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Partners in Preparedness News You Can Use: February Edition

Virginia Department of Emergency Management sent this bulletin at 02/06/2023 04:34 PM EST

February 2022

Wireless Emergency Alerts replace sirens for Virginia's nuclear power plants

Dominion's North Anna Power Station

As of February 1, those living within an approximate 10-mile radius of one of Dominion Energy's two nuclear power plants -- North Anna and Surry Power Stations -- will no longer hear sirens in the event of an emergency. Dominion Energy has now transitioned to utilizing the Integrated Public Warning System (iPAWS), which has two methods for alerting the public to an emergency at the nuclear power stations.

The first method is Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) that will be sent to cell phones. The second method, Emergency Alert System (EAS), notifies television and radio broadcasters who, in turn, share messaging through television and radio channels. Both methods, identical in nature to Amber and Severe Weather alerts, have several advantages over the sirens. These alerts have the ability to offer real-time information in the event of an emergency instead of just a siren sound. In addition to WEA and EAS, residential and business phones will be called, and plans remain in place to notify recreational areas such as parks and waterways.

Dominion Energy, in partnership with Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), made the change to use current technology to better protect the health and safety of the public. This change will allow information to be provided on a real-time basis on what actions to take in the event of an emergency. The transition planning process has taken several years and was approved late last year by both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"As technology changes, it is important that we take advantage of new opportunities especially when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of the public,” said State Coordinator Shawn Talmadge, VDEM. “Those working behind the scenes to make this transition happen have gone through several rounds of planning, surveys, and research to ensure that this system is optimal for notifying the public of an emergency at these nuclear power stations. Unlike the sirens which simply make a noise, the alerts will direct you on what protective actions to take so you understand what to do to ensure you and your family are safe.”

“Protecting the health and safety of the public is central to everything we do at Dominion Energy,” said Dan Stoddard, Senior Vice President, Chief Nuclear Officer and President - Contracted Assets. “We are excited about the transition to this new and improved technology for alerting the public in the extremely unlikely situation of an event at one of our nuclear stations. This transition is the culmination of years of detailed planning and assessment, in close collaboration with Local, State, and Federal officials. I am proud of our team for their work, and deeply appreciative of the dedicated public servants who helped make this possible.”

Quarterly siren tests will be replaced by frequent operational tests of the system by VDEM. During these internal operational tests, the public will not receive alerts on their phones. For additional information, you can visit https://www.dominionenergy.com/sirenschangetowireless or click on the links below to learn more about IPAWS.

How do I make sure the alerts are coming to my phone?

iPhone instructions to make sure you're opted in to receive WEA

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are automatically sent to our cellphones unless we have opted out. It's best to check your settings to make sure you are subscribed to these alerts, as this is the way that important emergency alerts are sent out in other disasters as well. The settings are slightly different for iPhone and Android users. See the graphics above and below for directions on how to check to see that you're opted in.

Android instructions to make sure you're opted in to receive WEA

February is Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans, and a time during which we recognize their vital role in U.S. history. The event originated out of “Negro History Week,” as initiated by historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent Black leaders and has been officially recognized by every U.S. president since Gerald Ford in 1976.

Within VDEM this month, our theme of “Black Resilience” derives from the official 2023 Black History Month theme “Black Resistance” to highlight the notable achievements of Black organizations and leaders to build strong and resilient communities, and their specific efforts within the field of Emergency Management. One organization highlighted is the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which serves as this nation's oldest civil rights organization. The NAACP has worked systemically to strengthen our resilience as a nation through the environmental and climate justice program (as it relates to the field of emergency management). The organization has made tremendous strides to ensure that “black representation” is not an endpoint to diversity efforts, as depicted by the work of its leaders.

NAACP Responds to Mississippi Water Crisis

Furthermore, the NAACP has established guidance for officials to ensure equity in resilience building for climate and adaptation planning, while also building the capacity to systemically monitor this process by partnering with FEMA, the American Red Cross, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The work of the NAACP signifies that a community must see itself represented in its government and institutions in order to trust them, and that efforts to engage the community should be systemic in intent and process.

