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Last week, FEMA Region 8 led the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) annual exercise in Pueblo, Colorado. The drill tested participant’s response capabilities and their ability to coordinate their responses to multiple incidents.
CSEPP is a partnership between FEMA and the U.S. Department of the Army to provide emergency preparedness assistance and resources to communities surrounding the Army’s chemical warfare agent stockpiles.
This year’s exercise scenario involved several simulated events. This included a chemical accident at the Pueblo Chemical Depot and a small aircraft carrying pesticides that crashed nearby, resulting in injuries and people being exposed to an unknown chemical. Evaluators were on scene, observing and taking notes on emergency response, which will be detailed and shared with the community in an after-action report.
After leading the exercise for 30 years, this is the last year FEMA will participate as the lead agency. In the future, state and local agencies will lead the exercise.
To learn more about CSEPP, visit Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness | FEMA.gov
On May 16, FEMA released the Fiscal Year 2022 Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) grant program Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant program is authorized and funded by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.
The grant program provides technical, planning, design and construction assistance in the form of grants for the rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams. Eligible applicants must be eligible subrecipients, which include non-federal governments and non-profit organizations.
In Fiscal Year 2022, the High Hazard Potential Dam grant program is being allocated $22 million to continue the program. Of the total funding, $11.64 million will be available for planning and design activities and $10.36 million will be available for construction-ready activities only.
Another approximate $11 million is available through the Dam Safety State Assistance Grant Program, bringing the total of available grant funding to $33 million.
This fiscal year’s funding cycle added nearly $15 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This is the second funding opportunity funded through the law follows and the March Swift Current announcement.
Summary of each Fiscal Year 2022 Dam Safety Funding Opportunity
Total funds for Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams: $22 million.
These funds include $11.64 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act and $10.36 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Total funds for National Dam Safety State Assistance: $11 million*.
*These are approximate figures until final calculations are determined.
These funds include $7 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act and $4 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Eligible non-federal dams are:
- Located in a state or territory with a dam safety program.
- Classified as high hazard potential by the dam safety agency in the state or territory where the dam is located.
- With a current, approved emergency action plan by the state or territorial dam safety agency.
- Failing to meet minimum dam safety standards of the state or territory or poses an unacceptable risk to the public.
In a state or territory with an enacted dam safety program, the state administrative agency or an equivalent state agency is eligible to apply. Each eligible state may submit only one grant application.
Eligible subrecipients are encouraged to review the Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement on Grants.gov and apply by the July 15 deadline.
FEMA is offering the following informational webinars for interested applicants to provide an overview of this year’s two dam safety funding opportunities. Information will include the agency’s funding priorities, application submission and review processes. Registration information for all upcoming webinars will be provided soon.
For additional updates or more information, visit FEMA.gov.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced the release of the funding notice for eight different types of fiscal year 2022 preparedness grants.
The grant programs provide funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities, nonprofit organizations and the private sector to 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 which address our nation’s immediate security needs and ensure public safety in our communities.
The Fiscal Year 2022 grant guidance will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that face the most significant threats, and national priorities. This year, the Urban Area Security Initiative will enhance regional preparedness and capabilities by funding 36 high-threat, high-density urban areas. This represents Congressional intent to limit these funds to those urban areas that represent up to 85% of the nationwide risk.
Fiscal Year 2022 Non-competitive program allocations:
- Emergency Operations Center Grant Program.
- Intercity Passenger Rail - Amtrak Program.
- State Homeland Security Program.
- Urban Area Security Initiative.
Fiscal Year 2022 Competitive grants include:
- Intercity Bus Security Grant Program.
- Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
- Operation Stonegarden.
- Port Security Grant Program.
- Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program.
- Transit Security Grant Program.
New capabilities built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts. Additionally, all capabilities being built or sustained must have a clear linkage to the core capabilities articulated in the National Preparedness Goal.
All preparedness funding notices can be found at www.grants.gov. Final submissions must be made through the non-disaster grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov.
Further information on DHS’s preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants.
In January 2022, to honor Martin Luther King’s birthday, nearly 150 employees from eight FEMA regions and headquarters volunteered to give back to their communities. Volunteers worked at food banks, schools and various charities to provide people with food, clothes and other necessities.
“What a great example of how giving back to our communities makes such a big difference” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
Service to others is the foundation of our mission and continues to be a close, personal conviction that we carry every day — often beyond our roles and duties as emergency managers.
To read more about FEMA employees serving their communities, visit the FEMA Blog.
Later this month, FEMA will host a webinar series related to the FY 2022 Homeland Security Grant Program. The application period for the program opened May 13 and closes June 13. The program includes 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.
The webinars will focus on the new “Enhancing Community Preparedness and Resilience” National Priority Area. Participants will hear:
- How to use the HSGP to effectively mitigate DHS concerns on terrorism.
- Guidance on meeting requirements for the “Enhancing Community Preparedness and Resilience” National Priority Areas.
- Additional guidance on how to submit a strong application for the HSGP.
Webinars will be held on the dates and times listed below. Please register for the webinar that works best for you!
