June 4, 2008

COOP Toolkit chosen as best practice
The Emergency Management Accreditation Program has recognized VDEM's online Continuity of Operations Plan Toolkit as a best practice. COOP planning ensures the continued performance of an organization's essential functions during an emergency; employee safety; and equipment, records and other asset protection. VDEM's COOP Toolkit helps local governments, state agencies and institutions of higher learning develop plans that address their specific needs.

• The manuals offer procedural and operational guidance for preparing and implementing a COOP plan.
• The worksheets assist in assembling the information necessary to develop the critical elements of a COOP plan and correspond with the seven phases of the COOP planning process.
• The templates help to complete cohesive documentation for a COOP plan that is specific to the organization's needs.

In addition, VDEM developed a Pandemic Influenza COOP Annex to assist organizations in planning for the unique impacts of a wide-spread, highly communicable disease. The Toolkit also received an Honorable Mention Media Award from the International Association of Emergency Managers in 2006.

The COOP Toolkit is available at http://www.vaemergency.com/library/coop/index.cfm.

EMAP is a voluntary review process for state and local emergency management programs. Accreditation is a means of demonstrating, through self-assessment, documentation and peer review, that a program meets national standards for emergency management programs. The Commonwealth received EMAP accreditation in 2005.

National Preparedness Training Initiative grants available
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering $27.2 million to state, local, tribal and territorial governments, national associations, nonprofits, higher education institutions and the private sector through the FY08 Competitive Training Grant Program. This program awards funds to support training initiatives that are national in scope and further the DHS mission of preparing the nation to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from catastrophic risks posed by man, nature and technology.

Applications are available at http://www.grants.gov; they are due June 9.

Clarification for ICS 300 and ICS 400 instruction
VDEM has issued clarification for instructional programs that issue certificates for Incident Command System 300 (Intermediate) and ICS 400 (Advanced) courses. According to Department of Homeland Security guidance, the two courses should not be taught back-to-back or as a continuous program. In addition, they must not be taught in less than 32 hours of total scheduled classroom instruction. The DHS "NIMS Five Year Training Plan" requires a minimum of 14 hours for ICS 400 course instruction, and these minimum hour requirements cannot be shortened by eliminating review lessons for previous ICS courses (ICS 100 - 300).

Also, DHS strongly recommends that a minimum interim period of six months should pass between completing of ICS 300 and beginning ICS 400 to allow students to utilize their knowledge of ICS 300 in the field. Although this is a DHS recommendation only, VDEM supports this process and will adhere to it by monitoring course offerings and discouraging back-to-back course attendance.

Individual agencies should plan appropriate training schedules that accommodate the recommended interim period for individuals who are required to take both courses in order to meet FY09 NIMS compliance requirements by Sept. 30, 2009. Agency personnel needing to attend ICS 400 for NIMS compliance include only command and general staff, such as: select department heads with multi-agency coordination system responsibilities, area commanders, emergency managers, multi-agency coordination center or emergency operations center managers.

The DHS "NIMS Five Year Training Plan" is available at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3192 or http://www.vaemergency.com/programs/nims/index.cfm. For more information, contact VDEM Training & Curriculum Development Manager Ken Clark at. 6572 or NIMS Point of Contact Lee Bennett at (804) 897-6500, ext. 6568.

NOAA releases Atlantic hurricane season forecast
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is predicting a near normal or above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The outlook calls for a 90 percent chance of a near-normal or above-normal season and indicates a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms, including six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes. An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status. NOAA will update the forecast on Aug. 7. The full text of the forecast is available at http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml.

National award for Virginia volunteers
Northern Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and the Faith Communities in Action Interfaith Emergency Planning Steering Committee were awarded the 2008 National VOAD Award for "Preparedness Non-Profit Partnership." NoVa VOAD partnered with the committee to strengthen regional emergency preparedness, response and recovery through four programs:

• "Ready–Pack–Go:" a congregational initiative to help members build home emergency kits.
• Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Faith Leaders Summit: FCIA collaborated with the local health department to organize a Pandemic Flu Summit for 150 faith community leaders.
• FCIA Interfaith Emergency Planning Newsletter: The newsletter promotes emergency issue awareness to more than 900 faith communities and provides program development resources.
• Building faith-community relationships with emergency service agencies: The FCIA committee has representatives on the Citizen Corps Council and the Northern Virginia VOAD and invites the regular attendance and active participation of the Emergency Management Office, the Red Cross, Volunteer Fairfax, Department of Family Services and the Department of Health, and other key groups in their programs.

