Earn money for your VFD, CERT, school and others just for who you know

The coronavirus outbreak has financially impacted first responders and volunteers across the country very hard – especially volunteer fire departments since a chunk of annual budgets come from community fundraisers like raffles, dinners, street fairs and other public functions.

Fedhealth has an easy way to help complement fundraising efforts for volunteers (VFDs, CERTs, K9 teams, etc.), nonprofits, schools and others (including individuals) just by spreading the word about our customizable preparedness and first aid book and PDF ebook.

Volunteers and others can…

• Earn 15% on referred bulk book and ebook orders!
• Raise funds without taking orders, collecting money, etc.;
• Just refer agencies, businesses and groups to www.fedhealth.net or ph# 520.907.2153;
• Fedhealth does ALL the work including providing and helping referrals with free customization then sends referral $$ once order is paid in full!

For example, say a Volunteer Fire Dept or CERT refers a county Health Dept or Emergency Management Agency…

• County calls Fedhealth direct and orders 5,000 books customized with local plans, COVID-19 messaging, floodplain data, etc.
• Cost for custom books:   $  22,500  (5,000 x $4.50 / book + free customization)
• Total amount earned (15%) for Referral: $  3,375

And, if agencies or groups cannot take cash donations, Fedhealth can purchase needed equipment or supplies or provide that value in books or ebooks that can be used however you wish.

Learn more, download a free ebook, and find some handouts to share with others at www.fedhealth.net/funding-ideas … or call 520-907-2153 so we can help fund and support YOUR organization and help our nation get better prepared for emergencies and disasters.

Proceeds benefit the U.S. First Responders Association

Educational and fun preparedness links and resources for families & kids

With scenes of empty store shelves, fights over toilet paper and most Americans being told to stay home due to the COVID-19 outbreaks, many of us will have a lot of time on our hands in the coming days and weeks.

And, since internet access is not a problem for most (as it often is whenever there is a weather-related disaster or emergency), there are things people can do to learn more about getting themselves and their loved ones prepared for the unexpected (including a zombie apocalypse!)

The U.S. has approximately 800,000 active Law Enforcement Officials (including Police & Sheriff), 1.1 million Firefighters (over 70% are volunteers), and 210,000 EMT / paramedics meaning there are about 2.1 million first responders supporting over 327 million Americans.

And with some quarantines impacting health and public safety personnel in communities around the country (and world), you, your family and neighbors could be the “first” first responders if an emergency or disaster strikes.

Knowledge is power and can help reduce fear and anxiety. Consider taking the below online CERT course and visit some of the kid-friendly sites near the bottom to educate your family and have some fun while doing it.

Community Emergency Response Team

In the U.S. and Canada, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train volunteers to assist first responders in emergency situations in their communities.

CERT members give critical support to first responders during emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

Normally the CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course, and includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations and is usually delivered in 2-1/2 hour sessions, one evening a week over a 7 week period.

FEMA also provides an online study course called “Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams“, IS 317, for those wanting to complete training or as a refresher for current team members.

The online course takes between 6 and 8 hours to complete and includes 6 modules…

• CERT Basics,
• Fire Safety,
• Hazardous Material and Terrorist Incidents,
• Disaster Medical Operations,
• Search and Rescue,
• and Course Summary.

While IS-317 is useful as a primer or refresher for CERT training, it is not equivalent to, and cannot be used in place of, the classroom delivery of the CERT Basic Training.

But it is educational and easy to do from your home or office and is a great teaching tool for your entire family. Learn more at FEMA.gov

Also, if you have high school and/or college kids in your family, Teen CERT can give them the above mentioned skills to protect themselves, their family, and friends in case of disaster or emergency. Learn more at www.ready.gov/teen-cert and share above FEMA course link with them too.

