This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here February 18, 2021 .ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS Submissions to be a breakout speaker at the 2021 IAEM Annual Conference are due tomorrow IAEM IAEM wants to hear your story or expertise to make the 2021 IAEM conference the best it can be. We have heard that some speakers believe that in order to apply, a full slide presentation must be prepared. This is no longer true. For a detailed listing of the requirements, breakout focus areas and step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the online speaker portal, view the Speaker Submission Guidance. Learn tips from the selection committee, and take a guided tutorial of the portal by watching this recorded webinar. Submissions are due tomorrow, Feb. 19, at 11:59:59 p.m. CST. If you have any questions, please contact IAEM Conference Manager Julie Husk. EMEX sponsor highlight of the week: Veoci IAEM Emergency managers trust Veoci for crisis management and emergency response. Guaranteed availability and total configurability help your teams effectively plan for and respond to whatever comes your way. Their COVID-19 response and management solutions are on the front lines for contact tracing, vaccine registration, POD operations, expense tracking, resource and inventory management, student wellness monitoring, and more. With 10 years of battle tested dedication and experience, they stand ready to ensure the safety and health of the communities and organizations you serve. How can they help you? .IAEM-CANADA COUNCIL NEWS Public Safety is hiring program coordinators from across Canada & the job pays up to $66K Narcity Public Safety Canada is hiring program coordinators across the country. As far as education goes, you don't need a post-secondary diploma to score this gig. READ MORE .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS Audit raises concerns about wildfire risks at US nuclear lab The Tribune One of the nation’s premier nuclear laboratories isn’t taking the necessary precautions to guard against wildfires, according to an audit by the U.S. Energy Department’s inspector general. The report comes as wildfire risks intensify across the drought-stricken U.S. West. Climatologists and environmentalists have been warning about worsening conditions across the region, particularly in New Mexico, which is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory and where summer rains failed to materialize last year and winter precipitation has been spotty at best. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Managing Multiple Crises Amidst COVID–19 How will you respond when the next public safety crisis hits? Learn how First Alert’s real-time breaking news alerts can keep you a step ahead. Read our eBook to be better prepared for the next emergency. LEARN MORE IAEM-USA signed on to a coalition letter sent to Congress to support flexible funding to state and local communities IAEM IAEM-USA along with a coalition of 300 diverse stakeholder organizations, sent a joint letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, endorsing budget reconciliation language providing $350 billion in flexible aid for our states, cities, counties, tribes, and territories. The coalition encouraged the House and Senate to swiftly pass this urgently needed aid. Many states and localities have seen their revenues plummet as a result of the pandemic, even as costs have risen sharply to fight the virus and to help millions of struggling people and businesses. State revenues are down some seven percent compared to before the pandemic, even as the need for state services has skyrocketed, with one in three adults struggling to meet household expenses. Meanwhile, many cities and counties have been hit even harder. The average city with falling revenues has seen collections drop by 21 percent, even as costs have soared, and counties face similar conditions. Download the letter here. .EM NEWS Forest thinning to reduce wildfire risk gives opportunity to new startups NPR The country's overgrown forests need to be aggressively thinned to reduce wildfire risk. That creates massive piles of worthless brush and branches, but some businesses see a new market for them. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by American Military University COVID-19: Will This Be the Public Health’s 9/11 Earthquakes: The ‘Big One’ Might Hit the Midwest – Not California ­COVID-19: Flattening the Curve to Avoid a 'Great Depression II' Staying Safe: The Twin Threats of COVID-19 and Disaster Events ­How 1911's Triangle Fire Changed US Safety Laws In predicting shallow but dangerous landslides, size matters Berkeley News The threat of landslides is again in the news as torrential winter storms in California threaten to undermine fire-scarred hillsides and bring deadly debris flows crashing into homes and inundating roads. But it doesn’t take wildfires to reveal the landslide danger, University of California, Berkeley, researchers say. Aerial surveys using airborne laser mapping — LiDAR (light detection and ranging) — can provide very detailed information on the topography and vegetation that allow scientists to identify which landslide-prone areas could give way during an expected rainstorm. READ MORE .UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL EM ISSUES CDC releases updated school re-opening guidelines Campus Safety The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its roadmap for getting K-12 school students back to face-to-face classes, although the guidance provides only recommendations, not requirements. CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. and U.S Department of Education Senior Advisor for Policy and Planning Donna Harris-Aikins, J.D. announced that their agencies have launched a “one-stop-shop” operational strategy for K-12 schools to safely reopen. