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Background On Some Of Our Partners and Coalition Members
The SBC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications
Inc. The SBC Foundation supports efforts that enrich and strengthen
diverse communities nationwide, particularly those with an emphasis
on education and technology and those that benefit underserved
populations. SBC employees are committed to enriching and strengthening
America's diverse communities through financial support and millions
of volunteer hours. Team SAFE-T is being implemented with $1 million
in funding from The SBC Foundation.
The mission of the California Department of Education (DOE) is
to provide leadership, assistance, oversight and resources so
that every Californian has access to an education that meets world-class
standards. Working with its partners, the DOE creates dynamic,
world-class education systems that equip all students with the
knowledge and skills to excel in college and careers, and excel
as parents and citizens. The DOE disseminates information regarding
Team SAFE-T to school districts and principals in order to help
them enroll their teachers and schools in the program. Additionally,
the DOE approved the Team SAFE-T educational materials for use
by schools in meeting state mandates for earthquake and fire emergency
instruction statewide and for winter weather instruction in Northern
California.
Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more
than 70,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the
majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes,
tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents,
explosions, as well as other natural and man-made disasters. Red
Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency
disaster-caused needs. For Team SAFE-T, the American Red Cross
developed the age-appropriate educational materials that will
be used to teach school children throughout California how to
respond to emergencies. American Red Cross volunteers will staff
Team SAFE-T events at local schools, as well as help lead the
training sessions.
The California Service Corps (CSC) seeks to provide meaningful
forms of volunteerism and service to the people of California
who want to strengthen and support their state through service.
The CSC administers the AmeriCorps program funded by the Corporation
for National and Community Service and the Citizen Corps Program
funded by the Department of Homeland Security. Citizen Corps,
a vital component of USA Freedom Corps, was created to help coordinate
volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger
and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It
provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of
measures to make their families, their homes and their communities
safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all
kinds. The California Service Corps will disseminate information
regarding Team SAFE-T and related volunteer opportunities to its
many programs, partners, and affiliates.
Maria Shriver describes herself as a mother, wife, daughter, sister
and friend, but she also is a best-selling author and an award-winning
broadcast journalist. In January 2004, Shriver left her job at
NBC News to embark on a new phase of her life as First Lady of
California. In her role as First Lady, Shriver serves as the Honorary
Chair of the California Service Corps, which encourages all Californians
to engage in acts of service to strengthen and support their state.
Shriver has supported Team SAFE-T, which is being hailed as a
key education component of the Be Smart. Be Responsible. Be Prepared.
Be Ready! campaign.
The California State Alliance is a non-profit organization that
supports a broad array of projects to benefit Californians while
lessening the burden on state government. As just one example
of an initiative included in the California State Alliance, First
Lady of California Maria Shriver launched Heroic Families, a Military
Families Initiative to support California military families through
volunteer efforts. Her initiative calls on organizations, businesses,
community groups, schools and faith-based groups to volunteer
their time on behalf of military families in their time of need.
Similar support is offered Team SAFE-T.
Alliance initiatives include: engaging Californians in service
to their communities, recognizing the contributions of California
women, aiding California's military families and preparing Californians
for when disaster strikes. The Alliance partnered with the Office
of Emergency Services and California companies to develop a comprehensive
disaster preparedness public relations campaign for the state
entitled, Be Smart, Be Responsible, Be Prepared. Be Ready! This
campaign encourages California families to be prepared for when
disaster strikes by obtaining preparedness information, creating
a family disaster plan and building disaster preparedness kits
for their apartments, homes and cars. The Alliance is also partnering
with Team SAFE-T to teach California's school aged children easy
steps they can take to be prepared too.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates
overall state agency response to major disasters in support of
local government. The office is responsible for assuring the state’s
readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and
war-caused emergencies, and for assisting local governments in
their emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts. During
emergencies, OES activates the State Operations Center (SOC) in
Sacramento and the Regional Emergency Operations Centers (REOCs)
in impacted areas to receive and process local requests for assistance.
