that is where I seek improvement. My preference is rooted more in efficiency and yield for effort. In short, I like the weekly concept and content, but would rather reach the same (or larger!) audience directly via email and enable the user to choose links, scan the doc easily and simply my circulation process.The current structure of the weekly requires me to use a designated computer with the appropriate software. It requires adhering to an html-based standard that must be generated and uploaded directly from either my desktop or a laptop with an aircard that allows me to connect remotely to the Department of Local Affairs shared drive. If I really wanted to, I could create a clean html page, but would still have to network-in from the outside to ensure that the Weekly was placed on the internet server and in the appropriate que for uploading (I can only direct upload from my computer so I have to wait for the upload cycle to run if posted from outside). Then, when the actual Weekly page is crafted and uploaded, I then have to go to another page and update that link, adding an additional step. Social media tools allow me to do updates and circulate info with greater flexibility and in a more timely fashion -- from any medium, i.e., the blackberry, home computer, desk computer, etc. I can track social media, which I like. While in an email format, I would not be able to track as easily (without annoying you with the 'confirmation receipt/read' note which I am not going to do...), I have a general idea based on history of who will and who will not open it. If I can provide the same content, but increase the chances the other 396 will read it and make the process easier for you as a reader and me as the provider, good deal. Email it is.

Links - Yep. Greater use of links should drive more traffic. I certainly strive to include links in each of the sections on the Weekly. That said, in its current form as a web page, the links followed are limited to the number of people that click on the Weekly to read it. So, if we are only getting 200 opening the Weekly of the 496, there remains an at-best data set of 200 of those that open it that might follow a link. My hope is that we can find a cleaner, front-end solution that works better and enhances traffic flow by eliminating the middle step of the HTML-based Weekly and encourage proliferation as your forward to others, great!

SOLUTION? I know, the answer has been lengthy, and I can't help but wonder how many are left at this para... but I thought it was important to address each of the issues so a better path forward can be found. SO, my thoughts are to still send out a Weekly Report, but in a changed format. I propose to send out an email that would be simple, straightforward and bullet-style. The more detailed info would rest online, instead of in the body of an HTML document in one source. It would list, first and foremost, trainings and would provide title, date/time, point of contact and a link. Other subjects would follow a similar pattern and be designed in an email (vs. HTML) format to facilitate scanning, ease of the user and ease of writing, and yield better traffic to the web site (and our partner web sites) by cutting out the middle effort of the HTML. How does that sound? If no one hiccups, we'll run a test of it next week.

...and, yes, I realize this has been a whale of a response that can be boiled down to "I'm sending this to you via email next week" - :) - have a great weekend!

Brandon

Any comments, additions, or other suggestions you have for this report or on the DEM site? Don't hesitate to contact me at (303) 472-4087 or at brandon.williams@state.co.us