VDEM’s commitment to Black resilience is evident through the agency’s effort to entrench unity and build trust iv within our communities as we work to ensure that all Virginians are represented within our disaster preparation and recovery stages. Through strategic planning that draws directly from the experiences of our Black communities and Black leaders, our agency honors the contributions of African Americans in the field of Emergency Management as we work together to cultivate a resilient commonwealth.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

https://medium.com/truman-doctrine-blog/reflections-from-black-history-month-how-to-build-strong-and-resilient-communities-bf985d70e840

(Submitted by VDEM's Negus Assefa, Community Impact Specialist)

What do you want to see from the Partners in Preparedness program in 2023?

As the Partners in Preparedness program grows, we know that the needs of the Commonwealth and its citizens also grow. We want to keep our connections strong, and assist you in spreading the importance of the disaster preparedness message.

If there's a particular resource, handout, or need that you see in your community, start thinking now! In next month's newsletter, there will be a quick poll for you to submit your ideas and requests to so that we can stay on top of the best way to communicate with ALL Virginians.

News around the Commonwealth

Richmond had 5th warmest January on record

Graph showing warming trend in Richmond since 1970, courtesy of Climate Central

_{From Climate Central}

This January, Richmond was much warmer than normal and drier than normal. The average temperature of 46.2°F was 7.9° above normal, and the 2.82 inches of precipitation was 87% of the normal amount (data are from SC-ACIS and normal is defined relative to the 1991-2020 NCEI climate normal).This year stood out as the fifth warmest January in Richmond in data going back to 1887.Januarys in Richmond are getting hotter, leading to a change of 4.7°F since 1970. January is also the month with the fastest rate of warming in Richmond.The forecast for February from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center suggests that Virginia is slightly favored to be warmer than normal. See https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov for their temperature and precipitation predictions for February and beyond.

Important headlines from FEMA

Applications open for FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council

Do you know a teen leader who is interested in disaster preparedness and would be a good ambassador for their community? Young people in grade 8 through 11 can apply to FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) online at https://community.fema.gov/ApplyToYPC.

The Youth Preparedness Council demonstrates FEMA's commitment to involving America's youth in preparedness-related activities and allows FEMA to engage with young people and solicit their perspectives, feedback, and opinions.

If selected, YPC members meet with FEMA leadership to provide input on disaster preparedness strategies, initiatives, and projects. YPC members will also participate in the YPC summit, a two-day event held in Washington, D.C., meet regularly with FEMA staff, and complete emergency preparedness project proposals.

FEMA is taking applications online now through March 6th.

Please share with your network of schools, ROTC programs, church groups, libraries, and more!

See and use the announcement in Spanish below.

FEMA takes steps to instill equity, increase resilience and readiness

In a review of its Strategic Plan, FEMA has identified and executed immediate actions that could be taken to bring us closer to each of these goals.

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made in becoming the FEMA our nation needs and deserves and look forward to building on this foundation for years to come.” said Criswell. “In coordination with our partners, we are finding ways to better support the diverse communities that we serve and prepare for the increasing complexity of disasters.”

The following are updates to the three pillars of the strategic goals:

Strategic Goal 1: Instill equity as a foundation of emergency management

In a continued effort to put people first in its programs and policies, FEMA simplified its Individual Assistance application process, leading to over 100,000 survivors receiving assistance who would have previously been ineligible. That meant more than $600 million in additional assistance into the hands of survivors recovering from disasters.

Aligning with the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, FEMA committed to ensuring 40% of the benefits of pre-disaster grant programs go to underserved communities. As a result, approximately $510 million is going to communities that meet underserved or disadvantaged criteria.

