EM Update: Aug. 2, 2007


Aug. 2, 2007
New Office of Training and Exercises at VDEM In order to improve VDEM's response to the training needs of localities and to better focus training resources, the agency has created the Office of Training and Exercises. The Preparedness, Training and Exercises Division will become the Preparedness Division. In addition, the Terrorism Training Branch will move from the Technological Hazards Division into the new office. Hampton Hart, currently the Commonwealth exercise training officer, has been chosen to head the new office, which will become the agency's tenth section. In the future, OTE will be responsible for conducting the annual State Coordinator's Briefing as well as continue to manage existing training and exercise programs and implement new training strategies throughout the state. FEMA Public Assistance Pilot Project The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a Public Assistance Pilot Program to test ways of reducing the costs of providing PA to state and local governments, increasing flexibility in the administration of PA and expediting PA funds to state and local governments. The program, which extends from June 1, 2007 through Dec. 31, 2008, is available to localities on a voluntary basis. It applies to debris removal and the repair, restoration and replacement of damaged facilities. Provision of grants on the basis of estimates for large projects up to $500,000 (Note: Additional actual costs above estimated costs agreed upon will not be considered) Provision of an additional five percent Federal cost share to applicants that have a FEMA-approved debris management plan and at least two pre-qualified debris removal contractors identified prior to a disaster Retention of revenue from salvage value of recyclable disaster debris as an incentive to recycle debris Reimbursement of straight-or regular-time salaries and benefits of an applicant’s permanently employed staff that performs debris-related activities. More detailed guidance and updates are available at VDEM's online Recovery Center, http://www.vaemergency.com/recover/pubassist/index.cfm. For more information, please contact George Roarty, director of VDEM's Recovery and Mitigation Division, at (804) 897-6500, ext. 6574 or george.roarty@vdem.virginia.gov, or contact Mark Slauter, Public Assistance officer, at (804) 378-0472 or mark.slauter@vdem.virginia.gov. Two regional debris planning workshops have been scheduled in Chesterfield County and the city of Newport News to assist in plan development. Additional workshops will be scheduled throughout the state. Virginia receives federal firefighter assistance funds Four Virginia recipients will share $693,004 in funds awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Nationally, the competitive program awarded $490 million to 459 fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. AFG funds support projects that best address program priorities for 2007, which include achieving national baseline capabilities, risk-based funding, and communications and equipment interoperability. The four Commonwealth recipients are the Burnt Chimney Volunteer Fire Department, the Newport News Fire Department, the Trevilians Volunteer Fire Department and the Virginia Beach Department of EMS. National Preparedness Month Throughout National Preparedness Month in September, national, regional, state and local organizations will distribute educational information, host events and sponsor activities throughout the country to promote emergency preparedness. Each week of the month will focus on a different area of emergency preparedness: Sept. 1-8: Back-to-school Sept. 9-15: Business preparedness Sept. 16-22: Multicultural preparedness Sept. 23-30: Home and family preparedness Any organization planning to participate in a National Preparedness Month event should register online at http://www.citizencorps.gov. Last year, more than 900 events took place around the country. New LLIS.gov resource pages LLIS.gov has developed a section of its Web site dedicated to interoperable communications to serve as a one-stop resource for federal, state and local interoperable communications guidance, research and plans. The page highlights documents in key areas in interoperable communications, such as tactical planning, strategic planning, technology solutions and the use of common language. LLIS.gov has also created the Tactical Interoperable Communications Plan Exercises Resource Page. It features exercise after-action reports from urban areas across the country and LLIS.gov's original research highlighting widely applicable TICP exercise lessons learned in areas such as communications protocols, incident command/unified command and exercise design. Credentialing for the private sector VDEM is working with the Governor's Office of Commonwealth Preparedness to develop a system that provides access to disaster areas for emergency responders and private companies. Often during the recovery phase of disaster response, access is denied to relief supply providers, insurance adjusters and emergency responders from other jurisdictions due to safety or security reasons. The statewide system, when devised, will give these individuals and companies both state and local authorization to enter the disaster area. This coordinated authorization will speed the recovery process for those who have been directly affected by the disaster. VDEM has reviewed credentialing systems in Georgia and Florida and it plans to work with stakeholders to find the best system for Virginia. Conferences... TRIAD Conference for Seniors Attorney General of Virginia Robert F. McDonnell and the Southwest Virginia TRIAD Partnerships are sponsoring the Southwest Virginia Regional TRIAD Conference on Crime Prevention for Senior Virginians on Aug. 9, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free seminar and lunch will cover crimes that are specific to older Virginians and how to avoid them. Safety products, support groups and vendors will be available. For further information contact Morgan O'Quinn at the Attorney General’s office, (276) 676-5410. A registration form is available online at http://www.vaag.com/CONSUMER/TRIAD/Southwest07TRIADConf.doc. Training... Emergency Management Institute Comprehensive Data Management for HAZUS Multi-Hazard Sept. 17-20 This course provides in-depth instruction on collecting and processing height-resolution hazard inventory data and integrating the data into HAZUS-MH. Federal, state and local GIS specialists in emergency management should attend. A strong working knowledge of ArcGIS with Spatial Analyst extension is recommended. Retrofitting Flood prone Residential Buildings Sept. 24-27 This course provides engineering and economic guidance on proper retrofitting techniques for flood-prone residential structures. It focuses on concepts of flood proofing, regulatory framework, design practices and benefit/cost and technical analysis. Those with engineering, architectural or building science knowledge and job responsibilities including building codes, floodplain management, hazard mitigation planning and public works should attend. For more detailed course and admissions information, please go to www.training.fema.gov or contact the Admissions Office at (301) 447-1035 or netc-admissions@dhs.gov. Disaster Damage Assessment Training VDEM has scheduled the last of 12 Disaster Damage Assessment Training workshops that have been offered throughout the Commonwealth since March. Local government personnel and volunteers with specific responsibility for field damage assessments and recording damages in the field should attend Disaster Damage Assessment Training. The workshops will train personnel on the Federal Emergency Management Agency standard for conducting damage assessments. The class will be in Richmond on Aug. 16; the deadline for registration is Aug. 14. For more information and to register, visit VDEM's Training Calendar at http://www.vaemergency.com/train/calendar_course.cfm?id=93. All workshop materials and damage assessment forms are available in VDEM's Recovery Center at http://www.vaemergency.com/recover/index.cfm.
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EM Update is the best way to communicate best practices and to get a heads up on issues that might affect you. Articles include case studies, cost/resource-saving local programs, examples of partnerships and regional cooperation and recognition of emergency managers who receive awards and honors in the field. Please don't hesitate to contact the editor whenever you have a project that might benefit localities or want to highlight an important issue concerning Virginia's emergency response community. Contact Jolie Shank at (804) 897-6510 or by e-mail at pio@vdem.virginia.gov.
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