Important headlines from FEMA
In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3 proclaimed Dec. 3 as the annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This observance is designed to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities and to increase awareness of persons with disabilities in every aspect of life.
This year’s theme is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.”
“The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an annual opportunity for the FEMA workforce to underscore our agency’s commitment to equity for people with disabilities,” said FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Director Sherman Gillums, Jr. “Disaster is an equalizer until the environment itself surfaces access and functional inequities. FEMA programs and services need to innovatively connect bottom-up experiences with top-down policies, with equity as the nexus. Within this nexus are better prepared families and communities.”
FEMA is committed to equitably delivering programs and services, as well as shortening the disaster lifecycle for people with disabilities. The agency is working to provide innovative solutions with stakeholders to identify and address concerns and barriers to access for people with disabilities.
FEMA is including people with disabilities in trainings, exercises and community-level preparedness activities to ensure that the agency is delivering programs and services in an effective and accessible way.
To create a more inclusive, accessible and equitable world, we must leverage resources at the federal, state and local level. This allows us to maximize our ability to build accessible and resilient communities where people with disabilities can live, work and thrive.
To learn more about International Day of Persons with Disabilities, including discussions and cultural events across the federal, private and non-profit space, visit UN.org.
FEMA is seeking feedback from state, local, Tribal and territorial stakeholders and the general public on how communities use hazard mitigation funding through the Public Assistance Program. Public comments can be submitted via an online Request for Information posted on fema.gov through December 21, 2022.
Public Assistance Hazard Mitigation
FEMA provides support to state, local, Tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments to respond to and recover from major disasters through the Public Assistance (PA) Program. PA applicants may apply for hazard mitigation funding to increase the resilience of disaster-damaged facilities. The purpose of PA Mitigation funding under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is to provide assistance for cost-effective hazard mitigation measures that reduce the potential for future damage to a facility from a disaster event. PA Mitigation is in addition to any code and standard upgrade requirements.
To be eligible for funding, mitigation measures must be cost-effective using a benefit-cost analysis. FEMA developed a list of hazard mitigation measures pre-determined to be cost-effective up to 100 percent of repair costs as a streamlining tool. That list is contained in Appendix J of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG V4).
In support of the agency’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan goals to instill equity and foster climate resilience, FEMA is seeking input to add additional measures to the list of cost-effective hazard mitigation measures in Appendix J. This effort aims to increase use of PA hazard mitigation funding and promote greater resiliency by making a larger selection of hazard mitigation measures more readily available to SLTTs, without the need for them to further demonstrate cost-effectiveness.
The public comment period is open from November 21 through December 21, 2022. Comments should be submitted via the online form at FEMA Seeks Public Feedback on Cost-Effective Hazard Mitigation Measures | FEMA.gov.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact Office of External Affairs:
Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov
 Deadline to request reimbursement for costs related to COVID-19 is this month!
 **This particular FEMA grant is for Public Assistance for eligible work or costs that your organization may have performed that was required to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
December 31, 2022 marks the deadline to submit a streamline project application(s) in FEMA Grants Portal for eligible COVID-19 work and costs that occurred between January 20, 2020 and July 1, 2022. The streamlined project application must include information and documentation sufficient for FEMA to determine whether the work is eligible, and either the actual or estimated cost of the work.
Watch this video to see How to Submit a Streamline Application - FEMA Grants Portal .
Individuals looking for Individual Assistance, please visit disasterassistance.gov for assistance.
Businesses looking for assistance should visit the Small Business Administration's disaster assistance website.
 Start making your emergency plan today!
 Don't get caught without a plan! Check out these planning resources that will help you kickstart your emergency preparedness and guide you along the way as you make your full plan. You can download these now at Make a Plan | VDEM (vaemergency.gov). We are working on making these available in different languages and also in hard copies to hand out at events.
 VDEM Region 1:
- Region 1 is excited to announce the hiring of Lauren Byrd as an Administrative Specialist serving both the region 1 team and VDEM’s Response Programs Division.
- VDEM Region 1 staff held the Annual Region 1 Fall Forum & Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop on November 8th. Both the Fall Forum and Workshop were attended by numerous local, state, and non-governmental partners.
- Region 1 staff, along with state and local partners participated in a Statewide Winter Weather Prep Seminar held on November 18th, and FEMA’s Local Capability Assessment Tool session held on November 15th.
- Staff provided an Emergency Preparedness presentation to 4th Graders at Jackson Davis Elementary School in Henrico County on November 30th.
VDEM Region 2:
VDEM Region 3:
VDEM Region 4:
VDEM Region 5: Region 5 Staff, VDEM Deputy State Coordinator of Disaster Services John Northon and Director of Regional Support East Jack King participated in the VDOT Welcome Ribbon Cutting and Reception Ceremony for VSP Division 5 at the Hampton Roads VDOT Residency in Suffolk, VA on December 1, 2023.
Region 5 Staff attended the Dominion Energy Joint North Anna Power Station (NAPS) & Surry Power Station (SPS) Emergency Coordinator/Leadership Meeting on November 30, 2022. Representatives from localities located in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of NAPS and SPS, FEMA, Ft. Eustis, Riverside Hospital and the Virginia department of Health (VDH) also attended.
Region 5 Staff and VDEM Leadership participated in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard outreach meeting on November 28, 2022. The focus of the meeting was to discuss the coordination of the State and Federal response in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident on a military vessel in Virginia waters.
VDEM Region 6:
VDEM Region 7:
 On the heels of all of our Fall Forums that VDEM has been hosting in the last month, we have a lot of new Partners!
Welcome:
Jetersville Baptist Church
Environmental Defense Fund
Hopewell Fire & EMS
REMS Council
Bedford County Fire & Rescue
Virginia Community College System
Old Dominion University Emergency Management
Patrick Henry Community College Police Department
Rockbridge County Fire-Rescue
Grayson County Emergency Services
Arlington County Department of Public Safety Communications and EM
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