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FEMA awarded funding through the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants Program to eight metropolitan areas in an effort to improve disaster preparedness.
Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants Program launched in 2019, to help build state and local capacity to manage catastrophic events by improving regional collaboration. The funding is vital to implementing national preparedness and building a secure and resilient nation by closing capability gaps in housing, logistics and supply chain management.
The program prioritizes the needs of underserved communities and vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by disasters. Strategic priorities include equity, climate resilience, readiness and housing.
For fiscal year 2023, FEMA awarded $12 million for the following projects:
- Tucson, Arizona, will assess the risks, capabilities, and needs of disadvantaged communities as part of a broader resilience hub planning effort.
- San Francisco will further develop its Equitable Community Resilience Program to increase preparedness and resiliency among disadvantaged communities throughout the Bay Area.
- Jacksonville, Florida, will address critical failure points from extreme temperature events, identifying mitigation solutions to minimize damage to energy, transportation, healthcare and social infrastructures.
- El Paso, Texas, will develop regional disaster plans focused on housing, community resilience, and long-term vulnerability, with a centralized hub to coordinate Community Emergency Response Team training and information sharing.
- Houston will address energy and housing needs, developing an Energy Resilience Tool to identify equity gaps and a Housing Inventory Data Analysis and Planning Tool to provide real-time housing data.
- Knox County, Tennessee, will develop a regional disaster response program focused on post-disaster housing needs in disadvantaged communities.
- Massachusetts’ Northeast Emergency Management Training and Education Center will address Northeast preparedness capability gaps, in partnership with other New England states.
- Virginia will develop a coordinated response plan for potential cyberattacks on critical community and Department of Defense infrastructure, creating strategies to maintain stability and continuity of government.
Questions about the program can be sent to FEMA-Grants-News@fema.dhs.gov.
New guidance was issued for the Build America, Buy America Act. These updates affect infrastructure projects for certain FEMA grant awards issued on or after Oct. 23. Grant recipients should review the list and new guidance to find out if their projects are affected.
The updates were made to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations and include a revised section 200.322 and the addition of a new part 184.
The revision to 200.322 specifies that federal agencies providing federal financial assistance for infrastructure projects must implement the Build America, Buy America Act’s requirements set forth in 2 CFR part 184.
The new guidance in part 184 includes:
- Definitions for key terms, including iron or steel products, manufactured products. construction materials, and materials identified in section 70917(c) of BABAA.
- Guidance for determining the cost of components of manufactured products.
- Guidance on proposing and issuing Buy America waivers.
A new Memorandum, M-24-02, was issued, Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy America Preference in Federal Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure, to replace Memorandum M–22–11, Initial Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy America Preference in Federal Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure. The updates in the new OMB Memorandum M-24-02 remove direct conflicts between the old Memorandum M–22–11 and the revised guidance in Part 184.
The effective date of the new guidance and the Memorandum is Oct 23, 2023.
Subject FEMA awards issued from Jan. 2, 2023, through Oct. 22, 2023, will continue to follow the guidance outlined in OMB Memorandum M-22-11.
For additional information on the Build America, Buy America Act requirements, including FEMA’s Interim Policy and to which FEMA grant programs the act does and does not apply to, visit "Buy America" Preference in FEMA Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure | FEMA.gov.
FEMA will host a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, focusing on caregivers in disasters. The event will provide an opportunity for FEMA, the private sector, academia and nonprofit partners to engage with each other and enhance their mutual understanding of disaster assistance resources, capabilities and mechanisms that support caregivers.
Co-hosted by FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaisons and the DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The webinar will include:
- A discussion among public, private and nonprofit organizations.
- Resources, tools and examples of practices that explore different approaches to supporting caregivers before, during and after disasters.
- Contact information and how to stay connected.
The agenda also features “Take Control in 1, 2, 3—Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults,” and a “Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Older Adults (fema.gov).”
