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As spring weather marches in, the Ready Campaign would like to remind everyone to be prepared for disasters and emergencies.
Ready.gov released its safety awareness campaign, It’s Not Luck!, to be used throughout the spring season. The campaign 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.
Remember, the first steps to being prepared are:
- Know your risk for the area where you live and work.
- Make a plan to lessen the impact of those risks.
- Build a kit to be ready for disasters and emergencies.
Don't leave disaster preparedness to chance. To learn more about the campaign and preparedness, visit ready.gov.
On March 1, FEMA awarded $350 million to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) National Board to support local governments and organizations as they assist migrant families and individuals encountered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the southern border.
Organizations will be applying for the humanitarian funding for migrants, referred to EFSP-H, in the coming weeks. EFSP is governed by a National Board comprised of representatives from the American Red Cross, the United Way Worldwide and four religious charitable organizations. The Board is chaired by a representative of FEMA. The National Board will host a series of webinars for potential applicants to explain how to apply, discuss any changes from the previous year’s application guidance and provide answers about the application process.
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law a Bipartisan Year-End Omnibus. The Omnibus directs Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to transfer $800 million in funding to FEMA to establish a new Shelter and Services Program (SSP) to support CBP in effectively managing migrant processing and preventing the overcrowding of short-term CBP holding facilities.
The Omnibus also authorizes the use of a portion of that funding for the EFSP-H program to provide time for CBP and FEMA to develop the SSP. FEMA and CBP are working as quickly as possible to set up the new SSP to assist with humanitarian needs related to migrant families and individuals. The goal is to use EFSP-H funding to support humanitarian needs until the SSP launches later this year.
On March 1, FEMA published the Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. This funding opportunity makes approximately $233 million available to support 100 resilience-related projects nationwide.
The projects—funded by the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program—were congressionally authorized through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, signed by the President on Dec. 29, 2022.
This funding is in addition to the amounts provided through other FEMA hazard mitigation grant programs for projects that support growing needs nationwide to make communities more resilient to natural hazards.
Most of the projects focus on infrastructure improvements to stormwater, drainage, sewer and levee systems and dams to make communities and tribes more resilient from flooding. Others address hazards like tsunamis, seismic activity, landslides and wildfires.
Communities and tribal nations with projects identified in the funding opportunity must apply for funding by 5 p.m. ET on April 14. While all awards must be made before Sept. 30, the funds will not be dispersed until all the Hazard Mitigation Assistance program requirements have been met such as compliance Environmental and Historic Preservation requirements.
For general questions about Pre-Disaster Mitigation congressional community projects, contact the appropriate State Hazard Mitigation Officer or FEMA regional Office. The Hazard Mitigation Assistance Helpline is also available by telephone at 866-222-3580.
If you require further assistance after navigating the resources listed above, e-mail FEMA-Ask-PDM@fema.dhs.gov. For more information, visit FEMA.gov.
In late March, FEMA will release major updates to the National Risk Index. Updates will include Census 2020 data and geographies, risk assessment for U.S. territories, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability data, shifting all scores to percentiles, adding risk metrics for trend analyses and more.
The National Risk Index shows the communities most at risk to 18 natural hazards. FEMA officially launched the National Risk Index in August 2021. Since then, it has become a key tool to helping communities better learn and reduce their risk. It can support mitigation planning, community preparedness and emergency management. Visit fema.gov/NRI to learn more.
FEMA is hosting two webinar sessions before the release to preview the updates and review any impacts to the data services. Registration is required on Zoom and login information will be emailed after you register for one of the sessions. The content is the same for each session and an open Question and Answer Session will follow the presentation.
Webinars will be held:
This webinar is for those who use the National Risk Index data and reporting or have integrated the application’s data, GIS services or information into any tools or applications. This may include emergency managers, planners, GIS developers, community stakeholders, state, local and federal agencies, commercial organizations and more.
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is enhancing the learning experience with a new learning management system set to launch this Spring!
The new system promises a more interactive and convenient experience, allowing for progress tracking and access to a host of student services, all in one place. As part of the rollout, all current and former EMI students will need to go through a new login and verification process the first time they visit the site. It is essential to ensure that your FEMA Student ID (SID) information is accurate and up to date.