To better serve tribal nations, the agency published its first ever “National Tribal Strategy.” This strategy was developed hand-in-hand with tribal communities to help the agency take critical steps toward delivering training and assistance that meets the unique needs of tribal communities. The agency also appointed the first tribal political appointee in FEMA history to advise the FEMA Administrator on tribal affairs while working to ensure that FEMA lives up to its treaty and trust responsibilities to tribal nations.

Strategic Goal 2: Lead whole of community in climate resilience

With the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FEMA will invest $6.8 billion in community-wide mitigation to reduce disaster suffering and avoid future disaster costs the nation is facing due to climate change.

In April, FEMA announced the agency’s “Building Codes Strategy” to help organize and prioritize agency activities to advance the enforcement of hazard-resistant building codes and standards.

FEMA also co-leads the White House’s Relocation Subcommittee alongside the U.S. Department of the Interior. This subcommittee gathers federal agencies to explore issues and strategies to support voluntary movement away from high-risk regions. FEMA is awarding approximately $17.7 million to assist three different tribal nations with relocation expenses and hazard mitigation projects.

In 2022, FEMA also expanded access to some mitigation grant programs to benefit underserved communities by helping them meet the required Benefit-Cost Analysis and doubling the number of communities receiving direct technical assistance.

Strategic Goal 3: Promoting and sustaining a ready FEMA and prepared nation

To improve agency readiness, the agency has established a Ready FEMA Framework that serves to improve FEMA‘s ability to define, measure, and build capabilities to meet current and emerging requirements across all mission areas, while sustaining the agency’s vital steady-state functions. To support this, FEMA is increasing the capacity of its National Response Coordination Center.

In addition to improving FEMA’s readiness posture, the agency is supporting the readiness efforts of the nation, including efforts of individuals, states, territories, local governments, and tribal nations. In collaboration with its federal interagency partners, FEMA developed the Recovery and Resilience Resource Library webpage, Roadmaps to Federal Resources for Disaster Recovery, and the Community Recovery Management Toolkit.

Also in 2022, to help all communities prepare, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security provided a record amount of $250 million from the Nonprofit Security Grant program. Through this grant, more than 1,800 nonprofit and religious organizations received funding for security enhancements to protect against potential threats.

“FEMA continues to improve our nation’s ability to face ongoing and emergent disasters, taking immediate actions over the past year to make our programs more accessible, strengthen our workforce, and develop tools that allow communities to identify threats and prepare for disasters,” continued Criswell. “Through thoughtful and coordinated efforts with our partners across the emergency management enterprise, we have laid the foundation to make further, lasting change in the execution of these ambitious goals, and we will continue to learn, grow and share our progress along the way.”

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.

News from your VDEM Regional Offices

VDEM Region 1:

In January:

Region 1 staff served on a discussion panel about a portable, solar-powered, generator project at the 2023 National Resilience Exchange Summit.
Attended a Town Hall in Hanover County on January 19^th regarding the North Anna Nuclear Power Station transition from sirens to Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Upcoming in February:

VDEM Region 1 and Response Programs Division will be hosting an open house for regional partners at their new offices on February 9^th.
Region 1 staff are conducting damage assessment training in Amelia, Richmond, and Goochland counties in the month of February.

VDEM Region 2:

Jacob Hughes, All Hazards Planner and Tori Steele, Recovery and Mitigation Specialist attended the L101 Foundations of Emergency Management class in Richmond.

Siren transition is complete and moved over to IPAWS-WEA for the North Anna Nuclear Power Station.

The Region 2 Team is working to schedule trainings and exercise for the next 18 months.

VDEM Region 3:

Members of the VDEM Region Three Team have been active in supporting preparedness activities. All Hazards Planner (AHP) Peter Homan and Recovery & Mitigation Specialist (RAMS) Emily Seigel continue to expand their knowledge of emergency preparedness through completing the L0101 Basic Emergency Management course. Chief Regional Coordinator (CRC) Gene Stewart and Disaster Response and Recovery Officer (DRRO) Lucy Carter Smith served as instructors for the FEMA Incident Command System/Emergency Operations Center Interface course, FEMA G191, in Farmville, and assisted with the L0101 held in Chesterfield at the VDEM headquarters. These opportunities support VDEM agency identified strategic goals of building capacity and expanding professional development opportunities and programs.

