Virginia Department of Emergency Management, EM UPDATE, Issued Biweekly for the Virginia Emergency Management Community

July 01, 2009

Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance workshops scheduled
VDEM Mitigation staff are offering a series of workshops to assist localities with the FY10 Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant application process. The workshops will address identifying a project, developing an application, benefit-cost analysis, eligible mitigation projects and planning activities, and the grant award process.

HMA grants include the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, the Repetitive Flood Claims Program, the Severe Repetitive Loss Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Localities must work with VDEM to get their projects considered for FEMA funding.

The schedule of workshops and registration are available at http://www.vaemergency.com/train/calendar_course.cfm?id=143, and grant guidance is available at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3649. For more information about the workshops, contact Philip Hunt at Philip.Hunt@vdem.virginia.gov, or (804) 897-6500, ext. 6535.

State Safe Training provides CERT class at the Capitol
Community Emergency Response Team training for Virginia state employees will take place July 7-24 at the General Assembly Building. Participants will receive classroom and hands-on instruction in basic first aid, search and rescue, fire safety, and terrorism preparedness that they can use at work and at home. Each 2.5-hour module will be held twice to help fit busy schedules. Instructors will teach three different modules each day. Students must attend each module once to receive a certificate of completion.

Space is limited. Register online at www.vaemergency.com, under “Training Calendar.” For more information, contact LaWanda Christian at (804) 897-6500, ext. 6602.

2009 hurricane season forecast updated
Colorado State University is calling for below-average activity in its 2009 Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Forecast June update. CSU is now calling for 11 named storms for the season, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5). The tropical meteorology research group from CSU’s Department of Atmospheric Science will update its forecast in August, September and October. Read the full text of CSU’s forecast: http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts.

Master’s degree program in homeland security accepting applications
The Center for Homeland Defense and Security and DHS offer an 18-month master’s degree program in homeland security at no cost to eligible senior and fast rising local, state, tribal and federal officials with significant responsibilities in homeland security and related disciplines. The course is a combination of online classes and a total of 12 weeks resident study at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Eastern Management Development Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va.

All travel and tuition expenses are paid for eligible participants. The next deadline for application to the master’s degree program for the spring-summer 2010 cohorts is December 1, 2009. More information and applications are available at www.chds.us/?masters/apply.

Governor addresses campus safety
The 2009 Governor's Campus Preparedness Conference, Aug. 3 at Virginia Commonwealth University, will consist of morning general sessions and afternoon breakout sessions. Workshops will include:

  • Special briefing on the H1N1 flu for higher education
  • Social Media: A How-To for Universities
  • Campus Threat Assessment Teams: Practical Insight to Operationalize Teams in Higher Education
  • Gangs on College Campuses
  • Engaging Faculty in Preparedness Initiatives: Crisis Intervention Teams on Campus
  • All Hazards Approach to Campus Safety and Security
  • College and University Communications
  • All Hazard Consortium: Involving Youth in Preparedness

Online conference registration is available through July 21 at http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/trainingevents/gpolicy/GovCampusPrepare2009.cfm.

FEMA offers e-mail updates
FEMA has announced a free e-mail subscription service that delivers news updates and disaster-related information, such as:

  • When a major disaster is declared
  • Where local recovery centers are located
  • What kind of financial aid is available
  • How to obtain disaster-related assistance
  • What to do after a disaster has passed

Sign up at http://www.fema.gov/plan/getupdates.shtm.

Cultural learning available online
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health has launched a free cultural competency e-learning program, “The Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response.” The program helps first responders, social workers and disaster mental health workers provide culturally and linguistically competent care and services during disasters.

For more information, please visit www.thinkculturalhealth.org.

Citizen Corps surveys gauge public preparedness
Citizen Corps has published the results from two recent surveys that evaluate the nation’s progress on personal preparedness and measure the public’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors relative to preparing for a range of hazards. FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division and Citizen Corps conducted the national survey in 2007. “Personal Preparedness in America: Findings from the Citizen Corps National Survey” reports information collected from 2,400 households:

  • 53 percent have supplies set aside at home
  • 42 percent have a household disaster plan
  • 60 percent were unfamiliar about their local evacuation routes
  • 71 percent expect to rely heavily on household members and 57 percent expect to rely on fire, police or emergency personnel in the first 72 hours following a disaster.
  • 37 percent reported that a primary reason for not preparing is that they believe emergency responders will help them.
  • 78 percent believe preparation, planning and emergency supplies will help them handle a natural disaster. However, almost 4 in 10 felt preparations would not make a difference.

The second report conducted in 2007, “Personal Preparedness in America: Findings from the Citizen Corps Survey of Four Urban Areas,” reports information collected from 2,000 households in the Houston, Indianapolis, New York and San Francisco.

Full reports and summary sheets are available at http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/press/2009/personal_preparedness_research_jun09.shtm.
Subscribe to EM Update View EM Update Archives

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.

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