This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here April 1, 2021 .ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS IAEM seeks Poster Showcase abstracts by Apr. 23 IAEM The IAEM Poster Showcase call for speakers is open. IAEM seeks students, academics, and practitioners to submit abstracts for either the competitive or non-competitive divisions. Participants have an opportunity to share the significance of their research project, practice, or general findings. Posters will be presented at the IAEM Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Oct. 15-22. Proposals must be submitted in the online portal by 11:59 p.m. CDT, Apr. 23. For information on how to submit and guidelines, check out the Poster Showcase Guidance. Before submitting, watch the recording of the "Tips for Poster Showcase Success" webinar for an overview of the process. IAEM will open the search for 2021 EMvision Talks participants on Apr. 5 IAEM The IAEM EMvision Talks call for speakers will open on Apr. 5. These talks provide a forum for people to share a personal connection to an idea, experience, or passion related to emergency management, leadership, communication, community engagement, or other related topics. Talks are limited to seven minutes and will be held live on the plenary stage on Oct. 19, 2021, at the IAEM 2021 Annual Conference. To apply, submit a biography and abstract. Review the Speaker Guidance for more information. Time is running out to access the IAEM Reimagined Virtual Conference on-demand content IAEM This is a reminder to conference registrants to view all speaker presentations online before Apr. 16, 2021, to receive up to 48.5 contact hours that may be used towards IAEM certification. If you have not registered, there is still time to sign up and begin learning. Registration fees are just $199 for individual (member and non-member) or $99 for student members. Registration includes: All breakout and plenary sessions. The ever-popular EMvision Talks – seven thought-provoking presentations. 26 poster presentations. Video overviews of the latest EM products and services from the EMEX virtual hall. The 2020 Yearbook of Honors, featuring the 2020 award winners. Register on the IAEM website.  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Esri Download the e-book: Real-time Solutions for Emergency Management Operations Crowd Sourced Damage Assessments Expedite Recovery of Oklahoma Emergency Management Needs Map in Turkey Connects Earthquake Victims with Critical Aid, Care The New Hurricane Landscape and Where Your Preparedness Plans May Be Falling Short Understand Hurricane Forecasts and Impacts with the Hurricane Aware Application .IAEM SCHOLARSHIP IAEM Scholarship Spring Online Auction features gifts for mother's day, family vacations, and challenge coins IAEM The IAEM Scholarship Program’s 2021 Spring Online Auction is now open through Apr. 19, 2021. Take a moment to view the catalog of items and find a special present for Mother’s Day or a nice family vacation that is close to home. Bid now on some of these items: Italian silver jewelry. Kentucky Bourbon Trail getaway for two. 3-day/2-night stay in a railway caboose in the Smoky Mountains on a buffalo ranch. COVID response challenge coins. Three nights in “Sweet Retreat,” a home that sleeps 8 near the Sequoia National Park. Historic dude ranch getaway. Language or guitar lessons. Vacation to Sonoma wine country. Visit the auction website to set up your Bidding for Good account. Contact IAEM Scholarship Program Director Dawn Shiley for assistance. Need money for school? IAEM The IAEM Scholarship Program now is accepting applications from full-time undergraduate and full- and part-time graduate students for the 2021 scholarship awards. Students must be working toward a degree in emergency management, disaster management, or a closely related field of study. Undergraduate and graduate applications with complete instructions are available on the IAEM website. The application deadline is 11:59:59 p.m. EDT, May 17, 2021. Questions may be directed to Scholarship Program Director Dawn Shiley.  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-CANADA COUNCIL NEWS New federally funded online mental health service is available to Quebec's Public Safety Personnel The Suburban COVID-19 has had a significant impact on mental health. Lockdowns, physical distancing, fear of contracting the virus and economic uncertainty have all been reported. According to a recent Ipsos study, 43 percent of Quebec respondents reported increased stress or anxiety. READ MORE Canada publishes first ever drone strategy Homeland Security Today Transport Canada has published its Drone Strategy, which provides the government’s strategic vision for drones, with a focus on raising awareness of the significance of drones, the untapped economic potential of the sector, and the priorities that will drive Transport Canada going forward. Initiated in 2015, the strategy is the first of its kind for Canada. Canada currently has over 53,000 drones registered alongside almost 37,000 registered traditional aircraft, and more than 51,000 pilot certificates have been issued. 