FEMA Bulletin Week of October 15, 2018

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FEMA BULLETIN

October 15, 2018

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines 

October 18

2018 Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

FEMA Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor Confirmed by U.S. Senate

On Oct. 11, the U.S. Senate confirmed Pete Gaynor to serve as FEMA Deputy Administrator.


Mr. Gaynor served as the Rhode Island Emergency Management Director since January 2015. Previously, he served in the U.S. Marines for 26 years. In that role, he oversaw security at Camp David, and was in charge of Plans, Policy and Operations at Marine Corps Headquarters.


FEMA Releases "The Value of Insurance" PrepTalk

FEMA and its emergency management partner organizations released Sean Kevelighan’s “Understanding the Value of Insurance”, the second PrepTalk presentation from the Sept. 6 symposium event. Kevelighan is president and chief executive officer of the Insurance Information Institute, an organization dedicated to improve the public’s understanding of insurance.



In his PrepTalk, Kevelighan shares the pivotal role that insurance plays in people’s lives and the economy before and after a disaster. Kevelighan describes the insurance industry as the financial first responder after catastrophe, getting into communities to help rebuild and restore people’s lives and the economy.



Kevelighan’s PrepTalk, the question-and-answer session that followed, a discussion guide, and additional reference materials are available at https://www.fema.gov/preptalks/kevelighan.



Additional PrepTalks from the Sept. 6 symposium held in Washington, D.C. will be released in the coming months.



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.


October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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 everyone has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online, while increasing the resiliency of the nation during cyber-threats.


The theme of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month week three, Oct. 15-19, is It's Everyone’s Job to Ensure Online Safety at Work.



We’re all responsible for protecting our organization’s online security. Personal and professional internet use can be closely related. Whether you have a work-issued mobile phone or use the internet in your office or workspace—it’s important to use smart cybersecurity practices.



If you use the internet at work, or are looking for resources for your organization and employees, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can help you stay safe online. NCSA’s CyberSecure My Business™ campaign encourages small and medium-sized businesses to protect themselves, their customers and their employees against common threats.  



DHS encourages everyone to Stop. Think. Connect™ whenever they use the internet. To get tips and resources how to be safer online, visit https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.

DHS Cyber Security Month graphic

FEMA Releases New and Updated Continuity Brochures

FEMA released a new set of continuity brochures, which provide additional tools, templates, and resources to assist in implementing the concepts found within the Continuity Guidance Circular (CGC)


The CGC guides whole community efforts to develop and maintain the capability to ensure continuity of operations, continuity of government, and enduring constitutional government during an emergency that disrupts typical operations. 


Some of these brochures are updates to those originally published in 2014 while others are new, reflecting the evolution of the continuity program. 



The titles include:



- Whole Community Continuity


- Federal Continuity


- Telework: An Essential Component of Continuity Planning


- Continuity Webinar Series


- Continuity Essential Records Management


- Continuity Planning for Pandemics and Widespread Infectious Diseases

 

- Continuity Excellence Series - Master Continuity Practitioner Program Level I


- Continuity Excellence Series - Master Continuity Practitioner Program Level II



FEMA will continue to build and distribute tools and information to assist federal and non-federal entities develop and maintain a successful continuity program and plan.



FEMA welcomes your input on the Continuity Resource Toolkit. Please contact fema-cgc@fema.dhs.gov to:



- Provide suggestions on tools and resources that would address identified continuity gaps and needs; and


- Offer best practices, case studies, or tools to share with other planners within the whole community.


Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines

FEMA to Host National Response Framework Update Webinars

As part of FEMA’s renewed effort to build a national culture of preparedness, the agency is updating the National Response Framework (NRF) to incorporate lessons learned from the 2017 hurricane and wildfire season.

 

The updated NRF will be scalable, flexible and adaptable, using the core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal and will continue to focus on the capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs during disasters.

 

FEMA is hosting a series of one-hour engagement webinars to describe the update and answer participants’ questions. These webinars are intended for the whole community, including individuals and communities, private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

 

The schedule and webinar details are below. All times listed are Eastern Time:

 

Webinar 1: 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15.

https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nrf-webinar1/event/registration.html

 

Webinar 2: Noon Thursday, Oct.18.

https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nrf-webinar2/event/registration.html

 

Webinar 3: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24.

https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nrf-webinar3/event/registration.html

 

Webinar 4: 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. 

https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nrf-webinar4/event/registration.html

 

Advance registration is required and on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, request assistive accommodations, or for more information, please contact: NRF@fema.dhs.gov.

 

For more information on the update, visit www.fema.gov/national-planning-frameworks.



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.

 

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Application Period Now Open


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 government 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.