- HSGP Webinar 1 (East): 9 - 10:30 a.m. ET on May 24.
Register here.
- HSGP Webinar 2 (Central): 2:30 - 4 p.m. ET on May 25.
Register here.
- HSGP Webinar 3 (West): 5 - 6:30 p.m. ET on May 26.
Register here.
Please bring your HSGP-related questions to the webinar session. If you have questions about meeting logistics, send an email to FEMA-Prepare@fema.dhs.gov.
FEMA Extends Deadline for Emergency Management Exchange Program
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced the agency is accepting nominations for a new emergency management exchange program. The staff exchange program will allow state, local, tribal and territorial government officials to work with FEMA leadership to develop and implement emergency management policies and programs.
Program participants will work alongside FEMA leadership and staff from FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery or Resilience. These stakeholders will contribute to federal emergency management and see the impact of their contributions from a different governmental perspective.
A total of four participants will be selected for this three to six month assignment at FEMA from July through December 2022. A future session is planned from January to June 2023.
Nominations should include:
- A letter of nomination from the leadership of the candidate's governmental program or organization. The letter should explain why the candidate is nominated for the exchange and should also contain the nominator’s contact information – including phone number and an email address.
- The nominee’s resume - including name, phone number and email address.
The nominating office point of contact should be either the nominee’s supervisor or someone in a higher-level leadership position.
FEMA will reimburse the participant’s home organization for the cost of the participant’s salary plus benefits, for the duration of the assignment.
Nominations are due by May 27. To submit a nomination, send an email to FEMA-EMX-Nominations@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Accepts Video Submissions for 2022 Partnership Month
This July, FEMA will host a virtual exhibitor hall to celebrate Voluntary Agency Coordination Partnership Month. This event celebrates strong partnerships that make emergency management possible.
Your organization is invited to create a short video to be featured as part of the gallery.
Video file specifications
- Length: 1 minute or shorter.
- Resolution: 1080p.
- Format: .MP4.
- Size: 100MB or fewer.
- Accessibility: Provide closed captioning by including a script of the dialogue as well as an .SRT file.
For questions and video submissions, email fema-r8hostedpartnershipmonth@fema.dhs.gov To view last year’s videos, visit the partnership month website. Submit a completed version of the video no later than 5 p.m. ET on June 1.
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FEMA Hosts Nonprofit Security Grant Webinars
Gain insight how the fiscal year 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program can help your faith-based, community or nonprofit organizations by joining one of the upcoming webinars.
Each webinar will last approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by a question and answer session. Each session will present the same content. Preregistration is required for the webinars.
Click on a link below for your preferred time:
If you have any questions regarding these webinars or require special accommodations, please send an email to FEMA-NSGP@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Provides Over $400M to Emergency Managers
FEMA released the Emergency Management Performance Grant program funding notice, making $405.1 million available to assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments develop their emergency management capabilities and for all-hazards preparedness activities. The program focuses on planning, operations, equipment acquisitions, training, exercises, construction and renovation. This application period closes at 5 p.m. ET on June 13.
Eligible applicants must submit an initial application by June 6, FEMA will notify eligible applicants to proceed with submitting their complete application package in the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants System by the application deadline. FEMA anticipates that all awards will be made no later than Sept. 30.
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FEMA Hosts HURREVAC Webinar Series
From June 6 – 10, FEMA's National Hurricane Program will host a five-day HURREVAC training for emergency managers. Each day, sessions will start at 2 p.m. ET and will run 60 – 90 minutes.
Webinar topics include:
- Introduction to HURREVAC and Overview of the National Hurricane Program: June 6.
- Wind Forecast Features: June 7.
- Evacuation Timing Features: June 8.
- Storm Surge and Other Water Hazards: June 9.
- Exercise Tools and Applying HURREVAC: June 10.
HURREVAC is a free web-based decision-support tool that assists emergency managers by providing information and tools to inform hurricane response decisions in advance of a threatening storm. Interested emergency managers can register now for this annual HURREVAC webinar series.
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FEMA Accepts Earthquake Grant Applications
On May 2, FEMA opened the application period for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Grant Program, including Individual State Earthquake Assistance and the Multi-State and National Earthquake Assistance grants. The notification is available on www.grants.gov.
In addition to detailing eligibility and submission requirements, these notifications provide a program overview, such as objectives, priorities and allowable activities. The application period for both funding opportunities will end at 5 p.m. ET on June 1.
For additional information on these funding opportunities and the FEMA National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, visit FEMA.gov or send an email to FEMA-NEHRP@fema.dhs.gov.
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May Is Building Safety Month
President Joseph R. Biden issued a presidential proclamation to mark May as annual Building Safety Month. The initiative is led by International Code Council and supported by FEMA. The theme for the 42nd annual event is “Safety for All: Building Codes in Action.”
Each week has been assigned a theme. This year’s themes are:
This year the theme aligns with the FEMA Building Codes Strategy vision: “A resilient nation with superior building performance in disasters.”
For additional information on Building Safety Month and to find out how you can get involved with building safety in your community, visit the 2022 Building Safety Month webpage.
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