|
Program News
 June 1 marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released the 2021 outlook, which predicts another active season.
No matter what the hurricane season outlook predicts, it’s important to remember that it only takes one storm to devastate a community. Now is the time to prepare your home and your family.
Remember, hurricanes are not just a coastal problem, so it’s important to know the risks where you live: rain, wind and water could happen far from the coast.
Below are some actions you can take today to be prepared for a hurricane:
- Discuss your hurricane emergency plan with your household. Make sure you follow the latest Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 guidance.
- Find updated information from the Centers for Disease Control on how to prepare for the hurricane season during the pandemic.
- Have enough supplies for your household, including medication, disinfectant supplies, cloth face coverings, pet supplies in your go bag or car trunk.
- If you or anyone in your household is an individual with a disability, you may need additional help during an emergency – check with your local emergency management agency to see if they have plans or resources.
- You may have to evacuate quickly due to a hurricane so make sure to know your local evacuation zone.
-
Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide
- Review your insurance policies and make sure personal documents- like ID- are up to date.
- Prepare your business with a continuity plan to continue operating when disaster strikes.
In addition to being prepared for a disaster, ensuring that you and your family are vaccinated against CVOID-19 helps your entire community be more resilient before future disasters. COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death. Vaccines also reduce ethe risk of people spreading COVID-19, making all our communities safer.
Visit Ready.gov/hurricanes for tips on how to prepare your family, your pets, your home and your business before a hurricane.
On June 1, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joined members of FEMA’s LGBTQ+ employees to unveil a rainbow flag at FEMA’s headquarters in celebration of Pride Month.
“Celebrating FEMA’s diverse workforce helps us advance the agency’s core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and respect," said Administrator Criswell. "By embracing diversity, we make the agency stronger, helping FEMA achieve the important work we do in communities across the nation. Ensuring that everyone at FEMA has a voice - and a seat at the table - builds a compassionate and empathetic workforce."
During the month of June, the flag will have prominent position in FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center.
 On May 25, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited Puerto Rico for the first time since being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. While there, she saw recovery progress and learned about ongoing preparedness activities ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Criswell’s first stop was at the Joint Recovery Office (JRO) in Guaynabo, where she met with Deputy Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Andrés García and other JRO leadership to discuss how the team is moving the island’s recovery forward.
Criswell was joined by Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón and staff from the Caribbean Area Office for a tour of a FEMA warehouse on the island. Criswell also made a surprise visit to the training center where Puerto Rico JRO External Affairs employees were receiving preparedness and response activity training. The employees were honored to meet the Administrator and hear some of her insights.
Criswell’s trip also included a meeting with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi and local government officials to discuss priorities, challenges and the recovery road ahead. With hurricane season at hand, the Administrator also met with staff from the Caribbean Area Office to review preparedness efforts and ensure local stakeholders are ready for any disaster.
Criswell also toured the municipal island of Vieques, where FEMA obligated over $39 million last year to rebuild the local hospital.
Criswell ended her visit with a tour of the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands to see the progress of the island’s recovery projects.
Puerto Rico is still undergoing recovery efforts from hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. To read more about Puerto Rico disasters and recovery, visit the Puerto Rico page on FEMA.gov.
On May 26, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued a memorandum reaffirming and reissuing her commitment to FEMA’s Calendar Year 2021 Annual Planning Guidance (CY 21 APG).
The priorities and lines of effort identified in this guidance represent critical steps we must take to achieve the agency’s mission. They also align with her vision for emergency management.
This vision includes:
- Supporting the FEMA workforce and our readiness.
- Integrating equity into everything we do.
- Addressing climate change through risk reduction.
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Commitment to the CY 21 APG to learn how the Administrator’s vision and the priorities will enable FEMA to continue to meet mission requirements.
June is National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. Pride Month commemorates the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a series of demonstrations following a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, which served as the impetus for the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement.
PRIDE celebrates the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history, the progress that has been made in advancing LGBTQ rights and the work that is still to be done.
PRIDE affirms the dignity, equality and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people as members of a diverse and inclusive community.
Join the Office of Equal Rights and FEMA’s PRIDE employee resource group from 2 – 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 24 for an event titled “Rising with the Phoenix.” The event will focus on three main themes:
- Rising in a world where anti-LGBTQ laws, policies and regulations are consistently targeting members of this community.