Educational and fun preparedness resources for families & kids:

Free ebook (67-pg portion of our preparedness & first aid manual with tips + resources about floods, hurricanes, infectious diseases (e.g. flu, COVID-19, staph, etc.), wildfires, family plans, kits + more) www.fedhealth.net

Ready Kids www.ready.gov/kids

Ready.gov (resources for families, kids, businesses + pets) www.ready.gov

CDC’s Ready Wrigley www.cdc.gov/cpr/readywrigley

CDC (tips for families, college students & kids) www.cdc.gov  

CDC’s Zombie preparedness www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/

Sesame Street (Let’s Get Ready) www.sesamestreet.org/toolkits/ready

FSC custom book project helps fund first responders and prepare communities

Since 1999 we (Bill and Janet Liebsch) have worked with city, county, state and federal agencies, businesses, nonprofits and others across North America providing our custom It’s A Disaster! books in bulk for their respective communities.

And, for the past few years, we’ve been offering our revenue sharing ideas associated with the larger custom book option (i.e. adding extra pages for advertisements, etc.)

Many clients want to do large custom book projects for their communities, but more often than not, coordinators are too busy to take on this type of project … or, in some cases, they aren’t allowed to ~ esp. agency coordinators.

So … we recently formed a new consulting company called Fedhealth Services Corp to help facilitate and manage custom book projects that will benefit local emergency management and first responder agencies, nonprofits, businesses and the general public at large.

FSC can help your community

Basically any agency, CERT, MRC, VOAD, nonprofit or other contact can provide FSC some key contacts in their community (e.g. Chambers, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, LEPC chairs, EM coordinators, etc.), and we can reach out to them on that coordinator’s behalf and help manage a bulk custom book deal.

FSC can work directly with Chambers, Rotary Clubs or other business groups encouraging members to place ads inside books for pennies on the dollar. The goal is to offer discounts and freebies to local residents helping them save money year round.

The money raised can purchase custom books PLUS we will share revenue back with Chambers and other business groups / partners, local first responders and project coordinators.

We can also work with local emergency and city/county officials to ensure their preparedness messages, plans and other data for residents and businesses are included in custom books.

For example, let’s say a small city or county wants 5,000 customized books using 250 pages for coupons and discounts for the public + 50 pages for local emergency information wrapped around our 266-page disaster preparedness and first aid manual.

And the coordinator refers FSC to a local Chamber and their members pay only 16 cents per page (less than a postcard) for a color ad on glossy paper.

That means the total cost to advertisers would be $800 for a full page color ad (or $400 for 1/2 pg, $200 for 1/4 pg, or only $100 for 1/8 pg ad) that appears in all 5,000 books. Plus the Chamber (and others) will make money for helping put this deal together!

In other words… 5,000 books with 250 pages of color ads @ $0.16 per page could generate:

Benefits for Chambers and other partners

Chambers and other business groups who work with FSC on a custom book project can…

• Earn revenue back from members’ ad purchases = new profit center;

• Brand book project as a Chamber (or Rotary, etc.) sponsored whole community preparedness savings program;

• Help fund your local first responders and emergency managers;

• Promote Chamber (or Rotary Club, etc.) on a free page or 2 in book;

• Recruit new members by offering a discount on annual dues if they purchase an ad;

• Encourage members to offer discounts and freebies on day-to-day products and services;

• Generate excitement in the community since people will save so much money they will want a new book every year;

• Become a hero to your members for being involved in something so beneficial to the community and so affordable ~ especially since books and ads stay in front of people year-round. And, by offering extremely discounted ad rates as shown above, it allows all sizes of businesses to participate.

FSC can structure projects and donations back to the various groups in whatever manner works best for each community and partner.

It’s a true Whole Community public-private partnership program that generously funds nonprofits, agencies, volunteer groups, civic clubs and others while helping our nation become more prepared and resilient.

Learn more at www.fedhealth.net or call FSC at 520-907-2153 to plan out a book project for YOUR community … and let’s make a difference together!

Note: FSC will donate a portion of all proceeds to the U.S. First Responders Association.

Some examples of National Preparedness Month activities and projects

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM or #NatlPrep) and we – along with a coalition of thousands of private, public and nonprofit organizations – are encouraging businesses, groups, schools and families to take time to help your community get better prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

Below are some creative projects and ideas that other organizations are doing (or have done) in case these could benefit your preparedness campaigns.

A key goal is to come up with fun and educational ways to get kids and adults involved..!

