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Extensive research shows many Americans have questions and reluctance around the COVID-19 vaccines — and many report they will not get the vaccine.
To reduce vaccine hesitancy while building vaccine confidence among the American public, FEMA and the Ready Campaign are supporting the Ad Council and other federal agencies to create a campaign encouraging people in underserved and underrepresented communities to get vaccinated. Campaign materials provide empathetic and motivating information that answers questions and guides the decision-making process around vaccines.
The campaign’s public health toolkit contains tips, tools and insights to help people make informed decisions for themselves and their families. African American and Hispanic community digital toolkits are now available and toolkits devoted to encouraging vaccinations in Asian and Tribal communities will be available within the coming months.
The Ad Council has also partnered with COVID Collaborative’s scientific advisory group and the CDC on a campaign “It’s Up to You,” designed to build public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines. To help get informed about COVID-19 vaccines, community based organizations and other trusted messengers are sharing “It’s Up to You” materials via GetVaccineAnswers.org and DeTiDepende.org.
The FEMA National Advisory Council seeks qualified individuals to lend their expertise and serve on this standing federal committee. FEMA is now accepting applications for up to one dozen discipline-specific and Administrator-selected positions that will advise the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management. Individuals appointed to the council bring their experience and diversity of views to provide the Administrator consensus recommendations on a broad range of issues.
Discipline-specific positions include cybersecurity, communications, in-patient medical provider, elected local official, emergency management and emergency response provider.
If you are interested in applying to serve on the National Advisory Council, please submit an application package to FEMA-NAC@fema.dhs.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on March 12. For more information about applying to the council, visit the FEMA NAC Membership Application page.
On Feb. 23, FEMA entered into a three-year reinsurance agreement with Hannover Re Designated Activity Company. Hannover Re acted as a transformer reinsurer, transferring $575 million of the National Flood Insurance Program’s financial risk to capital markets qualified investors by sponsoring the issuance of a catastrophe bond through a special purpose reinsurer.
This placement builds on the existing transfer of the program’s flood risk to capital markets investors since 2018. Each placement is a 3-year term:
- $500 million in August 2018
- $300 million in April 2019
- $400 million in February 2020
The August 2018 agreement will expire in August 2021. These capital market placements complete the program’s existing traditional reinsurance coverage, allowing FEMA to grow the National Flood Insurance Program’s reinsurance that protects against future flood losses.
Combined with the other outstanding bonds and the January 2021 traditional reinsurance placement, FEMA has transferred $2.928 billion of the program’s flood risk to the private sector ahead of the 2021 hurricane season.
Visit FEMA.gov for congressional authorities and more information about the reinsurance programs for the National Flood Insurance Program.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced the release of the funding notice for eight different types of preparedness grants worth approximately $1.87 billion.
The grant programs provide funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities, nonprofit organizations and the private sector. The grants will improve the nation’s readiness in preventing, protecting against, responding to, recovering from and mitigating terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies. The grants reflect the Department’s focus on funding for programs that address our nation’s immediate security needs and ensure public safety in our communities.
The Fiscal Year 2021 grant guidance will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including national priorities and urban areas that face the most significant threats. This year, the Urban Area Security Initiative will enhance regional preparedness and capabilities by funding 31 high-threat, high-density urban areas. This represents the Congressional intent to limit these funds to those urban areas that represent up to 85% of the nationwide risk.
Non-competitive program allocations being announced Feb. 25 are:
- State Homeland Security Program
- Urban Area Security Initiative
- Emergency Management Performance Grant Program
- Intercity Passenger Rail Program - Amtrak
Competitive grants to be awarded later this year:
- Operation Stonegarden
- Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program
- Nonprofit Security Grant Program
- Port Security Grant Program
- Transit Security Grant Program
- Intercity Bus Security Grant Program
- All preparedness funding notices can be found at www.grants.gov. Final submissions must be made through the non-disaster grants system located at FEMA.gov.