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 .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS With increase in severe disasters, FEMA nominee vows to focus on resilience, workforce Homeland Security Today President Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency stressed that “mitigation is so critically important in today’s time as we see an increase in the number and severity of disasters,” telling senators at her confirmation hearing that “the best way for us to protect against that is to try to reduce risk.” Deanne Criswell, who was appointed commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department in 2019, was nominated as the next FEMA administrator on Feb. 22. Bob Fenton has been leading the agency as acting administrator since Pete Gaynor left at the end of the Trump administration. READ MORE Join the NWS on Apr. 7 and share your 'safe place' with a selfie IAEM #SafePlaceSelfie Day is April 7! On that day, please join our friends at the National Weather Service and tweet a selfie in your safe place from hazardous weather. The goal is to prompt your followers to identify their safe space and increase awareness and readiness. Tweets can be serious, funny or both (one person held a rubber chicken as a noisemaker, many wear bike helmets, etc.). Feel free to tag @NWS, use #SafePlaceSelfie and/or link to https://www.weather.gov/safety/. You might even want to challenge a colleague during the event. The NWS thanks the emergency management community in advance for taking this quick action to boost preparedness.  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 California's congressional delegations ask federal agencies to bolster wildfire fighting efforts The Mercury News California’s U.S. senators and nearly two dozen representatives asked the Agriculture and Interior departments on Monday to transition their agencies to a year-round wildland workforce because blazes are no longer limited to traditional fire seasons. The move would require reclassifying more seasonal federal firefighter positions as permanent, said a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. READ MORE FEMA resumes campus-based training IAEM After suspending in-person training at the agency’s campuses in March 2020, FEMA will reopen its campuses with reduced student populations on April 5, 2021. In-person training will resume at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama, and at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, which is home to the Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire Academy. Upon reopening, FEMA will test all students and instructors for COVID-19 – including those who have been partially or fully vaccinated against the virus – once upon their arrival on campus and a second time 72 hours later. All staff members will also be routinely tested. In addition, daily temperature checks of all students, instructors, and staff will be conducted and, if warranted, additional COVID-19 testing may be performed. FEMA will also require all students, instructors, and staff to use cloth face coverings and social distance while on campus. Additionally, students will be billeted in single rooms with private bathrooms at both campuses. Students at the Center for Domestic Preparedness will be provided to-go meals, while students at the National Emergency Training Center will be served cafeteria-style meals in dining areas where they will be expected to social distance. Any changes to scheduled course deliveries will be communicated to students and instructors no later than the Thursday prior to the course start dates. .IAEM NEWS Deadline for articles extended to Apr. 6 for IAEM Bulletin's first 2021 special focus issue on 'COVID-19: Emergency Management a Year Later' IAEM The IAEM Editorial Committee has extended the deadline to Apr. 6 to submit feature articles for the first 2021 special focus issue of the IAEM Bulletin. The topic of the April 2021 issue will be “COVID-19: Emergency Management a Year Later.” A year ago, we were struggling with even calling COVID-19 a problem. How have the experiences of dealing with the pandemic influenced you and your approach to emergency management? What have you learned about yourself and the opportunities for growth, development, change and synergy as we move into the next new normal? Review the author’s guidelines, and mail articles of 750 to 1,500 words in Word or text format to IAEM Bulletin Editor Karen Thompson. Visit the IAEM Bulletin webpage to learn about the additional three 2021 special focus issue topics. .EM NEWS GAO: USGS makes progress on early warning system for earthquakes but improvements needed in program management Homeland Security Today The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reviewed the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program (EHP), which seeks to reduce the threats posed by earthquakes and related perils such as tsunamis. Earthquakes and related hazards are a significant threat to people and infrastructure in the U.S. For instance, magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes centered west of Searles Valley in California, struck in July 2019, causing over $5 billion in damage. