This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here February 3, 2022 .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Join IAEM for its Mid-Year Virtual Conference, Mar. 24-25, for 20+ hours of education and networking IAEM IAEM has posted the Schedule-At-A-Glance which includes speakers and topics for the upcoming virtual conference to be held March 24-25, 2022. All registrants will have access to all content on-demand following the conference and credit for up to 20 contact hours that may be used towards IAEM certification. (Participation hours may be audited by the Commission.) You can opt for the All-In registration pass which includes registration to both the March IAEM Virtual Conference and a full registration to the IAEM Annual Conference in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 11-17, 2022. This is a way to attend two events at a special rate. IAEM members can access the March 24-25 event for just $299 or go All-In for both registrations for a discounted combined rate of $919. IAEM seeks speaker proposals for Annual Conference by Feb. 18 IAEM The call for breakout speakers at the IAEM 70th Annual Conference & EMEX is open and the deadline to submit a proposal is 11:59 p.m. CST on Feb. 18. IAEM is excited to hear from emergency management professionals interested in speaking at the premier emergency management event of the year. Recently, the IAEM Conference Committee hosted a webinar to help potential speakers submit the best proposal. The webinar provides tips for success and demonstrates how to use the application portal. View the webinar to help prepare the best proposal possible. .IAEM-OCEANIA COUNCIL NEWS Hospitals are at risk of flooding as climate changes. We need evacuation plans UNSW With hospitals under strain from COVID-19, we need to safeguard them against another threat set to increase as the world warms. That threat? Flooding. Many Australian hospitals were built on cheap land near rivers. But as climate change loads the dice in favour of larger floods, areas previously safe may no longer be so. We must plan ahead to ensure patients and healthcare workers are not trapped by floodwaters. READ MORE .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS EMPG survey extended to Feb. 11 — IAEM urges U.S. local and tribal emergency managers to respond IAEM IAEM-USA is conducting the 15th annual survey seeking information from U.S. local government and tribal emergency management offices about Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding. IAEM is seeking input via a survey from local and tribal jurisdictions, including IAEM members and non-members. A joint IAEM-NEMA report with both state and local perspectives will be distributed to key policymakers on Capitol Hill and within the Biden administration. We’ve made significant progress in recent years educating members of Congress on the importance of building and maintaining strong emergency management programs at the local level, as well as the role of funding, particularly EMPG funding, in building such programs. Over the past two years, working in close coordination with our state partners, IAEM has secured an additional $250 million for EMPG above and beyond the annual appropriation of $355 million to help support the coordinated pandemic response. Even so, there are many competing demands for federal funding, so we must continue to demonstrate the value of this program to our elected officials in FY 2022 and beyond. Learn more about this initiative on the IAEM website. Infrastructure update: Local concerns muddy a FEMA flood insurance overhaul Route Fifty The last time the federal government did a major rewrite of its rules for building in flood zones, Gerald Ford was celebrating his last Christmas in the White House. Forty-five years later, almost everyone agrees that the rules need to be updated. The federal flood insurance program is badly underfunded, the maps marking flood zones are inaccurate and climate change is wreaking havoc with long-held assumptions that undergird the whole program. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Rave Mobile Safety Do You Know How To Prepare Your Front Lines For Community Protection? Protect Buildings, Schools and other Soft Targets with Rave Public Safety and the Need to Improve Mental Health and Emergency Response – Survey Results Prepare for both Planned and Unplanned Events with Rave’s Incident Collaboration Solution Deliver Critical Communications to Your Community in Three Clicks Across All Modes Jamie Rhome selected as Deputy Director of National Hurricane Center Homeland Security Today NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) has selected Jamie Rhome to become its new deputy director. As the deputy director, Rhome’s duties will include the development of NHC’s long-term strategies, and defining and coordinating much of the organization’s annual planning and day-to-day execution of work and budget. READ MORE FEMA seeks new members for the National Advisory Council IAEM FEMA is seeking qualified individuals to lend their expertise and serve on the agency’s National Advisory Council. The National Advisory Council includes a geographically diverse and substantive cross-section of 35 members who advise the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management, ensuring input from and coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the