| |
back to main U.S. Government Affairs Committee page
U.S. Government Affairs Committee
news archive 2010
 FEMA Report on the FY 2010 Nationwide Plans Review Submitted to Congress (15 July 2010) In his submittal letter, Director Fugate states that planning challenges remain but the state of national planning has substantially improved and much has been accomplished to address the recommendations and findings from the 2006 Review. Additionally, he notes the 2010 Review was guided by new doctrine, Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101), developed by state and local partners to replace State and Local Guide 101. A number of our IAEM members assisted in the preparation of CPG 101.
Secretary Napolitano Announced Allocations of More Than $1.8 Billion in FY 2010 FEMA Preparedness Grants (15 July 2010) The announcement included allocations for the Homeland Security Grant Programs, which include the State Homeland Security Program (SHSGP), the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), Operation Stonegarden (OPSI), Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), and Citizens Corps (CCP); the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP); the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP); and the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP).
U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Has Marked Up the FY 2011 Budget for the Dept. of Homeland Security (14 July 2010)On July 14, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security marked up the FY 2011 Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. The Full Appropriations Committee markup is scheduled for July 15. The bill includes $345 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, the same as the President's request and $5 million more than FY 2010. There were earmarks for Emergency Operations Centers but not for Predisaster Mitigation Grants.
U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Has Marked up the FY 2011 Budget for the Department of Homeland Security (25 June 2010) On June 24, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security marked up the FY 2011 Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. This is the first of the 12 Appropriations bills to be marked up. Full Committee Chairman Obey indicated that his intent is to markup the bill in the Full Appropriations Committee and he hoped it would go to the House Floor. However, this is going to be a very difficult year for any individual appropriations bills to be completed before Oct. 1, 2010. The expectation is that most of the appropriations bills will be part of an Omnibus bill. See documents below for further details.
IAEM-USA Executive Director Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, Appointed to FEMA National Advisory Council; IAEM-USA Tribal Affairs Caucus Chair Charles E. Kmet Reappointed (17 June 2010) IAEM congratulates IAEM-USA Executive Director Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, for her appointment to the National Advisory Council (NAC), and IAEM-USA Tribal Affairs Chair Charles E. Kmet for his reappointment to the NAC. IAEM-USA Past President Russell Decker, CEM, is still serving a term on the NAC. The NAC was established in accordance with the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. Its membership may consist of up to 35 members, appointed by and serving at the discretion of the FEMA Administrator. Since its inception, the council has made recommendations to the FEMA Administrator on the National Response Framework, the National Incident Management System, the Stafford Act, the National Disaster Housing Strategy, and on disability and private sector issues. FEMA received many outstanding nominations and applications from qualified candidates with diverse educational and geographical backgrounds. After extensive review, three candidates were reappointed and nine were newly selected to serve on the council for three-year terms, until June 15, 2013. see complete listing
FEMA Requests Comments from IAEM-USA Members on Disaster Recovery Policy and Recovery Fact Sheet (17 June 2010) The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing an opportunity to comment by July 15, 2010, on a Disaster Recovery Policy and a Recovery Fact Sheet, and also has published a fact sheet on public assistance funding for public housing facilities. Comments on items one and two must be made on the docket. We have provided the Federal Register Notice and the supporting policy information for your convenience. We would also appreciate your sharing your views on the documents with Randy Duncan, IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee Chair, at RDuncan@sedgwick.gov.
- Recovery Policy RP9524.10, Direct Disaster-Related Damage to Eligible Facilities.
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the definition of damage that is eligible for repair pursuant to FEMA’s Public Assistance regulations regarding the restoration of damaged facilities. Comments should be submitted to docket number FEMA-2010-0024 at www.regulations.gov. Comments must be received by July 15, 2010.
- Recovery Fact Sheet RP9580.201, Debris Contracting Guidance. This fact sheet assists Public Assistance applicants with meeting procurement requirements set forth in 44 CFR Part 13, as well as other eligibility requirements, when procuring debris removal and monitoring contracts. Comments should be submitted to docket number FEMA-2010-0020 at www.regulations.gov. Comments must be received by July 15, 2010.
- Additionally, FEMA has published Recovery Fact Sheet 9580.205, Public Assistance Funding for Public Housing Facilities. This fact sheet describes how FEMA may provide funding to public housing authorities (PHAs) under the Public Assistance program for emergency work costs and for the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster damaged public housing facilities. Note: Information on the fact sheet is being provided for your information; no comments are requested.
