FEMA seeks
public feedback on several National Qualification System (NQS) documents
released today that enhance interoperability and the effectiveness of mutual
aid. This National Engagement Period
provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on newly developed
supporting tools and concludes at 5 p.m. EDT on
Sept. 5, 2018.
After
the hurricanes and wildfires of 2017, FEMA realized the need to define NQS
positions beyond the response mission area. The positions released today
represent work by FEMA state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
To support partner and stakeholder
adoption, FEMA is hosting a series of webinars to discuss the NQS supporting
tools and answer questions. The webinars are open to the whole community,
including individuals and communities, the private and nonprofit sectors,
faith-based organizations, and all levels of government.
Webinar
participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback to National Incident Management System representatives
during the webinars. After a short presentation, FEMA representatives will
answer questions.
To review the documents and for
webinar details, visit: www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system/national-engagement.
To provide comments on the drafts, complete the
feedback form on the webpage listed above and submit the form to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov.
FEMA seeks feedback on the
draft document, Planning Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place,
to ensure the final version of the guide is an effective resource for emergency
managers across the nation.
Evacuation and shelter-in-place
protective actions are prompted by a variety of threats and hazards. Demographics,
infrastructure, resources, authorities, and decision-making processes drive a
community’s protective actions based on incident-specific circumstances. Lessons
learned from disasters such as hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, Irma, and Maria,
highlighted the value of enacting a zone-phased approach to evacuation and
shelter-in-place.
When reviewing the document, consider:
- Identifying areas that may be confusing and need revision;
- Providing success stories or best practices associated with the
critical considerations identified in the document; and
-Identifying additional job aides, training opportunities, or
resources for inclusion in the document.
FEMA will host a series of 45-minute
webinars to describe the draft document and answer questions. The webinars will be open
to the whole community.
To review
the draft document, and for additional webinar information, visit www.fema.gov/plan.
The
National Engagement Period concludes at 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 31, 2018.
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 and lead cutting-edge programs. On Friday,
Aug. 10, the Advanced Academy reached an important milestone on the road to
building a nationwide cadre of trained emergency managers, commemorating its
500th graduate.
In the Advanced Academy, students learn
skills critical to performing responsibilities such as: program management and
oversight, effective communication at all levels, integrated collaboration, and
strategic thinking. The Advanced Academy provides students the opportunity to demonstrate
their critical thinking ability through a guided research project.
Until 2016, the Advanced Academy program was
delivered by the Emergency
Management Institute solely in Emmitsburg, Maryland; however, there
is 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.
The Advanced Academy is the second of a
three-level Academy series in the Emergency Management Professional Program
(EMPP). The EMPP curriculum is designed to guide and educate emergency
management professionals as they progress through their careers, providing a
lifetime of learning. The EMPP builds from the Basic Academy to the
Advanced Academy and culminates in the Executive Academy.
For more information about the Advanced
Academy program, contact fema-empp-advanced-academy@fema.dhs.gov
or visit www.training.fema.gov/empp.
The
Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) will host a Highly Infectious Disease themed
training week from August 27 to 31, 2018 at its campus in Anniston, Alabama.
The
training provides students with best practices, knowledge, and skills in managing
patients with highly infectious diseases, and revolves around the CDP’s Barrier
Precautions and Controls for Highly Infectious Disease course. The CDP
developed the course in the wake of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa,
when that disease spread to the United States via travelers infected with the
virus and led to the infection of two American nurses treating an Ebola
patient.
The
training culminates with a simulated outbreak and mass-casualty scenario exercise.
This capstone exercise will test student’s ability to follow infection
control-barrier guidelines, and manage isolation protocols, while also
protecting fellow healthcare workers and lessening further outbreaks.
Although the August 27 Barrier
Precautions and Controls for Highly Infectious Disease session is already full, students can apply for the Sept. 4 – 8, 2018 course. Potential
students can visit the CDP website to apply, or check other
training dates this
year.
On Aug. 13, FEMA Region IV announced the arrival of four FEMA Integration Team (FIT) staff members in Tennessee. Outlined in the FEMA Strategic Plan, the FIT program enables FEMA to enhance intergovernmental coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
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