Webinar: Visualizations and Datasets for Flood Loss Reduction (APA) The availability and visualization of datasets has evolved significantly. Whether looking at historical data or looking towards the future, datasets and visualizations can not only help inform practitioners’ plans, programs, and policies, but they can also be helpful in convincing elected officials and citizens to take action. This PIE webinar will focus on the Union of Concerned Scientists Underwater report and mapping tool, and NRDC’s Losing Ground flood visualization tool, and their applicability to community and hazard mitigation planning and floodplain management.
FEMA Tool Provides Comprehensive View of Hazard Risk (FEMA) The Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) was released earlier this year to help identify areas for building resilience, response, and recovery capabilities. Developed by FEMA and Argonne National Laboratory, RAPT is a geographic information system (GIS) webmap tool with clickable layers of community resilience indicators, infrastructure locations, and hazard data, and widgets to help with analysis. RAPT includes GIS layers of historic hazard data for tornados, tropical storms, and wildfire; risk assessments for seismic and flooding events; and real-time watch and warning notifications from the National Weather Service. Jurisdictions can click on multiple hazard layers at a time to see a more comprehensive view of hazard risk.
Severe Repetitive Flooding, Flood Data Visualization Tool (Natural Resources Defense Council) The federal government’s efforts to reduce repeated flooding are not keeping pace with current risk—let alone the increasing risk posed by sea level rise, increased severe weather, and other climate change impacts. This data dashboard illustrates the number of Severe Repetitive Loss Properties in each state and county, along with National Flood Insurance Program claims. Use the drop-down menus at the top of the map to filter by location, and check the graphs to view trends in repeatedly flooded properties.
FEMA Adjusts Consumer Price Index for 2021 (FEMA) FEMA has provided financial guidance for all disasters declared on or after Oct. 1, 2020. This guidance reflects the 2021 Consumer Price Index adjustment of certain indicators for the Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. The index adjusted annually for inflation by the U.S. Department of Labor—has increased 1.3% for Fiscal Year 2021. Therefore, the following FEMA program amounts have been changed and will remain in effect for the next 12 months.
New ‘Mitigate Your Risk’ feature on FEMA app (FEMA) New content is available on the FEMA app, which lists the types of disasters common for an area and provides do-it-yourself mitigation tips. The tips are low-cost or no-cost and help prevent future losses after a disaster. Users can enter a zip code or city name to view a list of common disasters in the area and get tips on how to prepare. The app also allows the user to sign up to receive severe weather, environmental and other public hazard alerts for up to five locations of interest. The FEMA app has been downloaded more than one million times on Google Play and is ranked 14 in the Weather category of the App Store. Using a mobile device, download the FEMA app for free from the App Store and Google Play
CMAT Program Offers Community Wildfire Mitigation Assistance (U.S. Forest Service) The nation is in the midst of another horrendous wildfire season. Communities are under siege. It’s too late to offer mitigation assistance for some communities but for many this is a chance to establish or strengthen local mitigation programs. The National Community Mitigation Assistance Team (CMAT), supported by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, may be able to help.CMATs help support and position communities to do wildfire mitigation work themselves through effective, sustainable partnerships using the right methods and tools.
See GAO: Disaster Recovery: COVID-19 Pandemic Intensifies Disaster Recovery Challenges for K-12 Schools GAO-21-62R Since 2017, more than 260 major disasters were declared—many of which disrupted K-12 schools and students’ lives. Now, these challenges are compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Local education officials in disaster-affected areas said the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, delayed recovery projects, and more. Officials said student mental health was a top priority but services needed to treat disaster-related issues were not readily available. The U.S. Department of Education awarded nearly $1.4 billion to help schools recover from these disasters. Some local officials said the pandemic made it difficult to use these funds
Resources to Help You Protect Communities from Wildfire (US Fire Admin) The United States is seeing a very active wildfire season and it shows no signs of slacking off. Responders need all the tools they can to plan response and track incidents in their areas.
