FEMA Bulletin Week of June 27, 2016

Seal of the Department of Homeland Security

FEMA BULLETIN

Week of June 27, 2016

View as Webpage | Subscribe

In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines

June 30

Applications Deadline for Master Public Information Officer Program

July 1, 2016

Application Deadline for Master Exercise Practitioner Program

July 6, 2016

National Planning Frameworks Webinar Series Ends

July 8, 2016

Public Assistance Required Minimum Standards Comment Period Ends

Tribal Consultation Hazard Mitigation Planning Comment Period Ends

July 21, 2016

Region III Public-Private Sector Tabletop Exercise

August 1, 2016

Draft Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance Comment Period Ends

Aug 5

Application Deadline for National Emergency Management Executive Academy

August 15, 2016

Draft Interagency Concept for Community Resilience Indicators and National-Level Progress Measures Comment Period Ends

Draft Disaster Resilience Indicators Concept Released By Mitigation Federal Leadership Group Subcommittee

FEMA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their federal partners in the Mitigation Federal Leadership Group (MitFLG) Disaster Resilience Indicators Subcommittee released a “Draft Interagency Concept for Community Resilience Indicators and National-Level Progress Measures."

 

This concept is the result of a year-long effort to identify potential indicators of community resilience capacity building that align with the Mitigation and Recovery Core Capabilities under the National Preparedness Goal. Learn more details about this joint FEMA/NOAA initiative here www.fema.gov/community-resilience-indicators.

 

The document, compiled in response to broad public interest in identifying key factors of community resilience nationwide in order to promote better-informed capacity building strategies, is intended to start a broad conversation among public- and private-sector stakeholders on how best to define and track improvements in community resilience capacity across 28 key indicator categories.

 

Interested stakeholders seeking to add their input can submit comments and feedback to the Disaster Resilience Indicators Subcommittee of the MitFLG at FEMA-CommunityResilience@fema.dhs.gov by August 15, 2016.

 

The MitFLG subcommittee was led by representatives of FEMA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and includes significant contributions from federal partners such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey and others.


Update to FEMA Mapping Guidance and Standards

The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration updated the Guidance and Standards used for flood mapping and risk analysis efforts. There were five standards with significant updates, three new standards, six standards with minor terminology updates and five rescinded standards in this maintenance cycle.


The spring maintenance cycle included new standards implementing provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12) and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA). These updates included requirements for using the most accurate elevation data available and enhancing outreach and communication to communities and property owners affected by map changes. 

 

The standards also added more flexibility in watershed size selected as the basis of flood risk projects, removed the requirement to use the legacy Average Annualized Loss dataset for the Flood Risk Assessment products, integrated digital products into standards covering the traditional regulatory products and several other minor changes.

 

FEMA conducted a public review of the draft standards earlier this year and regularly updates its guidance and technical reference documents to ensure ongoing improvements to FEMA flood mapping and risk analysis efforts.


EMI Offers Expanded Public Information Officer Training in Progressive Learning Series

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is now offering a series of eight courses for Public Information Officers (PIOs) to teach them to communicate effectively and provide accessible information for all affected audiences.  The first three courses are delivered by state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies and must be taken in the prescribed sequence. To check the course schedule in your area, go to the state emergency management web site or contact the State Training Officer.

 

1. Public Information Officer Awareness is a one-day course to introduce the public information function and role of the PIO in the public safety and emergency management environment. The course is designed for new or less experienced state or local PIOs, or those who perform this role as a secondary function.

 

2. Public Information Officer – Basic is a two-day course examining the value of communication before, during, and after an incident; it will help PIOs identify critical internal and external audiences.

 

3. Joint Information System/Joint Information Center Planning for tribal, state and local PIOs is a one-day course outlining the communication for different incidents, and it defines the roles of the PIO within the Incident Command System.

 

In addition, EMI offers the following PIO training courses at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland:

 

• The Advanced Public Information Officer course, through multimedia lectures and individual and group activities, provides participants with the knowledge and skills to establish, manage, and work within a joint information center. Application deadlines are: October 14, 2016 for the November 28 – December 2, 2016 class; March 31, 2017 for the May 15-19, 2017 class; and June 9, 2017 for the July 24-28, 2017 class. For more information, contact Phil Politano at philip.politano@fema.dhs.gov.

