FEMA Bulletin Week of June 13, 2016

Seal of the Department of Homeland Security

FEMA BULLETIN

Week of June 13, 2016

View as Webpage | Subscribe

In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines

June 15, 2016

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


Emergency Alert System Test in Western States

June 20, 2016

Building a Roadmap to Resilience: A Whole Community Training Registration Deadline

June 21, 2016

Application Deadline for Public Health Chlorine Spill Incident Virtual Tabletop Exercise

July 1, 2016

Application Deadline for Master Exercise Practitioner Program

July 8, 2016

Public Assistance Required Minimum Standards Comment Period Ends

Tribal Consultation Hazard Mitigation Planning Comment Period Ends

18th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium

Last week, FEMA’s emergency management training center, the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), hosted more than 200 people from the academic community at the 18th Annual Higher Education Symposium. Welcoming the group, EMI Superintendent Tony Russell quickly connected the goals of the academic and emergency management communities in a common vision to help people in need before, during and after disasters and explored how we all should do our parts to foster national preparedness. Russell emphasized that when people are aware, trained and educated, the entire emergency management continuum is more effective.


The event opened with a panel moderated by Dr. Dennis Mileti, author of the book "Disaster by Design," who explored the perspectives of millennials and baby boomers. Across all generations, a common motivator for entering emergency management was first-hand experience and seeing that there was something they could do to help people in need. A theme in the panel and throughout the symposium was building community preparedness by bringing the whole community together to discuss their needs and plan what they want to do.


Later in the symposium, Dr. Mileti was awarded North Dakota State University's 2016 Dr. B. Wayne Blanchard Award for Academic Excellence in Emergency Management Higher Education.


FEMA’s Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness Tim Manning acknowledged the increasing role of academia in emergency management education, noting that there are 300 different emergency management programs across the country, including nine doctoral programs and an increasing number of associate programs. 


FEMA Extends Public Comment Period for Draft Public Assistance Required Minimum Standards

FEMA extended the comment period for an additional 30 days on the draft Public Assistance Program Minimum Standards replacement language for the Public Assistance (PA) Program and Policy Guide. When using PA funds to repair, replace or construct buildings located in hazard-prone areas, applicants would use, at a minimum, the hazard-resistant standards reflected or referenced in the International Building Code (IBC). Costs associated with meeting these standards would be eligible. The minimum standards will be used for all buildings in tornado, wind, seismic, and flood-prone areas identified in the IBC, regardless of the type of incident that caused the damage.


As FEMA works to implement the new standard for its Public Assistance program, it is requesting input on the draft language from the public and emergency management community. The draft language is posted to the Federal Register, and will be available for comment until July 8, 2016.


EMI Offers Virtual Tabletop Exercise - Public Health Chlorine Spill Incident

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute is offering a virtual tabletop exercise (VTTX) July 12-14, 2016, involving a chlorine contamination scenario. The VTTX is public health-focused, addressing contamination recognition response and recovery efforts to assist affected communities. The VTTX allows key personnel to discuss simulated scenarios in an informal setting and assess plans, policies, training and procedures.


This VTTX allows participating communities to share public health details regarding protective zones, protective actions, personal protective equipment, hospital triage, latent effects, decontamination issues pertaining to patients, environmental concerns, and re-entry.


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 and local governments, private sector organizations, non-governmental agencies, and other whole community partners. The VTTX occurs 12–4 p.m. EDT.


To participate in a VTTX, submit 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 to a VTTX is June 21. 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.


Download the FEMA App

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

Emergency Alert System Test Scheduled for June 15

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 2:20 PM MDT/1:20 PM PDT.

 

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, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico, that border the participating states. 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 next national test is scheduled for September 28, 2016. Results from this test will support preparations and improvements leading up to the national 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.

 

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Applications Due June 15

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.

 

EMI Offers Roadmap to Resilience Training

On July 25-27, 2016, EMI will offer a new training course entitled, Building a Roadmap to Resilience: A Whole Community Training at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This course is designed to inspire and provide participants with information intended to increase a community’s resilience through the whole community approach to emergency management. Participants in this course will be provided the tools and knowledge to establish a community coalition and to encourage community leaders to make resiliency gains within the unique circumstances of their jurisdiction.

 

The target audience for this course includes community stakeholders interested in disaster resilience, and emergency management professionals with less than three years of experience who support or implement inclusive emergency management, community disaster planning, preparedness activities, and community outreach partners at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels. If you know of individuals who may be interested in attending this offering, please direct them to their State Training Officer (or point of contact) to submit a FEMA Form 119-25-1, General Admissions Application. The deadline to register is June 20, 2016. For more information, contact Matthew Lyttle at matthew.lyttle@fema.dhs.gov.

 

EMI's Master Exercise Practitioner Program

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; and apply best practices and lessons learned from their organizations and experience. Contact fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov for more information.

 

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, 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.