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In March FEMA suspended in-person, campus-based training delivery. FEMA plans to re-open training campuses on a limited basis, effective Aug. 2. FEMA continues to monitor conditions and will adhere to state and local guidance and restrictions.
FEMA will announce any necessary changes to each course no later than the Thursday prior to the week of a scheduled course. The following health and safety precautions must be met prior to any students arriving on campus:
- Student and instructors monitor their health and avoid close contact with those who are sick at least 14 days prior to traveling to a FEMA campus. If you feel ill at any time during the 14-day window, please contact FEMA immediately.
- FEMA requires face coverings while riding in any FEMA-provided transportation, within classroom settings and in common areas, including entrances, elevators, restrooms, dining facilities and classroom/training venues or when it is not possible to maintain at least 6 feet of physical distancing. Students are responsible for providing their own face covering and will not be allowed on a FEMA campus or transportation without a face covering.
- FEMA implements daily temperature screening of all students, instructors and all campus employees for initial check-in as well as daily screenings.
- FEMA maintains clean facilities and provide sufficient hygiene supplies, including hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and disinfectant wipes.
- FEMA institutes social distance practices campus-wide for instructors, students and all campus employees.
- FEMA will reduce campus capacity to 50% and seating will be reconfigured to reinforce proper social distancing.
- FEMA limits lodging to one student per room. Students will not share bathrooms.
- FEMA manages meals differently than pre-COVID-19. Depending on the facility, boxed meals may be used in place of congregate seating. In other locations, cafeteria seating will be arranged to accommodate six feet of physical distancing.
FEMA’s top priority remains the health and safety of FEMA employees, instructors, students and visitors on campus, without compromising instruction quality and the student experience. If you are unable to comply with the precautions for any reason, contact FEMA to reschedule your training. Stay updated by visiting the FEMA website.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) summer engagement series will bring FEMA subject matter experts and partners together each week in July to discuss key elements of the newly developed program. The webinars will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. ET every Wednesday in July.
The virtual sessions are geared towards leaders in the public and private sectors interested in learning more about this new grant program. Topics include:
- Week 1 (July 1): Introduction to BRIC Grant Program
- Week 2 (July 8): Meaning of the BRIC Name
- Week 3 (July 15): BRIC and Building Codes
- Week 4 (July 22): BRIC and Community Lifelines
- Week 5 (July 29): BRIC and Nature-Based Solutions
This series does not replace the annual webinars about the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Notices of Funding Opportunities. These informative sessions are planned before the grant application cycle opens to give an overview of the process and eligible projects for funding. Specific dates and times for these sessions will be provided later this summer or early fall.
Learn more or register for the BRIC Summer Engagement Series.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allocated $385 million for seven DHS competitive preparedness grant programs. These allocations, together with the more than $1.3 billion in non-competitive grant funding announced by DHS in February and April, total nearly $1.8 billion in funds to assist the preparedness efforts of state, local, tribal and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies and the private sector.
Preparedness grants strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies in support of the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System.
Preparedness grant program allocations for 2020 include:
Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)—provides $90 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. This year, $50 million is provided to nonprofits in UASI-designated urban areas (NSGP-UA) and $40 million is provided to nonprofits located in any state or territory (NSGP-S).
Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)—provides $15 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
Intercity Passenger Rail - Amtrak (IPR) Program—provides $10 million to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)—provides $100 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management and maintain or reestablish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)—provides $88 million to owners and operators of transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP)—provides $2 million to owners and operators of intercity bus systems to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Further information on visit DHS preparedness grant programs or the FEMA website.
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division is accepting applications to join the External Stakeholder Working Group. The working group is a collaborative working group established in 2016 with the purpose of increasing engagement and transparency with non-federal partners in hazard mitigation, including states, local communities and jurisdictions, tribes and territories.
The working group provides a venue in which federal partners and external stakeholders can openly communicate, share insight and feedback on mitigation and/or program issues and increase transparency and understanding in regard to HMA program development and priorities.
To be considered as a member of the working group, download and complete the Expression of Interest form. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, however, to be considered for the 2021 to 2023 term, submit the completed form to FEMA-HMA-ESWG@fema.dhs.gov by July 10.
FEMA is hosting a tribal webinar for the open comment period for the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program and Policy Guide. The webinar will be held at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 16. Register on FEMA Adobe Connect.
The 45-day public comment period ends on July 31. The draft guide and accompanying comments matrix are available on the FEMA website. Submit the completed comment matrix by e-mail to FEMA-FMAG-comments@fema.dhs.gov.
