FEMA Bulletin Week of October 23, 2017

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FEMA BULLETIN

Week of October 23, 2017

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines 

October 31

 FEMA Fiscal Year 2018-2022 Strategic Plan Open Comment Period

November 14

Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants Application Deadline

Halloween Fire Safety Tips

There were nearly 10,300 fires each year, from 2011 to 2013, during the three-day period around Halloween. These fires caused approximately 25 deaths, 125 injuries, and $83 million in property loss.


In order to keep your family safe, consider the following Halloween fire safety tips:

- Choose a costume without long trailing fabric. If you make your own costume, use materials that won’t catch on fire easily if they come in contact with heat or flames.

- Give your children flashlights or glow sticks so they can see where they are going.

- Keep decorations away from candles, light bulbs, or heat producing equipment.

- Consider using battery-operated flameless candles or glow sticks in your jack-o-lantern.

- Keep exits clear of decorations and furnishings.

- Make sure your smoke alarms operate properly, and replace them when they are ten years old.

Halloween fire safety tips

Webinar: 2017 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards Recognition and Idea Sharing

Join FEMA for a webinar to honor the preparedness efforts of the 2017 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Award winners and learn about their programs on Tuesday, October 31, at 2 p.m. ET. FEMA will host the webinar with the awardees to generate conversation, and share ideas, insights, and experiences. Winners will provide models of preparedness programs to help others take similar actions in their community.


The FEMA ICP Awards highlight innovative local practices and achievements of individuals, communities, and organizations throughout the country that made outstanding contributions to prepare their community. A list of the FEMA ICP Awards recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available at www.ready.gov/awards.

 

How to Join the Webinar

- Please register for the event https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/awards20171/event/registration.html using the Adobe Connect registration web link.

- Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting.

- This webinar will offer captioning.

List of ICP award winners.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

FEMA Seeks Input on Fiscal Year 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan

FEMA's Administrator believes in the importance of hearing external partners’ perspectives to help FEMA improve the way business is done. Throughout the next few months, FEMA is inviting its stakeholders and partners from across the whole community to help shape the Fiscal Year 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan. In an effort to reach as many stakeholders and partners as possible, FEMA is accepting feedback via IdeaScale – an interactive, web-based application that allows idea sharing, collaboration and engagement.

 

FEMA is looking for input and engagement on Simplifying Recovery and Reducing Disaster Costs. How could FEMA simplify recovery programs and reduce disaster costs while ensuring accountability, customer service, and fiscal stewardship?

 

Buying Down Risk through Preparedness and Mitigation

- How should risk be calculated in awarding grants?

- What type of grants are best suited for effectively reducing risk?

- How do we incentivize more investment in preparedness/mitigation prior to a disaster (not only federal investment)?

- How should the nation, including but not limited to FEMA, train and credential a surge disaster workforce ahead of major disasters?

- What are new ways to think about a true culture of preparedness?


We value the input and diverse perspectives that you bring to help inform this process, the final product, and our efforts. Our IdeaScale campaigns will be open until October 31, 2017. We look forward to your ideas and suggestions.

 

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Applications Open Until November 14

The application period is open for two competitive Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs. Eligible applicants including territories, federally recognized tribes, and states and local governments may apply for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grants at https://portal.fema.gov through 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on November 14, 2017.

 

FMA grants are available to implement measures to reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to structures insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For FY 2017, $160 million is available, including $70 million for community flood mitigation activities that address flooding on a neighborhood level, such as floodwater diversion and localized flood-control measures as well as advance assistance for mitigation design and development of community flood mitigation projects.

 

PDM grants are awarded for all-hazard mitigation planning and projects, such as the construction of community and residential safe rooms for tornados, and wind retrofits, which are enhancements made to strengthen the roof, walls and doors of structures to minimize damage caused by high winds. This year, $90 million is available, including $10 million for federally-recognized tribes. States, tribes, territories and the District of Columbia may apply for the statutory allocation of up to $575,000 federal share. Visit www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program for additional details about the grants.