Over the past several years Members of Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have asked FEMA to look at how the federal government supports states following disasters and the associated costs. In response, FEMA is exploring the concept of a disaster deductible.
The Agency believes that such an approach has the potential to incentivize mitigation strategies and promote risk-informed decision-making to build resilience, including to catastrophic events; reduce the costs of future events for both states and the federal government; and facilitate state and local government planning and budgeting for enhanced disaster response and recovery capability through greater transparency.
This concept would include the establishment of a predetermined level of state disaster funding or investment in resilience before FEMA would begin to provide additional assistance through the Public Assistance program following a disaster declaration. The deductible concept would include how to calculate the deductible, the scope of the deductible, how to satisfy the deductible, how this concept could influence change, implementation considerations and an estimated impact.
FEMA is seeking public comments on all aspects of this concept until March 21, 2016 which may be submitted through Regulations.gov under docket ID FEMA-2016-003. This is a significant change, so FEMA is seeking early public feedback through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
FEMA will hold a National Advisory Council (NAC) public meeting in Raleigh, NC from February 9 - 11, 2016. The NAC was established to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of Federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
NAC members will meet with the FEMA Administrator and Deputy Administrator, receive program briefings from agency leadership, and review the progress and potential recommendations of the Preparedness and Protection, Response and Recovery, and Federal Insurance and Mitigation subcommittees.
The NAC advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management and incorporates federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and non-profit and private sector partners’ input into the development and revision of FEMA policies and strategies.
Members of the public are invited to attend and provide comments. Go to the NAC webpage or the Federal Register Notice for directions and instructions how to submit public comments. If you are attending in person or need more information or reasonable accommodation, contact FEMA-NAC@fema.dhs.gov.
The second issue of the Unified Federal Review (UFR) newsletter is available. An outreach tool for multiple federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders, the newsletter is designed to showcase The Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation Review Process (UFR Process) efforts that support communities affected by disaster. The newsletter also allows agencies to stay involved with efforts to create a UFR Process across the nation.
We are soliciting articles showcasing examples and experiences of the UFR or general environmental and historical (EHP) review efficiencies to include in future issues. If you have examples of EHP efficiencies or successful interagency coordination for one or more projects, send them to federal-unified-review@fema.dhs.gov.
For more information, visit FEMA’s website about EHP reviews for disaster recovery projects.
FEMA is seeking applicants for its Youth Preparedness Council formed in 2012 to bring together leaders from across the country engaged in advocating youth preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, efforts in making a difference in their communities, and potential to expand their impact as national advocates for youth preparedness.
The Council offers an opportunity for youth leaders to serve on a distinguished national council and participate in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit. During their two-year term, the leaders will complete a national-level group project and share their opinions, experiences, ideas, solutions, and questions regarding youth disaster preparedness with FEMA leadership and national youth preparedness organizations.
Individuals in their freshman or sophomore year of high school that are engaged in individual and community preparedness, or have experienced a disaster that motivated him or her to make a positive difference in their community, may apply to serve on the Youth Preparedness Council. Adults working with youth or community preparedness are encouraged to share the application with youth who might be interested in applying.
Youth interested in applying to the Council must submit a completed application form, two letters of recommendation, and academic records. Specific information about completing and submitting the application and attachments can be found in the application instructions. All applications and supporting materials must be received no later than March 1, 2016, 11:59 p.m. PST in order to be eligible. New Youth Preparedness Council members will be announced in May 2016.
For more information and to access the application materials, visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.
The Emergency
Management Institute (EMI) will conduct a course to assist tribal colleges and
universities with either establishing or enhancing their emergency management
curricula. This course addresses issues unique to Tribal Colleges and
Universities and begins the process of identifying and overcoming institutional
roadblocks of emergency management related offerings.
The target audience includes
department chairs in disciplines such as sociology, geography, public
administration, and psychology from minority and minority serving institutions
of higher education. A goal of the training is to achieve a more diverse
population of emergency management professionals who reflect the communities in
which they live and work. Enrollment is limited to the first 20
applicants.
For more information, contact Lillian Virgil at Lillian.virgil@fema.dhs.gov.
Dates: March 21-22, 2016
Location: EMI, National Emergency Training Center (NETC), Emmitsburg, Maryland
Registration deadline: Submit the application no later Friday, February 5
To apply: Complete a FEMA Form 119-25-1, General Admissions Application, with student signature and signature of supervisor or sponsoring agency official. Mail, scan, or fax the application to:
NETC, Admissions Office Room I-216 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727-8998 Phone: (301) 447-1035 Fax: (301) 447-1658 Email: netadmissions@fema.dhs.gov
Link to the course description: “Integrating Emergency Management into Your Institutions”
On Thursday, February 4, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST, the FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division will host a webinar focused on engaging the public on disaster preparedness and resilience efforts serving children and youth.
Featured Speakers
Bruce Lockwood, Acting Captain, Emergency Management Division, East Hartford Fire Department, CT; Former Commissioner, National Commission on Children and Disasters, will share the background on the unique needs of children in a disaster and the importance of preparedness planning and education.
Sarah Thompson, Save the Children, will share information on Save the Children’s Prep Rally, which helps children learn the basics of emergency preparedness through engaging activities and games and can be formatted to fit your program.
Hilary Palotay, American Red Cross, will share information on the Pillowcase Project, a preparedness education program for children in grades 3–5.
Captain Rob Tosatto, Medical Reserve Corps & Jane Shovlin, AZHOSA, will share information on the partnership between Medical Reserve Corps and HOSA and how to engage youth in contributing to school and community preparedness.
How to Join the Webinar: Adobe Connect Registration
Please register for the event. Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting by clicking here. This webinar will offer closed captioning.
FEMA will conduct a
statewide test of the Emergency Alert
System (EAS) in 22 states, two territories, and the District of
Columbia on February 24. State, local, and tribal authorities use EAS to
deliver emergency information to the public. The voluntary, bilingual test is
intended to assess readiness and verify the functionality of EAS stations to
receive and broadcast a national test message.
An informational
webinar will be held Thursday, January 28, for broadcast and cable
management and emergency management representatives to discuss the regional
test. The webinar will provide a non-technical overview of the Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and how it will be used to activate the
EAS next month.
The test will be
conducted in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey,
New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina,
Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia.
What:
Informational Webinar on the upcoming Emergency Alert System test
When: Thursday,
January 28 at 2:00 p.m. (EST)
Where: Webinar
Link: http://tinyurl.com/jnsn37u
You may listen to
audio on the webinar or dial in
Conference Line:
1-650-479-3207 Access code: 665 717 452
On January 8, FEMA
entered the next phase of tribal consultation for the Stafford Act disaster
declaration process for tribal governments. The draft guidance is posted to the
Federal Register
and will be available for comment until April 7, 2016.
In the coming months,
FEMA will conduct meetings with tribal leaders to discuss the latest draft of
the Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance. When finalized, the pilot
guidance will describe the process tribal governments will use to request
Stafford Act declarations and the criteria FEMA will use to evaluate direct
tribal declaration requests and make recommendations to the President.
This round of tribal
consultation builds upon the second round in the Spring of 2014 that included
evaluating the need for Public Assistance grant program funding; modifying and
adding definitions of terms; explaining how FEMA looks to implement federal
statute; and considering additional cultural and religious needs.
Additional
information regarding the consultation process may be found on http://www.fema.gov/second-draft-tribal-declaration-pilot-guidance-resources.
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