PARTNER NEWS
To support the growing number of contact tracers and their crucial work of supporting the public health workforce, PHF is providing a robust, customizable, contact tracing curriculum at no cost to health departments.
PHF combines contact tracing training from TRAIN Learning Network partners such as the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the National Center for STD Directors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University, the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, and others with your agency’s guidance documents, scripts, and other resources. Armed with this tailored content, agencies can quickly train staff and volunteers in jurisdiction-specific protocols and operations.
Interested in a contact tracing curriculum for your health agency? Learn more here.
The logistical and social complexities of the virus are converging with what scientists are projecting to be an above-average season for a variety of hazards. Economically, communities of color and vulnerable populations are already being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, which will affect their ability to adequately prepare, evacuate, and shelter if necessary. In collaboration with several emergency management teams from across the country, NLC designed a short guide and resource list on Emergency Preparedness Amidst COVID-19 with tips for local governments and links to handy checklists, resources to share with residents, mental health resources for first responders, FEMA’s thorough Operational Guidance document, and additional guidance on heat and wildfire emergencies. Access the guide here.
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Offered through the TRAIN Learning Network by the Sentrient and Public Health Foundation, these training modules provide microlearning on COVID-19 personal and organizational resilience. Learn more here.
Greener parks are those that mitigate climate impacts, promote community health and well-being, and address social challenges through green infrastructure. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has developed the Greener Parks for Health resources to provide a roadmap for securing the necessary support and investments from community members, elected officials, park and recreation leadership, other municipal agencies, and partners to advance greener parks. Resources include a communications toolkit, policy action framework, and advocacy toolkit.
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This introductory course explains how the RELi certification program measures resilience in buildings, cities, and communities and expands upon LEED to embrace resilience strategies that are climate adaptive. The RELi rating system includes more than 50 requirements and credits throughout eight categories, including panoramic design; hazard preparedness and adaptation; community vitality; productivity, health, and diversity; energy, water, and food; materials and artifacts; and applied creativity. RELi’s comprehensive approach lays the groundwork for resilient, regenerative, and healthy outcomes that support quality of life.
People and communities continue to be vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events as sea levels rise and flooding becomes more common—and that’s a trend that will continue. Among the 538 pages of recommendations included in the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis report are ideas that can make the nation safer from the floods, hurricanes, and related disasters that continue to grow in frequency or magnitude. Many of those recommendations focus on insurance (both from private insurers and the National Flood Insurance Program) and improved building codes and development standards. Read the full blog here.
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The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Rutgers University developed a free, self-guided training on coastal climate resilience planning with socially vulnerable and underrepresented populations. Planners, local officials, and community leaders can take this online training to learn about a new framework for holistic, community-based resilience planning to more equitably and meaningfully engage historically underrepresented and vulnerable communities in resilience planning. Learn more about the training here.
The Region II Individual and Community Preparedness Division hosts a series of webinars to prepare people for disasters, bringing together subject matter experts and stakeholders throughout Region II and the nation. The webinars cover preparedness topics for individuals, small businesses, houses of worship, State and local emergency managers, and many other audiences – including those who are Spanish speaking.
Join us for our upcoming webinars in July and August, listed below. For more information on upcoming webinars or to submit suggestions for future webinars, please email FEMA-R2-Prepares@fema.dhs.gov.
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Social Services and Emergency Response (Spanish Delivery) - Register - Friday, July 24, 2pm – 3pm ET
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How to Avoid: Scams Targeting Small Businesses - Register - Wednesday, July 22, 12pm – 1pm ET
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How to Avoid: Scams Targeting Small Businesses (Spanish Delivery) - Register - Thursday, July 23, 12pm – 1pm ET
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Hurricane Readiness for Emergency Managers - Register - Wednesday, July 29, 2pm – 3pm ET
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Hurricane Readiness for Emergency Managers (Spanish Delivery) - Register - Wednesday, August 5, 2pm – 3pm ET
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Preparing for National Preparedness Month - Register - Tuesday, August 4, 12pm – 1pm ET
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Creating Messaging that is Sticky and Inspires Action - Register - Thursday, August 6, 12pm – 1pm ET
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Information and Resources for the Power Dependent AFN Community - Register - Tuesday, August 18, 12pm – 1pm ET
The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) joined with Square Foot Ministry, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Volunteer Florida, corporate donors, local officials, and other nonprofits July 8-10 for a “Three-Day Blitz Build” in Port St. Joe, Florida to provide a new, #HurricaneStrong home for a Hurricane Michael survivor/homeowner.
