Important Dates & Deadlines  Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide Webinar Fiscal Year 2017 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Application Deadline Draft National Mitigation Investment Strategy Public Comment Period Deadline

New Report Shows Mitigation Saves More

The mitigation concepts analyzed in the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report include: pre- and post-disaster federal hazard mitigation grants data, and designing new buildings to exceed select requirements of the 2015 International Codes (I-codes). The hazard categories covered in this Study are riverine flood, hurricane surge, wind, earthquake, and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire (WUI).

Additionally, the report demonstrates that, on average, investments in hazard mitigation measures that exceed provisions of the most recent local building codes can save the nation $4 for every $1 spent.

The Study shows a savings of $15.5 billion from one year of building new construction beyond code requirements and $158 billion in savings from federally funded mitigation grant programs funded from 1993-2016. The Study was made possible with funding by several government and non-government sponsors. In addition to FEMA, others include U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), International Code Council (ICC), Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The full Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report is available online.

FEMA and Interagency Partners Release Draft National Mitigation Investment Strategy for Public Comment

For our nation to become more resilient, we must develop a more effective and efficient way to invest in mitigation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security tasked the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG) to develop a National Mitigation Investment Strategy (Investment Strategy). As of January 11, the public is encouraged to review the draft Investment Strategy and provide comment. The draft Investment Strategy makes a series of recommendations, organized by six desired outcomes which, if met, could result in a nation better equipped for, and less vulnerable to, natural hazards. The draft Investment Strategy provides a national approach to investments in mitigation activities and risk management across federal, state, local, and territorial and tribal government and the private and non-profit sectors.

The MitFLG invites ideas about investment from all levels of government and key stakeholders, including private businesses, citizens, vulnerable and at-risk populations, critical infrastructure sectors, and non-profit, academic, and philanthropic organizations. This feedback on the draft strategy’s proposed outcomes, and how as a nation we can deliver those outcomes, is vital.

The draft Investment Strategy is now available on the National Mitigation Framework website at www.fema.gov/national-mitigation-framework. Comments on the draft Investment Strategy will be accepted until March 11, 2018 either through email to fema-nmis@fema.dhs.gov or through the IdeaScale site at https://fema.ideascale.com/a/ideas/recent/campaign-filter/byids/campaigns/60968.

To learn more about FEMA’s commitment to the National Mitigation Investment Strategy and building a true culture of preparedness across all communities, read Investing in Mitigation to Build a More Resilient Nation at www.fema.gov/blog.

Emergency Management Institute Offers Cyber Virtual Tabletop Exercise

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Virtual Tabletop Exercise (VTTX) program will offer a cyber security breach scenario March 6, 7, and 8. The VTTX is designed to help emergency management professionals exercise their response to the impact of a cyber-attack on their community. The VTTX involves key personnel discussing simulated scenarios in an informal setting, and can be used to assess plans, policies, training, and procedures during a cyber security challenge.

Each month, EMI conducts a VTTX series using a Video Teleconference (VTC) platform to reach community-based training audiences around the country by providing a virtual forum for interactive disaster training.  The VTTX is designed for a group of ten or more representatives from state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management communities of practice. It provides a unique opportunity for responders across the Nation to simultaneously participate in a hazard-specific, facilitated discussion. Participants will need to connect via a site equipped with the appropriate VTC capability (not Adobe Connect or Face Time-based), but alternative ways to participate are also available upon request.

The VTTX occurs 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET. 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 fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-1381. The application deadline is January 23. Additional information is available at https://training.fema.gov/programs/emivttx.aspx.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide Webinar

FEMA recently released the Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide (Guide) and will update and supersede the current FEMA Tribal Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance issued in 2010. Both the current as well as the newly revised Guides are available online at www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/18355. To phase in the implementation, the new Guide will become effective later this year on December 5, 2018. 

FEMA will provide additional information to tribal governments through national and regional webinars. The first webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23, at 4 p.m. EST.

To join the webinar:

Adobe Connect: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r51hovh1mun/

Audio dial in: 1-800-320-4330

Participant Code: 905506

More information on the requirement to have a FEMA-approved tribal mitigation plan as a condition for receiving certain assistance from FEMA, such as from Public Assistance (Categories C through G) after a presidentially-declared disaster, Hazard Mitigation Assistance, and /or Fire Mitigation Assistance Grants, can be found on FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-plan-requirement. Additional information on FEMA’s mitigation planning program can be found at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning.

Notice of Funding Opportunity for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

FEMA announced that the annual funding opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2017 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) is now open, and the application period will close on Friday, February 2, 2018 at 5 p.m. (Eastern). The Fiscal Year 2017 AFG program will award $310.5 million to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters against fire-related deaths and hazards.

Applicant tools, including the AFG Notice of Funding Opportunity, for this program will be available at www.grants.gov and at www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program. Further, the “Get Ready Guide” may also be useful for potential applicants and is provided to answer questions and to help prepare grant applications.

For fire departments/applicants requiring assistance please visit www.fema.gov/grants, or contact the AFG Help Desk at firegrants@fema.gov or 1-866-274-0960.