- Rising within DHS components to help eliminate the stigmatism against LGBTQ employees.
- Rising out of the COVID-19 environment into the new normal.
Featured speakers include:
- Region 3 Regional Administrator and Acting Deputy Administrator Maryann Tierney.
- Mission Support Associate Administrator Traci Clever.
- External Affairs Director Justin Knighten.
- FEMA Pride ERG Co-Chair John Kearns.
- Product Service Delivery Division Director Tony Hake (tentative).
To participate in the webinar, join via Zoom:
- Meeting ID: 160 329 413
- Password: PRIDE2021
CART Captioning and ASL will be available for this event.
If you require a reasonable accommodation please contact OER’s Disability Unit at FEMA-reasonable-accommodation@fema.dhs.gov.
Reservists are invited to attend. However, participation is voluntary and compensation will not be authorized.
To learn more about the event, visit Pride FERG or send an email to fema-pride-lgbtqiaerg@fema.dhs.gov.
|
Join the African American FEMA Employee Resource Group, the FEMA Veterans Advisory Council and the FEMA Chapter of Blacks in Government for an upcoming Virtual Juneteenth celebration from 3-4 p.m. ET on Monday, June 14. The celebration will feature Ms. Opal Lee who is credited as the grandmother of Juneteenth. In addition to artwork created by staff, there will be dance and musical performances.
Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, is a 156-year-old holiday celebrating the emancipation of more than 250,000 African Americans from slavery in the state of Texas, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
Join us to learn more about what is both a day of remembrance and an opportunity for everyone to honor and celebrate Black history and culture.
You can also participate in the FEMA’s Juneteenth event by showcasing your creative talents in the Visual Arts Showcase. All Juneteenth-inspired submissions are welcome and are due by June 10. For more information on how to submit your artwork, visit the African American FERG page or send an email to fema-africanamerican-employeeresourcegroup@fema.dhs.gov.
Participate via Zoom:
- Meeting ID: 160 861 6462.
- Passcode: 087764.
CART and ASL interpretation will be available in the Zoom meeting.
Reservists are welcome to attend, however attendance is voluntary and compensation will not be approved.
Even as mask restrictions are being lifted for fully vaccinated individuals, some may wish to continue wearing a mask. It’s important that we uphold the agency’s core values when dealing with our coworkers regarding their choice to wear a mask or their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Information about individuals’ vaccination status will not be requested for purposes of determining whether masking is required, and the choice to wear a mask will not be questioned.
To ensure we’re all treating each other equitably, please consider these tips:
Compassion
Some may choose to wear a mask even if vaccinated to protect a loved one with a compromised immune system, or to protect small children at home.
Fairness
Don’t assume that someone is wearing a face mask because they’re not fully vaccinated.
Integrity
To protect the workforce, please wear a facemask if you’re not fully vaccinated.
Respect
Supervisors and employees must not inquire as to fellow employees’ vaccination status or keep records of who is vaccinated.
Together, we can keep our fellow employees and the people we serve safe. Continue following standing health and safety guidelines to regularly wash your hands, work remotely unless it is mission critical for you to be on-site at a FEMA worksite and stay home if you are sick.
It's important to remember that even if you’re fully vaccinated, you can become infected with COVID-19. Be mindful of your outside of work activities and avoid situations that place you at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Preventing exposures in the workplace will help our ability to continue meeting the agency’s mission.
Have you ever heard a weather term used and wondered what it meant? Are you curious about unusual weather phenomena? The FEMA Weekly series, "Be Weather Wise," explains lesser known weather phenomena and fun facts about the weather.
On May 20, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the list of 2021 Atlantic hurricane season names.
Have you ever wondered how storms get their names? The World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee is international body that determines the 21 names for tropical storms each hurricane season. English, French and Spanish names are used on the list to reflect the geographical coverage of Atlantic and Caribbean storms. The list is also gender balanced and respectful of societal sensitivities.
|
 This past March, organization’s Hurricane Committee retired the hurricane names Dorian, Laura, Eta and Iota from the six-year rotating lists of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction they caused in 2019 and 2020.
The Committee also decided that the Greek alphabet will not be used in future because it creates a distraction from the communication of hazard and storm warnings and is potentially confusing.
Instead, a supplemental list of names - excluding the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z on the Atlantic list - will be used place of the Greek alphabet when the standard list is exhausted in any given season.
