FEMA Bulletin Week of March 12, 2018

Seal of the Department of Homeland Security

FEMA BULLETIN

March 12, 2018

View as Webpage | Subscribe

In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines 

March 16

Fiscal Year 2017 Fire Prevention & Safety Grants Application Deadline

March 18

FEMA National Advisory Council Application Deadline

March 18

Youth Preparedness Council Application Deadline

April 9

2018 National Preparedness Symposium Application Deadline

April 30

Property Acquisition Open Space Collection Open Comment Period Deadline

Center for Domestic Preparedness to Host 2018 Tribal Nations Training Week

The Center for Domestic Preparedness will host its 2018 Tribal Nations Training Week on March 18-24, 2018, on its campus in Anniston, Alabama.


The training is open to emergency response personnel who are affiliated with one or more Tribal Nations or the Indian Health Service, and those who work directly with Tribal Nations.


CDP training is fully-funded for state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency responders to include roundtrip airfare, meals, lodging, training and any equipment required during training. The Tribal Nations Training Week is intended to enhance the response capabilities of Tribal Nations personnel and make them better prepared respond to emergencies in their communities.


The week culminates with an Integrated Capstone Event, where students will lead an interdisciplinary response to a simulated mass casualty incident. The capstone event will challenge students to handle initial call-out, scene size-up, rescue, decontamination, triage, pre-hospital treatment, crime scene management, evidence collection, hospital surge management, and public health information management associated with the incident.


For more information, go to the Tribal Nations Training Week page on CDP’s website: www.cdp.dhs.gov/training/week/theme/tribal.


FEMA and Emergency Management Partner Organizations Release PrepTalk on Land Use Planning

FEMA, in partnership with organizations that collectively represent the emergency management profession, released today the fifth video presentation from the inaugural PrepTalks Symposium, Dr. Philip Berke’s “Land Use Planning for Community Resilience.”

In his PrepTalk, Dr. Berke explains how effective land use planning strengthens community resilience, through sharing research that shows “preventative land use policies have the highest benefit-cost ratios and Community Rating System incentives, yet are the least used actions to reduce vulnerability and promote mitigation.” He is a Professor of Land Use and Environmental Planning at College Station, Texas A&M, and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Communities there. He co-authored “Natural Hazard Mitigation: Recasting Disaster Policy and Planning,” selected as one of the 100 Essential Books in Planning of the 20th century by the American Planning Association Centennial Great Books. 

Dr. Berke’s presentation, the question-and-answer session that followed, a discussion guide, and additional reference materials are available at https://www.fema.gov/preptalks. This is the fifth video of eight being produced from the PrepTalks Symposium held in Washington, D.C. in January. The next PrepTalks Symposium is tentatively scheduled for fall of 2018.

Upcoming PrepTalk video topics include disaster risk in developing countries and lessons learned from disaster survivors. The next PrepTalks video is currently scheduled for release later this month.

PrepTalks are a partnership between FEMA, the International Association of Emergency Managers, the National Emergency Management Association, the National Homeland Security Consortium, and the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security.


Mitigation Grants Projects and Property Data Updated on OpenData

FEMA updated the online content about its Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program which shows the funding history of mitigation projects and properties. This data highlights the obligated funds for these programs – Flood Mitigation Assistance, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Pre-Disaster Mitigation – since its inception 30 years ago. FEMA’s hazard mitigation grants provide funding to eligible mitigation planning and projects that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages. The two updated datasets available provide detailed information about the grants awards and obligations.


In the HMA Projects dataset, examples of details include the type of grant, location (county/state/FEMA region), amount of funding, status (open/closed), and mitigation actions (i.e. elevation, safe room, etc.). The second dataset, HMA Mitigated Properties, includes additional details such as structure type, residency type, and year funding was received. This information complements and provides specific details to the data visualization which summarizes the amount of funds obligated and the number of mitigation projects for each of the programs. This information can be viewed by county, state, FEMA region or Congressional District.


FEMA’s mitigation grants reduce overall risk to a community’s residents and structures as well as reduce reliance on federal funding. The program’s goals are to provide a long-term solution to a natural hazard and ensure that the potential savings must be more than the cost of implementing the mitigation project in a community. To date, more than $15 billion dollars in mitigation grants have helped local communities, states, tribes and territories across the country.


During March, FEMA is highlighting ways that promote the partnership, commitment to support communities, and build a more resilient nation. Visit https://www.fema.gov/30-years-of-HMA to see a detailed timeline about mitigation and the evolution of the program, examples of project highlights and blog posts with reflections from FEMA employees who have been a part of the expanding program over the years.