 

Master Public Information Officer Program is a three-course series comprised of Master Public

Information Officer 1, 2, and 3. The program prepares PIOs for an expanded role in delivering public information and warnings, using a strategic whole community approach. Applications for the Master Public Information Officer Program are due no later than June 30, 2016.

For more information contact FEMA-Master_PIO_Program@fema.dhs.gov.


Apply for the 2017 National Emergency Management Executive Academy

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute is now accepting application packages for the 2017 National Emergency Management Executive Academy. This Academy provides a comprehensive and cutting-edge curriculum to enhance strategic leadership and critical thinking for emergency management senior executives from all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Ideally, candidates will have experience as senior executives of major emergency management organizations, served on major commissions and task forces, or be responsible for decisions that have a significant effect on homeland security and emergency management policies. 

 

The objective of the Executive Academy is to engage, challenge and enhance the talents of emergency management executives through critical thinking, visionary strategic planning, and negotiation and conflict resolution when applied to complex real-world problems. The Executive Academy consists of four resident sessions, webinars, distance learning, and literature reviews. Executives will explore how they can leverage science, technology, engineering, and data analysis to impact critical decisions and guide informed policy development.  Executives will have the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects, share smart practices, and participate in exercises on cascading and catastrophic events.

 

The four resident sessions, to be conducted by EMI at the National Emergency Training Center, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, will include:

• Systems Thinking & Research Methods for Executives:  February 13 – 16, 2017

 

• Executive Emergency Management Leader Core Competencies I:  April 24 – 27, 2017

 

• Executive Emergency Management Leader Core Competencies II:  July 10 – 14, 2017

 

• Executive Emergency Management Leaders Core Competencies III:  September 18 – 22, 2017

 

Applications will be accepted through August 5, 2016. There are a limited number of seats and enrollment is competitive. For more information on the Executive Academy and the application and selection process, visit www.training.fema.gov/EMPP/executive.asp.

 

The Executive Academy is the pinnacle of a three-level Academy series in the Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP) which includes Basic, Advanced, and Executive Academies. Emergency management professionals should visit the EMPP page for more information about which academy best suits their needs.


Download the FEMA App

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

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.

 

Updated National Planning Frameworks Released

FEMA and its partners released the updated National Planning Frameworks for each mission area: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. The National Planning Frameworks, which are part of the National Preparedness System, set the strategy and doctrine for building, sustaining, and delivering the core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal of building a secure and resilient nation.

 

On June 30 and July 6, FEMA is hosting engagement webinars to highlight key changes to the Frameworks and to answer questions participants may have. All webinars are open to individuals and communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations and all levels of governments. For a copy of the document, summary of changes and webinar registration information, visit http://www.fema.gov/national-planning-frameworks. For more information on national preparedness efforts, visit: http://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness.  

 

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. The minimum standards will be used for all buildings in tornado, wind, seismic, and flood-prone areas identified in the International Building Code, regardless of the type of incident that caused the damage.

 

As FEMA works to implement the new standard for its PA 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.

 

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.

 

FEMA Region III Hosts Public-Private Sector Tabletop Exercise

On July 21, 2016, FEMA Region III will host the third annual Public-Private Sector Tabletop Exercise in Philadelphia, PA, which will focus on cyber as the threat scenario. This full-day event will bring together members of the public and private sectors to educate and inform participants on contemporary cyber threats. Throughout the course of the day’s events, participants will be invited to share best practices, information sharing methods, capabilities, resources, and incident response plans for cyber attacks. For more information on this event or to register, click here.

 

FEMA Posts Draft Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance for Public Comment

On June 15, 2016, FEMA posted the draft Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance (IHPUG) to the Federal Register for public comment. FEMA strongly encourages the public and emergency management community to submit comments. The Individuals and Households Program (IHP) is the most publicly recognizable FEMA program and this is an excellent opportunity for the public to provide their input.The draft guidance is posted to the Federal Register, and will be available for comment until August 1, 2016.