Names on the alternate list could be retired and replaced, when required, as is done with the standard list.
FEMA and the Disney Institute recently kicked off a training program for FEMA employees and other federal personnel who will be working at COVID-19 community vaccination centers across the country.
“We have been working closely with our federal, state and local partners to make vaccines available to every person that wants one.” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “We’re appreciative of the opportunity to collaborate with the Disney Institute and receive additional training that will enhance our customer service at federally-supported vaccination sites. We are grateful for the support of The Walt Disney Company.”
FEMA has been providing federal support to community vaccination centers, including supplemental vaccine allocation to pilot sites. Additionally, mobile vaccination units are deployed to support states and the Indian Health Service. The federal community vaccination center pilot sites have administered more than 5.5 million vaccinations. The mobile units have administered more than 48,000 vaccinations.
"Disney is honored to collaborate with FEMA by sharing best practices of our legendary guest service with those working at federal vaccination sites nationwide," said Disney Parks President of Segment Development and Enrichment, Experiences and Products George A. Kalogridis. "This collaboration is part of our company's broader work to support vaccination efforts.”
The Muppets have also joined the response by releasing a PSA encouraging everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
As more Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the end of the pandemic and a return to normal life is in sight. If you’re interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, visit vaccines.gov to find a location close to you and make an appointment. You can also text your Zip Code to 438829 to receive a text with the closest COVID-19 vaccine location.
 The Logistics Management Directorate’s Staging Field Operations has published its "National Incident Support Base (NISB)/Federal Staging Area (FSA) Standard Operating Procedure." This flagship document highlights a variety of procedures, tasks and responsibilities for deployed personnel when staging field operations.
The all-inclusive document explores myriad topics and highlights all things staging. Some key elements within the SOP include:
- Distinguishing between Incident Support Bases and Federal Staging Areas.
- Defining deployment roles.
- Highlighting deployment phases.
- Incorporating safety protocols.
- Analyzing support base and staging area layouts.
This document is the principal guide for all staff involved in staging operations. A dynamic document, it is readily amendable as needed.
For more information, please contact FEMA-ISB@fema.dhs.gov.
 CVC volunteers, contractors and Department of Defense members celebrate reaching a milestone of 75,000 vaccinations on May 17.
On May 22, FEMA Region 3 wrapped up its federal community COVID-19 vaccination center pilot site partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
The Military Circle Mall site - and over 30 pop-up mobile sites - administered more than 80,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals around the Hampton Roads area. The site reached this number by conducting extensive community outreach using the talents of the Disaster Survivor Assistance and External Affairs teams.
The site, which has been open since March, hosted many important guests. On March 31, the site got a visit to from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam. While there, he greeted workers and people there to get their COVID-19 vaccination. He also took time to sign two bills into law that are designed to further equity in emergency response . Virginia's first lady and Virginia Delegate Jay Jones also visited one of the mobile pop-up sites to visit staff and patients.
In the wake of the recent RAND report findings on harassment and sexual harassment, establishing an Anti-Harassment Program has been a FEMA leadership priority because all FEMA personnel have the right to a workplace free of harassment.
On May 26, Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) Director Lauren Kaufer signed FEMA Instruction 300-21-0001: Anti-Harassment Program establishing FEMA’s Anti-Harassment Program to bring the agency into compliance with DHS Management Directive 256-01: Anti-Harassment Program.
This instruction was a collaborative effort between the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer and Office of Equal Rights.
The instruction codifies the responsibilities of FEMA personnel at all levels to report harassment. Further, it outlines the processes undertaken across FEMA to ensure all allegations of harassment are investigated and appropriate action is taken based upon the facts uncovered during the Office of Professional Responsibility investigative process.
To learn more about FEMA’s Anti-Harassment Program and how to report misconduct to OPR, visit OPR’s intranet page.
News You Can Use
Effective Tuesday, June 1, the following modified requirements will be implemented for entry and work in all FEMA facilities:
- Answering health screening questions to affirm employees are not sick.
- A temperature check is no longer required.
- Masking for individuals who are not fully vaccinated, except when alone in an enclosed private workspace or vehicle, or for a limited time when actively eating or drinking.
- Physical distancing for individuals who are not fully vaccinated.
At FEMA worksites with current mandatory COVID-19 testing programs, employees must provide one of the following at the health screening location for entry:
- Visual display of a negative test result received within the past 72 hours,
- Voluntarily show proof of fully vaccinated status, or
- Voluntarily show proof of testing exemption following COVID-19 diagnosis and recovery.
