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On
Friday, June 2, 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA released the
Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for preparedness grants. These ten grants, which include the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
Grant Program and the State Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), will
provide more than $1.6 billion in funding to state, local, tribal, and
territorial governments as well as transportation authorities and nonprofit
organizations to improve the nation’s readiness in preventing, protecting
against, responding to, recovering from and mitigating terrorist attacks, major
disasters and other emergencies.
Receiving an appropriation on
May 5, 2017, this year’s DHS Preparedness Grant Program cycle is the shortest
turn around since the program’s inception in 2003. To properly administer these grants with
critical in-depth application reviews and award processes, the application
period is reduced to 21 days.
DHS is continuing to develop
the policy and procedural mechanisms for implementing the sanctuary
jurisdiction provisions of Executive Order No. 13768, Enhancing Public Safety
in the Interior of the United States (Jan. 25, 2017). The Department is
currently enjoined by a federal court from applying the operative provision of
the order. Therefore, these 2017 grants will not be subject to the requirements
of Section 9 (Sanctuary Jurisdictions) of the Executive Order.
To review the FY2017
Preparedness Grant NOFOs, go to www.grants.gov. After
the application period closes on June 22, 2017, the applications will undergo
critical, in-depth reviews. All awards
for these grants will be made no later than September 30, 2017.
FEMA released an updated
edition of Hazus®
Estimated Annualized Earthquake Losses for the United States (FEMA Publication
366). The latest edition of this report was developed by FEMA’s Hazus® Team,
the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), and the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) using the Hazus® data,
U.S. Census data, and updated USGS Probabilistic Earthquake Hazard Maps.
This report serves as an effective
tool to promote earthquake awareness, preparedness, implementation of
cost-effective mitigation measures, and strategies to help reduce seismic risk
in the nation’s most at-risk communities. The update is designed to provide a
more accurate estimate of hazard influences to losses, among other highlights. Hazus®
data helps provides emergency managers with comprehensive, nationwide data for
decision making.
The latest Unified Federal Review’s (UFR) newsletter is
posted online. This twice-yearly publication is an outreach tool for multiple
federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders designed to showcase
UFR process efforts aimed at supporting communities affected by disaster. The
newsletter also allows agencies to stay involved with efforts to create a UFR
Process across the nation. View the UFR newsletter at www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/98911.
FEMA accepts articles to showcase examples and experiences
of the UFR or general Environmental and Historical Preservation (EHP) review efficiencies to include in future issues
of the UFR Newsletter. If an agency has an example of EHP efficiencies or
successful interagency coordination for a project(s), submit this by email to federal-unified-review@fema.dhs.gov.
For more information about the UFR Process, visit www.fema.gov/unified-federal-environmental-and-historic-preservation-review-presidentially-declared-disasters.
Recently, FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) hosted
more than 250 academic and emergency management professionals at the 19th
Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium celebrating the theme "Meeting
Community Needs." In addition to representatives from across the United States,
there were international academic participants from Turkey, Sweden, Italy and
Canada.
Welcoming the group, EMI Superintendent Tony Russell and
National Training and Education System Branch Chief Dan Paulette-Chapman
acknowledged the vital importance of the emergency and disaster work done by
the academic community, nationally, and internationally. Mr. Russell encouraged
participants to learn from each other’s experiences, contribute new ideas, and
take away something that they would implement at their own colleges and
universities. Mr. Paulette-Chapman emphasized the importance of
inter-connection and how, working together, we will be able to optimize our
efforts.
Outstanding keynote
presentations included C.J. Huff, Ed.D., former Superintendent of Schools for
Joplin, MO; John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Operation HOPE, and
creator the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)
published by FEMA; and Andrea Davis, Director of Crisis Management and Business
Continuity, The Walt Disney Company. The presentations were
complemented by 25 breakout sessions and hosted dialogues.
Kay
C. Goss, Ph.D. CEM, U.S. President of the International Emergency Management
Society, and Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration, moderated a
group of panelists who discussed the role of education as part of the broader National
Preparedness System. Panelists recognized that the field of emergency management is now, for the
first time, a first choice career. They identified the need to better define
the scope of emergency management education and provide more opportunities for
students to develop practical emergency management experience. They also discussed
inviting the emergency management academic community to the table as a resource
for response, recovery and resilience planning for domestic and international
disasters.
