FEMA Bulletin Week of Nov. 5, 2018

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FEMA BULLETIN

November 5, 2018

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In this Edition:

Important Dates & Deadlines 

November 30

Deadline to submit National Incident Management System feedback forms.

National Engagement Period: NIMS Resource Management Supplemental Guidance and Tools

FEMA released for public feedback documents that provide guidance regarding the Housing core capability under the National Preparedness Goal. Feedback helps ensure that agencies having jurisdiction and personnel functioning in this capacity have the knowledge, experience, training, and capability to perform the duties of their assigned roles.

 

The draft documents are one National Incident Management System (NIMS) Job Title/Position Qualification and Resource Typing Definition, and three National Qualification System Job Title/ Position Qualifications and Position Task Books.

 

NIMS is a key component of U.S. incident management efforts, and it enables organizations from across the country to work together during incidents of all kinds and sizes. NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications and Resource Typing Definitions define minimum qualifications and capabilities for personnel and their equipment within their assigned teams, which helps to manage all threats and hazards regardless of the incident’s cause or size.

 

FEMA will host webinars to discuss the draft documents. Webinars are open to the whole community, and each one covers the same material. All times below are Eastern Standard Time.

 

Webinar 1: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 7.

Webinar 2: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday Nov. 9.

Webinar 3: 11:00 a.m. to noon Tuesday Nov. 13.

Webinar 4: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 16.

 

For more information, go to the NIMS national engagement website. Submit the feedback forms to fema-nims@fema.dhs.gov no later than 5 pm. EST on Friday, Nov. 30.


Emergency Management Institute Hosts Training E-Forums in November

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) hosts “One Link, One Bridge, Many Voices” e-Forums Wednesdays from 3–4 p.m. ET. In these one-hour, moderated webinar panel discussions, EMI and the emergency management community discuss matters of interest related to emergency management and national preparedness with whole-community partners and peers. During the forums, participants share their experiences in an informal exchange of ideas. EMI e-Forums are free of charge and available to anyone who wishes to participate.

 

November EMI e-Forums:

 

Nov. 7                 Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP) Alumni Association

Nov. 14               Woodson Center; Community Affiliate Networks

Nov. 21               Nothing scheduled due to Thanksgiving Holiday week

Nov. 28               The Emergency Management Profession at Universities

 

Participation link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/emieforums
Conference call-in: 800-320-4330, PIN 107622
Questions: https://training.fema.gov/contactus/sendcomment.aspx


Seeing is Believing: Mitigation Works!

Habitat for Humanity incorporated mitigation techniques when it built five houses in the Florida Panhandle. The wind-resistant homes all came through Hurricane Michael with only minimal damage. David I. Maurstad, Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance & Mitigation traveled to Florida to meet with disaster survivors and FEMA staff working to help them see the houses.


Louisiana Officials Expand Disaster Recovery Plans in FEMA Course

Louisiana Plans Recovery

Students participate in State Recovery Planning and Coordination course delivery in Baton Rouge. Photo is courtesy of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).

 

Officials from Louisiana’s Office of Community Development, Department of Children and Family Services, Housing Authority, and Department of Transportation and Development attended the State Recovery Planning and Coordination course delivery during the week of Oct. 13, in Baton Rouge. The course focused on the benefits of planning for recovery before a disaster occurs.

 

The four-day course is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI). The planning manager of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security worked with EMI and FEMA Recovery officials to adapt the course materials so they would meet the needs of the State partners. Participants appreciated the individual focus and attention given to their specific requirements as well as the diverse experiences of the instructors.

 

The course described partners that are crucial to successful disaster planning, and it outlined the steps to accomplish their work together. Participating in the course sharpened the group’s ability to analyze and expand their current disaster recovery plan. Louisiana has recovered from numerous disasters, but as one official noted, writing down what they had done would be crucial for the future.

 

State Recovery Planning and Coordination is designed for state emergency management leadership and agency staff who have a role in recovery planning and operations; and other state agency and non-governmental partners who support state recovery planning and operations. For more information, send an email to Dianne.Walbrecker@fema.dhs.gov.


Center for Domestic Preparedness Launches Expeditionary Training Capability

FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) now provides expeditionary training to responders, particularly those immediately facing or recovering from disasters.

 

CDP recently condensed a number of its courses into just-in-time, one to four-hour training modules that can be provided to responders at their home stations. The CDP has about 50 modules prepared, many on public health, hazardous materials, dealing with mass casualties, and incident command.

 

According to the CDP, once a jurisdiction identifies a need for training, the goal is for them to be able to respond and go where needed within 24 hours.

 

Immediately after Hurricane Florence, the CDP tested the expeditionary training concept by training 450 FEMA responders prior to their deployment to support recovery operations. FEMA responders were taught how to recognize and avoid hazards and safely move about in the disaster area.

 

Multiple states have requested information about the expeditionary training, particularly following hurricanes Florence and Michael.  For more information about the CDP's expeditionary training, contact Charles Medley at Charles.medley@fema.dhs.gov.


November is Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month is a month dedicated to honoring the traditions, languages, and culture of American Indians and Alaska Natives. As stated in President Trump’s proclamation, the United States remains committed to preserving and protecting Native American cultures, languages, and history, while ensuring prosperity and opportunity for all Native Americans. Today, Native Americans are leaders in every aspect of our society. Native American Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers, and settlers of the United States.

 

For more information on how we engage and work nation-to-nation with federally recognized tribes and tribal executives, visit FEMA Tribal Affairs. 


Preparedness Camp Leads to Formation of Tribal Youth Preparedness Council

Preparedness Council

 

On Oct. 24, FEMA Region 6 officially recognized the Otoe-Missouria Tribe's first tribal youth preparedness council during a visit to Red Rock, Okla. 

 

The Otoe-Missouria Tribal Teen Community Emergency Response Team, was established in 2017 after a group of them attended a preparedness camp at the Texas School of Safety Center in San Marcos, Texas, in 2017. Since then, the team has doubled in size. There is also interest from other tribal partners to establish similar teams.

 

At the ceremony, council members shared how they are able to use their CERT training at home and during group activities. 

 

Last summer, during their encampment celebration-a four day outdoor celebration where tribal members set up camp at their inherited family campsites-the teens had the opportunity to use their CERT training to help treat people affected by heat exhaustion. 

 

The group continues to recruit new members.  For more information about joining a CERT, go to https://www.ready.gov/community-emergency-response-team.


Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month

November is National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month

Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month builds awareness and appreciation of the importance of critical infrastructure and reaffirms the nationwide commitment to keep our communities safe and secure.

 

We know critical infrastructure as the power we use in our homes and businesses, the water we drink, the transportation systems that get us from place to place, the first responders and hospitals in our communities, the farms that grow and raise our food, the stores we shop in, and the internet and communication systems we rely on to stay in touch with friends and family. The security and resilience of this critical infrastructure is vital not only to public confidence but also to the nation’s safety, prosperity, and well-being.

 

Securing the infrastructure of the United State's is a national priority that requires planning and coordination across the entire community. To prepare yourself and your community for any and all incidents, get involved with the Hometown Security initiative. This initiative teaches about critical infrastructure and its importance in our daily lives.

 

You can follow @DHSgov on Twitter and be sure to post infrastructure security and resilience efforts, tips, news, and resources on social media using the hashtag #infrastructure.

 

For more information on how to help promote awareness on the importance of critical infrastructure, download the Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month Toolkit.