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On May 23, FEMA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to amend its regulations by making a few administrative adjustments to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Write Your Own (WYO) Program. These proposed changes are consistent with FEMA’s efforts to make the FEMA-WYO relationship more agile and responsive to policyholder needs.
The NFIP is administered by FEMA, which works with private-sector property insurance companies, known as WYO Companies, to facilitate the sale and servicing of flood insurance policies to homeowners, renters, and business owners. To qualify for flood insurance, the home or business must be in a community that has joined the NFIP and adopts and enforces the minimum floodplain management standards.
An NFIP flood insurance policy, also known as the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP), is available for purchase either:
(1) directly from the federal government through a direct servicing agent, or
(2) from a participating WYO insurance company through the WYO Program.
Under the WYO Program, FEMA enters into a Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement) with WYO Companies to sell NFIP flood insurance policies under their own names and adjust and pay claims arising under the SFIP. A copy of the standard Arrangement is currently in the NFIP regulations.
The insurance industry has changed significantly since a copy of the
Arrangement was first placed in the NFIP regulations over 30 years ago.
Currently, FEMA must undergo rulemaking when it’s necessary to update the Arrangement.
This rulemaking proposes
procedural adjustments designed to allow FEMA and WYO Companies to
maintain the flexibility to negotiate operational adjustments and
corrections to the Arrangement more quickly and efficiently.
Through this rulemaking, FEMA proposes to remove (1) the copy of WYO Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement in Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 62, Appendix A; and (2) the summary of the WYO Program Financial Control Plan in 44 CFR Part 62, Appendix B. Once finalized, FEMA will continue to post these documents on FEMA.gov so they are available to the public.
This rulemaking does not propose any substantive changes to the relationship between FEMA and WYO Companies. FEMA will continue to enter into the Arrangement with WYO Companies. Consistent with the terms of the current Arrangement, FEMA will continue to notify private-sector property insurance companies annually and make available to companies the terms for subscription or re-subscription of the Arrangement through a notice in the Federal Register.
FEMA is seeking input from all stakeholders regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled “National Flood Insurance Program: Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement.” Written comments may be submitted during the 60-day comment period ending July 22, 2016.
Comments may be submitted by one of the following
methods:
• Federal
eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Search for the notice in Docket ID
FEMA-2016-0012, or
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of Chief
Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 8NE, 500 C Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20472-3100.
America’s PrepareAthon! will focus on extreme heat and how to prepare for this intense weather condition this week through Saturday, May 28.
Extreme heat is defined as a period of excessively hot weather, with higher than average temperatures for a particular region, combined with high humidity. Extreme heat events can happen anywhere in the United States. Extreme heat commonly occurs in the summer; however the main season for heat waves may vary regionally.
For more information on extreme heat conditions, check out the Ready Campaign website.
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division and the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships invites you to a webinar on Thursday, May 26, 2016 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT to share practices in emergency management to engage Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
During the "Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Preparing Communities Through Partnerships" webinar, presenters will explain how organizations that support diverse populations can best connect with their state, territorial and local governments, and FEMA before a disaster happens. Join the webinar to learn which preparedness strategies will best meet the needs of the diverse communities you serve.
Featured presenters include: Doua Thor, executive director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Debra Boudreaux, executive vice president, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation; and Ramona K. Mullahey, senior analyst, Field Policy & Management, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Honolulu Field Office.
To join the webinar, register via the Adobe Connect registration web link. Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting. This webinar will offer closed captioning.
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Virtual Tabletop Exercise (VTTX) program will offer a disaster animal shelter management scenario June 21, 22 and 23. The VTTX was designed from an agricultural perspective to help communities specifically look at shelter management before, during and after an all-hazard event.
The VTTX involves key personnel discussing simulated scenarios in an informal setting and can be used to assess plans, policies, training and procedures.
EMI conducts a monthly series of VTTXs using a Video Teleconference (VTC) platform to reach community-based training audiences around the country providing a virtual forum for disaster training. The design of the VTTX is for a group of ten or more representatives from state, local, tribal and territorial emergency communities of practice. Participants will need to connect via a site equipped with the appropriate VTC capability, but alternate ways to participate are also available upon request.
The goals of the VTTX are to test the participants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct all-hazards emergency response and recovery effectively. The VTTXs also enable coordination of response operations with counterparts from federal agencies, state, local, tribal and territorial governments, private sector organizations, non-governmental agencies, and other whole community partners.
