Jan. 30, 2008

National Response Framework published
Note: This story has been corrected. The National Response Framework will take effect March 22.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has published the National Response Framework, which will supersede the National Response Plan on March 22, 2008. The shorter, less bureaucratic and more user-friendly framework focuses on the national response to and short-term recovery from all-hazard disasters across all levels of government. as well as private sector and non-governmental organizations. The NRF is based on the NRP, retains much of its content and continues to build on the principles of NIMS. Changes include:

• The term "Incident of National Significance" has been eliminated
• The Unified Coordination Group replaces the Joint Coordination Group in Joint Field Office structure
• Clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the Principal Federal Official and the Federal Coordinating Officer
• New Planning Section that focuses on the critical importance of planning
• Some changes in ESF and Support Annexes

The NRF and its supporting documents, including Emergency Support Functions, Support and Incident Annexes and other appendices, reflect a number of key recommendations from more than 700 representatives from federal, tribal, state and local governments, non-governmental agencies and associations, and the private sector, who participated in a review process and a 30-day comment period. These documents, a brochure, a fact sheet and frequently asked questions are available at the NRF Resource Center, at http://www.fema.gov/nrf. DHS plans to publish the Incident Annexes and Partner Guides later this spring or summer; until that time the Incident Annexes of the NRP will remain in effect.

SLA loan deadline approaches
Small businesses affected by record low temperatures and a freeze April 4-11, 2007 have until Feb 15 to file for disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Under this declaration, SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to farm-related and nonfarm-related small business concerns and small agricultural cooperatives that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to the SBA. Federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses in Bristol, Grayson, Lee, Scott and Washington counties, which are contiguous to one or more primary counties in the state of Tennessee.

More information is available at http://www.sba.gov.

WebEOC training for state colleges and universities
VDEM will hold two WebEOC training sessions for state college and university emergency management staff. WebEOC is a web-based crisis management information system used by the Commonwealth to provide real-time situational information and track requests for state assistance. The sessions will be:

• March 3, Blacksburg
  Virginia Tech, Classroom 153 in Southgate Center
  1-4 p.m.
• March 6, Richmond
  Virginia Emergency Operations Center
  9 a.m. - noon

Hands-on training will include how to access WebEOC, share information with the state and request state assistance. To register for the training, e-mail Laverne Morris at Laverne.Morris@vdem.virginia.gov with participant's name, college, position title, address, phone number and e-mail address and the session date.

HMEP grant process begins
The U.S. Department of Transportation has allocated $69,128 to Commonwealth localities through the FY08 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant. Grant funds enhance hazmat planning and training priorities, and the program requires a 20 percent local match for eligibility. Funds must be committed by Sept. 30, 2008.

Additional information is available at http://www.vaemergency.com/grants/grantDetails.cfm?desiredGrantID=13.

New NIMS contact
VDEM has selected Lee Bennett to serve as the new Training and Instruction Specialist in the Office of Training and Exercises. Bennett will serve as the Commonwealth's point of contact for the National Incident Management System and the various Department of Homeland Security Training Programs. He will be responsible for assisting all first responders from state and local agencies with a variety of programs, including Incident Command System and emergency management training, access to NIMSCAST, and making arrangements for various DHS sponsored training programs.

Before joining VDEM, Bennett was a captain at Port Huron Township Fire Department in Michigan, where he was a member of the local emergency planning committee. Previously, he served as deputy chief of the St. Clair County Hazardous Materials Team and as a police officer in the Chicago area.

OSHA releases hazmat guidance for security personnel
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released new guidance for employers and their security personnel, "Preparing and Protecting Security Personnel in Emergencies." The guidance includes an overview of hazardous substance releases and WMD incidents, emergency response roles and training, and personal protective equipment. The document specifically addresses emergencies involving hazardous substance releases and not safety and health hazards such as workplace violence.

The guidance is available for download at http://www.osha.gov/Publications/3335-security-personnel.pdf.

Conferences...
Virginia Emergency Management Conference 2008
Online registration is now available for the 2008 VEMC "It Can Happen Here," March 11-14 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. "Best Practices for Integrating GIS with Emergency Management" on March 11 will explore the use of Geographic Information System technology in all phases of emergency management. Topics will include pre-hurricane season planning, using GIS in planning exercises, GIS / GPS applications in search and rescue, use of HazUS software in mitigation plans, GPS photos for situational awareness, and debris management planning.

More information about the conference, the agenda and hotel information are available at http://www.vemaweb.org.

Produced by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
10501 Trade Court, Richmond, Virginia 23236