Webinar Information:
- Topic: Disaster Resources for Caregivers
- Date: Nov. 8
- Time: 1-2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Please register at ZOOM
- Passcode: FEMAVAL
Speakers:
- Justin Knighten, Director, FEMA Office of External Affairs
- Paul Judson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, FEMA Recovery Directorate
- Dr. Elizabeth Asche, Director, FEMA Individual Assistance Division
- Marcus Coleman, Director, DHS Center of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
- Dr. Jennifer Olsen, CEO, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers
- Tiffany M. Favers, Clinical Team Lead, Alzheimer’s Association
- Chris Brand, CEO, Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC)
- William Porter, Director, Operations Support, Team Rubicon
For further questions, please contact FEMA-VAL@fema.dhs.gov.
FEMA ’s National Flood Insurance Program produced three videos, offered in English and Spanish, to show how policyholders across the nation navigated through recovery from flood disasters to rebuilding back even stronger.
Each video tells an authentic story about how policyholders across varying demographics and geographies successfully recovered from flooding or mitigating their risk. They also demonstrate how flood insurance helps to protect, rebuild and mitigate against flooding across the nation.
Videos were shot on location earlier this year at FEMA Regions 5, 7 and 10 and highlight flood risks common to those areas.
Locations include:
The National Flood Insurance Program also created a video that shows a unified story across the country and is also available in English and Spanish.
Consider flood insurance as a way to protect against financial damage. To learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program and to find an insurance provider, visit Floodsmart.gov.
On Nov. 1 and 2, FEMA will host the Civil Rights Summit 4.0: Advancing Environmental Justice. This summit will lead the critical conversation on civil rights and environmental justice in disaster activities and programs at FEMA.
This year's discussions will feature subject matter experts addressing the impact of environmental justice issues on protected groups and intersectionality, as well as initiatives to incorporate and support environmental justice within emergency management. Organized by the agency's Office of Equal Rights, the event will include presentations and panel discussions from FEMA leaders, experts from agencies across the federal government, representatives from nonprofit organizations and community leaders.
Continuous dialogue on civil rights is vital to FEMA’s efforts to address the needs of underserved communities more effectively. While progress has been made, there is more work to be done. The summit aims to foster collaborative dialogue that will identify actual and perceived biases affecting equal access to FEMA programs. The summit also aims to strengthen partnerships and provide next steps to move forward.
Gathering perspectives and feedback from civil rights partners, the public and FEMA’s workforce is critical so that FEMA can more effectively advance environmental justice before, during and after disasters.
Register here to join the summit discussion!
As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) this year, we focus on FEMA's commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive workforce and its dedicated efforts in advancing equity and access for individuals with disabilities.
Learn about FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) and its role in directing FEMA's inclusive approach to emergency management and how its collaboration with FEMA's Office of Equal Rights (OER) supports FEMA's equity goals.
To read the full blog, visit How FEMA Champions Disability Inclusion and Representation | FEMA.gov.
FEMA Seeks Feedback on Resource Typing for Emergency Medical Services
FEMA is seeking public input on 12 draft documents related to ground Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and ambulance response as part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)—the documents focus on public health, healthcare and EMS, including paramedics and ambulances.
These resource typing documents aim to enhance interoperability, developed to improve how different systems work together effectively to provide mutual aid where needed. They establish baseline qualifications and facilitate sharing resources that can be deployed across all jurisdiction levels.
National engagement provides an opportunity for stakeholders to review and comment on the draft documents, ensuring their relevance to all implementing partners.
To provide comments on the draft documents during the 30-day comment period, visit National Incident Management System | FEMA.gov, under the Public Feedback and Engagement section, then complete and submit the feedback form to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov no later than 5 p.m. ET, Nov. 23.
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FEMA Publishes a Proposed Rule for Public Comment on the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
FEMA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register for revisions to its floodplain management regulations at Title 44 Part 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands.
This is a 60-day public comment period open from Oct. 2 – Dec. 1, 2023. The proposed revisions fully implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The FFRMS increases the resilience of federally funded projects by incorporating anticipated changes in future flood risk into certain federally funded projects to ensure that those projects last as long as intended.
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