FEMA, in
coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a
nationwide test of Wireless
Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency
Alert System (EAS) on Oct.3.The WEA portion of the test commences
at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will
assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a
national message and determine whether improvements are needed.
The WEA test message will be sent to cell phones that are
connected to wireless providers participating in WEA. This is the fourth EAS
nationwide test, and the first national WEA test.
The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous
weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell
phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with
all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving
the WEA test. The WEA test message will have a header that reads
"Presidential Alert" and text that says: “THIS IS A TEST of the
National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The EAS is a national public warning system that provides
the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a
national emergency. The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS
test messages with which the public is familiar.
For more information, go to the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System National Test page
at https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test.
As announced on Oct.
1, 2018, key changes being made to the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP) on Apr. 1, 2019, include updated Insurance
Policy Premium Increases conforming to the premium rate caps established
by the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12) and the
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA).
Premiums will increase upon
renewal an average of 8.2 percent beginning Apr. 1, 2019. These amounts do not
include the HFIAA Surcharge, or the Federal Policy Fee (FPF). It is important to
note that nearly 80 percent of NFIP policyholders already pay a full-risk
rate.
Annual premium increases of 5 percent for Preferred Risk Policies
(PRPs) and 15 percent for Newly Mapped procedure policies will become effective
Jan. 1, 2020.
Effective Apr. 1, 2019, FEMA
will introduce a Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) Premium for all policies covering
properties with an SRL designation. The SRL Premium will be 5 percent for all
SRL policies.
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant
program provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments for
eligible mitigation activities that strengthen our nation’s ability to reduce
disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages.
The open
application period for two competitive Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants began on
Oct.1.
Flood Mitigation Assistance grants provide funds on an annual basis so that measures can be taken to
reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to structures insured under the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For fiscal year 2018, $160 million is
available, including $70
million for community flood mitigation activities. The remaining $90 million will
be used for mitigation planning, technical assistance and projects that reduce
or eliminate claims under the NFIP.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation grants are awarded annually
for all-hazard mitigation planning and projects, such as the construction of
community and residential safe rooms and wind retrofits. Pre-Disaster
Mitigation grants help state, local, tribal and territorial governments build
resiliency through measures that reduce risk to lives and property. For
fiscal year 2018, $235.2 million in grants funding is available, of which $15
million is set aside for federally-recognized tribes.
The remainder of the
funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Eligible state, local, tribal and
territorial governments applicants may apply for up to $575,000, federal share
for projects that reduce risk pre-disaster.
Eligible applicants may apply for the Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation
grants at https://portal.fema.gov
through 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 31, 2019.
For more information, visit
www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance.
FEMA’s
National Integration Center released documents addressing the need for
flexibility in Emergency Operations Center (EOC) guidance, and EOC
Skillsets standardizing EOC personnel qualifications under the National
Qualification System (NQS).
As
a part of NQS, EOC Skillsets support standardized qualifications for
EOC personnel, and are flexible to accommodate any EOC. EOC Skillsets
let individual EOC leaders build position qualifications according to
their organization’s needs and resources, while building a national
vocabulary for EOC personnel qualifications.
The EOC Skillset documents include:
- 20 EOC Skillsets define demonstrable tasks associated with common EOC functions;
- The EOC Skillsets User Guide explains EOC Skillsets, and how to use them to construct EOC Position Task Books (PTB);
- EOC Position Task Books (PTB) provides modified language from the standard NQS
PTB introductory language, in order to be more applicable for the EOC
environment; and
- EOC Skillset Blank Template allows EOC leaders to add additional tasks, and make the EOC PTBs reflect the full range of tasks for their specific positions.
FEMA
developed the EOC Skillsets collaboratively with leaders from local,
state, tribal, and territorial EOCs. FEMA is hosting a series of
60-minute webinars to discuss the EOC Skillsets and answer questions. To
view the documents and for additional webinar information, visit:
www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system.
Please contact FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov with any questions or concerns.
The 2018 Great ShakeOut Earthquake
Drill is coming soon. FEMA, in
partnership with ShakeOut, encourages everyone to take action and register their
participation in Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills.
The 2018 International ShakeOut day
is Oct. 18, when millions of people worldwide will drop, cover, and hold on during earthquake
drills in schools, organizations, communities, and households at 10:18
a.m. local time. Earthquakes
can happen where we work, live, or travel, and earthquake drills are an
opportunity for everyone, everywhere, to practice earthquake safety and other
aspects of emergency plans. Visit ShakeOut.org to register
your participation, find resources, and learn more.
To learn more about earthquake
safety, watch the video, When the Earth Shakes, and visit Ready.gov
.
National
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is commemorating its 15th year as an
annual initiative to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
It's a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every
American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure
online, while increasing the resiliency of the Nation during cyber-threats.
The theme for the first week of National Cybersecurity Awareness
Month, Oct. 1-5, is Make Your Home a Haven for Online
Safety.
Learn the basics of cybersecurity safety:
- Basic
Cybersecurity Safety Tips and Advice from STOP. THINK. CONNECT. The cybersecurity awareness campaign from
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Secure
key accounts and devices. Use strong passwords, passcodes,
or other features such as touch identification to lock your devices. Review
these tips
for passwords and securing your accounts.
- Lock Down
Your Login – Protect accounts with strong
authentication.
- When
in doubt, throw it out – Links in email, tweets, posts, and
online advertising are often how cybercriminals try to compromise your
information. If it looks suspicious, delete it.
- Back
It Up – Protect against data loss by making electronic
copies of important files.
- Manage
Your Privacy – Information about you, such as your purchase
history and location, is valuable. Protect your data by being
cautious about how your information is collected by apps and websites.
- Respond
to identify theft, fraud, and crime – If you are the victim
of cybercrime, you need to know what to do and respond quickly.
Learn how to keep your personal data safe
during a Twitter chat on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. ET. Use #ChatSTC to
join.
FEMA Announces Notice
of Funding Opportunity for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
FEMA announced the annual funding opportunity for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) is now open. The application period will
close at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 26.
The FY 2018 AFG program will award $315 million to
enhance the safety of the public and firefighters against fire-related deaths
and hazards.
FEMA awards AFG funding to fire departments, non-affiliated
EMS organizations, and state fire- training academies. FEMA also awards
funding to nonprofit organizations with experience and
expertise in fire prevention, fire safety programs and activities,
or firefighter research and development programs.
Since 2002, FEMA has
awarded $7.4 billion in fire grants. Historically, 84 percent of awards go
towards purchasing personal protective equipment, vehicles and other
operational equipment.
Applicant tools, including the Notice of Funding
Opportunity, and information about application webinars are available at www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.
The AFG Notice of Funding Opportunity is also available at www.grants.gov.
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