Eight Organizations, Including IAEM, Send Letter to U.S. Senate Urging Action on Disaster Relief Fund Supplemental (13 May 2010) Eight organizations, including IAEM, sent a letter to Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran urging action on supplemental funding for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). Since Feb. 4, funding for public assistance projects (categories C through G) and mitigation has been delayed, and funding has been available only for immediate needs. Currently, FEMA expects to run out of funding for even immediate needs in June if the DRF is not replenished.
The organizations signing the letter include the following:
- American Public Works Association
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- Association of State Floodplain Managers
- International Association of Emergency Managers
- National Association of Counties
- National Emergency Management Association
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- U.S. Conference of Mayors
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano Announced the FY 2010 Preparedness Grants for Nine Federal Programs — including Critical Infrastructure-Related Grants — Totaling Nearly $790 Million to Assist State, Local and Tribal Governments and the Private Sector in Strengthening Preparedness for Acts of Terrorism, Major Disasters and Other Emergencies (13 May 2010) Included was , with to support the construction or renovation of EOCs to improve state, local or tribal emergency management and preparedness capabilities, in order to ensure continuity of operations during disasters. The critical infrastructure and preparedness grants announced today include specific steps undertaken by DHS to improve the ability of grant applicants to maximize funding and also incorporate input from state, local, tribal and territorial and private sector partners. Awards will be made on a rolling basis over the summer.
IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee Announces Results of its 3rd Annual
Survey on the Impact of the Economic Downturn on Local Emergency
Management Offices and the Role of Emergency Management Performance Grant
Program Funds (22 April 2010)
On Feb. 17, 2010, the Government Affairs
Committee of IAEM-USA asked
our regional presidents and the state associations of local emergency
managers to distribute a link to a survey hosted by Survey Monkey to
members in their respective areas. When data collection ceased on Mar.
3, 2010, 314 emergency managers representing 30 states had completed the
survey. We are thankful to all those individuals who participated in the
survey. The survey results represent real feedback from frontline, local government emergency managers. The results will be valuable in the advocacy efforts of IAEM-USA in Washington—and we anticipate they also will be helpful to the advocacy efforts of local emergency managers in their states.
The results provided insight into the value and use of EMPG funding; led to asking some
important questions about knowledge and transparency surrounding EMPG
funds and the funding process; and, revealed that the economic downturn is continuing to have a range of negative impacts on local emergency management programs.
Two summary reports are posted below. Comments can be sent to Jessica Jensen at ja.jensen@ndsu.edu or Randy Duncan at rduncan@sedgwick.gov.
Martha Braddock, IAEM-USA Policy Advisor Leads Session at SCEMA Workshop (03/22/10) Martha Braddock, IAEM-USA Policy Advisor, presented a breakout session on “Influencing Congress and Emergency Management Policies” at the South Carolina Emergency Management Association (SCEMA) Coastal Workshop on Mar. 22, 2010. Celia Urquhart, Pee Dee Regional Director for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, provided the Congressional perspective.
Dusty Owens, President of SCEMA and Emergency Management Director for Florence County, commented that the Coastal Workshop “was a success – not because a lot of people attended, but because the right people attended. When you get the correct mix of people together, new ideas are generated and a shared vision of where we need to go is created. The fact that our new state Emergency Management Division Director, Ricky Platt, was there from the opening of the workshop until our closing session helped in creating this shared vision.”
In the conference welcome letter, Owens wrote: This year’s workshop theme, “Riding the Wave of the Future,” is indeed appropriate ... because we stand at an important juncture in the evolution of our profession. On the one hand, we are faced with disasters that appear to be ever-increasing in their scope and cost, and on the other hand, we are faced with some of the largest budget reductions in decades. We must continue to find inventive and imaginative ways to “Ride the Wave into the Future,” or we may find ourselves dashed upon the rocks. The very fact that you are attending this workshop is evidence of a new approach to how we are doing business. When budget cuts forced an end to the state-sponsored annual workshop, the members of this association stepped forward. Believing that this learning opportunity is too important to lose, individual and corporate association members across the state came together to plan, organize and fund this event.”
Standing L-R: Nick Marino, Homeland Security Specialist, Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness; Sharon Hammond, Director, Bamberg County Emergency Services; Patty Pace, Administrative Specialist, Charleston County Emergency Management; Dusty Owens, Director, Florence County Emergency Management and President of South Carolina Emergency Management Association; Taylor Jones, Director, Anderson County Emergency Services; Martha Braddock, Policy Advisor, IAEM-USA; Jason Patno, Director, Charleston County Emergency Management; and Susanne Peeples, Director, Hampton County Emergency Management. Sitting L-R: Celia Urquhart, Pee Dee Regional Director for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham; and Eddie Murphy, Director, Chester County Emergency Management.
