FEMA Bulletin Week of March 14, 2016

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FEMA BULLETIN

Week of March 14, 2016

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines

March 17, 2016

Webinar: Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities

March 20, 2016

Deadline: Youth Preparedness Council Application

 

March 21, 2016

Deadline: FEMA Seeks Comment on Disaster Deductible Concept

 

March 23, 2016

Webinar: Reaching Hard-to-Reach Audiences with Fire Safety Messages

March 24, 2016

 

Webinar: Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities

 

Deadline: National Advisory Council Application

 

March 25, 2016

Deadline: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Application

March 28, 2016

Deadline: Individual and Community Preparedness Awards Application

March 31, 2016

Deadline: National Emergency Management Advanced Academy Application

April 7, 2016

Deadline: Comment Period for Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance

April 12, 2016

 

Deadline: National Training, Education and Exercise Symposium Application

 

Pre-Symposium Workshop Application

 

May 19, 2016

National Presentation: Road to Resilience - Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit

June 15, 2016

Deadline: Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants Applications

Office of Flood Insurance Advocate Annual Report

FEMA is pleased to announce the release of the first Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA) Annual Report. The report is being released publicly to further the OFIA’s goal of transparency.

 

OFIA is an independent office within FEMA that advocates for the fair treatment of policyholders and property owners by providing education and guidance on all aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), assisting with complex policyholder casework through which the Office identifies trends affecting the public, and makes recommendations for program improvements to FEMA leadership.

 

The report discusses trends that emerged from the inquiries to OFIA this past year and represent areas of concern that impact a broad population of NFIP customers. 

 

Send questions or comments to insurance-advocate@fema.dhs.gov.


Reaching Hard-to-Reach Audiences with Fire Safety Messages

Join the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) webinar, Is Your Message Reaching Your Intended Audience?

 

Fire departments across the country have seen a slow, steady decline of fire deaths over the past decade. However, in most cases, safety messages are not reaching those who need them most, people with limited education and finances.

 

This webinar explores how to effectively reach audiences, address perceptions, and change behavior through effective messages. A well-crafted message misses the mark if it does not reach its intended audience due to packaging and/or placement.

 

Date: March 23, 2016


Time:
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)

 

The event is a part of the Fire is Everyone’s Fight™ Webinar Series.  There is no cost and attendance is limited. Register today.


Reminder: Fiscal Year Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Applications Open March 15

FEMA announced the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for the FY 2016 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant programs. These two grant programs assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments in strengthening our nation's ability to reduce the potential cost of natural disasters to communities and their citizens. The NOFO for each program is posted on Grants.gov and contains the key program priorities and application requirements.  Applications may be submitted beginning on March 15 and are due by 3:00 p.m. EDT on June 15, 2016


Application Deadline Extended for FEMA National Advisory Council

The National Advisory Council (NAC) is a federal advisory committee established to ensure effective coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. The NAC advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management frameworks, strategies, and plans. Individuals who are interested in serving on the NAC may submit an application by March 24, 2016 to be considered for an appointment.


Available positions include:
• Emergency Management (one representative appointment)
• Emergency Medical Providers (one Special Government Employee appointment)
• Access and Functional Needs (one representative appointment)
• Non-Elected Local Government Officials (one representative appointment)
• Non-Elected State Government Officials (one representative appointment)
• Public Health (one Special Government Employee appointment)
• Standards Setting and Accrediting (one Special Government Employee appointment)
• FEMA Administrator Selections (up to four Special Government Employee positions, including one emerging leader)  


Instructions on how to apply and Frequently Asked Questions can be found at FEMA.Gov/Membership Applications.


Flood Safety Awareness Week in Many States

3 Facts about Floods

The Ready Campaign and America's PrepareAthon! recently updated their online materials in the Flood Safety Social Media Toolkit

 

Communities and emergency managers can use this online resource to reach residents, partners, and stakeholders with messages about how to stay safe during hazardous weather such as severe thunderstorms and flooding. 

 


Reminder Webinar: Climate Resilience Mitigation Activities

FEMA is hosting two additional webinars about Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities (CRMA) which are priorities this fiscal year in the competitive Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program.


