When Every Second Counts

On November 10th, Chad Hersey received the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) Director’s Life Saving Award from FLETC Director Connie L. Patrick for saving the life of one of his students during a training course he was conducting in Little Rock, Arkansas.

FLETC Director Connie Patrick presents Chad Hersey with the Director’s Life Saving Award certificate, which reads: “In recognition of your immediate response to a heart attack victim during an export Commercial Vehicle Counterterrorism Training Program in Little Rock, Arkansas, on August 26th, 2009. While acting commendably and without hesitation, you performed CPR and used the AED until emergency medical technicians arrived on scene. As a result, the life of a fellow officer was saved.”

Chad Hersey, one of FLETC’s Physical Techniques Instructors, was conducting a four day training course as part of the Commercial Vehicle Counterterrorism Training Program (CVCTP) in Little Rock, Arkansas, in August. During a training exercise entitled “Tractor-Trailer stop,” where students practice looking for a Weapon of Mass Destruction in a vehicle, one of Chad’s students suddenly clutched his chest and lost consciousness. Chad caught and eased the student to the ground, and, after realizing he wasn’t breathing, began CPR and called for an automated external defibrillator (AED). He performed CPR and used the AED to resuscitate the student, who was unresponsive for a short time. Chad then worked with the student until the Emergency Medical Technicians arrived, and ultimately the student was saved. Chad’s instinctive training, his quick response, and his persistence meant the difference for this student; it could for someone you know, as well.

Chad came to FLETC’s Counterterrorism Training Division in 2005 after a career with the Georgia State Patrol, and joined FLETC’s Physical Techniques Division in March, 2009, where he received his most recent first aid and CPR training. Chad’s heroic act and his ability to respond quickly in this emergency situation were undoubtedly influenced and informed by his CPR and AED training. This can serve as a live-saving lesson for the rest of us. The department encourages the public to be prepared in circumstances like these. Attend an emergency preparedness training, as Secretary Napolitano did in August, when she and her senior staff became CPR and AED certified. Check out the American Red Cross’ website to learn more about getting trained on these and other live-saving skills, and visit ready.gov to stay prepared at home and in the workplace.

Click here to learn more about FLETC and its training programs.

Dr. Alexander Garza is the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security

Prepare yourself...for this video

We promised yesterday that we'd post video of the Secretary's preparedness and resiliency speech. Check it out below.

The full transcript is also available.

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What's Our Plan?

We’ve harped on it for 29 days - September is National Preparedness Month. We’ve directed you to ready.gov, provided tips on how to be prepared and stay informed, and asked you more than once to cough into your sleeve.

No one likes to spend that much time thinking about what could happen – be it a natural disaster or otherwise – but the steps you take to prepare for the unthinkable can make the difference for your place of business, your school, and especially your home. And, it’s the American way: being ready and resilient has helped our nation surmount its biggest challenges for two centuries.

So as National Preparedness Month comes to a close, the Secretary has one more request of you: ask a question. Stand up at school, or at work, or at home, and ask, “What’s our plan?”

The Secretary will deliver a speech at The American Red Cross National Headquarters this afternoon at 2:15 PM EDT on preparedness, and wants to make one final pitch to the American public during the month of September. Bring it up the next time you attend a meeting at your child’s high school, or at church, or around the dinner table. This is a shared responsibility, and we all have a role to play in building a culture where these questions, and this dialogue, are commonplace.

Watch the speech LIVE at http://www.dhs.gov/ starting at 2:15 PM EDT.

Then visit ready.gov to learn more.

Be Ready

Secretary Napolitano was in New York today to introduce a series of new public service advertisement (PSAs) produced for the Ready Campaign. The Ready Campaign's mission is to inform and educate the public on how to best prepare for a major disaster, emphasizing three basic steps every American can take:

1. Put together an emergency supply kit.
2. Make a family emergency plan.
3. Get informed about the types of emergencies that could take place in their communities and appropriate responses.

The Secretary delivered remarks during the press conference:

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility that begins with the American people,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These public service advertisements highlight the simple steps everyone can take to prepare for disasters, enhancing the safety and security of our country.”

Secretary Napolitano unveiled the new PSAs at an event in New York City’s Times Square, joined by New York City Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Bruno, American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern, American Red Cross of Greater New York CEO Theresa Bischoff and Ad Council President and CEO Peggy Conlon.

You can watch the new PSAs by clicking the picture below:

National Preparedness Month

Check out the Secretary's White House Blog post from this morning about National Preparedness Month.

Building a Ready and Resilient Nation

Today marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month, an opportunity for our nation’s families and communities to discuss their plans if they were faced with an emergency.

Protecting the United States from threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious diseases is a shared responsibility and everyone has an important role to play.

This effort starts in our own communities. By talking to your neighbors, friends and family about citizen preparedness – during September and beyond – we can build a culture where shared responsibility for preventing and responding to emergencies is every bit as common as planning for retirement or keeping your car and home in good repair.

For more information about emergency planning, visit www.ready.gov or the Spanish-language site, www.listo.gov.

Individuals can also help by learning a skill like CPR, or volunteering in their community through a local Citizen Corps council.

We look forward to sharing additional ideas and information here, and at DHS.gov throughout the month of September to help all Americans become better prepared for – and more resilient to – emergencies of all kinds.

Janet Napolitano
Secretary

Secretary Attends CPR Certification Training

The Secretary, along with 25 senior officials at the Department, were instructed by Red Cross officials today on CPR and basic first aid.

Watch the video below for the Secretary's remarks from today's training.


Then check our ready.gov for more information on how you can be prepared at home and at work.

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