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What is the National Blueprint for Secure Communities AD | 12.16.2006 | 12:11:19 | Views: 17787 | ID: The Blueprint is a dynamic, ever-changing resource, written and compiled by community sector leaders, responders and experts, that identifies: 1) the challenges facing communities during the first 72 hours of crisis; 2) recommendations, ideas and best practices that might address the challenges; and 3) tools that the private and community sectors can provide to the public sector that augment and increase response and recovery capability. Click here for a copy of the 2010 Best Practices. For instance, in meetings with communities such as Galveston and Charleston, a number of best practices were identified and entered into the National Blueprint describing cross-sector collaborations that can be examples for other communities which are exploring ways to forge new partnerships. Working in partnership with the Kennedy School of Government/Leadership for a Networked World (KSG/LNW) at Harvard University, the Community Institute for Preparedness, Response and Recovery (CIPRR) and the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association (CCROA) are reaching out to first responders, local officials, the private and community sectors and citizens in these and other communities throughout the nation to develop the National Blueprint. The Blueprint is an asset to help develop templates for community pilot projects that each year serve as roadmaps for any community working to increase their public sector response capability during the first 72 hours of crisis by leveraging the assets and volunteers of the private and community sectors. Click here to read more ... Today, many American communities simply don't have the assets or financial resources to be fully prepared during the first 72 hours of crisis. Whether the threat comes from a natural disaster or a terrorist attack, many of our cities and towns are at risk. According to the Department of Homeland Security, America's vulnerability is a cause "for significant national concern." In addressing this concern, our communities must find ways to augment their existing public sector resources by leveraging the assets and capabilities of citizens, businesses and communtity organizations during the initial hours or days until help and reinforcement arrive. The National Blueprint for Secure Communities is intended to help fill this void. First response is always a local response. During the first 72 hours of a crisis, the quality of first response will be measured in lives saved, property preserved, and the speed of community recovery. As a society, our confidence in our ability to respond to a disaster, whether natural or man-made, will profoundly effect how we approach the challenges of preserving a free society in an age of terrorism. Eight subcommittees of the CIPRR Associate and Partner Chairs will help develop the Blueprint with the Kennedy School of Government The goal is to seek community input through these committees, the Internet, and the National Congress. The committees will be comprised of first responders, community leaders, private sector representatives, local, state and national officials. Academic experts from the Kennedy School of Government will help organize and catalog the date to develop real solutions. The subcommittees are: Response/Containment The Blueprint will be a living document to help secure America Changes in technology and lessons learned from events like Hurricane Katrina require a Blueprint that is constantly updated and improved. Plans in each community are essential for responding to any natural disaster or terrorist attack, but planning alone is only part of the job. Funding is another requirement. Practice of any plan is essential for every community as citizens are educated and learn what to when they become first responders in a hurricane, earthquake, or terrorist attack. Partnering with DHS and Citizen Corps DHS Citizen Corps and NCORP are discussing areas of possible collaboration, particularly appropriate methods for facilitating NCORP and private sector interests in providing resources to government at all levels to support community preparedness and Citizen Corps. Americans can do the job of securing their communities during the first hours of crisis A recent poll indicated that Americans are gaining confidence that their local responders are up to the task of first response. However, at a recent conference for first responders at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, seventy-five percent of those attending rated their resources to sustain their response fair or poor. All agreed that it is necessary for America's domestic security that each community leverage the private and community sector assets during the first 72 hours of crisis in order to meet the challenge of first response. For more information about the National Blueprint, please email info@nationalblueprint.org
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