Further information on DHS’s preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and FEMA.gov.
The Natural Hazards Center has partnered with FEMA and the National Science Foundation to create the Mitigation Matters Research Program. The program provides small grants to researchers to conduct studies on hazards mitigation policies and implementation practices.
As part of the Making Mitigation Work series, the Natural Hazards Center and FEMA will host a webinar, “Climate Change Research from Mitigation Matters Award Recipients.” Speakers and topics this year include:
- "The Intersection of Mitigation Measures and Household Adaptation to Climate Change" by Brianna Castro, Harvard University.
- "How Climate-Induced Coral Bleaching Impacts Community Wellbeing and Hazard Vulnerability" by Kelly Dunning, Auburn University.
- "The Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Mitigation Nexus: The Pamunkey Indian Reservation" by Nicole Hutton, Old Dominion University.
Registration is required for the webinar and will take place from 1 – 2 p.m. ET on March 9.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback for Typing Documents
The FEMA National Integration Center is seeking public feedback on resource typing definitions. The 30-day national engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. ET today.
These resource typing documents will facilitate the sharing of deployable resource types at all jurisdictional levels. To provide comments on the drafts, complete the feedback form on FEMA.gov and submit the form to fema-nims@fema.dhs.gov no later than 5 p.m. ET on March 2.
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FEMA Accepting Spring Nominations for Exercise Assistance
The FEMA National Exercise Division is now accepting Spring 2021 exercise assistance nominations to the National Exercise Program. Spring nomination submissions are due by April 1 and decisions will be sent by May 3.
Instructions for how to submit a nomination are on the National Exercise Program website.
FEMA will host a webinar for state, local, tribal, territorial and other whole community partners to discuss the nomination process at 2 p.m. ET on March 11.
The webinar will cover National Exercise Program supporting activities for conducting exercises in a pandemic environment. The webinar will also cover approved 2021-2022 Principals’ Strategic Priorities.
To register for the webinar, visit the National Exercise Program webinar page. For questions, send an email to the National Exercise Division.
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FEMA Accepts Applications for Youth Preparedness Council
FEMA is currently accepting Youth Preparedness Council applications. The application period is currently open and closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on March 7. To learn more about the Youth Preparedness Council and application requirements, visit Ready.gov.
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FEMA Announces Application Period Open for Firefighters Grants
The application period is underway for $355 million in funding available through the Fiscal Year 2021 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants. These grants enhance the ability of recipients to attain and maintain fire department staffing and to assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
The SAFER application period closes at 5 p.m. ET on March 12. The notice of funding opportunity and technical assistance documents for this program are available at www.grants.gov and on FEMA.gov.
Fire departments or other applicants requiring assistance can call the Fire Grants Help Desk at (866) 274-0960 or send an email to firegrants@fema.dhs.gov. The Fire Grants Help Desk is open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday.
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FEMA Seeks to Grow its Workforce
FEMA is hosting and participating in free hiring events. Eligible applicants are encouraged to join an event to explore federal career opportunities.
FEMA Presents: Breaking Barriers – Women in Leadership
Virginia Employment Event
See a list of upcoming hiring events and learn more by visiting our FEMA Careers web page.
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Sign-Up to Make a Difference With FEMA
The FEMA and AmeriCorps partnership program, FEMA Corps, is seeking talented and enthusiastic adults between 18 – 26 years old to serve the country before, during and after disasters.
FEMA Corps is a volunteer service program to give young adults the chance to be exposed to and work in the field of emergency management. Over the course of 12 months, FEMA Corps works to assist communities prepare for and respond to disasters. Members will travel across the country to assist in FEMA’s mission. Many FEMA Corps alumni go on to become professionals at FEMA and other levels of government.
Applications are now open for the summer class of FEMA Corps and will close on April 1 for team lead positions and will close April 15 for member positions.
Go to AmeriCorps.gov or FEMA.gov to learn more. For questions, contact fema-corps-program@fema.dhs.gov.
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