Important Dates & Deadlines EMI Earthquake Virtual Tabletop Exercise First Session EMI Earthquake Virtual Tabletop Exercise Last Session Mandatory Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System Emergency Management Institute Higher Education Program Webinar National PrepareAthon! Day Public Comments for Federal Flood Risk Management Guide Deadline Tribal Consultation to Tribal Policy Deadline Deadline for EMI Offers Advanced Public Information Officer Training Application Draft Interagency Concept for Community Resilience Indicators and National-Level Progress Measures Deadline

National Preparedness Month: Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM), serving as a reminder that we all should take action to prepare, now and throughout the year for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit.

This year's theme is “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.," with an emphasis on preparedness for youth, older adults, and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. For more information, including a social media toolkit, visit www.ready.gov/september.

Congressional Support for National Preparedness Month

FEMA appreciates the support of the Members of Congress who are serving as 2016 co-sponsors for National Preparedness Month. Throughout September, the FEMA Bulletin will feature statements from these members.

“September is National Preparedness Month, and as a proud Congressional Co-Chairman, I encourage everyone, including our state and local governments, families, and individuals to have a strategy prepared to respond to an emergency. Take this opportunity to educate yourself on any local emergency plans, and develop a plan for your family to implement if an emergency hits your community.  Be it natural disaster, terrorism, fire or any other situation that requires an emergency response, lives are saved when plans are in place and responses are practiced.”

-Representative John Carter, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security

"September was designated as National Preparedness Month in honor of the September 11th attacks. As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of that tragedy, let's take a few moments with our families to prepare for an emergency. Talk to your kids. Make an emergency kit and draft a plan. If you see something, say something. Natural disasters like Superstorm Sandy have also taught us Mother Nature's capacity for destruction. This month is about preparing for everything, so please join me in working together to make our country safer and more prepared." 

-Representative Dan Donovan, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications

“During National Preparedness Month in September we are reminded how important it is to get ready for the unexpected.  As summer comes to an end and school and work schedules return to normal, I encourage citizens in New Hampshire and across the Nation to make a plan for emergencies and share it with your family and friends.  A little preparation will make all the difference… don’t wait!” 

-Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security

“In recent years, natural disasters have become increasingly common and destructive across the United States. This summer, communities in my home state of Wisconsin have been hit hard by severe storms and flooding that has damaged roads and bridges, impacted homes and neighborhoods and tragically taken lives. National Preparedness Month presents an opportunity to emphasize the importance of preparing for disasters. All of us- families, businesses, community leaders and Federal representatives- must play an essential role in preparation, communication and collaboration to ensure that our communities are prepared when disaster strikes.

National Preparedness Month is also an opportunity to highlight critical Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs that help states and localities acquire the resources they need to prepare for and protect against disasters. Programs like the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA) have helped communities in Wisconsin plan and prepare for flooding. Additionally, programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) and training programs like those at the Centers for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) support our heroic first responders who are the first line of defense in our communities.

In my role as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, I am exploring ways to strengthen these and other disaster preparedness efforts to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect the public from natural disasters.”

-Senator Tammy Baldwin, Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management

Congratulations National Emergency Management Basic Academy Graduates

FEMA congratulates the 23 students who graduated from the National Emergency Management Basic Academy on August 18, 2016. These students completed the full Basic Academy curriculum which provides the basic knowledge and skills to help meet the unpredictable challenges in the field of emergency management.  Graduates represented emergency management professionals from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy is the entry-point for individuals pursuing a career in emergency management. The Basic Academy offers the tools to develop comprehensive foundational skills needed in emergency management.  For those who are new to emergency management, the Basic Academy also provides a unique opportunity to build camaraderie, to establish professional contacts, and to understand the roles, responsibilities, and legal boundaries associated with emergency management. 

The Basic Academy is the first of a three-level Academy series in the Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP).  The EMPP curriculum is designed to provide a lifetime of learning for emergency management professionals and includes three separate, but closely threaded, training programs building from the Basic Academy to the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy, a program to develop the next generation of emergency management leaders who are trained in advanced concepts and issues, advanced leadership and management, and critical thinking and problem solving; and culminating in the National Emergency Management Executive Academy, a program designed to challenge and enhance the talents of the nation’s emergency management senior executives through critical thinking, visionary strategic planning, challenging conventional concepts, and negotiation and conflict resolution applied to complex real-world problems. 

Emergency management professionals should visit www.training.fema.gov/empp for more information about which academy best suits their needs.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

Higher Education Webinar in Emergency Management Education

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Higher Education Program is hosting a webinar, "The Role of Research in Emergency Management Education: Current Status and Future Directions," September 28, 2016 from 3 - 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar highlights research issues in emergency management higher education programs. Presenters include:

• Deborah J. Persell, Ph.D., RN, APN, Director, Regional Center for Disaster Preparedness Education College of Nursing and Health Professions Arkansas State University

• Jessica Jensen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Management Co-Director, Center for Emergency Management Education and Research, North Dakota State University

Register using the event registration link. Contact Wendy Walsh at wendy.walsh@fema.dhs.gov for more information.