Responders and Emergency Managers in the County of Albemarle sponsored a seminar and workshop to strengthen plans and partnerships. CRC Gene Stewart represented the Region Three Team by attending both events which focused on response to an active threat within Albemarle County as well as the City of Charlottesville.

To continue focusing on agency initiatives, an offering of the FEMA Basic Academy will be held in the City of Lynchburg during the fall of this year. With 40 professionals registered the class is full and sure to provide an environment ripe with both educational and networking opportunities!

VDEM Region 4:

FEMA was in Region 4 last month doing sight inspections in Buchanan and Tazewell Counties.

VDEM Region 4 staff also participated in a National Weather Service Morristown, TN tour, so they could further build the relationship that they already have with the office.

VDEM Region 4 also presented at the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors meeting, just letting them know what VDEM does, how the VDEM regional staff can help them, and answered any questions they had. The team also had a winter weather preparedness meeting with the VDOT Bristol residency and the affected localities that fall under it.

VDEM Region 5:

In the month of February, VDEM Region 5 is working with the Port of Virginia on a Cyber Attack Tabletop Exercise.

VDEM Region 5's Hurricane Program is leading a Critical Transportation Needs study with Hampton Roads Localities. The study is designed to develop plans for evacuating citizens with limited transportation to safety during a catastrophic event affecting the Hampton Roads area.

VDEM Region 6:

February & March lends the Region 6 team into nowcasting with VDOT & VSP for winter weather situational awareness, regular coordination calls, and response efforts as needed. We also have and will be busy teaching, coordinating, and attending myriad trainings in and outside the region. Winter months also are also a time where our large regional event organizers step up planning efforts for events, including Blue Ridge Marathon, IronMan 70.3, FloydFest, NASCAR race, and USA Cycling National Championship.

VDEM Region 7:

The VDEM Region 7 staff will be supporting the State of the Union Address (SOTUA) February 7.

The team is welcoming new staff coming onboard! Khaleda Hassan will be administrative coordinator, and Richard McEachin comes on as planner. Both come to the team from VDOT.

We're expanding our network!

We now have over 300 (!) Partners representing even more organizations with an INCREDIBLE reach here in the Commonwealth! What an exciting time in the program. We look forward to the reach that the Partners in Preparedness program can have in 2023. Look for the poll in next month's issue to get your ideas in on how to improve the program.

Important
Contacts
📇

•Katie Carter
Partners in Preparedness
Katie.Carter@vdem.virginia.gov

•VDEM Public Information Inbox
pio@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 1 Contact
Donna Pletch
Donna.Pletch.vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 2 Contact
Alexa Boggs
Alexa.Boggs@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 3 Contact
Gene Stewart
Gene.Stewart@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 4 Contact
Justin Haga
Justin.Haga@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 5 Contact
Harrison Bresee
Harrison.Bresee@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 6 Contact
Mike Guzo
Mike.Guzo@vdem.virginia.gov

•Region 7 Contact
Jake Kezele
Jake.Kezele@vdem.virginia.gov

Upcoming
Dates
📆

February 7: State of the Union Address - Congress - D.C.
February 11: Chocolate and Wine Festival - Richmond
March 5-6: Banff Mountain Film Festival - Albemarle
March 11-19: Highland County Maple Festival - Highland
March 15: Port Authority Cyber Tabletop Exercise - Various Locations
April 15: African American Book Festival - Richmond

Thank you for reading Preparedness News You Can Use! 😊 We hope you found it worth your time. The Preparedness News You Can Use editors welcome all content suggestions. If you have a suggestion for the next issue, please email Katie Carter at katie.carter@vdem.virginia.gov.