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The latest update to the National Flood Insurance Program’s "Flood Insurance Manual" is now available at FEMA.gov. The update is effective April 1.
FEMA regularly updates the manual to enhance the customer experience and evolve the National Flood Insurance Program into a world-class organization.
The Flood Insurance Manual incorporates the minimal program changes announced in October 2020 and the effective April 1 changes. Updates include:
- The list of eligibility requirements to the Community Rating System.
- The premium rates for policies written or renewed by April 1.
- The severe repetitive loss premium and reserve fund assessment percentages for policies written or renewed on or after April 1.
Two additional updates will be effective as of Jan. 1, 2022:
- Base premiums for preferred risk policies and newly mapped rated policies written or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2022.
- Premium multiplier tables for policies rated under the newly mapped procedure written or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2022.
The April 2021 edition also replaces outdated content, clarifies guidance and replaces physical mailing addresses with email addresses. The manual does not change flood insurance coverage or supersede the terms and conditions of the standard flood insurance policy.
The FEMA National Integration Center is releasing resource typing definitions for four NIMS Emergency Medical Services positions for final publication.
The four positions include an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic. Each resource type has been reviewed for consistency with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "National EMS Scope of Practice Model (2019)" document. Further reviews by subject matter experts added the following:
- Included IS-200: "Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response" to the list of required training for each position.
- Added to the composition and ordering specifications for the position of advanced emergency medical technician a statement to the effect that the resource may not be available to order in all jurisdictions.
Resource typing is a key component of NIMS and enables organizations from across the country to work together during incidents of all types and sizes. Implementing NIMS resource management principles across the nation is a fundamental part of building our national preparedness. NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications define minimum qualifications and capabilities for personnel and their equipment within their assigned teams to manage all threats and hazards, regardless of incident type or size.
These resource typing documents will facilitate the sharing of deployable EMS positions at all jurisdictional levels.
The FEMA National Integration Center is publishing nine search and rescue resource typing job titles/position qualifications documents. These resource typing documents will facilitate the sharing of deployable resource types at all jurisdictional levels.
The nine search and rescue resource typing documents include:
- Swiftwater flood search and rescue team.
- Swiftwater flood search and rescue team leader.
- Swiftwater flood search and rescue technician – boat operator.
- Swiftwater flood search and rescue technician – boat bowmen.
- Swiftwater flood search and rescue technician.
- Stillwater flood search and rescue team.
- Stillwater flood search and rescue team leader.
- Stillwater flood search and rescue technician.
- Boat operator.
Resource typing is a key component of NIMS and enables organizations from across the country to work together during incidents of all types and sizes. Implementing NIMS resource management principles across the nation is a fundamental part of building our national preparedness. NIMS job titles/position qualifications minimum qualifications and capabilities for personnel and their equipment within their assigned teams to manage all threats and hazards, regardless of incident type or size.
It has been six months since Hurricane Laura, followed by Hurricane Delta, impacted so many in Louisiana.
Louisiana's State Coordinating Officer Casey Tingle and FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer John Long were recently interviewed by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. They were able to talk about the milestones FEMA has achieved working in unison with various federal agencies, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and local governments and their leadership.
The television interview allowed the opportunity to describe how FEMA and its stakeholders' are working through the complexities of these disasters by leaning forward to assist in the recovery of so many communities.
The television interview is an opportunity to reflect on what has happened since hurricanes Laura and Delta and focus on the continued needs of disaster survivors.
FEMA is hosting and participating in free hiring events. Eligible applicants are encouraged to join an event to explore federal career opportunities.
Virginia Employment Event
Navigating USA Jobs - Office of Personnel Management
Multi-Agency Regional Virtual Federal Job Fair
See a list of upcoming hiring events and learn more by visiting our FEMA Careers web page.
As spring weather marches in, the Ready Campaign would like to remind everyone to be prepared for disasters and emergencies.
Ready.gov recently released its new campaign, It's Not Luck, which contains a social media toolkit with safety and preparedness messages that you can share on your social media channels. You can either copy these messages directly or customize them to reach your audience.
The content is for use throughout the month of March, and in association with St. Patrick's Day, and reminds everyone that no one should rely on luck when it comes to being prepared for disasters and emergencies. Don't leave disaster preparedness to chance.
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No matter the emergency or disaster, our mission of helping people before, during and after disasters remains, as does our commitment to upholding civil rights.
The FEMA Office of Equal Rights is responsible for ensuring compliance with and enforcement of FEMA’s external civil rights obligations under the Stafford Act, Civil Rights Act, Rehabilitation Act, Age Discrimination Act and other statutes.
In addition, FEMA has responsibilities under the Executive Orders Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency and Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.
To assist our federal, state, local, tribal and territorial, as well as non-governmental and private sector partners, the FEMA Office of Equal Rights recently published a second civil rights bulletin titled "Ensuring Civil Rights in Multiple Disasters During COVID-19."
The Civil Rights Bulletin demonstrates FEMA’s continued commitment and provides best practices to ensure civil rights and equal access to its programs and services in response to both the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneous disasters.
FEMA is ensuring that live on-demand remote American Sign Language interpreters are available to support members of the deaf community at any federally supported community vaccination center.
This service connects vaccination centers to healthcare staff and visitors directly to interpreters, so that deaf or hard of hearing people who use ASL can ask and receive answers about the vaccination process in real time.
This on-demand service reflects a change from how FEMA operated in the past: now, there is no requirement for users to download an app or have special government equipment available.
Instead, visitors can access this service through their personal cellular service. If no WiFi is available, community vaccination center staff can use a government-issued smartphone or tablet to help visitors connect to the interpreter.
The service is available during community vaccination center operational hours nationwide.
At this time, this service is not available at retail pharmacies, hospitals, medical clinics or doctor’s offices.
On March 11, the DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is hosting a webinar from 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET to provide tips on applying for the Fiscal Year 2021 Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
This grant program provides funding support for security-related and physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations. It also promotes emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration activities between public and private community representatives as well as state, local and tribal government agencies.
The webinar will also introduce resources from the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Justice Community Relations Service that support the safety and security of houses of worship, non-profits and faith and community-based organizations and to help prevent and respond to hate-related conflicts.
Presenters include:
- Mark Silveira, Senior Advisor, Office of Grants Administration, FEMA’s Grants Program Directorate.
- Daniel Schultz, Protective Security Advisor, New Jersey-North District, Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
- Harpreet Singh Mokha, National Program Manager for MASSAH (Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian and Hindu) Communities, Community Relations Service, U.S. Department of Justice.
- Nicole Wood, MPH, MA, Moderator, DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Please register for the event using the Adobe Connect registration web link.
For more information, contact FEMA. The webinar will offer captioning services. A recording of the webinar will be sent by email to all registered participants, in case they are unable to attend or wish to share.
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FEMA Seeks Members for the National Advisory Council
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.
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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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Application Period Closing Friday for Firefighters Grant
The application period closes at 5 p.m. ET March 12 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 funding notice 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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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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