private and nonprofit sectors. Individuals appointed to the council bring their experience and diversity of views to provide the Administrator consensus recommendations on a broad range of issues. Administrator Criswell will appoint up to 14 members who will begin serving on the council in December 2022. Selected council members will guide future recommendations on topics including equity, climate, readiness, and workforce. The agency is accepting applications for 11 discipline-specific positions and three Administrator-selected positions. Discipline-specific positions include climate change, cybersecurity, disabilities, access and functional needs, elected state officials, emergency management, emergency medical provider, non-elected local official, non-elected state government officials, public health, and standards setting and accrediting. For more information about what each position entails, please see the council’s charter. If you are interested in applying to serve on the National Advisory Council, follow these instructions for submitting an application package no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on March 31.  PRODUCT SHOWCASE GET YOUR 72 HOUR KIT. ReadyWise – Are you prepared with enough food and water to last you through a disaster? ReadyWise’s delicious freeze-dried meals and drinks have up to a 25-year shelf-life and are easy to prepare, just add water. Go to ReadyWIse.com/IAEM to order you’re your 72-hour kit and use CODE: IAEM at checkout. LEARN MORE Texas Division of Emergency Management opens first strategic warehouse* KENS-TV Texas has been through a lot in the past two years. The COVID-19 pandemic, landfalling hurricanes, and the February Freeze. The first of eight strategic warehouses officially opened today, which the state hopes will put Texas in a better position to respond to future disasters. The Texas Division of Emergency Management began filling the warehouse with what is needed in the Strategic Texas Stockpile. READ MORE .NEW INSIGHTS How Brad Pitt's green housing dream for Hurricane Katrina survivors turned into a nightmare Route Fifty Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation built 109 eye-catching and affordable homes in New Orleans for a community where many people were displaced by damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Now this housing development is in disarray. The vast majority of the recently constructed homes are riddled with construction-related problems that have led to mold, termites, rotting wood, flooding and other woes. READ MORE  SPONSORED VIDEO Emergency Operations that Scale Enable systems of care that scale, eliminate fragmentation of communication, and coordinate mutual aid — all on one communication and logistics platform. With Pulsara, Emergency Managers have the flexibility to assess regional and statewide needs and centrally compile needed resources during emergency response, dramatically reducing miscommunications and waste time. WATCH VIDEO How one major disaster can lead to another: a lack of clean drinking water Popular Science Recently, ships from Australia and New Zealand have delivered hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to the Pacific archipelago of Tonga, which quickly ran out of drinking water in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption two weeks ago. According to Tonga’s speaker of the house Fatafehi Fakafānua, many of the country’s 100,000-plus residents still have no access to water after ash contaminated its drinking supplies. According to a report from the United Nations, relief organizations have set up 16 water stations around the island to meet that need. READ MORE After a wildfire, how does a town rebuild? Prescott eNews Three months after the most destructive fire in California’s history, while the residents of Paradise were sifting through the rubble of their houses, moving out of shelters and into less temporary but not permanent housing, considering the future of their home—while they were still grieving the 86 people killed—Catrin Edgeley took her notebook and recorder to the destroyed town. She wanted to understand the ecology of the human response to the Camp Fire. For how often this happens, there are still so many unknowns. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by George Washington University This is pioneering education on counter-terrorism, intelligence analysis, emerging security threats and relevant legislation. Professors are acknowledged leaders in the field who bring first-hand experience to class. Our program is a 36-credit master’s degree program that can be completed in as little as 16 months. Top 10 habits for better crisis preparedness Domestic Preparedness Imagine an important grant application deadline approaching next month, delaying the submission for a couple weeks, but then a critical incident happens (perhaps, something like a pandemic) that diverts attention for weeks, months, or much longer. The routine tasks that require action are not performed in a timely manner, and the deadline for that grant application is now gone. Developing some small habits like prioritizing would have significant effect on productivity and effectiveness of response and recovery efforts for a future crisis. READ MORE It's never too early to start preparing for the next wildfire crisis Forbes It’s never too early to start preparing for the next wildfire crisis. The more you prepare for such a crisis—and the sooner you do it — the more likely it is that your business will survive it. The federal government may have had this best crisis management practice in mind when it announced in January a new commission that will make recommendations to more effectively prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildfires. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Mayor Garcetti Joins Optimum Seismic To Mark Retrofit Milestone Promoted by Optimum Seismic Inc Seven thousand.That’s how many buildings have been retrofitted for earthquake safety since Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2015 signed a historic law requiring seismic fortification for 12,558 older soft-story structures in the city. LEARN MORE   .EM NEWS The resilience and safety of nuclear power in the face of extreme events Homeland Security News Wire As the prospect of extreme global events grows — from natural disasters and intensifying climate change-driven weather patterns that could affect a nuclear plant, to a rise in infectious diseases that could affect its workforce — nuclear power plants’ adaptable workforces and robust designs will be essential to staying resilient and contributing to a low carbon path to the future. READ MORE Small Colorado county shows how layers of alert systems can work in an emergency* KUSA-TV During the Marshall Fire, Boulder County turned down the state's offer to help with evacuation alerts using the wireless emergency alert system that hits cell phones in a certain radius. According to an emailed response by Boulder County Emergency Management Director Mike Chard, the county turned down the help for multiple reasons, but among them, the county had already sent seven evacuation notices using the opt-in Everbridge system. Another reason was that the county had not practiced integrating the state in local evacuations previously. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Disaster Recovery. Simplified Deloitte’s Close as You Go (CAYG) is a secure cloud-based software platform built to help agencies manage recovery documentation for procurement and contracting, model policies and procedures, and plan for disaster. Developed alongside specialists in preparedness and response, CAYG helps you prepare, so you can focus on recovery. LEARN MORE How to build wildfire-resistant communities on the wildland fringe* The Conversation Writes Jeanne Homer: "Across the West, thousands of people are deciding what to do about homes that have been destroyed by wildfires in recent months. Those planning to rebuild will be looking for ways to make their new homes and neighborhoods as fire-resistant as possible. As an architect, I can tell you that rebuilding the same number of structures and replacing belongings after December’s Boulder County, Colorado, fire alone will likely cost more than the estimated US$513 million in residential losses." READ MORE Investigating 'safe hubs': Spaces to which people might flee during a disaster* Inderscience via Phys.org How might a nation protect its citizens in times of disaster such as earthquakes or war? New research in the International Journal of the Built Environment and Asset Management looks at the concept of "safe hubs." Spaces to which people might flee during an acute or ongoing incident that takes them a place sufficiently far from the danger zone. READ MORE PRODUCT SHOWCASE Online Master's in Infrastructure Planning & Management The University of Washington's online Master of Infrastructure Planning & Management program prepares you to lead development of the next generation of critical infrastructure systems ­­— resilient, secure and accessible. Earn your degree completely online in two years of part-time study. Apply now to start in fall 2021.   LEARN MORE   Reach Your Prospects Every Week Thousands of industry professionals subscribe to association news briefs, which allows your company to push messaging directly to their inboxes and take advantage of the association's brand affinity. Connect with Highly Defined Buyers and Maximize Your Brand Exposure   LEARN MORE   .CLIMATE/WATER/WEATHER UPDATES Climate-driven floods will disproportionately affect Black communities, study finds NPR Flood risk in the United States will increase by about 25% in the next three decades, and Black communities in the South will face disproportionate harm, according to a sweeping new analysis published recently. Climate change is already driving more severe flooding across much of the country, especially along the East Coast and Gulf Coast where residents are experiencing the triple threat of rising seas, stronger hurricanes and heavier rain. READ MORE New flood maps show US damage rising 26% in next 30 years due to climate change alone, and the inequity is stark* The Conversation Climate change is raising flood risks in neighborhoods across the U.S. much faster than many people realize. Over the next three decades, the cost of flood damage is on pace to rise 26% due to climate change alone, an analysis of our new flood risk maps shows. That’s only part of the risk. Despite recent devastating floods, people are still building in high-risk areas. READ MORE .CYBERSECURITY NEWS CISA adds eight known exploited vulnerabilities to catalog Homeland Security Today CISA has