The homeowner is a 74-year-old retired widower and lifelong resident of Port St. Joe. Hurricane Michael damaged his 460 square foot one-bedroom, one-bath, home in October 2018, and it is not repairable. The foundation shifted from the impact of the hurricane-force winds, causing the walls to separate and the floors to buckle. The roof is severely compromised and cannot be safely re-tarped.
The organizations came together to construct a new disaster-resistant two-bedroom home with a reinforced roof, hurricane shutters, and overall strengthened structure. The enhanced features will qualify the homeowner for annual insurance savings.
“The FLASH Partnership is deeply committed to bringing disaster-resistant, affordable housing to Florida’s most vulnerable populations,” said FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson. “We remain dedicated to the long-term recovery process of Hurricane Michael-affected communities and survivors.”
The build is part of the FLASH Strong Homes Initiative that provides resilient construction upgrades for homes constructed by volunteer organizations like UMCOR and Square Foot Ministry serving natural disaster survivors. Strong Homes meet the IBHS FORTIFIED Home™ “Gold” standards for resilient building, and this will be the first project in Gulf County, following the construction of 15 homes in Bay County.
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FEMA’s new pre-disaster hazard mitigation program – Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will help States, local governments, Tribes, and Territories (SLTTs) reduce the risks they face from natural hazard events. BRIC aims to categorically shift the Federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward a more research-supported, proactive “community resilience” investment strategy – placing emphasis on infrastructure projects and community lifelines.
Mitigating infrastructure and community lifelines will require innovative partnership building, such as fund-sharing mechanisms and collaborative project design. Establishing robust partnership development is a BRIC guiding principle. BRIC capability- and capacity-building activities, for instance, seek to fund partnerships development through State/territory allocations and Tribal set-asides, with the expectation that through these partnerships activities, applicants and their partners will have the resources they need to develop strong mitigation projects and build community resiliency in the future. Additionally, BRIC is developing a partnership framework where potential public and private sector partners can serve as BRIC “champions” to expand outreach, provide technical expertise, and facilitate innovative funding approaches.
While timing is subject to change, FEMA anticipates finalizing BRIC policy and releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by fall of 2020. The ongoing BRIC Summer Engagement Series brings FEMA Subject Matter Experts and partners together one day a week during July to discuss key BRIC elements. Geared toward SLTT leaders, non-profit organizations, the private sector, and individuals who want to learn more about BRIC, these virtual sessions will be recorded and posted on www.fema.gov/bric. Finally, in late summer/early fall, the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division will host a series of NOFO Webinars that will offer pre-application cycle information on how to apply for BRIC and Flood Mitigation Assistance. More information about BRIC, and the numerous engagements and learning opportunities for partners, can be found at www.fema.gov/bric.
On July 1, Virginia’s new revolving-loan flood mitigation program – the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund – went into effect. The program, funded with an estimated $45 million annually from the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, prioritizes community-scale and nature-based flood mitigation projects. State agencies will soon create guidelines for the program so communities can apply for mitigation funding. Learn more here.
On July 29 from 2:00-3:15 p.m. ET, the third installment of the Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN) and Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s (BCSE) webinar series will examine the unique impacts facing clean energy industries during the COVID-19 pandemic and the vital role all sectors will play in the economy’s recovery. Cohosted with The Pew Charitable Trusts and National Governor’s Association, this webinar will examine state and local responses to COVID-19. The discussion will focus on state resilient infrastructure needs and how infrastructure legislation currently pending in Congress could assist communities in building stronger, more resilient energy systems. Learn more here.
The International Code Council along with code development bodies in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand announced the formation of the Global Resiliency Dialogue. The Dialogue is a joint initiative to inform the development of building codes that draw on both building science and climate science to improve the resilience of buildings and communities to intensifying risks from weather-related natural hazards. Stakeholders are invited to endorse the Findings on Changing Risk and Building Codes statement. Learn more here.