Some examples of NPM activities

During National Preparedness Month FEMA and Ready organizers are asking Americans to take action by planning a National PrepareAthon! Day on or around September 30th. America’s PrepareAthon! encourages millions of people to focus on simple, specific activities like hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises that will increase preparedness.

Join the America’s PrepareAthon! campaign and register to participate in the September 30 national day of action. Once you register you have access to guides, social media tools, and customizable materials you can use during drills or exercises on 9/30 and year-round. The key is turning knowing into doing!

This is the 5th year of the 30 Days, 30 Ways Preparedness Challenge, in honor of National Preparedness Month. This game has grown exponentially over 4 years with over 10,000 preparedness tasks being completed. In the past, CRESA have relied on community donated prizes which have come in all shapes & sizes. This year, organizers want to reward players with $10-25 Amazon Gift Cards which are easier to share across the globe and don’t require shipping costs to their agency.

Help sponsor #30days30Ways and learn more about the Preparedness Challenge at www.30days30ways.com or follow them on Twitter@30Days_30Ways or Facebook

Entries are no longer being accepted for the APHA’s Get Ready Tips from Tots Photo contest but they will be announcing the winners in September, so stay tuned for some baby cuteness. Winners will be featured in a Get Ready calendar. Visit APHA’s baby photo gallery

And if you missed their past few contests, check out  APHA’s Get Ready Cat Preparedness Photo Contest  and Pup-Preparedness Photo Contest.

Learn more about APHA at www.getreadyforflu.org or follow them on Twitter@GetReady

The Emergency Kit Cook-Off challenges you to find creative use for the three day’s worth of food and potable water that you squirreled away for the family in case of an emergency. The Emergency Kit Cook-Off offers the public two ways to participate—1) vote on ingredients and 2) submit a recipe.

Learn more and join the fun at www.emergencykitcookoff.org or follow them on Twitter at @KitCookOff  or on Facebook

Another way to support your community is to join a local Citizen Corps , CERT or Medical Reserve Corps … or call your city or county Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Health or Sheriff Department and ask about volunteer opportunities. Or talk to your local Salvation Army or Red Cross office … and get involved!

Learn more about National Preparedness Month at www.ready.gov/september and encourage your families, friends, co-workers and communities to take action to prepare!

Source: Fedhealth Aug 2014 enews 

New way to share collaborative ideas

FEMA’s Whole Community Approach and their push for more Public-Private Partnerships across the nation fits perfectly with our core mission of collaborating with groups to help educate communities while helping fund and support volunteers, first responders and others.

For decades there have been many initiatives and programs offered by agencies and groups to get the public involved, but sadly there is still a ton of apathy and complacency in this country.

One key thing is … we’ve got to find ways to make preparedness an integral part of society and make it so everyone benefits within each and every community.

Our collaborative ideas can gently force preparedness data into homes and businesses using both public and private sectors … and … generate funds for local nonprofits, schools, volunteers + First Responders … and … create excitement about preparedness!

For example, some benefits of using our customizable books (and CDs and ebooks) include…

• educating local communities about disaster preparedness and basic first aid;

• maximizing grants (great draw down vehicle + qualifies as public education);

• earning about a $4-to-$1 return on match;

• including local data like evacuation maps, shelter data, plans, logos, etc for free;

• complementing employee or volunteer handbooks, safety data and plans;

• promoting your agency, business or volunteer group inside the front of books;

• collaborating with businesses to sponsor purchases or place ads (we print ads for free);

• helping CERTs, Scouts, VOADs, schools, etc earn funds + generate buzz by partnering with public & private sectors..!

We recently setup a new page where FEMA Think Tank and National Preparedness Coalition members, CERT and MRC coordinators, Chambers, VOADs, Troop leaders and others can download a free portion of our IT’S A DISASTER! book and some collaborative funding ideas.

Please share ideas with volunteers, agencies, businesses, churches, civic clubs and others trying to form Public-Private Partnerships in their communities.

Visit www.fedhealth.net to learn more or call Fedhealth at 520.907.2153 to discuss ways we can help support YOUR efforts!