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Real-Time Threat Detection and Validation The DataCapable® Platform™ combines patented artificial intelligence algorithms with human-in-the-loop validation to capture, automate, distribute, and visualize actionable information in a real-time common operating picture — quickly make informed decisions to mitigate hazards affecting your communities, infrastructure, and resources before they become a wider threat to operations and public safety.­ ­ LEARN MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE How West Virginia tackled COVID-19 vaccine distribution* Emergency Management West Virginia has seen its share of disasters over the last decade, and so it has a ton of experience in the logistical operations that go along with finding vulnerable populations and ensuring the safety of all citizens. The state has dealt with Hurricane Sandy, a derecho that knocked out power to 53 of its 55 counties, endured a thousand-year flood and hosted the National Scout Jamboree. That experience is one of the reasons the state has excelled in vaccinating the masses. READ MORE Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell* The Associated Press One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many millions of N95 masks are pouring out of American factories and heading into storage. Yet doctors and nurses say there still aren’t nearly enough in the “ICU rooms with high-flow oxygen and COVID germs all over.” READ MORE 'Vaccine tourism' leads to tighter eligibility checks Route Fifty States’ rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has been uneven, and left some people searching for appointments across state lines. Health officials say it’s a problem given scarce resources. READ MORE .CLIMATE/WATER/WEATHER UPDATES Beyond climate change — Ecological disruption calls for a national security reboot* Homeland Security Today Ongoing stresses to critical Earth systems, including to water, food, wildlife, forests and fisheries, heightens the risks of future pandemics, conflict, political instability, loss of social cohesion, economic harm, and other security outcomes. The Converging Risks Lab of the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) has released a landmark report, The Security Threat That Binds Us, that identifies ecological disruption as a major and underappreciated security threat and calls on the United States to reboot its national security architecture and doctrine to better respond to this evolving threat landscape. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Earthquake Resiliency Can Protect California's Affordable Housing Supply Promoted by Optimum Seismic, Inc. How would a massive earthquake impact California’s housing shortage? The answer is obvious. A major earthquake that hits densely-populated urban areas would make California’s housing shortage much worse. LEARN MORE   .CYBERSECURITY NEWS CISA, FBI share recommendations after water treatment hack Route Fifty The first thing federal agencies are advising organizations to do following an intruder’s attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city is to update their Windows operating system. The action is listed as the first mitigation item in an alert with observations of the incident from the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. READ MORE Sensors that track earthquakes are hackable, researchers find Route Fifty Networked sensor systems that measure seismic activity are vulnerable to hacking, which could have implications from monitoring nuclear tests to planning for disaster relief, according to Greek researchers. The data integrity of seismic sensors is no small concern. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE The Ultimate Sandbag Filling Tool If your responsibility includes sandbag production, you realize the biggest challenge is output: the maximum number of bags in the least amount of time. The mobile, low cost ExpressBagger® is a perfect solution if your sandbagging operation uses "people power" and needs a high output with a minimal investment. www.expressbagger.net. LEARN MORE .EM RESOURCES FEMA offers just-in-time recovery management training IAEM FEMA, in collaboration with federal, state, local, private and nonprofit partners, have developed "Just-in-Time Recovery Management Training." The training will provide local government officials with the information they need during the actual post-disaster recovery period, ensuring that local governments are equipped with immediate information to tackle post-disaster recovery necessary for helping communities. The training is a resource that runs parallel with the recovery phases, providing concise material tailored for local governments to ensure a successful long-term post-disaster recovery. Learn more. .NEW INSIGHTS Building a holistic homeland security enterprise