The VTTX occurs 12:00 p.m.–4 p.m. EDT. To participate in a VTTX, send an email request to Doug Kahn at douglas.kahn@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-7645. Please send a courtesy copy email to the Integrated Emergency Management Branch at fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-1381. The deadline for applying is May 31. Session content is the same each day and participants only need to attend one session. Additional information is available at https://training.fema.gov/programs/emivttx.aspx.
FEMA, in coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers and state broadcasters’ associations, will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in nine states on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 4:20 p.m. EDT.
Broadcasters from the following locations are voluntarily participating in the test: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington. The EAS test might also be
seen and heard in states and tribal areas that border the participating
states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. The EAS test is made available to radio, broadcast and cable television systems and is scheduled to last approximately one minute.
The test will verify the delivery and broadcast, and assess the readiness for distribution of a national-level test message. The message of the test will be similar to the regular monthly test message of EAS, normally heard and seen by the public: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.”
Public safety officials need to be sure that in times of an emergency or disaster, they have the methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public when needed. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems is a way to assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure required for the distribution of a national message and determine what technological improvements need to be addressed.
The next national test is scheduled for September 28, 2016. Results from this test will support preparations and improvements leading up to the national test.
Starting May 26, FEMA
will be hosting a series of webinars in preparation for next month’s EAS test. More information on the Integrated Public
Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts.
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate addresses Hurricane Awareness Tour attendees in New Orleans on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. (Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center)
This past week, FEMA participated in the Hurricane Awareness Tour coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The 2016 tour visited five U.S. Gulf coastal cities,
including New Orleans and Naples, Florida, as part of this annual event aimed
at raising awareness about the importance of preparing for the upcoming
hurricane season.
NOAA has conducted the hurricane
awareness tour for more than 30 years, alternating between the U.S. Gulf and
Atlantic coasts. The tour is part of NOAA’s hurricane hazard education
campaign, coinciding with National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Atlantic
hurricane season begins June 1.
Federal Mitigation Investment Strategy National Engagement Period Ends June 7
On May 10,
the federal government launched a 30-day, national engagement period to
receive stakeholder input on designing and implementing a new Federal
Mitigation Investment Strategy (FMIS). The purpose of FMIS is to
identify, prioritize and guide federal investments in disaster
resilience and hazard mitigation-related activities, and to make
recommendations to the President and Congress on how the nation should
prioritize future disaster resilience investments. The national
engagement period will conclude June 7, 2016 at 5:00 pm EDT.
In
response to Hurricane Sandy, the federal government found that no
coordinated federal investment strategy exists for resilience and
mitigation. FMIS provides an opportunity to be more intentional about
setting resilience and mitigation investment priorities. It will
increase the ability of federal departments and agencies to plan and
justify budgets and resources. Learn more about the FMIS effort, the MitFLG and the National Mitigation Framework by visiting http://www.fema.gov/national-mitigation-framework/. To provide input and influence FMIS design and implementation, submit the FMIS Stakeholder Input Template to FEMA-FMIS@fema.dhs.gov by June 7, 2016.
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Application Information
FEMA announced the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for the FY 2016 Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance
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 are due by 3:00 p.m. EDT on June 15, 2016.
FEMA Tribal Consultation Period on Hazard Mitigation Planning Continues Until July 8
FEMA is updating
its policy that guides how Agency officials interpret regulatory
requirements in their review and approval of tribal mitigation plans.
FEMA is seeking feedback from tribal
governments regarding this updated policy, “Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide.” Tribal officials’ suggestions and comments will inform
further development of the Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide.
Tribal officials can submit comments on the Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide: Key Concepts document until July 8, 2016, either by e-mail to tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov
or by mail to ATTN: Tyler Corson-Rikert, Federal Insurance and
Mitigation Administration (FIMA), DHS/FEMA, 400 C Street SW, Suite 313,
Washington, DC 20472-3020. Visit FEMA’s Tribal Affairs web page for more information on the tribal consultation period for this policy.
National Emergency Management Advanced Academy Applications
EMI is accepting applications for the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy. This program consists of four resident courses and addresses program management and oversight, effective communication, integrated collaboration, and strategic thinking skills. The target audience is mid-level managers who have a minimum of three years of experience in an emergency management position to include government, non-profit, voluntary organization, and private sector leaders who are responsible for emergency management or homeland security. The application deadline is May 31, 2016.
Master Exercise Practitioner Program Application Period Opens
The Master Exercise Practitioner Program application period is open until July 1, 2016. Participants in the program are assigned to an exercise
planning team where they are challenged to: demonstrate their expertise
at all levels of exercise design and conduct; apply best practices and
lessons learned from their organizations and experience; and use the
concepts from the curriculum for their exercise planning team
assignments. Contact fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov for more information.
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