Develop a Lions ALERT plan by appointing a Lions ALERT chairperson who will assemble a team of volunteers and emergency service professionals.

To read a Lions ALERT program article that appeared in the headquarters edition of THE LION Magazine, click here.

If an emergency has already occurred, contact the local Lions ALERT chairperson. Click here.

In addition, Lions can request or offer humanitarian assistance (both human services and material resources) to others in emergency or non-emergency situations through the Lions Serving Humanity Database.

Outside of the above, it is highly suggested that you check the internet to get ideas on what might be needed - such as Emergency Survival Kits. Just for general info this is one site that we went to (we do not endorse any specific site) we only suggest that you check certain site's out in order to get ideas on what kind of Emergency items you should have in and around the home and other places as well. Example site: http://www.survival-goods.com here they will show you specific items:

Emergency Car Kits; Emergency Home Kits; Emergency School Kits; Evacuation and Fire; First Aid Kits; Food Rations; Pet Kits; etc.

The VTC, held at FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center in Washington D.C., allowed participants to discuss their current level of hurricane readiness and preparations for this upcoming hurricane season. The VTC illustrated how important communication is between state and federal partners during a disaster. After the video portion, Administrator Paulison addressed questions from the media, where he stressed the importance of personal preparedness. He noted that it was incumbent on each individual to become better prepared to sustain themselves in the event they were struck by a hurricane.

For more information on how to prepare for this hurricane season, please visit

“Get Ready 07”. There, you will find a comprehensive listing of information on family and business preparedness, disaster support links for people with disabilities and other special needs, and tips for preparing your pets for the next disaster.

One action point was the first Lions ALERT here in the state of Georgia in March 2007.

The District ALERT Chair should be familiar with the ALERT handbook and information found at www.lionsclubs.org under ALERT. Appointed by the District Governor for a one year term, the ALERT Chair is the voice for the District during an emergency within a Lions District. The Chair should communicate with the Club President who reported the emergency and the Multiple District ALERT Chair at the same time, making sure everyone is updated as the situation unfolds. It would not be uncommon for these Lions to be in communication several times a day during an emergency. Along with data presented by the local Club President, the Chairperson makes a recommendation to the District Governor concerning an Emergency Grant from LCIF. The District ALERT Chair should arrange to present programs about emergencies at the Clubs and Cabinet Meetings.

Club ALERT Chairperson/Club President: The local Club Chairperson and President should be familiar with the ALERT handbook and information found at www.lionsclubs.org under ALERT. The Club Chair should arrange programs about emergencies for their Club. The Chair should promptly report emergencies to the District ALERT Chair and the MD ALERT Chair. Being that there may or may not be a disaster within your community and/or surrounding area, it is very important that the Lions Club offers to assist the community with information about concerning Emergency Survival Kits as explained above in order to keep the community prepared.

The local Club President is the single most important key to starting the ALERT process in the event of an emergency. At the beginning of the Lion's year, the local club President should enter the District and Multiple District ALERT Chairs' email addresses and cell phone numbers in his/her computer address book and individual cell phone. This is the first step in order to implement the ALERT team response process in the event of an emergency.

It is essential to inform the District and Multiple District ALERT Chairs of a local emergency because it may not appear on their local or state television channels. In this case, your notification wil be their only way of knowing about the emergency. It's further important to have both these emial addresses and cell numbers in place so that an emergency may be responded to as promptly as possible.

The District and Multiple District ALERT Chairs act as a clearing house for information in the event of several emergencies in different locations and/or districts at the same time. Therefore, it's important that they be informed and updated of local situations, as they develop.

After informing the ALERT Chairs to the emergency, the President should assess the emergency and make appropriate recommendations to the District ALERT Chair and the Multiple District ALERT Chair. Again, both the District ALERT Chair and the Multiple District ALERT Chairs' cell numbers should be entered into the cell phones of the local club Presidents so that fast communication can take place.

The success of any response and assistance by Lions through ALERT teams is fast or immediate communication and prompt response. (In larger clubs, it may facilitate the process for the Club President to appoint a Club ALERT chair to handle the response effort in which case, both the Club President and the Club ALERT Chair will remain as contacts, in the event one cannot be reached at a needed time).

The local Club President will be the eyes and ears on the scene of the emergency to inform and serve as the contact for the District ALERT Chair. The local club President should asess the damage and report to the District ALERT Chair.

A final report or wrap up of the emergency and the ALERT Response should be forwarded to the District ALERT Chair as soon as possible or no later than one week following the response effort.

Remember, each emergency is different and will call for a different response. That's the great part of the Lions ALERT Team; we can be flexible to adapt our response to the need at hand. Any ALERT Team response begins with the local President reporting the emergency.

You should make out a CONTACT SHEET as shown in the MD 18 ALERT Action Plan. Such information will consist of the following: MD ALERT Chair, District ALERT Chair, Club ALERT Chair, District Governor plus:

Establish Relationships = Find partner before an emergency. Take a look at the industrial and commercial community in your area. Approach and partner with them before an emergency. Obtain contact information. Establish protocol with media in area. Obtain radio, newspaper, television contact e-mails prior to an emergency.

Contact faith-based organizations. Explain purpose of Lions ALERT Program. Ask if they would send an e-mail to their members in case ofr an emergency. Please ensure them that we do not want their list of contacts, but would only ask them to forward our information to their members.

Contact Chamber of Commerce. In the event of an emergency, pass along an e-mail for them to send to their membership, generally including large employers who would then send it on to "Everyone" @ their organization.com, Again, we do not want their list; we just need their help.

Contact like-type organizations. Choose those locally who can identify with the emergency (i.e. if a school or hospital is destroyed, contact the local schools and hospitals, respectively and ask for their help in responding to the emergency). They can appreciate the need.

Marketing and Promotion of ALERT. Marketing ideas include magnetic signs for vehicles. This would allow easier access to the emergency site. Print business cards. Note on all publicity matierals the relief was provided by Georgia Lions ALERT Team and LCIF. ALERT Team shirts could be made available. If aLion works an emergency, they can be eligible to buy a T-shirt. After working two emergencies, a Lion would be eligible to buy a golf shirt. Upon working the third emergency, a Lion would be eligible to buy a button down dress shirt. Exemption would be District Chairs who would be able to buy any of the 3 shirts from the start.

Timeline. Set up a timeline on tasks you expect to accomplish each day of the emergency. Do as much as possible as soon as possible by being prepared.

LCIF Emergency Grant. Please go to www.lionsclubs.org . Utilize the Emergency Grants section of the site. Use the following report form on the next 2 pages and send a copy to the Lions State Office Secretary for a permanent record which will be accessible to authorized Lions in the future. Always make the final report to LCIF and copy the State Office Secretary for final docmention

Request for Asistance forms. Again, check out the last pages of the MD 18 ALERT Team Action Plan to get copies of the Multiple District Emergency Grant Report form and infomration. Also on the very last page oon the cover is an article from The Courier Herald Online in Dublin, Georgia. Read and it will give you information in regards to informing the press.