High-profile celebrity urgently needed to help save lives

This plea was made this morning by several staff members and executives of the Foundation of Public Safety Professionals, after the Foundation received little response from the international community when the Foundation launched a world-wide fund-raising campaign on the United Nations International Day of Disaster Reduction, 10th October. The campaign is aiming to raise much needed funds for international Emergency Response and Disaster Management.

The Foundation of Public Safety Professionals was set up in 2004 by emergency services people from all over the world, concerned with the lack of emergency response capabilities and funding that is available when disaster strikes. One Foundation executive stated “typically, a disaster does not strike between 9am and 5pm, but occurs after-hours”. Given the lack of publicity given to the United Nations International Day of Disaster Reduction, which occurred on the 10th October, the Foundation is now seeking global support from high-profile personalities capable of attracting publicity to the life-saving initiatives of the Foundation to become spokespersons and ambassadors for the Foundation. These high-profile personalities sought must have a willingness to support the various Disaster Readiness campaigns of the Foundation, and in particular the “Disaster Risk Reduction Education begins at school” campaign.

The Foundation executives are disappointed by the lack of interest shown by the media community and the national and state governments around the world towards the United Nations International Day of Disaster Reduction, particularly given that the world is currently moving into the disaster season with winter storms in the northern hemisphere and fire seasons in the southern hemisphere. Several executives of the Foundation also find it very disturbing to see how little action is currently being taken by our world governments in terms of disaster preparedness. The Foundation argues that for every dollar spent on Disaster Preparedness today, can save the Governments up to $7 in relief and recovery costs tomorrow.


Foundation of Public Safety Professionals
www.psp.org.au
Media enquiries: +61 416353246