Acting
Assistant Administrator of FEMA’s National
Preparedness Directorate, Katherine Fox, talked about the challenges we face
serving disaster survivors. She said that the value and purpose of higher
education is to impart a different way of thinking and questioning that can be
used to serve our nation’s preparedness. One of the memorable highlights
of the symposium occurred on Wednesday, when the Higher Education Community
presented the Dr. Wayne Blanchard Award to Barbara Johnson of EMI for her
nearly 20 years of dedication and support to the Higher Education Program and
Community.
FEMA looks forward to next year, which will be the 20th anniversary of the symposium. A focus for next
year will be the continuous quality development of emergency management
faculty and programs to support the readiness of the next generation of
emergency managers.
Emergency Management Institute Hosts Training e-Forums in June
During
the month of June, EMI will host weekly “One
Link, One Bridge, Many Voices” e-Forums that will provide an opportunity for
the emergency management community to discuss matters of interest related to
national preparedness training. The
pilot forums
will showcase community partners and peers, sharing their experiences in panel
format, which offers opportunities to provide technical assistance in training
management by facilitating peer-to-peer sharing of best practices.
June 21: Adopting the Academies
Hear
how Florida and Virginia have developed progressive training and education
systems based on the emergency management competencies inherent in the National
Emergency Management Basic
and Advanced
Academies.
June 28: THIRA/SPR Development
Each year, states produce two
self-assessments, the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
(THIRA) and the State Preparedness Report (SPR). Join us to hear North
Dakota and FEMA’s National Preparedness Assessment Division discuss the
importance of the role of the State Training Officer in the THIRA and SPR
process.
Registration link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/emieforums
Conference call-in:
800-320-4330, PIN 107622#
For
questions, contact: https://training.fema.gov/contactus/sendcomment.aspx
Participation does not require pre-registration.
Apply to Become a Trainer for the National Emergency Management Basic Academy
FEMA’s EMI is offering a Train-the-Trainer
course for the National Emergency Management Basic Academy. To qualify to
enroll, 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.
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.
Continuity Guidance Circular Draft Released for National Engagement
FEMA released the draft of an updated Continuity Guidance
Circular for national engagement. The document provides
recommendations on developing and maintaining the capability to ensure
continuity of operations, continuity of government, and enduring constitutional
government. National
preparedness and sustainment of essential functions is a shared responsibility
of the whole community – business, nonprofit and governmental entities. FEMA’s National Continuity Programs developed
the Circular in 2009 and issued its first revision in 2013.
The 30-day
national engagement period includes several 60-minute engagement webinars to
describe the draft document, provide information on how to submit feedback, and
to answer stakeholders’ questions. Feedback from stakeholders will shape the
development of the final document. For more
information and to review the draft documents, visit www.fema.gov/continuity-guidance-circular by July 6, 2017. Submit your completed feedback form to FEMA-CGC@fema.dhs.gov.
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, served on major commissions and task
forces, or be
responsible for decisions that have a significant effect on homeland
security
and emergency management policies.
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.
Comments Needed for Draft Policy on Floodplain Development
FEMA
prepared a draft policy for FEMA staff and communities participating in the
NFIP to update guidance for participating communities on satisfying National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) floodplain development permit requirements, and
to address questions about floodplain permitting of development activities
occurring in the FEMA designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Through
this policy, a community can ensure compliance with NFIP and local floodplain
management regulations, while potentially reducing the administrative burden
associated with permitting certain types of low-to-no impact development in the
floodplain.
This
guidance does not intend to address other permits associated with building
codes, or other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial permits, and only
applies to floodplain development permitting requirements to enroll in, and
maintain eligibility for, the NFIP. The draft policy is available for review on FEMA’s
website at: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/131010,
and the public is invited to provide comment and input via FEMA-Floodplain-Management-Division@fema.dhs.gov
until August 23, 2017.
FEMA Tribal Outreach and Consultation Period on FEMA Tribal Consultation Policy
FEMA initiated a 90-day outreach and consultation period
from June 1 to August 29, 2017, to seek input from federally recognized Indian
tribal governments on the update of the agency’s Tribal Consultation
Policy. The FEMA
Tribal Consultation Policy, first issued in 2014, acknowledges the agency’s
nation-to-nation relationship with tribal governments. The policy also guides how FEMA
engages tribal governments in regular and meaningful consultation and
collaboration on policy and actions that have tribal implications.
Tribal officials can submit
comments on the FEMA Tribal Consultation until August 29, 2017,
through:
- E-mail to tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov, or
- Mail to ATTN: Margeau Valteau, Office of External Affairs,
DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472-3191.
Visit FEMA’s Tribal Affairs
web page for more information on the tribal consultation period for this
policy.
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