Important Dates & Deadlines Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Grants Application Deadline 2018 National Emergency Management Executive Academy Application Deadline Draft Policy on Floodplain Development Open Comment Period Deadline FEMA Tribal Outreach and Consultation Period Deadline on FEMA Tribal Consultation Policy

FEMA Announces the Selection of the National Advisory Council Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Subcommittee Members

FEMA announced the selection of 31 qualified individuals to serve on the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Subcommittee. The IPAWS Modernization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-143) requires the FEMA Administrator to establish the IPAWS Subcommittee. The Subcommittee will terminate no later than April 2019.

Forty-four members will serve on the IPAWS Subcommittee:

- Thirty-one qualified individuals from 13 categories, including four additional candidates to serve as FEMA Administrator Selections, as mandated in Public Law 114-143.

- Eight senior federal leaders (or their designees)

- Five members from the NAC who volunteered to serve.

FEMA published a Federal Register Notice in September 2016 announcing the call for applications.  A FEMA selection panel identified qualified individuals from the categories listed in the IPAWS Modernization Act. The IPAWS Subcommittee will hold their inaugural meeting on August 8-9, 2017, in Washington, D.C. They will meet up to four times per year at the discretion of the chairperson – two in person and two by video conferencing. Public Law 114-143 requires the Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness to chair the Subcommittee.

The IPAWS Program is responsible for implementing a national public alert and warning system, supporting presidential warning requirements, and enable its use by federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local officials during local emergencies. Further information on FEMA’s IPAWS program can be found at www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warning-system.

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 advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management frameworks, strategies and plans, while incorporating the whole community’s input through appointed council members.

FEMA Announces New Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

On July 6, 2017, FEMA published a new policy to provide Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program guidance on subsurface hydraulic fracturing and horizontal directional drilling (hydraulic fracturing/HDD), designating such activity as a compatible use when it occurs at the subsurface level, or below-ground, for properties acquired for open space with HMA funds.

In this policy, FEMA considered the practice of hydraulic fracturing/HDD activities and determined that based on the available information, the actions occurring in subsurface layers to extract natural gas or oil are uses that are generally compatible with open space. These actions generally do not increase flood risk or present an obstruction in the floodplain.  Additionally, they generally do not obstruct the natural and beneficial floodplain functions.

With regard to surface level activities, FEMA determined that related appurtenances, equipment, and/or wastewater disposal associated with hydraulic fracturing/HDD are not compatible uses with open space and they are not allowed on acquired land parcels.

FEMA Policy (FP-302-094-03) can be viewed online. Information about the Hazard Mitigation program is also available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance.

Fiscal Year Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program Grants

FEMA announced that $250 million in funding is available through two Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs:  Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM). These grant programs assist state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in strengthening our nation’s ability to reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages.

Beginning July 10, potential applicants can review the specifics of the FY17 programs in the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) which include details such as eligibility, funding guidelines and evaluation criteria. The NOFOs are available at www.grants.gov and additional information is available at FEMA.gov. FEMA is also scheduling a series of information webinars for interested applicants over the next few weeks.

The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 establishes the goal of reducing or eliminating claims under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through long-term mitigation actions. For the FMA program, the agency’s predetermined funding priorities include flood mitigation planning and efforts for repetitive as well as severe repetitive loss properties. New in this application cycle, FEMA has set-aside $70 million of the $160 million in FMA grant funds for community advance assistance and flood mitigation projects.

As authorized under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), the PDM Program is designed to implement a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program with the goal of reducing overall risk to the population and structures from future hazard events. FEMA selects eligible planning and project sub-applications for the PDM program which fulfill statutory requirements and competitive mitigation activities that limit duplication of other HMA grant programs as provided in the agency’s predetermined priorities for funding. For FY17, FEMA has set-aside $10 million of the $90 million in PDM funding for federally recognized tribes.

FEMA will open the FY17 HMA application period August 14, 2017. Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the Mitigation eGrants system on the FEMA Grants Portal accessible at https://portal.fema.gov.  All applications must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on November 14, 2017.

Further information on these grant programs is available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance.

FEMA Congratulates National Emergency Management Advanced Academy Graduates

FEMA congratulates 44 students who graduated from the first California Cohort of the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy on June 30. Hosted by the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI), the event took place aboard the USS Midway in San Diego, California. CSTI’s Superintendent, Alex Cabassa, and the Emergency Management Institute’s Superintendent, Tony Russell, presided over the event.

FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy is designed for mid-level managers seeking to advance their skills, and provides the strategic level training and education essential for emergency management professionals to effectively design, influence and lead cutting-edge programs. California is the third state, or commonwealth, to host the Advanced Academy program at their “home” location. This allows the host to select the attendees consisting of students with at least three years of experience in an emergency management position from across various jurisdictions, agencies and offices.

Until 2016, the Advanced Academy program was delivered by the Emergency Management Institute solely in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This California-based delivery demonstrates the opportunity available to all states, commonwealths, tribes, and territories to deliver the Advanced Academy program at their site. For more information about offering the Advanced Academy at your location, contact Mr. Kelly Garrett at Kelly.Garrett@fema.dhs.gov or Douglas Kuhn at douglas.kuhn@fema.dhs.gov.

Visit www.training.fema.gov/empp for more information about the Emergency Management Professional Programs, which includes the National Emergency Management Executive, Advanced, and Basic Academies.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

$8 Million Available for Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Grants

FEMA announced that $8 million in Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Training Grants (CTG) funding is available to develop and deliver FEMA training to address specific focus areas: Cybersecurity, Economic Recovery, Housing, and Rural and Tribal Preparedness.

Administered annually by FEMA, this competitive program attracts applicants nationwide, including state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, non-profit local and national organizations, colleges and universities, and faith-based organizations. Complete instructions to apply are found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), posted on Grants.gov, listed under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 97.005, Continuing Training Grants. FEMA will review, evaluate and score proposals by applying a methodology that is detailed in the NOFO. The CTG application period opened on June 26, 2017 and will close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 26, 2017. Awards will be made by September 30, 2017.

For questions regarding the CTG program, contact FEMA’s National Training and Education Division via email at FEMA-NTES@fema.dhs.gov or contact Mr. Patrick Cowhey, patrick.cowhey@fema.dhs.gov and (202) 786-0905.

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.