InciWeb is a great interactive mapping resource available from the U.S. Forest Service to show where wildfires are burning in areas close to your location, allowing you to better prepare your community for wildfire safety. It serves as both a trusted reporting tool for public affairs specialists and as a single source of incident-related information for the public. Official announcements include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information and current situation about the incident.
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)The U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) webpage offers a collection of resources for you to learn more about wildfire response and management, whole-community involvement and training. This includes information on how to do all these things safely during the pandemic as well as links to other community risk reduction resource
Podcasts: Engineering With Nature (US Army Corps of Engineers) To mark the 10th anniversary of Engineering with Nature, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a 10-episode podcast series to share stories of how communities are harnessing the power of nature to innovate, solve problems, and create sustainable solutions. A new episode is posted each Wednesday through Oct. 28, 2020.
Training: IAEM Certification Cohort Class(IAEM) IAEM is offering U.S. local, state/territory or tribal emergency managers the opportunity to apply to have their IAEM CEM® fees waived. Eligible candidates will be selected through a random lottery. Follow the hyperlink to check your eligibility and apply.
Maintaining Healthcare Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic(HHS/ASPR) The Technical Resource, Assistance Center, Information Exchange (TRACIE) produced a series of videos to create the collection “Maintaining Healthcare Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” now available through its Speaker Series. Speakers share how their organizations are focusing on healthcare safety during the pandemic and the solutions to system-based issues and concerns. The presentations are for healthcare workers in all settings but focus on hospital-based providers. TRACIE is part of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR TRACIE maintains a large collection of information related to COVID-19 response, much of which are applicable to pre-hospital response.
Sharing with a tip of the hat to both NEMA and Jim Mullen:
Guest Contributor Jim Mullen with a Word to Emergency Managers About 2020
Dear Colleagues: It might be time to reflect on your emotional or mental health in the wake of COVID-19, wildfires, storms floods and civil unrest. 2020 is different. Those currently in emergency management roles would do well to take stock of how they internally are handling the cascading series of events that are pressing our profession. 2020’s disaster issues will not go away naturally, if at all.
Emergency managers can react, but alone cannot bring these 2020 crises to conclusion. Here is why: The civil unrest seems unrelenting, and intellectually we should know it will not abate until the conditions that provoked the protests are properly dealt with. This means legal consequences for violent behavior by police. The underlying reasons such conduct occurs will take much longer to resolve. Emergency managers cannot resolve those problems.
Wildfires have many causes, but the frequency and severity in recent years is the product of decades of ignoring warnings about the effect of human behavior on the global climate. The slowness of recognizing this as a threat to humanity will exacerbate conditions even once prudent steps are taken, nationally and worldwide. Emergency managers are at best bit players in the resolution of climate change.
COVID -19 poses a more subtle threat, because its consequences have not abated with time. No national leadership of a response is certain to occur until (possibly) January 20th, 2021. Emergency personnel can react to logistical requirements, anticipate shortfalls, and minimize problems that are identified, but they cannot prevent the progression of the disease nor meaningfully ease the suffering or anxiety of the public. But still they serve under what must be excruciating pressure.
Of course, the upcoming national election results, if disputed, will be one more log on the fires emergency managers will have to contend with (see bullet on civil unrest). The COVID crisis may seem to resemble playing a game in which the best result each day is a tie score (or a “plateau”), only to start the next day behind again. You are good enough to be in the game, and conditions would be far worse without you – but you can neither set the rules nor control the outcome. It is not even clear how to determine when it will be over.
The issues noted above do not lend themselves to an orderly, or even a satisfactory resolution. To emergency managers, accustomed to problem solving and dedicated to providing a foundation for restoration of normalcy, that reality can impose a heavy psychological burden that may be difficult to discern.
Emergency management colleagues: talk to somebody. Directors of emergency management personnel: do not fail to take care of yourselves while you are tending to the psyches and morale of your staff. The River of Denial has a swift current – do not get swept away.
