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Starting June 7, FEMA's National Hurricane Program will host a five-day HURREVAC training for emergency managers. HURREVAC is a free web-based decision-support tool that assists emergency managers by providing information, visualizations and tools to inform hurricane response decisions in advance of a threatening storm.
Training topics include:
- An overview of HURREVAC.
- Tools to understand potential wind timing and intensity based on the forecast.
- Tools to support evacuation decisions and response timelines.
- Storm surge tools and other features to support hurricane response and decision-making related to water hazards.
- Creating exercise storms and using HURREVAC to answer scenario-based questions.
Learning how to use HURREVAC can help emergency managers make tough evacuation decisions when a hurricane threatens. In addition to operational decision-making, HURREVAC can be used for training, exercises and hurricane preparedness and planning efforts.
Interested emergency managers can register now for this annual HURREVAC webinar series.
To register, visit the 2021 HURREVAC Webinar Series page.
FEMA announced $12 million in funding is available for non-federal dams to reduce dam risk, increase community preparedness and provide flood protection.
The annual funding is part of the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams grant program for fiscal year 2021. The application period will close June 25.
The funding through FEMA’s Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam grant program provides technical, planning, design and pre-construction activities grants for the rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams. High hazard dams are critical because their failure or mis-operation may cause loss of human life and significant property destruction.
In a state or territory with an enacted dam safety program, the state administrative agency, or an equivalent state agency, is eligible to apply for the grant. Each eligible state may submit only one grant application. Eligible subrecipients, including local governments and nonprofit organizations, are encouraged to review the notice of funding opportunity announcement on Grants.gov.
For this grant cycle in fiscal year 2021, FEMA received an increase from $10 million to $12 million. To be eligible, dams must be:
- Located in a state or territory with a dam safety program.
- Classified as ‘high hazard potential’ by the dam safety agency in the state or territory where the dam is located.
- With a current approved emergency action plan by the state or territorial dam safety agency, or with current emergency action plan that is in conformance with state law and pending approval by the state or territorial dam safety agency.
- Located in a jurisdiction with a FEMA-approved state or territory hazard mitigation plan that includes dam risk.
- Located in a state or territory which determines if a dam fails to meet minimum dam safety standards of the state or territory.
Additionally, in a state or territory with an enacted dam safety program, the state administrative agency or an equivalent state agency is eligible to apply for the grant. Each eligible state may submit only one grant application.
Email the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams grant program with comments or questions. For more information about the grant or general program information, visit the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams grant program or the National Dam Safety Program webpages on FEMA.gov.
FEMA encourages its partners to join in supporting National Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31 to commemorate the worst dam failure in the United States. On May 31, 1889, failure at the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 lives and left thousands homeless.
More recently, in May 2020 there were major dam failures at Michigan’s Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam. Both dam failures put thousands of lives at risk and forced the evacuation of nearly 10,000 residents.
Make a difference in your community and join FEMA in support of National Dam Safety Awareness Day.
Encourage residents to:
- Know the risks of dam failures.
- Be aware of dams in their area: there are over 90,000 dams in the nation.
- Buy flood insurance and have an emergency action plan that can save money and lives.
- Know what to do if they need to evacuate.
- Inform friends and neighbors about the risk of dam failure.
Learn more about FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program.
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FEMA released the funding notice for the fiscal year 2021 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program. The application period will close at 5 p.m. ET on July 16.
The program provides $12 million to eligible states and local governments to close known preparedness capability gaps, encourage innovative regional solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents and build on existing regional preparedness efforts, including pandemic preparedness.
The purpose of the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program is to improve and expand collaboration to build regional capacity to manage catastrophic incidents. The National Response Framework defines a catastrophic incident as any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale or government functions.
Regional pandemic preparedness remains a program objective this year, with a specific focus on pandemic preparedness to support community lifelines and core capabilities.
Applicants are encouraged to consider the needs of underserved and socially vulnerable populations and to involve representatives from the affected communities in the proposed project to ensure their needs are sufficiently addressed.
Awards will be made on a competitive basis to applicants who present an ability to successfully meet the requirements described in the funding notice.
For additional information and to review the notice of funding opportunity, visit FEMA.gov. Applicant submissions must be made on grants.gov.
FEMA released shelter-in-place pictogram guidance for 10 hazards and three building types.
The pictograms provide clear, visual guidance to the public on shelter-in-place actions, classified by hazard and building type, to ensure the public takes effective protective actions when instructed to shelter-in-place during emergencies.