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Resilience Reduce Earthquake Disaster Risk Promoted by Optimum Seismic, Inc. The best way to prepare for disaster is to ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” LEARN MORE   Homeland security for radiological and nuclear threats Homeland Security News Wire Radiation exposure events are complicated: there is a variety of radiation sources, and since radiation is invisible, and its effect may not always be immediately apparent, first responders and emergency services must prepare for a "worried well" of people requiring attention: individuals who do not have other physical injuries but are concerned about whether they have received a radiation exposure. READ MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE COVID-19: After a year of study, misinformation persists Emergency Management In reflecting on a year of COVID-19, Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, Treatment and Management Guidelines Expert Panel chair and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said we finally have sufficient data to treat the disease, but that’s still not enough. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Be Ready for Flooding Season 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 .CLIMATE/WATER/WEATHER UPDATES Weather experts advise retiring or redefining 'tornado alley,' saying it's misleading The Washington Post via Bennington Banner When one thinks of dangerous weather, “tornado alley” might come to mind — a strip of real estate running from Texas and Oklahoma through Kansas and Nebraska, home to violent twisters that have captivated minds and dominated folklore for decades. But your greatest risk of being hit by a tornado isn’t actually in tornado alley. Nor are your highest chances of being killed by a twister. READ MORE .CYBERSECURITY NEWS The riskiest 'smart city' technologies, according to cybersecurity experts Route Fifty Certain “smart city” technologies are likely to be far more vulnerable to cyberattacks and attractive to hackers than others, according to a new report. It’s something local governments may want to consider as they build out higher-tech infrastructure. READ MORE The Biden team is ramping up efforts to protect the grid Government Technology The Biden administration is escalating efforts to safeguard the U.S. power grid from hackers, developing a plan to better coordinate with industry to counter threats and respond to attacks, said people familiar with the matter. Top administration officials, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger, briefed top utility industry executives on the efforts in a March 16 meeting, said the people, who requested anonymity because the session was private. READ MORE DHS chief Mayorkas outlines 60-day cybersecurity goals Roll Call Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on Wednesday outlined several steps the department and its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would undertake in the next 60 days to address gaps in cybersecurity. Mayorkas said the department is launching a series of so-called 60-day sprints. “Each is focused on the most important and most urgent priorities needed to achieve our goals,” he said, speaking remotely at the annual RSA Conference of information security experts. READ MORE GAO: US faces grave and rapidly evolving cyber threats Homeland Security Today A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the federal government needs to move with greater urgency to improve the nation’s cybersecurity as the country faces “grave and rapidly evolving threats”. The report, which is an update on previous work, sets out the critical actions needed to address four major challenges that GAO identified back in 2018: READ MORE PRODUCT SHOWCASE Online Executive Programs at Harvard Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School is an invaluable educational and networking opportunity for leaders seeking to make a difference. Explore upcoming online programs, including Leadership in Crises and Strategic Leadership, featuring live sessions with Harvard faculty. Browse our 2021 Program Guide to find the program right for you.   