The webinar will cover green infrastructure methods, expanded ecosystem service benefits, and three flood reduction and drought mitigation activities: Aquifer Storage and Recovery; Floodplain and Stream Restoration; and Flood Diversion and Storage.

 

The webinar content and log-in information is the same for both sessions.  Closed captioning will be provided.

 

Dates and Time:

 

Thursday, March 17
1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)

 

Thursday, March 24
1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT

 

FEMA ADOBE Connect
Call-in Number: 1-800-320-4330 PIN 789819 #


Extension Reminder: Youth Preparedness Council Applications Due March 20

Due to numerous requests, the deadline for Youth Preparedness Council application deadline is extended to Sunday, March 20, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). In addition, FEMA will accept applications for students currently in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade who are engaged in individual and community preparedness or experienced a disaster that motivated him or her to make a positive difference in their community.


Youth interested in applying must submit a completed application form, two letters of recommendation, and academic records. Information about submitting the application and attachments can be found in the application instructions.  For more information about the Youth Preparedness Council and to access the application materials, visit Ready.gov.


Reminder: FEMA Seeks Comments on Disaster Deductible Concept

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 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 also 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.


Reminder: FY2015 SAFER Applications

The SAFER program provides approximately $340 million in competitive grants to fire departments and national, state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters. 


SAFER intends to improve or restore local fire departments' staffing and deployment capabilities so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies. With enhanced or restored staffing levels, recipients should experience a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene. 

 

The Fiscal Year 2015 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) application period will close Friday, March 25, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.   Go to Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants for more information and application materials. 


Reminder: Apply for FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards

Individual and Community Preparedness Awards highlight innovative local practices and achievements by individuals and oranizations that made outstanding contributions toward making their communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient.


To be considered for this year’s awards, all submissions must be received by March 28, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, and they must feature program activities between January 1, 2015, and March 28, 2016. Submit applications to citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov.  

 

Award categories include:
• Outstanding Citizen Corps Council 
• Community Preparedness Champions
• Awareness to Action
• Technological Innovation
• Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness
• Preparing the Whole Community
• Outstanding Inclusive Initiatives in Emergency Management (new category)
• Outstanding Private Sector Initiatives (new category)
• Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives
• Outstanding Citizen Corps Partner Program
• America’s PrepareAthon! in Action (new category)

 

Visit Ready.Gov for more information, to download the application, and to read the application guidance.  


Reminder: Comment Period for Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance

In early January, 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. Additional information regarding the consultation process may be found at Second Draft Tribal Declaration Pilot Guidance.


Reminder Webinar: Road to Resilience

The Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit is hosting a two-day session about the lessons learned through the recovery journeys of several southwestern Missouri communities affected by a devastating tornado in May 2011.   The opening session, "Road to Resilience, " will be available via webinar for national audience participation.

 

During a panel discussion, city leaders from Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Greensburg, Kansas;  Minot, North Dakota; Joplin, Missouri; and, Moore, Oklahoma will talk about the long road of recovery and resilience after experiencing some of the worst recorded disasters in the past ten years. To register for the webinar, send an email to FEMARegion7info@fema.dhs.gov with your full name, organization, phone number, and email address.


Date: Thursday, May 19
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. CDT

 

Participants who RSVP for this webinar will receive a confirmation with the call-in details.

 

For those interested in attending the two-day summit on May 19-20, the cost is $75 per person and registration is limited to 300 participants. The summit will cover a multitude of topics including debris management, crisis communications, financial resiliency, human services, voluntary networks and long-term recovery, and will feature many subject matter experts who either were impacted by a disaster or assisted with community recoveries.  

 

Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations for either the two-day summit or the webinar should contact FEMARegion7info@fema.dhs.gov by May 5, 2016. For additional information or to register, visit Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit.


Reminders: Emergency Managment Institute (EMI) Courses and Event Deadlines

National Training, Education, and Exercise Symposium: Requirements-Based Investments to Build National Capabilities, May 24-26. Registration deadline: April 12, 2016. For more information, contact the EMI National Training Liaison, Dan Lubman, at daniel.lubman@fema.dhs.gov.

 

The National Emergency Management Advanced Academy is accepting applications from March 1 - March 31 with selections in June and announcements in July. 


For additional information, visit EMI's Emergency Management Training, Virtual Tabletop Exercises and Course Schedule.