FEMA Bulletin Week of February 6, 2017

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FEMA BULLETIN

Week of February 6, 2017

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines

FEB 8

2017 Regional Public/Private Sector Workshop

FEB

Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks (CCTA Program) Application 

FEB

SAFER Grant Program Application

February 15: Integrated Emergency Management Course Application Deadline

Integrated Emergency Management Course Application Deadline

march 15

National Advisory Council Application Deadline

FEMA Seeks Comment on Updated Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is updating its policy that guides how Agency officials interpret regulatory requirements in their review and approval of tribal mitigation plans. The updated Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide will supersede FEMA’s current Tribal Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance issued in 2010.

 

The goal is to simplify the Guidance, address key policy questions, and improve alignment with similar FEMA policies on state and local mitigation planning. The underlying regulatory requirements for tribal mitigation planning in the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR part 201) have not changed.

 

During the initial consultation period, April 26 to July 8, 2016, FEMA engaged tribal leaders through face-to-face meetings, conferences, and webinars to seek discussion and input on questions highlighted in a short “Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide: Key Concepts” document. During this second consultation and outreach period, FEMA is seeking comments on the “Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide Draft, January 2017.” The Guide and a fact sheet summarizing the initial consultation period are posted to the FEMA Library.

 

 

Tribal officials can submit comments on the Guide by mail to: ATTN: National Mitigation Planning Program, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA), DHS/FEMA, 400 C Street SW, Suite 313, Washington, DC 20472-3020

 

 

Comments can also be submitted by electronic mail to tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov. All comments must be submitted either by U.S. mail or e-mail no later than April 9, 2017.

 

 

In addition, webinars to present information on the Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide will be held Wednesday, March 1, 4:00 PM EST and Monday, March 13, 3:30 PM EST, to participate click here. For audio, please call 800-320-4330 using conference code 905506#.

 

 

Visit FEMA’s Tribal Affairs page for more information on this tribal consultation. For additional information or questions, contact your Regional Tribal Liaison.


Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

Emergency Management Institute Offers Teaching with Cases Webinar Series

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will offer a webinar series that provides an overview of the use of cases in teaching emergency management higher education programs. The webinar will be held February 8, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST

 

The third webinar in the Emergency Management Teaching with Cases series will focus on teaching considerations, and will examine preparing to teach a case; important instructor functions and techniques associated with case teaching; and, typical problems and “fixes.” This session will provide an appreciation for many of the fundamentals needed for effective use of case methods. The fourth webinar in this series will be held in March.

 

EMI is looking for several volunteers who would be interested in offering a case example to help illustrate these important aspects of preparation and “running” a case. Please contact Jane (jkushma@jsu.edu) or Jean (Jean.Slick@RoyalRoads.ca) prior to the webinar if you would like to volunteer.

To participate in this webinar, please register at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/teaching-cases/event/registration.html.

For additional information: Contact Wendy Walsh at wendy.walsh@fema.dhs.gov

 

 

SAFER Grant Program Application Period is Open

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The NOFO document provides applicants with the details of the requirements, processing, and evaluation of an application for financial assistance for both of these activity areas.

 

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2016 provides $345,000,000 for the SAFER Grant Program for the Department to assist fire departments and volunteer interest organizations to increase the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. 

 

SAFER grants provide financial assistance to help fire departments increase frontline firefighters. SAFER offers grants to support activities in two categories- Hiring of Firefighters and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters. The authority for SAFER is derived from the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended (15 U.S.C. §2229a et seq.).

 

 

The NOFO and technical assistance documents for this program are available at www.grants.gov, and at http://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-emergency-response-grants

 

The application period will close on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 5 p.m, EST. 

 

 

 

Grant Program to Prepare Communities for Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks

The grant application period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Program to Prepare Communities for Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks (CCTA Program) is currently open. The CCTA program provides $35.94 million to state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions to improve their ability to prepare for, prevent, and respond to complex coordinated terrorist attacks in collaboration with the whole community.

