March 2019

2018 in Review Upcoming Events

Suicide Prevention Training
2018 was an engaging and successful year for BRACE!
March 8, 2019
Over the course of the year, BRACE staff and volunteers 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
completed the following: Escambia County Public Safety
Building
Participated in 155 trainings, attended 82 6575 N. W St. Pensacola, Fl
meetings and were involved in 49 events in the 32505
community that resulted in a volunteer value of This training is free, but seating
$160,355. is limited and is first come, first
Supported two shelters administered by the served. You can register for the
event here:
American Red Cross that were activated after
https://bookwhen.com/ecems-
Hurricane Michael. training#focus=ev-sp83-
Conducted nine Community Emergency Response 20190308140000
Team (CERT) basic training events that resulted in
83 certifications. Reimagine Winter
Completed one Teen CERT training event which March 9, 2019
produced 10 certifications. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Carpenter's Park
Notably, BRACE was awarded a major grant by Munson Hwy., Milton, FL 32570
Volunteer Florida. We are only midway through the
Shero Warrior Celebration
allotted time period to secure match funding for the
March 8-10, 2019
grant and have already provided $109,086 in match to DeLuna Event Space
date. The match amount has been generated by 116 E. Gonzalez Street
numerous and diverse efforts. BRACE has worked with Pensacola, FL 32501
37 groups in 29 Florida counties of the Hurricane Irma For event schedule visit:
declared area. We conducted seven workshops https://sherowarrior.com/sher
consisting of members from Long Term Recovery o-warrior-conference
Groups (LTRG), government agencies, case managers
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Gulf Coast Science Festival
(FEMA). The workshops had a total of 230 attendees March 29, 2019
9:30 a.m. - Noon
from 34 Florida counties. We also held six presentations
March 30, 2019
at LTRG meetings and supported World Renew with 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
disaster assessments at three locations.
 Seville Square
311 E Government St,

Hands on Pensacola, FL 32502

Following
VISTA
Hurricane Announcements
Michael
BRACE has been in the process
In the aftermath of of selecting a new team of
Hurricane Michael, Volunteers in Service to
America (VISTA) for March 2019
several BRACE
- March 2020. We are pleased to
partners deployed to the City of Mexico Beach as announce that we have
volunteers. Megan Vey, BRACE Volunteer Coordinator, selected the following
tracked volunteer hours for the City of Mexico Beach, individuals: Amanda Murrell,
researched and vetted voluntary organizations that Development Coordinator, Lee-
wanted to volunteer in the city and served as the city's Ann Shaw, Marketing
liaison to the Florida Volunteer Organizations Active in Coordinator, Anna Pope,
Disaster (Florida VOAD). Sam Matthews, CERT instructor Disability Services Coordinator,
and volunteer, helped manage the Points of Distribution Charles Varallo Jr., Information
Technology Coordinator, Aimee
(POD) for nearly five days. The POD distributed food,
Gray, Volunteer Coordinator,
water, cleaning supplies, camping gear and hygiene Dale Fleming, Training
products to survivors. Amie Readdy, CERT disaster Coordinator, Jessica Schmidt,
psychology instructor and volunteer, acted as the Citizen Corps Coordinator,
Operations Section Chief for disaster operations in the Courtney Quinn, Veteran
City of Mexico Beach. Additionally, Roy Wilkinson, CERT Engagement Coordinator, and
instructor and former BRACE CERT Coordinator, Steve Barnett, Disaster
deployed to the Bay County Emergency Operations Planning Coordinator. We
Center to direct Emergency Support Function 15 – would also like to announce
that Rise Orange County has
Volunteer and Donations (ESF15). Great job BRACE
selected VISTA Kimberly
team! Caldwell as their LTRG Outreach
Coordinator and
Communication Media
Specialist and VISTA
Christopher Greene as their
LTRG Project Coordinator.
BRACE is currently looking to
recruit a VISTA Leader (all
applicants must have one year
of successful experience as a
VISTA). If you are interested in
applying, please contact BRACE
Pictured: Megan Vey distributing supplies to Hurricane Michael Director of Operations &
survivors. Readiness, Janet Wilde at 850-
444-7135 or at
brace@bereadyalliance.org

Saying Goodbye
 Pictured from left to right: Megan Vey, Erin Epifanio, and Alexandra Goldsmith

Unfortunately, the time has come when BRACE must part with three VISTA members.
Erin Epifanio, Alexandra Goldsmith and Megan Vey joined BRACE in February 2018, and
their last day with us was February 22, 2019. Over the past year, they have each
accomplished a great deal and have contributed in many valuable and significant ways.

Erin Epifanio served as BRACE’s Citizen Corp Coordinator. While serving, Erin engaged
and communicated with community partners by seeking out and confirming
opportunities for BRACE to perform outreach and promote the CERT program to
various community organizations. She also secured numerous opportunities for BRACE
team members and maintained lines of communication to collaborate between BRACE
and its partner groups. Erin also drafted a curriculum for a Junior Neighborhood Watch
program with assistance from heads of several similar programs overseas.

Alexandra Goldsmith served as BRACE’s Disability Coordinator. Throughout her service,

she created many disability power points that are being used to educate both children
and adults about disabilities and the importance of running disability friendly disaster
operations. Alexandra developed interactive games that were used to illustrate to
players the importance of disaster readiness, as well as how much more difficult it can
be to be disabled in a disaster. She also secured supplies and distributed disaster
readiness buckets to members of the community.

Megan Vey served as BRACE’s Training/CERT Coordinator. During her service, Megan
took on a variety of roles. She held seven CERT Basic Training events where she
successfully trained 78 new CERT members, secured five new CERT trainers and
coordinated five advanced trainings. Megan also spent the year working closely with
volunteers. Most notably, she coordinated volunteers and helped run the Points of
Distribution (POD) in the City of Mexico Beach immediately following Hurricane
Michael. Further, after our Marketing Coordinator's term was completed in May,
Megan assumed some of that responsibility and maintained our marketing functions.

BRACE appreciates every ounce of work they have contributed over the past year to aid
in the success of this organization. BRACE CEO Greg Strader affirmed, "Erin, Alexandra
and Megan will be missed by BRACE partners, CERT members, volunteers and especially
those of us that worked with them day-to-day. They have made significant
contributions to advancing the vision of BRACE to make our community the most
disaster resilient in America." We hate to see them depart, but we wish them great
success in their future careers!
 BRACE in Action​
​

Recently, BRACE distributed disaster

readiness buckets to the community.
The buckets were generously
donated by Firehouse Subs, while
the supplies inside were provided to
BRACE by several local branches of
Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot.
The buckets were distributed to Arc
of the United States, The Woman’s
Club of Pensacola, Project Empower
and multiple churches active in the
faith-based community.
In January, BRACE held a seminar, "E
is for Epilepsy", developed and
coordinated by Alexandra
Goldsmith. Alexandra, Department
of Health dietitian Kara Holton and
the Epilepsy Foundation's Michelle
Acuff, worked together to teach the
attendants about proper diet,
epilepsy statistics and epilepsy first
aid in regard to seizures.

​In February, the Pensacola Police

Department's Lieutenant Matthew
Coverdale presented "Run, Hide, Fight"
to CERT members, BRACE and United
Way. "Run, Hide, Fight" is an active
shooter training derived from the
Department of Homeland Security's
curriculum.

​ ​