Jim Mullen NEMA 2011-2012 President Former Director, Washington State’s Division of Emergency Management
“We Cannot Direct the Wind, But We Can Adjust the Sails” – Dolly Parton
Disaster Resilience Framework: Using It in GAO Engagements (GAO Notices) The Climate Change and Emergency Management Communities of Practice invite you to a seminar on the Disaster Resilience Framework. The seminar will provide an overview of the framework as well as the tools for using it in GAO’s engagements. The framework is organized around three approaches or principles that managers and others who oversee disaster response efforts may find useful in strengthening national disaster resilience.
This has been approved for 2 CPEs for those analysts/auditors whose audit/engagement work will be enhanced by their participation.
Webinar: Becoming wildfire ready with Firewise USA®: Tips, Tools and Techniques(NFPA)More and more people are living where wildfires are a real risk, but that risk doesn’t have to go unchecked. There are proactive steps that individuals and neighbors can take to help protect their homes and communities and improve their safety when faced with a wildfire. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will walk step by step through the process of organizing a Firewise USA site, using our online portal and web resources to help you learn about wildfire and take action to make homes more ignition-resistant.
Wednesday, Oct 7, 2020 04:00 PM ET
Examining Housing and Shelter Systems in Disasters During COVID-19 (Center for Homeland Defense and Security – CHDS) Sheltering during disasters took a turn this year as jurisdictions need to manage a pandemic on top of whatever may be going on. This requires a reexamination of current disaster housing plans and capacities. This webinar series, held in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, CHDS Alumni Association, International Association of Emergency Managers and National Emergency Management Association
Friday, October 9, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET
COVID-19 Road to Recovery (R2R) Autumn 2020 (Disaster Recovery Journal) The 2-day global event will focus on how to resume operations and successfully navigate the new landscape for a safe return to work in the new normal of the pandemic. Additional topics will include leadership lessons and the global challenges we’re facing in the 21st century.
Wednesday, October 14th 2020 | 11 AM to 3:30 PM ET
Thursday, October 15TH 2020 | 9 AM to 1 PM ET
Webinar (Part 1:) Climate Displacement & Anti-Displacement Strategies (Nat. Adaptation Forum) Climate Displacement Forum is a 5-part webinar series that will take an interconnected look at climate displacement pressures along with approaches to prevent displacement or adapt by exploring migration, current managed retreat and relocation strategies, equity implications, and policy considerations. Register for the series and attend any or all of the sessions: In order to ensure open access to this information, the series is offered for free. However, we recommend a donation of $20 per webinar or $100 for the series so that the Forum team can offer future webinars and events for the adaptation field.
Thursday, October 15 2 pm ET
Resources
DISASTER ASSISTANCE: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (GAO-20-503), and two supplemental materials presenting our analysis of FEMA’s IHP applicant data for calendar years 2016 through 2018 and select disasters (GAO-20-674SP and GAO-20-675SP). From 2016 through 2018, 5.6 million people applied for disaster assistance from FEMA, and 4.4 million were referred to the IHP for assistance. We found that FEMA provided roughly $6 billion in IHP financial assistance and about 13,000 temporary housing units to almost 2 million disaster survivors. On average, FEMA awarded about $4,200 to homeowners and $1,700 to renters during 2016 through 2018. We found that the amount of assistance provided to applicants and other program outcomes—such as approval rates, most common reasons for denial, and time between key events in the process—varied across different survivor groups.
2020 National Household Survey (FEMA) Since 2007, FEMA has conducted the National Household Survey (NHS) to assess the development of a culture of personal disaster preparedness and resilience in the American public. Specifically, the NHS measures individual preparedness attitudes and behaviors and investigates what factors influence individuals to begin preparing for a future hazard. To learn more about research at FEMA, please visit: https://www.ready.gov/preparedness-research .