The guidance provides recommended interior locations for specific hazards, additional actions for protection and the recommended duration for staying sheltered-in-place.
The ten hazards are:
- Active shooter.
- Chemical hazard.
- Earthquake.
- Flooding/flash flooding.
- Hurricane.
- Nuclear/radiological hazards.
- Pandemic.
- Thunderstorm.
- Tornado and winter storm.
The three types of buildings are:
- Manufactured or mobile home.
- One- or two-story buildings.
- Multistory buildings.
The shelter-in-place pictograms can be used by community partners in multiple communication channels, such as posters, websites, just-in-time social media posts and emergency managers for Integrated Public Alert & Warning System messages.
The shelter-in-place protective actions guidance can be found on FEMA.gov.
FEMA Hosts Exercise Starter Kit Webinars
FEMA’s National Exercise Division developed exercise starter kits with sample documents to assist organizations in planning and conducting tabletop exercises aligning with the updated National Exercise Program 2021-2022 Principal's Strategic Priorities.
FEMA will host webinars for whole community exercise practitioners. The webinars will introduce the new exercise starter kits, providing stakeholders with an overview of the kits along with how to use them. The webinars are scheduled for:
- 1 p.m. ET, May 28.
- 9 a.m. ET, June 7.
Each webinar will present the same content and a recording will be made available later on FEMA.gov. Visit the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Webinar webpage to register.
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May is Building Safety Month
The International Code Council launched the Building Safety Month initiative each May more than 40 years ago. The annual educational campaign raises awareness about the importance of building codes to ensure safety in the spaces in which we live, work and learn.
This year’s weekly themes emphasize “Prevent, prepare, protect. Building Codes Save.” With ongoing social distancing and safety measures in mind, all planned events during the month will be held virtually. The weekly themes for the 2021 Building Safety Month are:
More information about Building Safety Month, including details regarding virtual events, can be found at: www.buildingsafetymonth.org. In addition, initiatives throughout the month will be highlighted on social media using the hashtag #BuildingSafety365.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback for Resource Typing
The FEMA National Integration Center is seeking public feedback on six resource typing documents. The 30-day national engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. ET on June 10.
The national engagement period provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the draft document to ensure that it is relevant for all implementing partners.
These resource typing documents will facilitate the sharing of deployable resource types at all jurisdictional levels. To provide comments on the drafts, complete the feedback form on FEMA.gov and submit the form to fema-nims@fema.dhs.gov no later than 5 p.m. ET on June 10.
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FEMA Seeks Public Feedback for Programs
FEMA is seeking public comments for programs that deal with climate change and underserved populations.
FEMA posted in the Federal Register a Request for Information on programs, regulations and policies. The feedback will assist FEMA in identifying specific action that will better address climate change and underserved communities and populations. The comment period will be open through June 21.
Comments can be submitted through June 21 via the Federal eRulemaking Portal, Docket ID: FEMA-2021-0011. Please follow the instructions on the page and contact the Regulations.gov Help Desk if you have technical issues.
FEMA encourages public comment and responses to these questions. For additional information on the request for information, visit FEMA.gov.
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FEMA Offers Planning Support for Disaster Response and Recovery
The emergency management community has been operating in a pandemic environment for over a year. FEMA released the "COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance: All Hazards Incidents Response and Recovery."
The document was designed to help emergency managers plan for disaster response and recovery, while adhering to public health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The guidance serves as a tool for governments, outlining guidance related to new priorities that have arisen in recent months.
Through all disaster response and recovery operations, FEMA will continue to operate under the framework of locally executed, state-managed and federally supported incident response. The pandemic operational guidance helps to create a shared understanding of expectations among FEMA and all our partners, which allows our nation to be better positioned to achieve operational outcomes in disaster response and recovery efforts.
FEMA is offering a series of webinars focused on the guidance throughout the month of June:
- Webinar 1 – 10 a.m. ET, June 3
https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cpog_webinar1/event/registration.html
- Webinar 2 – 3 p.m. ET, June 8
https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cpog_webinar2/event/registration.html
- Webinar 3 – 11 a.m. ET, June 10
https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cpog_webinar3/event/registration.html
- Webinar 4 – 7 p.m. ET, June 16
https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cpog_webinar4/event/registration.html
- Webinar 5 – 1 p.m. ET, June 17
https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cpog_webinar5/event/registration.html
To sign up for a webinar, simply click on the registration link associated with the preferred date of attendance.
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