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   .EM RESOURCES FEMA updates Core Capabilities Development Sheets with revised training courses IAEM FEMA released 48 updated Core Capability Development Sheets, which include revised suggested training for each core capability. The Core Capability Development Sheets provide state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions with suggestions for how to improve their core capabilities and close capability gaps identified through the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), the Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR), or other capability analysis. First released in June 2017, each Core Capability Development Sheet provides the core capability definition and tasks, relevant trainings, example capability targets, typed resources, critical planning partners, validation techniques, and additional organizations that support the development of the specific core capability. .NEW INSIGHTS Building togetherness in the face of disaster The University of Melbourne Social connection is key for helping people to weather and recover from traumatic disasters like bushfires, according to a major 10-year study into Australia’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria that killed 173 people. The report is a timely reminder of the importance of community re-building given that survivors of 2019’s Black Summer fires that ravaged much of NSW and Victoria will have had their own recovery efforts hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. READ MORE .DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS Using AI to better understand natural hazards and disasters Technology Times Meteorologists, aiming to protect increasingly populous countries and communities, are tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) to get them the edge in early detection and disaster relief. Al shows great potential to support data collection and monitoring, the reconstruction and forecasting of extreme events, and effective and accessible communication before and during a disaster. READ MORE NEC drone technology locates missing natural disaster victims by mobile phone Intelligent Aerospace NEC Laboratories Europe has prototyped new, AI-enabled drone technology that quickly locates natural disaster victims using their mobile phones or smart devices in areas with damaged or no cellular infrastructure. READ MORE How natural disasters spur new technologies, save lives The Asahi Shimbun Innovation often comes at a price, and this was never more true in Japan where a rash of natural disasters over the last decade gave birth to all sorts of life-saving refinements in methods and services using information and communication technology. The list is impressive. For example, a map showing unblocked roads was released online in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Small Safety Teams Respond to Mass Crises Promoted by Omnilert People find themselves in varying situations during an emergency, which require specific instructions to best guide each individual to safety. Similarly, those individuals can provide intelligence as the situation dynamically unfolds. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to open a dialog and manage the incoming information from a large group of people under duress. So, how can small safety teams respond to mass crises? The answer to this question is “mass engagement.” Mass engagement allows a large audience to be easily subdivided into groups, which can be contacted and queried independently as to their specific needs and observations. LEARN MORE   Embracing resilience: At a crossroad of opportunity Domestic Preparedness March 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake. On the afternoon of 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.1 megathrust earthquake struck where the Pacific Plate subducts underneath the Honshu region of Japan. This was a massive event. The earthquake rupture lasted 150-160 seconds, with shaking in many communities felt for five or more minutes. The energy released by the earthquake could power the city of Los Angeles for more than a year. READ MORE .IAEM CERTIFICATION UPDATES IAEM Certification Webinar Series launches in April IAEM The Certification Webinar Series is a free program created to assist candidates in obtaining their certification with IAEM. This series of short, valuable experiences will demonstrate to candidates that certification is attainable. Each 30-minute presentation will conclude with a 30-minute question and answer session with certification commissioners. The series will be offered: Apr.7 Introduction to the Certification Webinar Series, Essay Apr. 21 Training, Letters of Reference, Exam, Certification Fees May 5 Experience/Work History, Degree Documentation May 19 Professional Contributions To register for the Certification Webinar Series, visit the Certification Webinar Series webpage. Direct questions to info@iaem.com. Please note, attendance at these webinars do not count towards training hours for your application. New AEM®/CEM® Study Guide now available IAEM IAEM has published a new version of the AEM®/CEM® exam study guide on the IAEM website. Use this updated version as you prepare for the IAEM certification exam. A new version of the New Zealand exam will go live on May 15, 2021. Use the reference lists in the updated study guide to prepare for the new version of the exam. .IAEM MEMBER NEWS Disaster Tech appoints Richard Serino to Board of Directors IAEM Disaster Tech, a leader in decision science technologies for emergency management, announced that Rich Serino, distinguished senior fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, senior advisor, MIT Urban Risk Lab, and