system Domestic Preparedness In the United States, a diverse group of agencies and organizations work together to accomplish the homeland security mission. Many of these organizations fall within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Organizations that are not directly a part of DHS act as partners and provide support in various ways. READ MORE .DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS How volcano scientists are teaming up to stop the next big disaster Inverse In the spring of 1980, scientists were getting nervous. Mount Saint Helens, an active volcano in Washington State, was rumbling. Experts poured through decades of research on similar volcanoes in Russia and Japan, looking for ways to predict the damage an eruption might cause and mitigate future disaster. READ MORE .IAEM CERTIFICATION UPDATES IAEM updates study guide for certification test IAEM An updated IAEM Certification Study Guide has been posted, with changes to the Core, U.S.-specific and New Zealand reference lists. The study guide can be found on the Certification Resource page. 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   Match Vaccine Supply with Resident Demand Address challenges around vaccine appointment scheduling. Avoid system crashes that frustrate and confuse residents. Data and targeting features increase reach and facilitate two-way communication. Automate appointment signup to provide clear status information. Generate vaccination heatmaps to discover and address problem areas. Request a Demo!   LEARN MORE   .SURVEY REQUESTS Survey participants needed for study on response to wildlife during emergency response IAEM The Anthrozoology program at Canisius College is conducting a research study focused on response to wildlife during man-made and natural disaster emergency response. This research is aimed at assessing views of wildlife by emergency responders. Participants of the study are emergency response personnel at any level, and any position, including emergency managers. You can help advance this research by completing a survey. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be open until Feb. 24, 2021. Results of the study may help inform emergency response planning and response initiatives to wildlife in a disaster. Study findings will be presented at academic conferences and possibly in a scientific journal. Any publications that result from this study can be shared once they become available. Please contact Mendy Garron, graduate student, Anthrozoology Program, Canisius College, with questions. .EM CALENDAR Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) to hold EMAP Virtual Cohort Training in April 2021 IAEM EMAP has scheduled its Virtual Cohort Training for Apr. 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2021. Is your program is seeking an EMAP accreditation in 2021 or 2022? Do you have an accreditation manager who is trained on the 2019 Emergency Management Standard? Due to the challenges associated with providing classroom-based training during these unprecedented times, EMAP will be providing virtual cohort trainings in 2021. Please do not wait for classroom-based trainings at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). EMI has asked EMAP to transition the Emergency Management Standard Training to a virtual platform indefinitely. These training opportunities fill up quickly, so register online right away. Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) to hold Feb. 25 webinar on 'Resource Management, Mutual Aid and Logistics' IAEM EMAP has scheduled this webinar on Feb. 25, 2:30-4:00 p.m. EST. Have you struggled to understand the documentation needed for the Resource Management, Mutual Aid and Logistics Standard Area? Do you know what EMAP is looking for in terms of your resource gap analysis? These are questions that the webinar will strive to address. The Resource Management, Mutual Aid and Logistics Standard Area is composed of six standards. These standards require documentation of your program's resource management system and processes, resource gap analysis, and donations and volunteer management processes. Learn more about the intent and application of the Resource Management, Mutual Aid and Logistics Standard Area. Register online. NHSA is offering free Feb. 23 webinar on the Oklahoma City bombing and IED incidents IAEM Join the National Homeland Security Association (NHSA) on Feb. 23, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST, for a webinar on “25 Years After the Oklahoma City Bombing: How Far We’ve Come – But Still Need to Go.” Attendees will gain a better understanding of the challenges the nation still faces to prepare for and respond to an IED incident, available resources to them through DHS and the FBI, and the ongoing efforts of DHS, the FBI, and Law Enforcement agencies to help prepare communities for a potential IED attack. The webinar will feature presenters from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Register now. .IAEM-ASIA NEWS India fears another flash flood from new lake CNA via Borneo Bulletin A newly formed Himalayan lake raised fears of another flash flood above a disaster-hit valley in northern India, prompting authorities to conduct helicopter surveys and send a team on a 16-hour climb to investigate. Thirty-six people died and 168 are still missing after a barrage of water and debris hurtled down the valley in the northern state of Uttarakhand with terrifying speed and force last Sunday, obliterating roads and bridges and smashing through dams. READ MORE India's dramatic fall in virus cases leaves experts stumped* The Associated Press When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in India, there were fears it would sink the fragile health system of the world’s second-most populous country. Infections climbed dramatically for months and at one point India looked like it might overtake the United States as the country with the highest case toll. But infections began to plummet in September, and now the country is reporting about 11,000 new cases a day, compared to a peak of nearly 100,000, leaving experts perplexed. