FEMA Bulletin Week of June 4, 2018

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FEMA BULLETIN

June 4, 2018

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines 

June 7

Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide Open Comment Period Deadline

June 8

Emergency Management Institute's Advanced and Executive Academies Application Deadline

June 30

Emergency Management Institute's Master Public Information Officer Program Application Deadline

You Are the Help Until Help Arrives Reaches Milestone with 100,000 Participants

When accidents and injuries happen, the actions of people nearby can make all the difference. FEMA and partners developed the You Are the Help Until Help Arrives program to train people in the skills needed to provide lifesaving care before the arrival of professional first responders.

 

Until Help Arrives recently reached an important milestone on the road to building a culture of preparedness, with 100,000 individuals completing the online or classroom training. All Until Help Arrives participants learn the right steps to take in an emergency: call 9-1-1, stay safe, protect the injured from harm, stop bleeding, position the injured, and provide comfort.

 

FEMA aims to empower every American to prepare for, protect against, and respond to disasters. Partners across the nation can help achieve this goal by offering Until Help Arrives and other preparedness initiatives in their communities. To learn more about the steps people should take to help someone with life-threatening injuries, visit www.ready.gov/untilhelparrives.

 

Until Help Arrives is a partnership between FEMA, the U.S. Department of Health and Hu­man Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and the Uniformed Services University's (USU) National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH).


Updated Comprehensive Preparedness Guide Released

On May 31, FEMA released the updated Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 201 to reflect the changes in methodology for the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and the Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR), formerly the State Preparedness Report. The update includes both the THIRA and SPR because they are interconnected processes that, together, communities use to evaluate their preparedness. The updated methodology goes into effect this year.


The THIRA now includes standardized language to describe threat/hazard impacts and capability targets, and gives communities a structure to collect more specific, quantitative preparedness information while also providing important context. Through the updated SPR process, communities collect more detailed and actionable data on their current capabilities and identified gaps. They indicate their intended approaches for addressing those gaps and assess the impact of funding sources on building and sustaining capabilities,


In addition to releasing the updated CPG 201, FEMA is hosting an in-person technical assistance session June 13-14 in Houston, Texas. Prior 2018 technical assistance sessions were held in May in Chandler, Arizona, and Arlington, Virginia.


FEMA is taking a phased approach to implementation of the updated methodology, beginning in 2018. In 2018, respondents will only need to address the response, recovery, and cross-cutting core capabilities in their THIRA/SPR. In 2019, respondents will be required to address all five mission areas. Beginning in 2019, jurisdictions will only need to submit a THIRA to FEMA once every three years.


All types of communities can complete the THIRA/SPR as a way to better understand the risks they face and make important decisions on how to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risks. While all communities can complete a THIRA/SPR if they choose, the THIRA/SPR is required among some communities. In addition to states and territories, Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) recipients will now also be required to complete the SPR. The THIRA remains a requirement for states, territories, and UASI and THSGP recipients; however, THSGP recipients will only be required to complete the THIRA and SPR for some of the core capabilities.


For more information, visit www.fema.gov/threat-and-hazard-identification-and-risk-assessment.


FEMA Announces Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds for Fire Management Assistance Declarations

FEMA announced the availability of funds to support wildfire recovery using the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for Fire Management Assistance declarations. The eligibility period is for two fiscal years from October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2018.

 

To date, 85 Fire Management Assistance declarations are eligible for HMGP Post Fire grants in six FEMA regions. The HMGP Post Fire program leverages the existing Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance. Eligible applicants must have a FEMA-approved mitigation plan in order to receive HMGP Post Fire support. To view eligible declarations, visit www.fema.gov/disasters and select the declaration type, “Fire Management Assistance.”


FEMA will send a formal funding notification letter to each eligible applicant. Eligible applicants such as states, territories and federally recognized tribes will have six months from the date of the funding notification letter to apply for funds. Two 90 day extensions may be requested. For additional information about HMGP Post Fire, visit www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program-post-fire


FEMA Podcast: U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunters

Major Nicole Mitchell and Mark Peterson aboard a Hurricane Hunter.

On this week’s episode of the FEMA Podcast, we catch up with the brave men and women of the U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunters. Major Nicole Mitchell, a meteorologist with the hunters, gives us a tour of the aircraft and discusses what it’s like to fly right through the most intense parts of a hurricane.

 

The FEMA Podcast is a new audio program series available to anyone interested in learning more about the Agency, hearing about innovation in the field of emergency management, and listening to stories about communities and individuals recovering after disasters. The FEMA Podcast is available on Apple iTunes to stream or download. Approximately 20 to 30 minutes in length, the podcast will be updated with a new episode on a weekly basis. By subscribing, new episodes will automatically update on a listener's device. For more information, visit www.fema.gov/podcast.

FEMA launches podcast

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

FEMA Seeks Comments on Individual Assistance Policy and Program Guide

FEMA posted the draft Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG) for public comment. The IAPPG will provide a single comprehensive reference document for all FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) programs. The comment period will close on June 7, 2018. FEMA will then adjudicate comments and finalize the document. Once finalized, the IAPPG will replace the Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance (IHPUG) from September 2016, and all stand-alone IA policies. 


Please visit www.fema.gov/individual-assistance-program-and-policy-guide to review and provide comments on the draft IAPPG.



Apply to the National Emergency Management Advanced and Executive Academies

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is accepting applications until June 8, 2018 for the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy and the National Emergency Management Executive Academy.


For more information and to apply for the Advanced Academy, go to https://training.fema.gov/empp/applytoadvancedacademy.aspx or contact fema-empp-advanced-academy@fema.dhs.gov. For the Executive Academy, go to https://training.fema.gov/empp/applytoexecutiveacademy.aspx or contact fema-empp-executive-academy@fema.dhs.gov



Apply to the Master Public Information Officer Program at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute

FEMA Emergency Management Institute's (EMI) Master Public Information Officer Program is a three-course series designed to prepare public information officers for an expanded role in delivering public information and warning using a strategic whole community approach.

 

The course is open to full time public information officers with a minimum of five years of experience and who have a demonstrated sphere of influence capable of advancing the relevance of whole community external affairs. For more information go to: https://training.fema.gov/programs/pio/masterpio.aspx#E0389, or send an email to FEMA-Master_PIO_Program@FEMA.DHS.GOV. The application deadline is June 30, 2018. For instructions how to apply for the program, go to the Training Bulletin.