I was an initial emergency responder to Hurricane Ike that struck Galveston, Texas in 2008. During the disaster operation I was able to review the local television news about how residents of Houston, Texas responded to the disaster. Houston was sufficiently away from the point of initial hurricane landfall, but was still impacted by high winds and water. One person telephoned and presented a lengthy question (complaint) of how she was going to respond to the lack of residential electrical power cut by a tree limb that fell against the power line and blocked her driveway. Her complaints were; how she was going to care for her family member that required  daily asthma treatments, the loss of  general electrical power for her in-home day care service (and the resultant loss of its income), inability to move her automobile, plus the inability to function normally waiting for the power company to restore her electricity.  The reporter’s only response was to listen and encourage her to wait for assistance.  After the dialogue, I reflected on the validity of her requirements. True, she had no electricity, and yet; where was her internal support networks to call on and ask for assistance? Did she not have any friends or family checking on her? Is there not even a neighbor, asking if there is any need for assistance? Is there no one else for immediate assistance besides the government?

 The above situation emphasizes one overarching problem; how have we as members of a community lost our place and value of, and in, the community?

 FEMA’s challenge for, Preparing our Communities Before a Disaster Strikes is an intriguing opportunity to review ideas and present bold new concepts and methods for reforming individual thought about who we are and what we should be capable of during times of disaster. The best way to mitigate future disasters is to be prepared. This is accomplished with education that provides methods and tools for self-reliance, creating and building support networks, and effective ways to communicate. Many people are no longer self reliant and are dependent on the state and federal governments for support and guidance. This is highlighted during disasters. It is time to reverse this way of thinking as we face new global threats and fiscal shortfalls. Individuals must have a plan and take charge of it. It is comforting that we have a government with resources and a desire to protect its citizens; however, it is a mistake to place complete dependence on response services that may be overwhelmed or unavailable during disasters.

 As a first step in our re-education, I suggest a series of public service commercials. Three ideas of these commercials follow:

Basic idea (commercial) to outline one’s personal responsibility and capability to proactively plan of how they will react positively utilizing a defined emergency action plan. This could be structured in the following framework (dialogue) with; for example, three individuals at a table discussing their interdependent and collective action plan at various levels:

• Individual…I can do this-you can do that
• Family…We will meet at Aunt Betty’s
• Network/neighborhood …Statement of, “I thing we organize as a block, just like with Neighborhood Watch”
• Community Church/Synagogue/Mosque/Temple…My church has already discussed this and have agreed to meet here with the following emergency support assets
• City/County/State Government… Our Block Captain, Rabi, or Uncle John will provide the select information to the CERT (governmental) point of contact.
• Federal (Understood) allows local, state, and federal responders to more accurately provide support.

 Basic idea (commercial) where two men are surveying the community rebuilding efforts from a natural disaster. Dialogue between them would be:

• Address the need to never be caught unprepared again
• Stress the importance of community and local elected officials to be wise in implementing mitigation ideas provided by the State and Federal Emergency Management Teams
• Understand there is considerable work to do, especially in the light of a new and changing world; economics, terrorism, more powerful natural disasters.
• Emphasize the resilience of Americans; the ability to capitalize and overcome  adversity
• Emphasize John Kennedy’s maxim, “ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
• Conclude with...”Let’s get to work” (with visual of rolling up one’s shirt sleeves, or a pat on back) “it is not going to get done on its own.”

 Basic idea (commercial) done in a manner similar to the patriotic style of U.S. Marine Corps commercials today (once watched…everyone appreciates there are such defenders of freedom, or wants to immediately sign up)

• Background of a country home, or city apartment, with a side garden, American Flag waving in the breeze (patriotic and community emphasis)
• People on the front porch, engaged during a work break with a glass of water discussing the need to, “do things differently.”
• Visual emphasis of ecology, recycle, community …doing more and doing my part
• Putting stock in America, belief, trust, and work in action
• Being part of something greater than “me”
• Emphasis of historical times … (WW 2 Victory Garden) with discussion of tough times (then) (remember great grand dad) and tough times now…”we can do it today too, if we all pull together.”