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Japan rocked by 'aftershock' from devastating 9.0-magnitude quake that hit in 2011 CNN A powerful earthquake that hit Japan on Saturday was an aftershock of the devastating 9.0 magnitude quake that struck the same area almost 10 years ago, according to the national Meteorological Agency. The 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the country's east coast at 11:07 p.m. Saturday. At least 48 injuries were reported in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, according to state broadcaster NHK, but there were no major casualties. READ MORE 'Snow apocalypse' blankets frozen Moscow Reuters via U.S. News & World Report Heavy snowfalls have buried Moscow in massive snow piles, disrupting transport, delaying flights and making it tough to get around for pedestrians braving strong winds and temperatures of minus 15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit). Russia's emergency service advised people to stay away from trees, warning of winds gusts of 18 metres per second (40 mph). READ MORE At least 6 dead in 133-car pileup in Fort Worth after freezing rain coats roads The Dallas Morning News At least six people died and dozens were taken to hospitals after an accident involving more than 100 vehicles on a Fort Worth interstate Thursday — a pileup that was the most staggering of the crashes that dotted ice-slicked roads across Dallas-Fort Worth. Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis said the crash in the southbound TEXPress lanes of Interstate 35W just north of downtown — two toll lanes between two concrete barriers — was reported shortly after 6 a.m. READ MORE Indonesia landslide kills 10 The Tribune Torrential rains triggered a landslide on Indonesia’s Java that killed at least 10 people on Sunday. Rescuers are digging desperately with their bare hands and farm tools to locate nine missing people, including four children, officials said. Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers took part in the search in the village of Selopuro in East Java’s Nganjuk district, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Raditya Jati said. READ MORE 3 dead, 10 injured after tornado touches down in coastal North Carolina NPR An early morning tornado ripped through coastal North Carolina Tuesday, killing three people, injuring 10 others, and causing damage to homes and leaving residents without power, according to emergency services personnel on scene. The tornado touched down near Ocean Ridge Plantation, a beach community about 45 miles south of Wilmington, N.C., Edward Conrow, the emergency services director for Brunswick County, N.C. told NPR. READ MORE Texas deep freeze hits energy sector, Houston ship channel shut* Reuters A deep freeze that hit Texas over the weekend wrought more havoc on the U.S. energy sector on Tuesday, curbing output in the largest U.S. oil field, knocking out a fifth of the nation’s refining capacity, and shutting a key shipping channel in Houston. READ MORE New Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, DR Congo pose regional risk* Thomson Reuters Foundation Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo are racing to contain fresh outbreaks of Ebola that have killed at least four people, amid fears the virus could spread across the region. It is the first time Ebola has been detected in West Africa since the world's worst outbreak in 2013-2016, which killed 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. READ MORE Guinea reports deadly Ebola outbreak as vaccination begins in DRC Homeland Security News Wire Health officials in Guinea yesterday reported an Ebola outbreak in the southeast, marking the first reappearance of the virus in the country since West Africa’s massive outbreak that spanned 2014 to 2016. Also, another illness was confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is battling a flare-up in North Kivu province, the epicenter of a 2-year outbreak—the world’s second largest—that was declared over in June of 2020. READ MORE 40-degree homes, oncoming snow and fear of the unknown in North Texas TNS via Emergency Management More than 301,000 households were without power in Tarrant County, Texas on Tuesday morning. Many of those homes lost power more than 24 hours earlier and residents had to deal with single digit temperatures outside. As a whole, more than 4 million people we without power in Texas on Tuesday morning. READ MORE   IAEM Dispatch Connect with IAEM Jason Zimmerman, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2686 | 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