IAEM-USA and NEMA Submitted Joint Letter of Support for the $5.1 Billion in Supplemental Funds requested by the President for the Disaster Relief Fund (12 Mar 2010) IAEM and NEMA expressed strong support for the $5.1 billion in supplemental funds requested by the President for the Disaster Relief Fund, in a joint letter sent to The Honorable C. David Obey, Chairman, and to the The Honorable Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House. The letter, signed by David Maxwell, NEMA President, and Pamela L'Heureux, CEm, IAEM-USA President, stated: "It is our understanding that the $5.1 billion in supplemental funds requested by the Administration for the DRF is intended to close-out all outstanding claims from Hurricane Katrina and the balance of Fiscal Year 2010. While we appreciate the resource strained economic environment, these funds remain critical to effective disaster response and recovery of our communities." Download the letter here.
Local Emergency Managers
Met with White House National Security Staff to Discuss National Preparedness Policy Issues (14 Mar 2010) Local emergency managers met with White House
National Security staff to discuss national preparedness policy issues that are under review. The Mar. 9, 2010, meeting was held in the Old Executive Office Building, in Washington, D.C. Representing IAEM were Elizabeth Armstrong, MAM, CAE, Executive Director of IAEM-USA; Pamela L’Heureux, IAEM-USA President and Director of Emergency Management, Waterboro, Maine; and Randall Duncan, CEM, IAEM-USA Government Affair Chair and Director of Emergency Management, Sedgwick County, Kansas.
The National Security staff are responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of all presidential-level documents that guide national security efforts. The Resilience Directorate, which Richard Reed leads, is reviewing the current list of all documents related to national preparedness, which include 26 homeland security presidential directives (HSPDs) and 10 specific national strategies, to determine how to build on and more effectively connect the many different efforts that are now underway.
IAEM Was Represented at Mar. 9 Meeting with White House National Security Staff.
Download paper presented by IAEM representatives
to White House National Security Staff (09 Mar 2010)
- What is the scope of national preparedness?
- Should our approach to national preparedness be based on the all-hazards approach that emphasizes capabilities, or on a specific list of scenarios that represent the greatest threats?
- How should the National Preparedness Goal be organized: by the current four missions (prevent, protect, respond and recover) or in some other way?
- How should we consider long-term recovery?
- How should the United States set policy priorities and strategies for national preparedness (specifically, the use of presidential directives and national strategies)?
What is the most effective way of getting state and local input into policy priorities and strategies?
- How should the National Preparedness Goal be structured, given our decentralized, federal form of government?
- How do we organize the National Preparedness Goal to:
- show who needs what level of preparedness, and why?
- focus efforts on a “critical few” specific, flexible and measureable objectives?
- tie objectives to guidance for the resources (plans, organization, equipment, training, exercises/operations) needed?
- What is the most effective way of getting state and local input into the National Preparedness Goal?
Hui-Shan Walker, CEM, IAEM-USA Second Vice President, Represented IAEM-USA at Mar. 4 Meeting on National Mitigation Efforts (14 Mar 2010) Hui-Shan Walker, CEM, IAEM-USA Second Vice President, represented IAEM at a March 4, 2010, meeting on “Recommendations for an Effective National Mitigation Effort: The Next Steps.” The session was moderated by Glen Woodbury of the Naval Post Graduate School and was attended by representatives from organizations that played key roles in the development of the Mitigation White Paper in 2009. Some of the issues discussed were the possibility of forming a National Mitigation Collaborative Alliance, invigorating “grassroots” participation, building a national mitigation knowledge repository, a policy emphasis review, and connecting mitigation to other programs. Future meetings are being established to further address these issues. IAEM was one of 16 organizations who participated in the first session and signed the Mitigation White Paper.
IAEM-USA Past President Larry Gispert Testified Before House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management on the Recent Report of the Conference of Mayors Task Force on Stafford Act Reform (14 Mar 2010). The Mar. 4, 2010, hearing was titled: "U.S. Mayors Speak Out: Addressing Disaster in Cities." The Subcommittee's archived video of the hearing is available at:
http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingDetail.aspx?NewsID=1110.