For more information about the award, contact NoVa VOAD Chair Trish Redmond at (703) 577-3123 or novavoad@yahoo.com. The contact for FCIA is Sandy Chisholm, schish@fairfaxcounty.gov.

FEMA performs gap analysis
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is continuing the GAP analysis initiative to determine the needs and capabilities of Virginia localities. FEMA introduced this program last year, assessing seven critical areas: evacuation, sheltering, temporary housing, medical, communications and fuel, debris, and commodity distribution. FEMA, in coordination with the Commonwealth, will use analysis results to improve response and recovery efforts at all levels. Virginia's local emergency managers are reminded to complete the template that addresses debris management and return it to Mona Ellington by June 30 at mona.ellington@vdem.virginia.gov or (804) 378-0479 (fax).

Emergency plan development workshops
Shenandoah Valley Project Impact is offering several workshops to help Human Service Organizations develop an emergency operations plan. The free, two-hour workshops will cover identifying hazards and risk, determining staff roles and responsibilities before, during and after an emergency, continuity of operations, and storing essential disaster supplies. Registration is required and space is limited. For more information and to register, contact Shenandoah Valley Project Impact Coordinator Rebecca Joyce at (540) 885-5174 or rebecca@cspdc.org.

Sussex County graduates Teen CERT class
Sussex County, located between two localities that experienced tornadoes April 28, graduated its first Teen CERT class exactly one week after the storms hit. Sussex County integrated training into the high school curriculum, part of a pilot program that includes every student in a class. Each year, students will be divided into three concurrent classes, which run January through April, and receive a backpack full of emergency supplies that they are required to have at all times.

Teen CERT teaches high-school students to help themselves, their families and their neighbors in the event of a disaster in their community. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, Teen CERT members can assist others in their schools, neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

For more information about Sussex County Teen Cert, contact Eddie Vick at etvick@sussexcountyva.com.

Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration
The Virginia Emergency Operations Center will participate in this annual event, directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The VEOC will help to evaluate new technologies specifically designed to improve information sharing capabilities among military services, government agencies, first responders and U.S. combatant commanders. The two-week demonstration will test the new technologies in the context of various scenarios, including terrorist incidents and evacuation and sheltering. Visitor days are June 16-19 at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va.; registration is required. More information is available at https://www.cwid.js.mil/c/extranet/home?e_l_id=1.

Grants...
$190 million available in SAFER grants
The FY08 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program will provide approximately $190 million in competitive grants. SAFER grants enhance the ability of fire departments throughout the country to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. SAFER grants help departments hire, recruit and retain firefighters. No less than 10 percent of the funding must be used to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. Another 10 percent of the funds must be used to help volunteer or mostly volunteer departments hire firefighters. Virginia received $782,000 in SAFER funds in FY07.

Applicants should apply through http://www.grants.gov, http://www.firegrantsupport.com or https://portal.fema.gov no later than 5 p.m. on June 27.

DHS seeks CEDAP applications
The Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program is now accepting applications for FY08. The highly competitive program is designed to provide technology, equipment, training and technical assistance to smaller communities and rural areas that are ineligible for funding under the Urban Areas Security Initiative grant program. This year, CEDAP will award more than $33.7 million in equipment and training to law enforcement agencies, fire departments and other emergency responders. Successful applicants will demonstrate in their application that the equipment will improve their ability and capacity to respond to a major critical incident or improve their ability to work with other first responders. More information and applications are available at https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=83219.

Secure Our Schools 2008
Approximately $13 million is available to law enforcement agencies through the competitive Secure Our Schools 2008 grant program. The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services offers these funds to assist with the development of school safety resources and provide improved security at schools and on school grounds. This program will fund up to 50 percent of the total cost to implement one or more of the following options: placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; security assessments; security training of personnel and students; coordination with local law enforcement; and/or any other measure that may provide a significant improvement in security.

The application deadline is June 13. For more information, visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=240.

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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