About 'readiness' in our Indianapolis community... to urgently & importantly demonstrate God's loving care as we reach our neighborhoods compassionately, including the Good News of His eternal care offer.

Receive citywide emergency mobile-alerts:  Text 'ON INDYPRAYER' to 40404.

Follow @ReadyIndy on Twitter, for the newly-forming Indianapolis CEN chapter info.

And #readycity is the official tag for a wider set of interactions among Twitter-users.

Moreover, here's a multi-agency EmergencyNews listfeed esp. for Indy/Indiana folks.

Our primary (Christian, collaborative) readiness initiative here in the metro area is called...

'ReadyIndy'  ... Contact us at ReadyIndy.org.  We're comprised of...

'Ready CITIZENS':   [And here's the corresponding INDIANA site.] Basic (secular) preparation for everyone.  See other community training items (way below) that you'll find useful.  But here are the 3 basics...

• Make a Kit.
• Make a Plan.
• Stay Informed.

'Ready CHRISTIANS':   Be a ReadyCitizen (see above)... and more:  Be 'Trained to be aware of what God is doing, Prepared to survive & support others, Ready to pray, care & give hope to those in crisis.   

• Study the biblical readiness standard.
• Get a Buddy.  A partner for accountability & action. 
• Practice the Prayer-Care-Share readiness lifestyle.

'Ready CHURCH' -- A Church-Team of 'Ready Christians'. 

• Use the ReadyChristian & ReadyChurch materials to train enough people to create your core team.
• Establish an Emergency Operations Plan (incl continuity plan), and practice it. 
• Get a 'Buddy Church'; start developing an MOU (Memo of Understanding).  

'Ready CITY' -- Greater Indianapolis 9-County metro area becoming a 'Ready City'. 
 We're the metro chapter of the national Christian Emergency Network ...

• Build the Team    (Metro team + Nine county-teams of 5 roles each).
• Build the Plan      (Metro EOP)
• Build Partnerships with other 'Ready Cities'

Here's our history & progress so far...

• READYINDY (CEN) Founded Sept.24, 2010
• READYINDY (CEN) Launch Jan 14, 2011
• READYINDY (CEN) Rally June 10, 2011 
• READYINDY (CEN) Activity#1 - The Great Shakeout
• READYINDY (CEN) Activity#2 - Henryville
• READYINDY (CEN) Activity#3 - Ready City Exercise (Sept 1st)  
• READYINDY Activity#_________________________

• READYINDY 'Peace-time' Size-up 

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OTHER READINESS INITIATIVES

• Salvation Army - Indiana  [FBpage]
  

• Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN)
• Indiana-based.  Kevin Cox @KCox1111 - leader. Former INVOAD leader. Will train your church in various aspects of emergency readiness and disaster-relief. 

• People Helping People Network
• @JeffCardwell, Leader 

• Faith Hope & Love - Citywide Compassion Initiation
• Merlin Gonzales, Leader @FHLintrntnl 

• Crisis Response International -

• Convoy of Hope (Carl Lamb, Indy leader)

• Southern Baptist (Indiana) Disaster-Relief

• MNA Disaster Relief 
  

• Operation Blessing/Christian Broadcasting Network (if chapter available here) 

• Nazarene Disaster Relief 

• Hope International  (if chapter available here)

• Lutheran Disaster Services

• UMCOR/United Methodist Disaster Relief

• Victim Relief  (if chapter available here)

• World Vision  (if chapter available here)

• Samaritans Purse/Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (Horizon Emergency Response Team, Indy)

• Government-Sponsored LOCAL Training
• C.E.R.T.  -- Community Emergency Response Teams
• STATE DIRECTORY OF INDIANA CERTS
• Marion Co. CERT - Also see Southport CERT & Butler Campus CERT   
• Hamilton Co. CERT - @HamiltonCtyCERT (video) - Also see Westfield CERT  
• Johnson Co. CERT -
• Hendricks Co. CERT -
• Madison Co. CERT -
• Hancock Co. CERT -
• Shelby Co. CERT -
• Morgan Co. CERT -
• Boone Co. CERT -  