The Report of the Mayors' Stafford Act Reform Task Force and all the hearing statements follow:
FEMA Seeks New Members for National Advisory Council (05 Feb 2010) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting applications to fill 12 positions on the National Advisory Council this year to serve three-year terms beginning June 2010. Applications may be submitted to FEMA-NAC@dhs.gov and must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, Mar. 5, 2010. Additional information from FEMA on NAGC positions
FEMA Releases Draft National Disaster Recovery Framework; IAEM-USA Members Encouraged to Comment by Feb. 26, 2010 (05 Feb 2010) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the interagency Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group, on Feb. 5 issued a draft of the National Disaster Recovery Framework. Comments are to be made to www.regulations.gov, in Docket ID: FEMA-2010-0004 starting next week. The comment period will close Feb. 26, 2010. A report is due to the President on Apr. 1, 2010. This is an important document and we strongly encourage our members to comment. More information is in the advisory.
Department of Homeland Security Submits First-Ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) to Congress (01 Feb 2010) The Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) is a Congressionally-mandated, top-to-bottom review of homeland security that will guide the Department of Homeland Security for the next four years and inform the nation's homeland security policies, programs and missions. The International Association of Emergency Managers provided comments both written and oral and was selected to participate as one of 10 key stakeholder organizations in a "virtual" QHSR Executive Committee. In addition, IAEM provided information and encouraged our members to participate in three National Dialogues.
The 108-page report focuses on five core Homeland Security Missions and goals and objectives for the missions. Download the report here. The core missions are as follows:
- Preventing Terrorism and Enhancing Security
- Securing and Managing our Borders
- Enforcing and Administering Our Immigration Laws
- Safeguarding and Securing Cyberspace
- Ensuring Resilience to Disasters
The report also addresses Maturing and Strengthening the Homeland Security Enterprise.
The discussion of mission goals and objects of Mission 5, Ensuring Resilience to Disasters, is located on pages 31-33 and on pages 59-64.
Emergency Management Highlights in President's FY 2011 Budget Request (01 Feb 2010) Today President Barack Obama submitted his FY 2011 budget request to Congress.
Information on the budget request for the Department of Homeland Security follows:
IAEM-USA Members Asked to Comment on Mayors' Stafford Act Reform Recommendations (27 Jan 2010) The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued the report of the Conference's Stafford Act Reform Task Force. Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, served as Chair and Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, served as Vice Chair. A resolution incorporating it was unanimously adopted by the Conference of Mayor's Executive Committee, making it the policy of the organization.
We will be asked by Congress to comment and would appreciate your specific comments as soon as possible, but no later than Feb. 11, 2010. Please send your comments to comments@IAEM.com. In the subject line of your email, please put "Conference of Mayors Stafford Act Reform Task Force."
Please provide your name, position, jurisdiction, contact information (so we can contact you if we have questions) and specific comments on what you agree with, as well as what you disagree. Please be specific about your comments, and indicate which section of the report (Catastrophic Disasters, Hazard Mitigation, Individual and Household Assistance, Insurance, Other Disaster Grants, Emergency Preparedness and Response, FEMA Administration) you are referring to and the page number.
FEMA Announces 2010 Nationwide Plan Review (22 Jan 2010) On Jan. 19, 2010, Tim Manning, FEMA Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness & Protection, announced the 2010 Nationwide Plan Review and requested submissions from all 56 states and territories and 75 identified major cities by Feb. 19, 2010. While the first review was targeted primarily on the issues and capabilities that surround catastrophic hurricanes and similar events, the 2010 review will focus more broadly on all catastrophic threats and the underlying planning and processes before disaster strikes to ensure we are ready when these events occur. The goal is to follow up on progress made through various programs (such as HSGP) since the first Nationwide Plan Review as well as lay the groundwork for future analysis.
In FY 2010, the review will consist of: (1) a self-assessment and certification of plan status, along with the submittal of plans, by each jurisdiction selected for the review; and (2) a feedback process involving a review of the submitted plans to be led jointly by FEMA HQ and the Regions. The results will be used to complete the reporting requirement as well as determine future planning guidance and assistance.
The process has been streamlined for FY 2010. Participants in the review will be asked to complete three tasks:
(1) Complete a matrix that collects basic data regarding the jurisdiction's plans;
(2) Submit copies of materials being analyzed as part of the review; and,
(3) Provide a transmittal letter for the materials that includes a brief summary of planning efforts in the jurisdiction.
Specific information regarding the content of these items is included in the attached instructions. Participation is a prerequisite for receipt of FY2010 DHS Homeland Security grant funds. In order to support this process, your state/urban area/major city needs to provide the materials by Feb. 19, 2010.
More U.S. Government Affairs News
|
|