 

The application period will remain open until February 10, 2017 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.  The FY 2016 CCTA Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is located online at: http://www.fema.gov/grants as well as on http://www.grants.gov Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 97.133.

 

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.

 

 

Applications Open for Integrated Emergency Management Courses

 

FEMA’s EMI  conducts Integrated Emergency Management Courses (IEMC's) throughout the year and across the country. The four-and-a-half day training course is designed specifically for communities, providing both lecture and exercise-based training focused on response operations for a disaster or emergency that could happen in their area.

 

IEMC's courses simulate realistic crisis situations that emergency operations center personnel and community leadership/elected officials may encounter during disasters or other events. Also, the course enhances the skills of participating officials and provides a forum to evaluate the effectiveness of their specific emergency policies, plans, and procedures to protect life and property. The course’s target audience includes:  state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government personnel; their SLTT 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 principally delivered at FEMA’s EMI at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland; however, delivery may also occur in the community. 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/. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2017. Questions should be directed to FEMA-EMI-IEMB@fema.dhs.gov

 

 

Emergency Management Institute Offers Hurricane Virtual Tabletop Exercise

FEMA’s EMI Virtual Tabletop Exercise (VTTX) program will offer six sessions of a hurricane scenario on March 21, 22, 23 and April 11, 12, 13. The VTTX helps communities prepare for the upcoming hurricane season using historical events and recovery actions.  The application deadlines are February 21 and March 14 respectively. Content is the same each day, and participants would attend only one session. The VTTX involves key personnel discussing simulated scenarios in an informal setting and can be used to assess plans, policies, training, and procedures.

 

The VTTX will occur 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. EST on each of the days listed above. To participate, send an email to Doug Kahn at douglas.kahn@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-7645. Also, send a courtesy copy email to the Integrated Emergency Management Branch at fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-1381. Additional information is available at https://training.fema.gov/programs/emivttx.aspx.

 

FEMA Hosts Webinar on the New Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance

FEMA invites you to participate in a webinar/conference call on the recently released Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance. The webinar will provide a forum to answer questions about the declarations process for tribal nations. The pilot guidance describes the process tribal governments will use to request Stafford Act declarations and the criteria FEMA will use to evaluate direct tribal declaration requests and make recommendations to the President. 

 

The webinars will take place on February 27 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. EST. To participate via the web click here. The link will prompt you to sign-in as guest. Please enter your name and click “Enter Room.”

 

To participate via phone, please call 1-800-320-4330; Pin 265976#. Please keep in mind if you choose to call in, you will hear audio (only) and will not have visibility to the Adobe Connect slide deck presentation.

 

If you have any other questions, please contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.

 

FEMA Seeks Applicants for National Advisory Council

FEMA is requesting individuals who are interested in serving on the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) to apply to be considered for appointment. The NAC is a federal advisory committee established to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. The NAC is a geographically diverse mix of officials, emergency managers, and emergency response providers from state, local, and tribal governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations who advise the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management. 

 

FEMA is accepting applications for open positions in the following discipline areas:

 

Elected Tribal Government Executive (one representative appointment); Non-elected Tribal Government Official (one representative appointment); Emergency Management Field (one representative appointment); Emergency Response Providers, which includes fire, law enforcement, hazardous materials response, emergency medical services, and organizations representing emergency response providers (one representative appointment); Standards Setting and Accrediting Organizations, which includes the voluntary consensus codes and standards development community (one representative appointment); Individuals with Disabilities (one representative appointment); Health Scientist (one SGE appointment); Infrastructure Protection Expert (one SGE appointment); Administrator Selections (up to five SGE appointments)

 

All appointments are for three-year terms starting in September 2017. Applications must be received by the close of business on March 15, 2017. Qualified individuals interested in serving on the NAC are invited to apply for appointment. More information can be found here.