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Last Friday marked 100 days since the Biden-Harris inauguration. As we look back on this short but impactful period, we celebrate our continued delivery of results consistent with the FEMA Core Values. While implementing the multi-faceted initiatives, FEMA has seized the opportunity to align and advance strategic priorities on several fronts.
Climate and Equity:
- Establishing the Climate Adaptation and Equity Enterprise Steering Groups.
- Releasing a public Request for Information to help advance racial equity and climate change throughout FEMA programs.
- Issuing “FEMA Policy #104-21-0004: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Medical Care Eligible for Public Assistance” in response to Executive Order 13995.
- Participating in the new DHS Climate Risk and Resilience Work Group, established to facilitate DHS’ implementation of climate related executive actions.
COVID-19:
- Helping vaccinate more than 200 million in the first 100 days of the administration through community vaccination centers and financial and personnel support to our partners.
- Participating in the White House’s COVID-19 pandemic testing board and the Equitable Data Working Group.
- Expanding financial support of state, local, tribal and territorial partners by increasing the federal cost share under public assistance to 100% for safe re-opening.
As the Administration continues to provide strategic direction based on its stated priorities, our focus is to ensure the implementation of those priorities within the context of our mission: to help people before, during, and after disasters. For additional information about executive actions, contact FEMA's Office of Policy and Program Analysis.
FEMA recently published an after-action report around civil rights stakeholder summits. Last fall, FEMA’s Office of Equal Rights hosted three virtual summits:
- “Multi-Cultural Summit: Equity Throughout Disasters.”
- “Disability Summit: Accessibility Throughout Disasters.”
- “Environmental Justice Summit: Implementation Throughout Disasters.”
The goal of each summit was to strengthen the foundation for an inclusive, whole-community based approach to emergency management.
Motivated by FEMA’s core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and respect, these summits were conducted to foster a more inclusive, prepared and resilient nation. Working with members of underserved and historically marginalized communities allows FEMA to strengthen its communication with low income, differing ethnic groups and limited English proficiency groups.
The review of the summit discussion, feedback and questions from the public uncovered key findings and takeaways:
- Engagement with external stakeholders is critical.
- FEMA must build relationships.
- FEMA must acknowledge its challenges.
Explore the summits’ key findings and steps FEMA is taking to address the takeaways in the “FEMA Civil Rights Summits 2020: After Action Report.”
The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation has been acknowledged for its work to streamline and expedite FEMA-related COVID-19 projects.
The Department of Homeland Security presented the office an award, “Leading Edge Environmental Planning Innovation of the Year,” for expediting review of more than $5.6 billion in COVID-19 response and recovery activities in 2020.
The Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation ensures that FEMA funded projects identify, avoid or mitigate impacts to cultural and natural resources. The office worked with other federal agencies to develop strategies for the COVID-19 mission—including the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Through the interagency partnership, FEMA minimized Environmental Historic Preservation review times for several thousand individual projects nationwide to an average of three days.
To date, the Office of Environmental Planning and Historical Preservation reviewed over $19 billion of federal assistance spanning more than 25,000 applicants.
The International Code Council launched the Building Safety Month initiative each May more than 40 years ago. The annual educational campaign raises awareness about the importance of building codes to ensure safety in the spaces in which we live, work and learn.
This year’s weekly themes emphasize “Prevent, prepare, protect. Building Codes Save.” With ongoing social distancing and safety measures in mind, all planned events during the month will be held virtually. The weekly themes for the 2021 Building Safety Month are:
More information about Building Safety Month, including details regarding virtual events, can be found at: www.buildingsafetymonth.org. In addition, initiatives throughout the month will be highlighted on using the hashtag #BuildingSafety365.
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FEMA will hold a series of listening sessions with national stakeholders to provide feedback on future grant programs. The sessions will assist DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas in developing the Homeland Security Grant Program framework, priorities, policies and risk methodology for fiscal year 2022.
These listening sessions are specific to the State Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative. The sessions do not include Operation Stonegarden, which is part of the Homeland Security Grant Program.
The program is a suite of risk-based grants to assist state, local, tribal and territorial efforts in preventing, protecting against, mitigating, responding to and recovering from acts of terrorism and other threats. More than $1.1 billion in funding is available through these programs in fiscal year 2021.
The listening sessions will review and collect feedback from participants on grant policy and the national priority areas, risk methodology, technical assistance, process and complexity, communication and customer service.
These engagements reflect Secretary Mayorkas’ commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue with stakeholders to ensure the program remains relevant and effective in addressing the nation’s current threat environment.
National Hurricane Program to Host Online Training
To prepare for the 2021 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Program is offering an online training. The training will cover hurricane hazards, hurricane forecast products, forecast uncertainty and informed decision-making. Classes are available to anyone who has, or can obtain, a HURREVAC account.
The training will be from 1 to 4 p.m. ET May 4, 5 and 6.
Register in advance for the webinar and provide your occupational details.
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FEMA Hosts Exercise Starter Kit Webinars
FEMA’s National Exercise Division has developed exercise starter kits with sample documents to assist organizations in planning and conducting tabletop exercises aligning with the updated National Exercise Program 2021-2022 Principal's Strategic Priorities.
FEMA will host webinars for whole community exercise practitioners. The webinars will introduce the new exercise starter kits, providing stakeholders with an overview of the kits along with how to use them. The webinars are scheduled for:
- 7 p.m. ET, May 4.
- Noon ET, May 12.
- 5 p.m. ET, May 20.
- 1 p.m. ET, May 28.
- 9 a.m. ET, June 7.
Each webinar will present the same content, and a recording will be made available later on FEMA.gov. Visit the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Webinar webpage to register.
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Roundtable on Vaccine Equity for People with Disabilities
FEMA is offering a series of one-hour live virtual trainings to help you understand how to purchase in compliance with federal procurement rules using FEMA grant awards for responding to the coronavirus public health emergency.
The trainings are held every Tuesday and Thursday through May 6. The trainings can also serve as a refresher on new federal procurement rules that went into effect in November 2020.
A full schedule of the trainings is available on FEMA’s website, which also includes resources on purchasing during emergency or exigent circumstances.
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FEMA Holds Trainings on Purchasing Under FEMA Grants for COVID-19
FEMA Region 5 is hosting a roundtable to engage in a community discussion about how FEMA is working with other federal agencies to coordinate with state, tribal and territorial authorities, private sector partners and others to:
- Ensure vaccine equity for people with disabilities at the vaccination centers.
- Assist, augment and expedite vaccinations in the United States.
Date: Tuesday, May 11.
Time: 10 a.m. ET.
Register in advance on Zoom.
Bring your questions, concerns and suggestions about how our regional office, covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, can best serve the people with disabilities in your communities.
Sign language interpreters and CART captioning will be available. If you need a reasonable accommodation, make your request at least 48 hours before the event. For more information, contact Amy.Pifine@fema.dhs.gov.
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