• Govt-sponsored ONLINE Training & Available Exercises
  
• ICS-100  Introduction to Incident Command System (3hrs) 
• IS-29  Introduction to Public Info Officer (PIO) Awareness (2.5hrs) 
• IS-200b  ICS for Single Resource or Initial Action Incidents (NIMS, 3hrs)
• IS-242a  Effective Communication (generic) 
• ICS-300  Officer & Chiefs' Roles (pdf) 
• IS-700a  Introduction to National Incident Mgmt System (NIMS, 3hrs) 
• IS-702a  Public Info Systems (NIMS, 3hrs) 
• IS-800b  National Response Framework (NSF, 3rs) 
• IS-704  Communications & Info Mgmt (NIMS, ) 
• Other FEMA / NIMS Courses -- 
• FEMA TABLE-TOP Exercises for your group training  (Idea-scale discussion page)
• CERT Drills & Exercises 
• Formidable Footprint Exercises (group training) 

• Govt & Non-Profit Organizations Involved in Emergency Mgmt
• FEMA / Department of Homeland Security
• @FEMAregion5 includes Indiana
• @IDHS - Indiana Dept of Homeland Security.  
• National Hurricane Center 
• VOAD - National Volunteers Active in Disasters - See their Long-term Recovery Manual.pdf
• INVOAD - Indiana Volunteers Active in Disasters 
• INOFBCI - Indiana Office of Faith Based & Community Initiatives -- the governor's point-people re disaster relief coordination.
• Indiana's Get Prepared site  
• Indiana Crisis Assistance & Recovery Team (I-CART) 
• IN 211... Information 24x7 Hotline. Visit their site for current disaster-relief information
•  City of Indianapolis 'Front Porch Alliance' (Doug Hairston, Director) urges people to primarily give donations -- for rapid & flexible effectiveness.  Organizations wishing to provide volunteers should sign up at http://www.davis-in-marioncounty.org
• Marion County Emergency Management Agency [outdated, needs update]
• Indianapolis office of Homeland Security 
• Official State of Indiana website with updates daily... and audio-reports from the governor 

• Links for future consideration & development...
• Communications (Indianapolis) page... includes a 'Vital Vine' concept for a citywide phone-tree.  Also see our MEDIA CENTER wiki-page.
• Ham-radio operators ( Ham and Internet Access )/CB operators have access to the wiki.
• Emergency Management needs a layered strategy (hi tech over lo tech to no tech) to meet any possible so-called "fire sale" scenario.  All systems have flaws.  People do find them.
• "Twitter, Facebook Called To A Higher Purpose" (InsteDD)
• InsteDD.org -- secular, but very innovative, well-done collaborative approach... down to the neighborhood by neighborhood level.  We (The Church) could learn much from being more astute and adept in the use of such tools.  Our IndyChristianGeeks may take up the discussion shortly.  [ht:DrThomasHo]
• First Alert Texting --
• City's Emergency Text-alert system --
• Indy ChristianVolunteering.org -- currently is not adapted to emergency situations, but could be in the future.
• SAVI.org -- The SAVI GIS system (hosted by IUPUI's Polis Center) is great -- and have data needed during an emergency.  SAVI is providing an increasing set of data re 'Social Assets & Vulnerability Indicators' for our metro area.  [And we are interacting with their techs -- and would someday like to help do training of our churches and neighborhood leaders re how to easily use this system.]
• Houma Louisiana church provides innovative method of tracking members during emergencies
• Get trained !   ...Per Tony Portell... get trained, so you're not perceived by govt... as 'in the way'... Get trained online re NIMS... especially these 4 courses.... 100, 200, 700, 800.
• Indy Christian Communications Team -- Discuss Emergency Management communications?
• Great article re Emergency Twitter
• Red Cross Safe And Well - one way for people to find friends/relatives status in disaster. So if you're in a disaster, be sure and register your status.
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