OES and other state agency public information officers staff the
OES Emergency News Center to provide emergency information to
the public through the news media. OES maintains the State Emergency
Plan, which outlines the organizational structure for state management
of the response to natural and manmade disasters. OES assists
local governments and other state agencies in developing their
own emergency preparedness and response plans, in accordance with
the Standardized Emergency Management System and the State Emergency
Plan, for earthquakes, floods, fires, hazardous material incidents,
nuclear power plant emergencies, and dam breaks. OES has supported
Team SAFE-T as a key education component of the Be Smart. Be Responsible.
Be Prepared. Be Ready! campaign. OES will provide assistance to
schools in the event of a real disaster.
Promoting customs and practices in the best interests of broadcasters
and the public they serve is the purpose of the California Broadcasters
Association (CBA). As the only statewide broadcasting industry
organization, CBA provides protection and professional services
to further the interests of all commercial radio and television
stations in California. CBA will disseminate Team SAFE-T public
service announcements to drive awareness and participation in
the program.
Univision Communications Inc. ("Univision") is the leading
Spanish-language media company in the United States, including
television, radio, music and Internet offerings that entertain
and inform more Hispanics each day than any other media company
in the country. Television operations include the Univision Network,
TeleFutura Network, Galavisión and Univision and TeleFutura
Television Groups. Univision also owns and operates Univision
Radio, Univision Music Group and Univision Online. Headquartered
in Los Angeles, California, Univision was incorporated in Delaware
in 1992 and its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
(UVN). Univision will provide a range of public service support
and broadcast coverage to Team SAFE-T.
Now in its 15th year of broadcasting, Peabody Award-winning Channel
One News is the leading source of news and information for young
people. The 12-minute news broadcasts are delivered daily to nearly
8 million students and 400,000 educators in nearly 12,000 middle
and high schools across the country. In recent months, Channel
One News has covered fast-breaking world events from regions such
as Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Thailand, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Jordan,
Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Myanmar, and Qatar. Channel One
News programming has been featured on leading networks and news
programs, including CNN, ABC News, the WB, Nightline, and The
Today Show. Channel One News and its three-time Webby Award-winning
Web site, ChannelOne.com, feature stories on breaking news and
in-depth issues that affect the world, the nation and specifically,
America's teenagers. Channel One News will be airing Team SAFE-T’s
PSA featuring Hilary Duff during September and October 2005.
The UCLA School of Public Health is one of the top schools of
public health in the country. It is located in the most diverse
county in the country, which provides a unique setting with unparalleled
opportunities for research, teaching and service. The UCLA Center
for Public Health and Disasters collaborates with local and state
public health agencies, community-based organizations, schools,
hospitals, and agencies in the public and private sector. The
School’s Center for Public Health and Disasters will provide
Team SAFE-T with an evaluation of the program (by gathering feedback
from participating schools) in order to improve components of
the program before it is made available nationwide.
California Professional Firefighters (CPF) is the state's largest
full-service organization dedicated to the needs of career, front
line firefighters. Representing some 30,000 local, state and federal
firefighters in 150 affiliated local associations, CPF's mission
is to improve the lives of front line firefighters, their families
and the communities they serve. In addition to its legislative
advocacy on behalf of firefighters and public safety, CPF also
co-sponsors (with the State Fire Marshal) the California Fire
Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee, a unique labor-management
training and apprenticeship collaboration. CPF's non-profit California
Fire Foundation serves as fiscal agent for Team SAFE-T.
James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA) is a crisis and emergency management
consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Atlanta,
Chicago, and Sacramento, and has unrivaled experience and hands-on
knowledge of public safety, disaster mitigation, continuity of
operations, and emergency management issues. JLWA bridges government
agencies and non-profits with industry and constituents, advises
educational institutions, and assists state and local governments,
as well as international bodies, to prepare for and recover from
disasters and crises. JLWA will provide Team SAFE-T strategic
advisory services and facilitate key introductions for government
and/or corporate sponsorships.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - a former independent
agency that became part of the new Department of Homeland Security
in March 2003 - is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering
from and mitigating against disasters. FEMA will provide Team
SAFE-T with additional resources, as needed.
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