Webinar: Who Pays for Disasters, and Who Recovers Fastest (ABA) Disasters are costly, and even though money spent on mitigation can significantly reduce the money spent on response and recovery, disaster response in the United States seems to focus on the latter, creating a financial strain on the federal government. Many individuals lack adequate insurance, and governments can stand behind immunity laws, leaving a hefty price tag, which begs the question—who ultimately pays for disasters? This program will focus on who pays—and who should pay for natural disasters, as well as look into non-financial elements of recovery. The program will conclude with a preview of the ABA’s published Community Resilience Handbook (listed below).
Tuesday, September 29, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET
Webinar: Hospital Resilience, Operational Perspectives from COVID-19(Dom Prep) Notwithstanding 20 years of epidemiological predictions, the worldwide response to COVID-19 appeared to be panic. Not so, say four experts that share their perspectives on the response to COVID-19. Topics include ▪ Complexity of the supply chain ▪ Caring for the caregivers ▪ High-impact threats to critical infrastructure ▪ A path forward — adopting a sustainable doctrine
Wed, September 30, 2020 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
FEMA Independent Study, Distance Learning (FEMA) The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. As our contribution to National Preparedness Month, the Editorial Board would like to suggest the following 2 courses may be of interest to all of us, whether you are in Headquarters or in the Region. Both are eligible for 1 CPE.
To get a complete listing of FEMA independent study courses, view the list of active courses.
Army Installation Resilience – Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Mission Readiness (SSF) Secure and reliable access to energy and water on Army installations is essential to its ability to deploy, fight, and win in a complex world. Current multi-domain operations require Army installations to have secure and reliable access to energy and water to achieve mission objectives. The Army installation objectives of maintaining world class training facilities, the ability to project power or surge the industrial base, and command and control are not achievable without secure and resilient access to energy and water. However, with rare exception, installations rely on commercial utilities outside the gate for energy and water. This webinar is hosted by Security and Sustainability Forum and you can register here.
Friday, October 2, 2020 1:15 am ET
Resources
Governance Preparedness: Initial Lessons From COVID-19 Initial Lessons From COVID-19 (Dom Prep) In a new report commissioned by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, Georgetown University global health experts say the success of any effort to redress pandemic preparedness failures demonstrated by COVID-19 requires a re-centering of governance that would include greater accountability, transparency, equity, participation, and the rule of law.
New IPAWS Program Planning Toolkit (FEMA) The new Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Planning Toolkit will help new and existing state, local, tribal and territorial alerting authorities create and support an effective program for alerts, warnings and notifications, a cornerstone of good emergency and disaster response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) worked to identify gaps in existing IPAWS messaging. The resulting toolkit consists of three documents: the IPAWS Lab Fact Sheet, IPAWS Frequently Asked Questions, and the IPAWS Train the Trainer Guide.
Community Resilience Handbook (ABA) This comprehensive guide draws together the contributions of acknowledged experts from the legal community and from across the spectrum of professional disciplines, including architecture, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, engineering, social science, insurance, finance, and economics, building sciences, and facility management to demonstrate that improved community resilience is practical, achievable and in the best interests of Attorneys, their clients.
Congressional Hearing: Climate Change, Part IV: Moving Toward a Sustainable Future — House Oversight and Reform / Subcommittee on Environment, “Climate Change, Part 4” Environment Subcommittee (Chairman Harley Rouda, D-Calif.) 2154 Rayburn Bldg.
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2 p.m.
Webinar: Ready, Set… Activate! Advanced Risk Analytics for Wildfire & Flood in the U.S.(Carrier Mgt.) The past several years have seen increasingly severe flooding and wildfires in the US – and it’s forced the industry to rethink their approach to managing these disasters. RMS– a leading risk modeler for the insurance industry — will explore how new data and advanced risk analytics can help you to understand how to actively manage your exposure to this new (ab)normal. Whether you’re looking for profitable (re)insurance opportunities or you’re interested in understanding just how interconnected these risks are to the rest of your portfolio, join this webinar to understand how you can actively prepare for the seasons ahead.