To prepare for the launch, take these steps:
- Verify and update your FEMA SID information by clicking on "Edit Profile" in the FEMA Student Identification (SID) System (dhs.gov). Self-help actions and FAQs are available to guide you through this process.
- Review your Student Transcript (Independent Study only) from the Student Portal at Emergency Management Institute (EMI) | Student Portal (fema.gov). Please ensure your SID information is up to date before completing this step.
- Review your transcript for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before the new system goes live.
If you run into technical difficulties, email independent.study@fema.dhs.gov or call (301) 447-1200. Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to launch the new learning management system!
As part of the Making Mitigation Work Series, the Natural Hazards Center and FEMA will host a one-hour webinar on March 14 about the book, “Soaking the Middle Class: Suburban Inequality and Recovery from Disaster.” This webinar will focus on key findings of following 59 household in a middle-class suburb affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The book highlights how disaster recovery fosters inequality, even in middle-class places, and the effects of recovery two years later in recovery efforts in Friendswood, Texas. An emphasis on this presentation will be on equitable mitigation policies that stretch across social class boundaries.
Presenters include University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Professor of Sociology Max Besbris, where he is also a faculty affiliate at the Center for Demography and Ecology and the Institute for Research on Poverty. Additional participants include Rice University Assistant Professor of Sociology Anna Rhodes. Rhodes is also a faculty affiliate at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
- Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
- Time: 1 – 2 p.m. ET.
Register on the Making Mitigation Work webpage. This webinar offers continuing education credit opportunities. Please visit the Natural Hazards Center webpage for more information of the continuing education credits offered.
FEMA is Accepting Revolving Loan Fund Applications
FEMA is accepting applications to the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund grant program. Loans will be available to help local governments satisfy non-federal cost share requirements under FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, update building codes adoption, and enforcement and make zoning and land use changes.
The program has been expanded to give 20 federally recognized tribal nations and insular areas the same eligibility to apply as states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. As defined by the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, insular areas are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The funding notice is available at Grants.gov. Eligible entities must apply for funding using the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants Management System (ND Grants). Applications must be received by 3 p.m. ET on April 28.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Hazard Mitigation Documents
FEMA is seeking public feedback on nine Hazard Mitigation resource typing documents. These resource typing documents include two National Incident Management System-typed Hazard Mitigation teams for operations and planning and seven positions that make up the teams. This 30-day national engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. ET on March 16.
To provide comments on the draft documents, complete the feedback form and submit the form to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Achieving Equitable Recovery Guide
FEMA is seeking feedback on the draft “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials.” The open comment period will end on March 15.
The guide is organized around eight goals focused on approaches to engaging and identifying the needs of all community members and ensuring a more accessible, inclusive and equitable recovery planning process.
FEMA will host a 60-minute webinar session at 10 a.m. ET on March 13 to provide an overview of the draft guide and gather feedback from whole community partners. The sessions will include facilitated discussions with stakeholders to help improve the existing draft.
For more information about the webinars and to access the draft Equity Guide and related documents, visit FEMA.gov.
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Nonprofit Security Grant Program Webinars Now Available
FEMA invites nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming webinars regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The program provides funding support through a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. For all attendees, it is strongly recommended that you review the existing program resources available FEMA.gov.
To attend a webinar, register in advance on FEMA.gov. Webinars will be held:
Additional information related to the program can be found on FEMA.gov. The vulnerability self-assessment tool, as well as other helpful safety and security information for nonprofit organizations, can be found on CISA.gov.
If you have any questions regarding these webinars or require special accommodations, email FEMA-NSGP@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Corps Application Deadline is March 14
People interested in kick starting their career in emergency management should consider joining FEMA Corps. This full-time service opportunity is for individuals ages 18 to 26 who are looking to gain valuable leadership skills through team-based service. Members serve alongside FEMA to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters.
The FEMA Corps Summer application deadline for members is March 14. If you know someone interested in preparedness and community service, encourage them to apply. For more information, visit AmeriCorps.gov or FEMA.gov.
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