EMI Offers Advanced Public Information Officer Training

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute is offering the Advanced Public Information Officer (PIO) course on November 28 – December 2, 2016. The course, held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, provides participants with the skills to establish, manage, and work in a joint information center (JIC).

Students will practice developing strategic messaging in support of incident action plans and manage a JIC. Individuals who took the course prior to 2011 are eligible to retake the training course since it was updated during the past two years.

The PIO training program is enhanced by its partnerships with states teaching basic courses that prepare new PIOs for handling daily challenges of safeguarding and informing their communities during emergencies. 

The Advanced PIO course improves skills of the participants through interactive lectures from subject matter experts and functional exercises, including strategic communications and incident action planning as it relates to JIC operations.

The application deadline is: October 14, 2016. If interested, contact Phil Politano, Training Specialist - Course Manager, at Philip.Politano.fema.dhs.gov or (301) 447-1343. For information on prerequisites and course schedules, go to http://training.fema.gov/programs/pio/.

Seeking Public Comments for Federal Flood Risk Management Guide

FEMA is seeking comments from all stakeholders regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and supplementary Policy 078-3, “Guidance for Implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).” The proposed rule would amend the definition of a floodplain, incorporate various approaches to establish a higher vertical elevation, and expand corresponding horizontal floodplain for FEMA federally funded projects. Where possible, it would direct natural systems, ecosystem processes, and nature-based approaches to be used when developing alternatives to locating Federal actions in the floodplain.

When FEMA federally funded projects involve more than one federal agency, FEMA would use the Unified Federal Review (UFR) to coordinate application of the FFRMS to those projects. The UFR Process also recognizes the important role of federal agencies, localities, states, tribes, and the general public in environmental and historic preservation reviews.

The major provisions of this rule would affect FEMA-funded new construction and substantial repair projects for individuals and communities, including some projects done in the aftermath of a disaster for state, local, tribal governments, private non-profits, and stakeholders. However, this rule does not directly affect the availability or price of flood insurance.

Comments may be submitted through October 21, 2016, using one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Search for the notice in Docket ID FEMA-2015-0006. When submitting comments, indicate the section and reasoning for each comment.

• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 8NE-1604, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC  20472-3100

• Viewing comments and documents: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. 

• Background documents and submitted comments may also be inspected at the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., 8NE, Washington, DC 20472-3100.

All submissions will be posted to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information provided. Individuals who submit comments should read the Privacy Act.

Tribal Consultation to Update the FEMA Tribal Policy

FEMA is updating its Tribal Policy that guides how the agency implements a framework for nation-to-nation relations with federally recognized tribal governments, recognizing tribal sovereignty, self-governance, and our trust responsibility consistent with applicable authorities. This updated policy will supersede the current FEMA Tribal Policy, issued in 2013, which expires on December 30, 2016. The goal is to update the policy to reflect current authorities, address key policy questions, and improve the Agency’s nation-to-nation relationship with tribal governments to ensure we work together to build, sustain, and improve every tribal governments’ capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against all hazards.

This consultation period will facilitate tribal leaders’ or their designee’s feedback during the policy update process. FEMA will engage officials through face-to-face meetings, national and regional association conferences, conference calls, and webinars to seek input on questions highlighted in the FEMA Tribal Policy: Key Concepts document. Tribal officials’ suggestions and comments will inform further development and refinement of FEMA’s Tribal Policy.

Tribal officials can submit comments on the FEMA Tribal Policy until October 28, 2016, through:

• E-mail to tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov, or

• Mail to ATTN: Margeau Valteau, Office of External Affairs (OEA), DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472-3605.

Visit FEMA’s Tribal Affairs web page for more information on the tribal consultation period for this policy and to view the Key Concepts document.

Draft Disaster Resilience Indicators Concept Deadline Extended

The deadline has been extended until December 15, 2016, to submit inputs and feedback to the Mitigation Federal Leadership Group (MitFLG) Disaster Resilience Indicators Subcommittee’s “Draft Interagency Concept for Community Resilience Indicators and National-Level Progress Measures." Stakeholders can submit comments and feedback to FEMA-CommunityResilience@fema.dhs.gov.

In response to broad public interest in identifying key factors of community resilience nationwide, FEMA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and federal partners in the MitFLG Disaster Resilience Indicators Subcommittee released the draft white paper in June 2016. This white paper is intended to start a broad conversation among public- and private-sector stakeholders on ways to best define and track improvements in community resilience capacity across 28 key indicator categories.

The document 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 initiative through FEMA and NOAA partnership here.