Wed. Sept. 30, at 10 am PDT, 1pm EDT
Webinar: Hospital Resilience, Operational Perspectives from COVID-19(Dom Prep) Notwithstanding 20 years of epidemiological predictions, the worldwide response to COVID-19 appeared to be panic. Not so, say four experts that share their perspectives on the response to COVID-19. Topics include ▪ Complexity of the supply chain ▪ Caring for the caregivers ▪ High-impact threats to critical infrastructure ▪ A path forward — adopting a sustainable doctrineWed, September 30, 2020 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
Resources
Case Study – Hurricane Dorian (Mutualink) Hurricane Dorian was the fourth named storm of the 2019 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. As Dorian threatened Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas on its trajectory toward Florida, emergency managers swung into action. For many, a focus on communications and technology readiness was top of mind.
Countering False Information On Social Media In Disasters (DHS) The internet is often a hotbed of false and inaccurate information. Agencies and organizations responsible for keeping the public safe have their work cut out for them when battling false information and, unfortunately, the problem has gotten more complex as new technologies, social media platforms and agendas emerge. The Department of Homeland Security’s Social Media Working Group for Emergency Services and Disaster Management white paper “Countering False Information on Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies” can help agencies with this issue. The white paper examines what motivates people to share bad or false information and discusses underlying issues causing false information. It looks at several real-world case studies to provide agencies several best practices to counter misinformation, rumors and false information.
COVID-19: Federal Efforts Could Be Strengthened by Timely and Concerted Actions (GAO-20-701) GAO has identified lessons learned and issues in need of continued attention by the Congress and the administration, including the need to collect reliable data that can drive decision-making; to establish mechanisms for accountability and transparency; and to protect against ongoing cyber threats to patient information, intellectual property, public health data, and intelligence. Attention to these issues can help to make federal efforts as effective as possible. GAO has also identified a number of opportunities to help the federal government prepare for the months ahead while improving the ongoing federal response.
The PREP Act and COVID-19: Limiting Liability for Medical Countermeasures (CRS) To encourage the expeditious development and deployment of medical countermeasures during a public health emergency, the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to limit legal liability for losses relating to the administration of medical countermeasures such as diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. In a declaration effective February 4, 2020, the Secretary of HHS invoked the PREP Act and declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 to be a public health emergency warranting liability protections for covered countermeasures. Under the HHS Declaration, covered persons are generally immune from legal liability for losses relating to the administration or use of covered countermeasures against COVID-19. (CRS, LSB10443)
The State of High Tide Flooding and Annual Outlook (NOAA) Each year, NOAA documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from the previous year at 98 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast, and provides a flooding outlook for these locations for the coming year, as well as projections for the next several decades. High-tide flooding, often referred to as “nuisance” or “sunny day” flooding, is increasingly common due to years of relative sea level increases. It occurs when tides reach anywhere from 1.75 to 2 feet above the daily average high tide and start spilling onto streets or bubbling up from storm drains. As sea level rise continues, damaging floods that decades ago happened only during a storm now happen more regularly, such as during a full-moon tide or with a change in prevailing winds or currents.
Evidence-Based Practices for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Assessment of and Recommendations for the Field (NAS) When communities face complex public health emergencies, state local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies must make difficult decisions regarding how to effectively respond. The public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) system, with its multifaceted mission to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, is inherently complex and encompasses policies, organizations, and programs. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the United States has invested billions of dollars and immeasurable amounts of human capital to develop and enhance public health emergency preparedness and infrastructure to respond to a wide range of public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events. Despite the investments in research and the growing body of empirical literature on a range of preparedness and response capabilities and functions, there has been no national-level, comprehensive review and grading of evidence for public health emergency preparedness and response practices comparable to those utilized in medicine and other public health fields.
From Brassville to... (working title) 