Individuals will receive a sticker or wristband to indicate they have cleared the entry requirements.
These requirements may be adjusted, when approved by the FEMA Designated Safety and Health Official, based on local job hazards and mission-critical considerations.
Ongoing Guidance
All employees are reminded to keep their vaccine information updated in the DHS Vaccine Portal. Providing this anonymous data helps the Agency plan for appropriate protocols and mitigation measures at FEMA facilities.
If you haven’t been vaccinated and are interested in learning more, please go to www.vaccines.gov to find a convenient location near you. As a reminder, employees are eligible to be reimbursed for travel and time spent getting vaccinated during and after duty hours.
All employees, regardless of vaccination status, are encouraged to continue reporting possible or confirmed COVID-19 exposure to the FEMA Contact Tracing Team to minimize risk to the workforce via the COVID-19 Contact Management Tool or COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hotline at 866–305-2100, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.to 8.pm. ET and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
Deployed to a non-FEMA location? You must comply with state and local requirements regarding mask requirements. FEMA employees deployed to community vaccination centers must wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status as those sites are considered healthcare settings.
If you have questions, contact FEMA-Environmental-Safety-and-Health@fema.dhs.gov.
Last week, Mission Support sent an email outlining important new flexibilities to Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSAs), Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (LEX HCFSAs) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (DCFSAs).
Highlights of the new flexibilities include:
- A new special enrollment period from June 1 – 30.
- The opportunity to maintain unlimited carryover for re-enrolled HCFSA and LEX HCFSA participants for the 2020 and 2021 plan years. Note: If an employee does not re-enroll in 2021, they will not have access to any possible 2020 carryover funds.
- An extension of the grace period for all DCFSA participants for the 2020 and 2021 plan years to Dec. 31, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2022 respectively.
- An increase in the 2021 DCFSA election maximum to $10,500 – or $5,250 for married taxpayers filing separately.
- Face masks and hand sanitizing wipes with 60% or higher alcohol content are now eligible over the counter HCFSA expenses.
To learn more about the full range of new flexibilities, how to take advantage of them, and examples of how this might impact you, please refer to the Qualifying Life Events: Quick Reference Guide.
Have Questions for FSAFEDS? Benefits Counselors are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, excluding holidays by calling 877- FSAFEDS 877-372-3337, TTY: 866-353-8058.
Starting on June 7, the National Hurricane Program will host a five-day HURREVAC training for emergency managers. HURREVAC is a free web-based decision-support tool that assists emergency managers by providing information, visualizations and tools to inform hurricane response decisions in advance of a threatening storm.
Training topics include:
- An overview of HURREVAC.
- Tools to understand potential wind timing and intensity based on the forecast.
- Tools to support evacuation decisions and response timelines.
- Storm surge tools and other features to support hurricane response and decision making related to water hazards.
- Creating exercise storms and using HURREVAC to answer scenario-based questions.
Learning how to use HURREVAC can help emergency managers make tough evacuation decisions when a hurricane threatens. In addition to operational decision-making, HURREVAC can be used for training, exercises and hurricane preparedness and planning efforts.
Interested emergency managers can register now for this annual HURREVAC webinar series.
To register, visit the 2021 HURREVAC Webinar Series page.
The Annual Staging Symposium is an opportunity for logistics staging teams, IMAT members, regional leaders and logistics partners from across FEMA to come together and collaborate on the staging mission. This three-day event will be hosted virtually on Zoom from noon to 4 p.m. ET on June 7 - 9.
Over the course of three afternoons, logistics leaders from headquarters and regions 4 and 6 will present on a variety of topics including staging plans and annexes, lessons learned and best practices.
The symposium is designed for logistics professionals, but anyone interested can request to attend by sending an email to Ms. Carla Harper at Carla.harper@fema.dhs.gov. Interested individuals will receive an invite with an agenda and Zoom link.
From 2 to 3 p.m. ET on June 3, FEMA’s Resilience Building Science Branch is teaming up with the International Codes Council (ICC) for a webinar on FEMA’s new post-disaster assistance for building codes and floodplain management administration and enforcement. Partnering with the ICC allows FEMA to amplify this new initiative to a broader audience.
This assistance gives building officials and communities an effective way to access many of the resources needed to effectively administer and enforce building codes and floodplain management ordinances for up to 180 days following a major disaster declaration.