Learn How to Strengthen Your Organization’s Cybersecurity

FEMA invites you to a cybersecurity webinar on Wednesday, March 28. The webinar will feature two speakers, the first of which will provide an overview of incident response resources, hands-on technical assistance, and information sharing resources that are available from the Department of Homeland Security’s Critical Infrastructure Cyber Community (C3) Voluntary Program.

 

The second speaker will provide an overview of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), a global, non-profit organization consisting of 7,000+ members from throughout the banking, securities, and insurance industries.  This segment will also illustrate how participants may connect the FS-ISAC trusted network to crisis planning, exercising, and response and recovery activities to their own organizations.


Title:  Learn How to Strengthen Your Organization’s Cybersecurity

Date:  Wednesday, March 28

Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET


How to Join the Webinar:

- Please register for the event using the Adobe Connect registration web link.

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


This webinar will offer captioning.


Emergency Management Institute Offers Hurricane Virtual Tabletop Exercise

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Virtual Tabletop Exercise (VTTX) program will offer three sessions of a hurricane scenario on April 24, 25 and 26. 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 the Integrated Emergency Management Branch at fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-1381. The application deadline is April 6, 2018. Content is the same each day, and participants would attend only one session. Additional information is available at https://training.fema.gov/programs/emivttx.aspx.


The VTTX:

- Is designed to examine the ability of federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions to a respond to a hurricane

- Helps communities prepare for the upcoming hurricane season using historical events and recovery actions

- Involves key personnel discussing simulated scenarios in an informal setting

- Can be used to assess plans, policies, training, and procedures during a hurricane.


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 10 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 alternate ways to participate are also available upon request.


Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Application Period Closes Friday

Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards.

The primary goal of these grants is to reduce injury and prevent fire-related deaths among high-risk populations. In 2005, Congress reauthorized funding for FP&S Grants and expanded the eligible uses of funds to include Firefighter Safety Research and Development.

This Friday, March 16, is the last day to apply for $34.5 million in available funding. For more information, go to the FP&S Grants webpage at https://www.fema.gov/fire-prevention-safety-grants.


Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

FEMA Seeks Applicants for Youth Preparedness Council

FEMA is seeking applicants for the Youth Preparedness Council, which brings together teens from across the country who are interested and engaged in community preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities, and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for preparedness. Students in 8th through 11th grade are eligible to apply.


Youth interested in applying to the Council must submit a completed application form, provide two letters of recommendation, and academic records. All applications and supporting materials must be received no later than March 18, 2018, 11:59 p.m. PT in order to be eligible. New council members will be announced in May 2018.


To access the application materials, read about the current Council members, and for more general information about the Youth Preparedness Council visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.



FEMA Seeks Applicants for National Advisory Council

FEMA requests that qualified individuals who are interested in serving on the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) submit an application to be considered for appointment. FEMA is now accepting applications for open positions in the following discipline areas:

- Elected Local Government Official (one representative appointment)

- Elected State Government Official (one representative appointment)

- Emergency Management Field (one representative appointment)

- Emergency Response Providers, which includes fire, law enforcement, hazardous materials response, emergency medical services, and organizations representing emergency response providers (two representative appointments)

- Communications Expert, an expert in communications infrastructure, public safety and first responder communications systems and networks, and/or broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless, or wireline services and networks (one Special Government Employee, or SGE)

- Cybersecurity Expert, an expert in protecting and defending information and communications systems from damage, unauthorized use or modification, or exploitation, (one SGE)

- In-Patient Medical Provider, a provider of medical care to patients admitted to a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility (one SGE)

- Administrator Selections (up to two SGE appointments)


All appointments are for three-year terms beginning in September 2018. Applications must be received on or before March 18, 2018.


Detailed instructions on how to apply can be found at www.fema.gov/membership-applications.


2018 National Preparedness Symposium Promoting Whole Community Preparedness Through Unity of Effort

FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will host the 2018 National Preparedness Symposium from May 21-24. The symposium provides federal, state, tribal, territorial, and nongovernmental training and exercise officials the opportunity to discuss current and future training and exercise programs and to share case studies, lessons-learned, and smart practices. The theme is “promoting whole community preparedness through unity of effort,” with a focus on promoting a culture of preparedness in America.


The event will be held at the National Emergency Training Center, 16825 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727-8998. Applications for registration must be received by April 9, 2018.  To apply and for more information, visit https://training.fema.gov/nationalpreparednesssymposium/ or contact the EMI National Training Liaison Dan Lubman at daniel.lubman@fema.dhs.gov.



Property Acquisition Open Space Collection Comment Period

FEMA recently listed a Federal Register Notice for public comments about information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the process of property acquisition and relocation for open space as part of FEMA's mitigation grant programs, monitoring requirements after a receiving a grant, and a direct grant to property owners for acquisition and demolition of severe repetitive loss structures. Comments may be submitted through the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-03949 until April 30, 2018.