On July 1 the International Code Council released in-depth results from a survey of nearly 1,400 code departments on how they are functioning under COVID-19 restrictions. The survey found that many departments are transitioning to remote or electronic processes. Access the survey results here. Based on the needs identified, the Code Council is also assisting departments in identifying financial resources to support remote capabilities. Learn more here.
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With a global pandemic testing our resilience, energy security, and the ability of Federal agencies to execute their missions under adverse conditions, it's more important than ever to provide the energy-management community with training, information, and resources that help to make our Federal facilities efficient, resilient, and secure.
In keeping with social-distance protocols, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will hold this year’s Energy Exchange virtually the week of August 10-14, 2020.
This year’s event will include:
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Opening and closing plenary sessions with senior agency and National Laboratory leadership, including informative lessons learned and impacts associated with COVID-19 challenges in the built environment.
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Discussion panels focused on the “resilient-efficient-secure” nexus and current agency priorities.
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More than 40 accredited training sessions in critical topic areas, focused on ensuring resilient, efficient, and secure energy and water operations.
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A virtual trade show featuring dozens of exhibitors showcasing technologies and services that enable resilient, efficient, and secure operations.
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A technology pavilion featuring innovations developed by DOE’s National Laboratories to support Federal energy managers.
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Virtual building tours highlighting best practices and creative problem solving.
Please visit the Energy Exchange website for the latest event updates!
NAPSG Foundation and the URISA Community Resilience Task Force are jointly reviewing social vulnerability, resilience, and risk indices and indicators available to the emergency management community today. In recent years, there has been an increase of available indices that measure risk, vulnerability, and resilience - providing valuable insights into our communities but also prompting some confusion over when to use what index and for what purpose. This research will inform a future product to help guide users in selecting the appropriate indices to meet their needs. Learn more here.
As we continue to respond to COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics, capturing lessons learned and codifying improvement areas are vital in our effort to take corrective actions that increase preparedness and improve response operations. NAPSG Foundation, URISA, and NSGIC have collaborated to form the National Pandemic GIS Task Force and recently released a COVID-19 Technology & GIS AAR Questionnaire to collect feedback on the use of data-driven decision support tools and technology by the public safety community in responding to COVID-19. Learn more here.
Congressional leaders across both parties are taking action to build climate resilience, and for good reason. Natural disasters and extreme weather know no political affiliations or geographic boundaries, and are impacting all Americans with greater severity. Our country desperately needs investments in infrastructure that can withstand these disasters, while also increasing public safety, lowering the cost of disaster recovery, and spurring job and economic growth. Learn more here.
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The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) held a webinar this month on the serious mental health needs that are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic such as mental illness, depression, anxiety, and suicide risk. CDP also launched a new funders toolkit on mental health, grief, and bereavement, which includes a tip sheet and compilation of resources for effectively supporting immediate and long-term efforts in these areas as part of high-impact disaster response. The webinar and the toolkit were presented in partnership with the New York Life Foundation.
State and local policymakers are increasingly considering managed retreat — the voluntary movement of communities and transition of ecosystems away from vulnerable coastal areas — to protect people, development, and ecosystems from rising seas. The Georgetown Climate Center released the Managed Retreat Toolkit, the first comprehensive online legal and policy resource on managed retreat. The toolkit combines legal and policy tools, best and emerging practices, and case studies to support peer learning, public engagement, and decision-making around managed retreat. Questions? Contact Katie.Spidalieri@georgetown.edu.
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Chauncia Willis, CEO and Co-Founder of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM), provided testimony on the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Ms. Willis highlighted the need for emergency managers to operationalize equity in all phases of emergency management so that underserved, vulnerable groups experience better outcomes in disasters. Her testimony outlined the historical and current bias that exists in inequitable disaster policies, grant and contract awards, and recovery programs. Lean more here.
Flooding is the most common, expensive, and personally devastating natural disaster impacting Americans each year. Building a flood-resilient world requires making informed decisions about current and future flood risks to safeguard people’s physical and economic wellbeing. A new report from the First Street Foundation provides a comprehensive national analysis of flood risks in the contiguous U.S., with the results publicly available through Flood FactorTM, a free online source of high-quality probabilistic flood risk information.
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