Latest From Safe America Blog...

Waffle House As Private Sector Continuity Leader?

What does the Waffle House do to smother, cover, chunk, dice, pepper, cap, top and country disruptions that causemost businesses to shut down? According to the restaurant chain's CEO Walt Ehmer, the recipe for becoming a private sector, continuity leader is pretty simple – "Show Up!" "

No matter how bad it was, the first thing that got open invariably was a Waffle House," said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Craig Fugate in an address to attendees at the International Disaster Conference and Expo in New Orleans this past week. The company's ability and resourcefulness in getting their restaurants back open after an emergency has almost become the source of legend for those in the emergency management community.

UPS’s McKleveen Honored As “Volunteer of the Year” 

Safe America Foundation Recognizes Extraordinary Contributions Volunteer Made To Improving National Preparedness

Atlanta, Dec. 12, 2011 – The Marietta, Georgia-based Safe America Foundation honored UPS Communications Manager Jack McKlveen as its 2011 “Volunteer of the Year.”  This award recognizes Mr. McKlveen’s outstanding contributions towards encouraging one million Americans to participate in the Foundation’s annual national emergency preparedness initiative, the  Be Safe America program and its March to 1 Million campaign.

The Safe America Foundation awards Durham County, NC civic and governmental leaders for their leadership in the creation of a county 911 system capable of receiving text messages. (From Left:  Durham Emergency Communications Center Director, Jim Soukup, Durham Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Casey Steinbacher, Safe America Foundation President & CEO, Len Pagano, and North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing’s Tom Galey.

The October 6, 2011 meeting at the Durham Chamber of Commerce also gave participants an opportunity to discuss a potential Durham Be Safe America exercise engaging the County’s 270,000 residents in preparedness exercises this fall.