FEMA is adjusting the following based on the FY 2017
Consumer Price Index (CPI): statewide per capita indicator, the countywide per
capita indicator, the maximum amount for small project grants, the minimum
amount for project worksheets, and the maximum amount of assistance under the
Individuals and Households Program. These adjustments will impact all disasters
declared on or after October 1, 2016.
- Statewide Per Capita
Impact Indicator: used to evaluate
impact of disaster at state level -- $1.43
- Countywide Per Capita
Indicator: Used to evaluate impact
of disaster at county level -- $3.61
- Maximum amount for small
project grants: Maximum grant made
under Public Assistance Simplified Procedures -- $123,100
- Minimum amount for
Project Worksheets: Minimum amount
that will be approved for any Project Worksheet under the Public Assistance
Program -- $3,100
- Maximum amount of
assistance under the Individuals and Households Program: Maximum amount of financial assistance provided to
an individual or household under the Individuals and Households Program -- $33,300
For
additional information about these adjustments, you can review the notices on
the Federal Register.
The
second version of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide
(PAPPG) has been posted to the Federal Register for public comment. The PAPPG
is a comprehensive, consolidated program and policy document that outlines
the Public Assistance (PA) Program into a user-friendly guide. PAPPG incorporates
and supersedes language from PA Program publications and the majority of
previous policies. The first version of the PAPPG was published for disasters
declared on or after January 1, 2016. Some of these changes include language
clarification and the addition of references to other federal programs that
intersect with FEMA’s PA program.
In
accordance with the planned annual revision schedule, FEMA posted draft
revisions to the PAPPG to the Federal Register. A summary of
changes can be found on the Federal Register along with the actual language
changes.
All comments must be received through the Federal Register by October 24, 2016.
FEMA
released the Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance (IHPUG). The Guide
clarifies FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program by streamlining and
simplifying information about disaster services for individuals and
communities, to help state, local, and tribal officials better serve disaster
survivors through a clear understanding of disaster programs.
The Individuals
and Households Program provides financial help or directs services to
those who have disaster-caused necessary expenses and serious needs and who are
unable to meet those needs through other means. The Guide compiles FEMA policy
for each type of assistance under the Individuals and Households Program into
one comprehensive document and is intended to serve as a resource for state, tribal,
territorial governments, and other entities who assist disaster survivors with
post-disaster recovery.
The Guide
consolidates all stand-alone policies and policy statements currently located
in FEMA documents and standard operating procedures. It catalogs lessons
learned from disaster operations and FEMA’s decisions as they relate to the Individuals
and Households Program and increases transparency by clarifying past practices.
Changes and updates to FEMA policy detailed in the Guide address previous
policy gaps, align policy with current regulations, and ensure consistent
delivery of all forms of assistance offered through FEMA’s Individuals and Households
Program. The Guide is posted to FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/IHP-Unified-Guidance and on the Federal Register.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is soliciting public feedback for the
National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP). Recognizing
that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and effective cyber incident
response must involve all levels of government as well as the private sector, Presidential
Policy Directive (PPD)- 41: U.S. Cyber Incident Coordination directs DHS to develop an NCIRP. Over the past few
months, DHS has coordinated with stakeholders from across the federal government; state, local, tribal and territorial governments; and the private
sector to update the NCIRP.
The current draft
NCIRP formalizes cyber incident response practices developed over the past few
years and further clarifies organizational roles, responsibilities, and actions
to prepare for, respond to, and coordinate the recovery from a cyber incident.
The plan also creates a stronger alignment between National Preparedness
System, specifically the core capabilities within the National Preparedness
Goal, the National Response Framework, and the National Incident Management
System.
National engagement provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment and
provide feedback on the NCIRP to ensure it
continues to reflects the collective expertise and experience of the whole
community in response to cyber incidents. The draft plan is available for review and feedback at https://www.us-cert.gov/ncirp. Webinars are also available. Please use the submission form to provide any comments and
recommendations and email them to FEMA-NCIRP-engagement@fema.dhs.gov by 5 p.m. EDT October 31, 2016. More information is available on the DHS blog.
FEMA congratulates East
Hartford, Connecticut, for completing their Integrated Emergency Management Course
(IEMC). The four-and-a-half day training course was designed specifically
for their jurisdiction, providing both lecture and exercise-based training
focused on response operations for a major flooding event.
IEMC courses simulate
realistic crisis situations that emergency operations center personnel and
community leadership/elected officials may encounter during disasters or other
events. The course helps enhance the skills of participating
officials, and provide a forum to evaluate the effectiveness of their specific
emergency policies, plans, and procedures that protect life and property. The
course’s target audience includes state, local, tribal, and territorial
government personnel; their elected and appointed officials; supervisory,
operations, and emergency support personnel; nonprofit organizations; the
private sector; law enforcement personnel; firefighters; attorneys; public
information officers; planners; and more.
IEMC classes are
mainly delivered at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute at the National
Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland; however, local delivery
may occur in the community. Questions should be directed to FEMA-EMI-IEMB@fema.dhs.gov. If your
jurisdiction is interested in applying for the program and obtaining information
on the application process and its timeline, please visit http://training.fema.gov/iemc/.
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 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
Published
in the Federal Register, FEMA continues to encourage comments to the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and supplementary Policy 078-3, “Guidance for
Implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).” This 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, 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. 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 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.
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.
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