This assistance can also increase the overall speed of recovery and enhance compliance with state and local building codes and floodplain management ordinances.
Join the webinar to learn about the initiative’s cross-cutting implications for response, recovery and mitigation during active disaster relief operations. You’ll also learn more about this important new assistance including what activities are eligible and how applicants can apply for reimbursement.
Register at FEMA’s New Disaster Recovery Grant Policy for Code Enforcement and Administration - ICC.
Reminders
Join FEMA Pride from 2 to 3 p.m. ET each Tuesday and Thursday in June for an opportunity to get information, meet allies and build a supportive LGBTQIA+ agency family.
Each forum will be geared towards one of the LGBTQIA communities:
- June 3 – Gay Forum.
- June 8 – Bisexual & Pansexual Forum.
- June 10 – Transgender, Gender Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Forum.
- June 15 – Queer Forum.
- June 17 – Intersex Forum.
- June 22 – Asexual Forum.
Join one, or all forums via Zoom using meeting ID 1611708609 and passcode PRIDE2021.
Reservists are welcome to attend, however participation is voluntary, and compensation will not be provided.
Have you received your first and/or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, please update your status in the DHS Vaccine Portal even if you received the vaccine from a source other than the DHS Vaccine Program. If you have any issues using the portal, please send an email to FEMA-COVID-Vaccine@fema.dhs.gov.
Waiting for an Appointment?
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) continues to schedule appointments for employees who opted into the program. Employees will be contacted by VHA to schedule appointments via phone, email or text message.
Get the Vaccine
No matter where you go, please consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Use VaccineFinder.org to search for a participating pharmacy in your area.
 Visit the FEMA Forward SharePoint site to learn the latest information about what FEMA is doing, and what you can do, to address COVID-19. Updates, critical information and resources include:
If you have questions or suggestions, please send an email to FEMA-COVID19@fema.dhs.gov.
Reservist Connection
Dear RABy is a question and answer feature the Reservist Advisory Board (RAB) uses to address questions from reservist employees. Do you have a question for the Reservist Advisory Board other ideas/examples from previous deployments that you thought really helped? Send it to FEMA-RAB@fema.dhs.gov and it may be featured in an upcoming FEMA Weekly.
 |
|
How do we show our commitment to the FEMA Core Values of Compassion, Respect, Integrity and Fairness?
|
Our interactions with disaster survivors and applicants require unwavering professionalism, empathy and compassion. Citizens, who have lost homes or rental residences and in some cases even the lives of loved ones, demand our best listening skills and depend on programmatic knowledge. Regardless of whether a disaster is small or catastrophic our commitment must be the same.
This requires thoughtful action in the most trying circumstances to effectively help people who have suffered a loss. These situations often cause people to be frustrated with what may appear to be a less than adequate or timely response from the federal government. In every situation, we must lead with compassion, convey our respect, demonstrate our integrity and ensure fairness.
Visit the Reservist Advisory Board Page to catch up on the most recent RAB activities.
Incident Management (IM) Cadre Coordinators are responsible for the operational readiness and strategic coordination of the Incident Management Workforce. FEMA IM cadres are diverse groups of FEMA employees that perform disaster-related duties during FEMA incident operations. Visit the Cadre Coordinator SharePoint page for a listing of the 23 IM Cadre Coordinators.
Incident Support (IS) Cadre Coordinators are responsible for the management of personnel who respond to the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). Among other duties, these cadre coordinators are responsible for rostering, recruitment, training, job aid and position task book maintenance. The five Cadres support the NRCCs mission of disaster response and incident stabilization.
IS Cadre Coordinators:
Visit the NRCC IS Cadre Portal for more information.
Your Professional Development
USA Jobs
Rotations
Department Training Opportunities
DHS Leader Development Competency Cafés
Detail and Rotation Opportunities
Open Until Filled
About FEMA Weekly
The Office of External Affairs publishes FEMA Weekly each Wednesday. Questions or comments about FEMA Weekly can be emailed directly to the Office of External Affairs.
 |
|
All FEMA employees are encouraged to submit stories, upcoming events and announcements; particularly stories about our values, guiding principles and mission in action. Articles should be 200 words or less. Submissions are due by close of business the Wednesday prior to the edition. Articles submitted after that date and time will be considered for the following edition. |
|