Fire Management Assistance is available to state, local, tribal and territorial governments for the mitigation, management and control of fires on publicly or privately-owned forests or grasslands which threaten destruction that would constitute a major disaster.
After a disaster, homeowners have the opportunity to increase their resilience through mitigation and rebuild while minimizing the potential for recurring damages. As part of its commitment to making communities stronger and more resilient, FEMA is now providing additional assistance through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) to incentivize investments that reduce risk.
Disaster survivors who were approved for repair assistance through FEMA's Individuals and Households Program may now receive additional funds for several mitigation measures while repairing a disaster-damaged home including roof repair, elevating a water heater or furnace, or elevating or moving an electrical panel. Funding for mitigation measures will be awarded as part of the Home Repair Assistance of IHP for owner-occupied primary homes. FEMA will notify applicants if they have received mitigation funds as part of their IHP grant. This additional assistance will be available for all disasters declared on or after July 1, 2020.
After a disaster, fear and anxiety can cause strong emotions in adults and children. FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program helps people and communities to recover from the effects of natural or human-made disasters through short-term intervention that provide emotional support, basic crisis counseling and connection to familial and community support systems. States, tribes and territories designated for the Crisis Counseling Program under an Individual Assistance declaration may apply for a grant from FEMA to provide crisis counseling services.
A tribal member who lives within the geographic boundaries of a state with a crisis counseling declaration may receive services. Additionally, federally recognized Indian tribal governments have three potential options to implement crisis counseling services, whether under a federal major disaster declaration for a state or a tribal entity.
FEMA funds and oversees the Crisis Counseling Program in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The program helps people understand their current situation and reactions and supports short-term interventions focused on mitigating stress, promoting the use or development of coping strategies, providing emotional support and encouraging links with other individuals and agencies who may help survivors in their recovery process.
People who seek help through the program remain anonymous. Crisis counselors do not keep individual records or case files and avoid classifying, labeling or diagnosing individuals in any way. For more information visit FEMA.gov.
FEMA’s National Integration Center released six Job Titles/Position Qualifications and Resource Typing Definitions documents that enhance interoperability and the effectiveness of mutual aid. Today’s release includes:
- Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation Team
- Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluator
- Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation Strike Team Leader
- Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation Team Technical Supervisor
- Post-Disaster Complex Structural Condition Evaluator
- Post-Disaster Complex Architectural Systems Condition Evaluator
National Incident Management Job Titles/Position Qualifications and Resource Typing Definitions define minimum qualifications and capabilities for personnel and their equipment within their assigned teams to manage all threats and hazards, regardless of the incident’s cause or size.
To view the documents and for more information, visit the FEMA website.
FEMA released six more awards from the Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program – COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) funding, bringing the total to 13 awards made to organizations from seven states for nearly $7.1 million
The CARES Act authorizes $100 million in AFG-S funds for the purchase of personal protective equipment and related supplies for our nation’s first responders. Fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations and State Fire Training Academies were eligible to apply.
Awards will continue to be released on a rolling basis throughout this summer until funds have been depleted.
 In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, nonprofit and voluntary organizations are working together with the federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments and the private sector to address needs of those communities most affected. FEMA is highlighting stories from our partners on how they have made a difference during the pandemic.
Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) provides year-round support and immediate relief to tribes. PWNA focuses on the most under-resourced, remote or geographically isolated reservations in a nine-state region across the northern plains and southwest.
Since the pandemic began in late March, PWNA has received dozens of requests for COVID-19 relief from nearly 25 tribes. Initially, communities needed water, personal hygiene products and household and cleaning supplies. As the pandemic progressed, items included games, puzzles, coloring books and toys to help prevent boredom and depression for those sheltering in place. Now, most emergency requests include the ongoing need for personal protective equipment including face coverings, hand sanitizer, bleach and disinfectant wipes and nitrate and latex gloves.
Visit the FEMA Best Practices page to read more stories about communities making a difference.
FEMA Holds National Engagement Period for Resource Management
FEMA seeks public feedback on the draft of the National Incident Management System document, Guideline for Resource Management Preparedness. Feedback will be accepted until 5 p.m. ET on July 23. National engagement provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the draft document to ensure that it is relevant for all implementing partners.
FEMA will host a series of webinars to outline the guidance and answer related questions. All webinars are open to the whole community. To register for one of the webinars or to review the draft document visit the FEMA website.
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