Public Outreach

David L. Maack, CEM, CPM, WCEM

Racine County Emergency Management

Are you on the radar screen?

In case of emergency, break glass…

“We labor in the courthouse basement, try to get people to come to training and talk to the media when we get a chance and the topic of disasters comes up.  Most of the time we live in the shadows of government and the Private sector.  Generally we are not sitting at the table with decision makers when there aren't any disasters to be addressed.  We can feel "pigeon holed" as to our function and basically put in a box with the sign that says, "In case of emergency, break glass."

-Eric Holdeman

Emergency Managers

What do we do?• Coordinate

• Facilitate

• Resource Management

What is it built on?• Relationships

What are relationships built on?

Trust

“Like any valuable relationship, the ones we have in business hinge on trust.  And trust depends on openness, respect and humanity.  Yet we often resist taking that approach in our professional lives, even though we know it would be absurd to do anything else in our personal lives.” 

--Daniel Pink, author and speechwriter

Trust

A culture that fosters a high standard of ethics; instills mutual trust and confidence.

Building TrustA leader can build people’s faith in his or

her trustworthiness through: Predictable behavior. Clear communication. Keeping promises. Being forthright.

Reputation A Reputation can’t be built on false

promises Reputation must reflect what you’re

doing NOW A reputation pays off in the long run A reputation can’t be a con job Your reputation can be ruined by

othershttp://abbottpr.blogspot.com/2009/01/5-characteristics-of-reputation.html

The reputation of a

thousand years may

be determined by the

conduct of one hour.

-Japanese Proverb

Ethical Lapses

"To build may have to be the

slow and laborious task of

years. To destroy can be the

thoughtless act of a single

day.”

-Winston Churchill

Trust Busters Distorting, withholding, or concealing real motives. Falsifying relevant information. Attempting to control or dominate. Not discussing or meeting others’ expectations of

performance or behavior. Attempting to evade responsibility for behavior. Accepting credit for other people’s work. Not honoring commitments. Gossiping.

Rebuilding Trust Accept responsibility Admit the mistake Apologize Act to deal with the consequences Make amends Attend to people’s reactions and

concerns

Whole community planning

Hindrances

Bunker Mentality Lone Ranger Mentality Head in the Sand Mentality Bootstrap Mentality Beggar Mentality

Bunker Mentality

Bunkers down, Little contact with the outside world

Defensive Exaggerated sense of being

under persistent attack from others

Waits for the air raid siren to go off.

Lone Ranger Mentality

Goes it alone! Doesn’t consult

others Knows everything Planning done in a

vacuum

Head in the Sand Mentality

Oblivious to the world around Resistant to change Cannot recognize problems It wont happen here! Don’t have the time, $$,

resources Not a priority Doesn’t keep up with changing

technology

Bootstrap Mentality

Doesn’t need anyone Been there done that Relies on own insights,

experiences etc. Everyone else should

be able to do it on their own

Beggar Mentality

Always looking for $$ or donations

Looks to others to do all the work

Offers little or nothing in return

Emergency Management

Define Audience/Stakeholders

Municipalities

NGOs

Public

Public Safety Agencies

WEM

Churches

Schools

County Board

County Departments

County Executive

Potential partners

NGO’s Other public safety agencies Media- Newspaper,Radio and TV (cable

access) Businesses (Targeted) Universities and community college Faith based organizations

Why partner?

Building partnerships maximizes resources,

lightens the load, generates fresh ideas helps reach both a targeted &

broader audience Often community/volunteer minded

& focused Source for resources and skills

Why build partnerships

In Kind Support Monetary contributions Technical assistance Buy-In Credibility Alternate perspective

Raising your visibility

Network Volunteer Serve on boards, committees

and commissions Public outreach & education Build relationships

6 Steps to Raising Your Value

Share information Don't just tell, show Justify investments Make your contributions clear to

executives Find out what people really need Communicate what your agency

can contribute-Eva Neumann, Public CIO

Maintaining partnerships

1. Getting Together• Define roles, responsibilities, and outcomes.

• Learn, assess, and build trust.

• Make sure that each of you brings something to the table.

• Win-Win

2. Building the Foundation• Create short-term benefits to cement commitment.

• Keep partners engaged through intellectual excitement.

3. Developing and Sustaining the Vision• Couple honest disagreement with a need to cooperate.

• Be patient and persistent.

Communication

Scouting

Merit badges

Disaster camporee

CERT training

Eagle service

Yorkville United Methodist Church $4500 grant to upgrade well Disaster relief site, a base for

distributing goods and services, to actually housing residents during long-term power outages or loss of property.

Needed an on-site water supply. An existing generator will supply power to the building and to the well in the event of major power outages.

Yorkville UMC is a member of Tri-County VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster).

Local media

Monthly safety poster

Journal Times produces posters

WRJN features a monthly safety discussion

Department of Corrections

Master Exercise Practitioners

Inmate Labor

Resources

CERT

Other Groups

Aging & Disability Resource Center

TRIAD Neighborhood Watch NAMI United Way Leadership Program Volunteer Center Chambers, Businesses and

Industry

Realities

It takes work! SILOS People are busy, agencies are

understaffed Emergency preparedness is not a priority Apathy runs rampant-it wont happen to us

Tips

Look for ways to engage partners

Focus on short term projects to build “buy-in”

Respect their time Give vs Get!

For more information

David L. Maack, CEM, CPM, WCEM

Racine County Emergency Management

730 Wisconsin Ave

Racine, WI 53403

262.636.3515

david.maack@goRacine.org