Important Dates & Deadlines FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award Application Deadline Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Open Comment Period Deadline National Incident Management System Resource Management Guidance Documents Draft Open Comment Period Deadline

Building Community Resilience in Puerto Rico

In ongoing efforts to build community resilience through strategic public-private partnerships, FEMA’s Caribbean Area Division participated in the 2017 Annual Disaster Management Workshop hosted by Tropical Shipping and TOTE Maritime in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 29.

More than 150 participants – representing pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, wholesalers, maritime and ground transportation, federal, state, and territorial partners, and others – learned about FEMA’s emergency preparedness resources and grants that are available to U.S. jurisdictions in the Caribbean. Presenters also talked about natural and man‐made hazards and vulnerabilities, as well as cybersecurity, business continuity, and emergency preparedness tools available to the community. During two working group sessions, participants discussed “The Economic Impact of Disasters” and “The Reputational Damage of Cyber Security Breaches,” with topics ranging from last year’s island-wide power outage in Puerto Rico to Business Continuity of Operations planning.

These discussions found fertile ground as public and private partners shared insights and experiences, and engaged in productive dialogue to improve business emergency preparedness and continuity planning among the participating entities. As a result of the workshop, FEMA’s Caribbean Area Division is planning a series of trainings and exercises to continue strengthening these partnerships within a whole community environment.

Apply to Become a Trainer for the National Emergency Management Basic Academy

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is offering a Train-the-Trainer course for the National Emergency Management Basic Academy. To qualify to enroll in the Train-the-Trainer course, individuals must have at least five years of experience working in the field of emergency management and at least three years of experience delivering emergency management instruction to adults.

Train-the-Trainer is devoted to course delivery strategy, logistics, demonstrations, and adult learning methods. In addition, there are student teach-backs that summarize a portion of the Basic Academy course subject matter, and describe activities and exercises. Upon completion of the course, students will possess the skills necessary to set up and facilitate an offering of the Basic Academy courses.

The entry-point for individuals pursuing a career in emergency management, the Basic Academy offers the tools to develop comprehensive foundational skills. 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.

Course Dates: August 7-11, 2017

Location: Emergency Management Institute, National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD

Application Deadline:  June 26, 2017

For additional information, contact Jeff Januchowski at 301-447-1356 or jeffrey.januchowski@fema.dhs.gov.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

Individual and Community Preparedness Awards Application Period

The application period for the 2017 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards is now open. The awards highlight innovative local practices and achievements by honoring individuals, organizations, and jurisdictions that have made outstanding contributions toward strengthening their community to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate a disaster.

Emergency management is most effective when the entire community is engaged and involved. Everyone, including faith-based organizations, voluntary agencies, the private sector, tribal organizations, youth, people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, and older adults make a difference in their communities before, during, and after disasters.

To be considered for this year’s awards, all submissions must be received by May 30, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, and must feature program activities taking place between January 1, 2016, and May 30, 2017. Applications are accessed online and should be submitted to fema-icp-awards@fema.dhs.gov. More information about the awards is available at www.ready.gov/preparedness-awards. 

National Emergency Management Advanced Academy Applications

EMI is accepting applications for the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy. This program addresses program management and oversight, effective communication, integrated collaboration, and strategic thinking skills. The target audience is mid-level managers who have a minimum of three years of experience in an emergency management position to include government, non-profit, voluntary organization, and private sector leaders who are responsible for emergency management or homeland security.

The Advanced Academy Program consists of four resident courses and is five days in length. Classes begin in October, November, or December 2017 and are ideally taken sequentially through September 2018. Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2017, with selections in June and announcements in July.

For more information, contact fema-empp-advanced-academy@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA Seeks Comments on Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on the National Flood Insurance Program

On April 7, FEMA published a Federal Register notice to seek public comment on a draft Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (NPEIS) about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). As required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FEMA developed this draft NPEIS to examine the impacts of proposed improvements and modifications to the NFIP. This draft NPEIS includes an evaluation of the potential impacts to the natural and human environment associated with the NFIP at a programmatic level, as well as an evaluation of impacts of alternative proposals to modify the NFIP.

The public comment period is open for 60 days until June 6, 2017. Download a copy of the draft NPEIS and provide comments directly to FEMA via www.regulations.gov. Search for Docket ID FEMA-2012-0012. In addition, public meetings and webinars are scheduled by FEMA to allow the public an opportunity to learn more about the project and to provide comments on the NFIP draft NPEIS. For a list of locations and webinar dates and times, visit www.fema.gov/programmatic-environmental-impact-statement.

FEMA Seeks Comments on Draft National Incident Management System Resource Management Guidance Documents

FEMA is committed to improving the nation’s ability to manage all threats and hazards. As such, FEMA’s National Integration Center released a suite of draft National Incident Management System (NIMS) Resource Management guidance documents that enhance the interoperability and effectiveness of mutual aid between jurisdictions and agencies. FEMA is holding a National Engagement period to solicit feedback.

The drafts include the NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System (NQS), NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications and accompanying Position Task Books (PTB), Resource Types, the NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid, and an updated NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing of Personnel. Documents are available for review and comment through Friday, June 9, 2017.

In addition, FEMA is hosting a series of 60-minute webinars to describe the draft documents and answer participants’ questions about providing feedback. To review the drafts of the NIMS Resource Management supplemental guidance and tools, and to obtain additional webinar information, visit www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system/national-engagement. To provide comments on the draft, complete the feedback form found on the webpage above and submit it to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov.

Emergency Management Institute Offers Advanced Public Information Officer Training

EMI is offering the Advanced Public Information Officer (PIO) course, July 24-28, at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The course provides public information officers the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills for establishing, managing and working in a joint information center (JIC). The training fosters an environment where participants can apply advanced skills during a multi-day functional exercise designed to test and enhance their ability to analyze, coordinate, process, and create information in a fast-paced, realistic environment. Using interactive lectures from subject matter experts and an intense functional exercise, the Advanced PIO course teaches participants skills for use during escalating incidents, including strategic communications and incident action planning, as it relates to JIC operations.

Interested individuals should contact Phil Politano at Philip.Politano@fema.dhs.gov by June 9, 2017, to register for the course. For information on prerequisites and course schedules go to http://training.femac.gov/programs/pio/.

Apply for the 2018 National Emergency Management Executive Academy

FEMA’s EMI is now accepting application packages for the 2018 National Emergency Management Executive Academy. Ideally, candidates will have experience as senior executives of major emergency management organizations, have 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 four resident sessions, to be conducted by EMI at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, will include:

- Systems Thinking and Research Methods for Executives:  February 26 – March 1, 2018

- Executive Emergency Management Leader Core Competencies I:  April 23 – 26, 2018

- Executive Emergency Management Leader Core Competencies II:  June 18– 21, 2018

- Executive Emergency Management Leaders Core Competencies III:  August 27 – 30, 2018

Applications will be accepted through August 15, 2017. 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.