added eight new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence that threat actors are actively exploiting the vulnerabilities listed in the table below. These types of vulnerabilities are a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors of all types and pose significant risk to the federal enterprise. READ MORE .DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS Safety app for drivers debuts in flood-plagued Virginia city The Associated Press The increasing threat of sea-level rise on Virginia’s coast means that an afternoon rainstorm can strand drivers for hours, delay parents from picking up children and damage cars beyond repair – all without a tropical storm on the radar. The city of Norfolk is trying to do something about that: Officials have partnered with the tech firm FloodMapp and the Waze traffic app to warn residents of flooded roadways in real time. READ MORE .IAEM-EUROPA NEWS U.K. launches first ever government cyber security strategy Homeland Security Today The United Kingdom has launched its first ever Government Cyber Security Strategy, to further protect public services people rely on. The U.K. is now the third most targeted country in the world in cyberspace from hostile states. The new strategy will be backed by £37.8 million invested to help local authorities boost their cyber resilience – protecting the essential services and data on which citizens rely on including housing benefit, voter registration, electoral management, school grants and the provision of social care. READ MORE Failings lead to new civil protection model* Ekatherimerini This week's snowstorm and the huge problems it created in Athens once again highlighted in the most unpleasant way the chronic weaknesses and functional shortcomings of Greece's much-berated civil protection apparatus. According to reports, the plan to change things around was already in place before the mayhem that started on Monday evening. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Thai beach declared disaster area after oil spill* Reuters A beach in eastern Thailand was declared a disaster area on Saturday as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand continued to wash ashore and blacken the sand. The leak from the pipeline owned by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited started late on Tuesday and was brought under control a day later after spilling an estimated 50,000 litres (13,209 gallons) of oil into the ocean 20 km (12 miles) from the country's industrialised eastern seaboard. READ MORE 12 injured in huge fire broke out in 3 buildings in Cairo* Egypt Today A total of 11 people were injured in a fire that broke out Sunday in a three-storey building in Hussein district in Cairo. The fire started at the first floor of the building, and extended to the second floor, and then to two adjacent buildings. READ MORE Haiti floods have left three dead and one person missing, official says* Reuters Flooding in Haiti has left three people dead and one person missing, the head of the country's civil protection authority told Reuters on Tuesday, following two days of heavy rains that have swollen rivers and damaged homes. Rescue teams on Monday had already begun evacuating people in high-risk zones after thousands of homes were flooded and some 2,500 families displaced. READ MORE Dozens dead in Brazil floods, landslides AAP via Perth Today The number of deaths blamed on a particularly wet rainy season in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo has climbed to 24, including eight children. Torrential rainfall over the weekend caused rivers to overflow their banks and triggered mudslides and flooding in different parts of Sao Paulo, forcing 660 families to evacuate their homes, that state's Civil Defence body said in its latest update on Monday. READ MORE At least 32 killed after Tropical Cyclone Ana sweeps across Malawi CGTN Malawi has recorded at least 32 deaths caused by the Tropical Cyclone Ana which tore across the country on Tuesday, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said in a statement on Sunday. Chikwawa and Nsanje are the country’s worst-hit districts, accounting for most of the deaths and damage to houses, property, livestock and crops caused by floods and strong winds induced by Ana. READ MORE Nearly 600 people left homeless after another devastating fire Capetown Etc. Approximately 600 people have been left homeless following a devasting fire that cut through the informal settlement of Masiphumelele Informal Settlement in the early hours of Saturday morning. Close to 15 firefighting vehicles made their way to the informal settlement around 1am, to find nearly 100 shacks on fire Masemola Street. The settlement is located between Fish Hoek and Kommetjie, reports Times Live. READ MORE   IAEM Dispatch Connect with IAEM Hailey Golden, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2630 | Download media kit Bob Kowalski, Executive Editor, MultiView, 469-420-2650 | Contribute news International Association of Emergency Managers 201 Park Washington Court  |  Falls Church, VA 22046-4527  Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, IAEM CEO, IAEM Executive Director Dawn M. Shiley, CAE, IAEM Dispatch POC, IAEM Communications and Marketing Manager (703) 538-1795  |  Contact Us  |  www.iaem.org/ Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063