former deputy administrator of FEMA, has joined the company's Board of Directors. Serino brings to Disaster Tech's Board more than 40 years of experience in disaster preparedness, response, recovery, mass casualty incidents, and leadership and innovation in government. Serino joins Disaster Tech's Board as billion-dollar weather and climate disasters accelerate globally, accelerating the demand for innovation in emergency management. Serino, a member of IAEM, is the moderator or IAEM-NPLI PrepTalks. Queen Creek emergency management coordinator recognized for 25 years of service Queen Creek Independent Just the second employee to reach this milestone. Joe LaFortune, the Town of Queen Creek’s emergency management coordinator is being honored for serving the town for 25 years. Mr. LaFortune started as a management intern in 1996 working for the town engineer. He has served in various capacities over 20 years, including management assistant, assistant to the town manager and Public Safety Division manager. READ MORE .EM CALENDAR IAEM-USA Access & Inclusion Caucus to sponsor Apr. 7 webinar on 'Emergency Managers' Guide to DAFN Best Practices' IAEM The IAEM-USA Access and Inclusion Caucus will sponsor a webinar on what emergency managers need to know about Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) best practices on Apr. 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. A panel of experts will address key issues in COVID-19 response and recovery, such as workplace and telework considerations, education issues, vaccination, and other topics. This webinar will provide guidance on how to approach COVID prevention and response inclusively. Panelists will include: Rodney Garrott, regional disability integration specialist, FEMA Region V; Jim House, disability integration manager, Coalition of Inclusive Emergency Planning, Washington State Independent Living; Michael Houston, regional disability integration specialist, FEMA Region VIII; Sadie Martinez, CDPS, Access and Functional Needs coordinator, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Bryan Russell, project manager, Disability and Health Program, Florida Department of Health; and Vance Taylor, chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The moderator will be Anne-Marie McLaughlin, director of emergency management and continuity, NYU. Register online. IAEM-USA Region 5 invites IAEM members to attend its Spring Conference, May 14 IAEM IAEM-USA Region 5 will be hosting its first ever Spring Conference is inviting all IAEM members to attend. The conference is scheduled to be held virtually on Friday, May 14, 2021, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT. The cost per attendee for conference cost is $20. The program includes: IAEM Update – IAEM-USA President Judd Freed IAEM Conference Update – IAEM-USA Conference Chair Mike Gavin FEMA Update – FEMA Region 5 Acting Administrator Kevin Sligh Lessons Learned from Nashville Vehicle IED – State of Tennessee Director of Emergency Management Patrick Sheehan Integrated Preparedness Plan Training – Indiana State Planning Director Peri Rogowski To register and for additional details, visit the regional conference webpage. Direct questions to Region 5 Secretary Ryan McEwan. .IAEM-JAPAN NEWS Tokyo high-rises prepare to help people stranded in disasters The Asahi Shimbun Towering buildings on some of the most expensive real estate in the country are gearing up to accept people stranded in central Tokyo in the event of a natural disaster. Doubling as temporary shelters, the skyscrapers are expected to offer not only food and blankets but also power generators and other anti-disaster facilities. Such features are believed to directly increase the values of the structures. READ MORE Risk of huge earthquake stays high on Japan's Pacific side The Japan Times The possibility of a powerful earthquake occurring over the next 30 years remains high on the Pacific side of Japan, the government has said. The 2020 seismic hazard map, released Friday by the government’s Earthquake Research Committee, showed the probabilities of a quake measuring at least a lower 6, the third-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD 'Worst flooding event' since 2010: Torrential rains leave deadly wake, large cleanup effort The Tennessean Torrential rains slammed into the Nashville region overnight, pushing creeks and rivers past their banks and leaving at least four people dead Sunday morning, authorities said. The storm that hit Tennessee brought the second-highest two-day rainfall total in Nashville history, and the most for a single day in March. More than 100 people needed to be rescued from flooded cars, apartments and homes, authorities said. READ MORE Volcano in Guatemala has erupted for 50 days, closes airport Yahoo News Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano has been erupting for just under two months, disrupting life for nearby villagers and destroying coffee and avocado plantations. For 50 days the volcano has maintained “high levels" of activity with persistent eruptions, ash clouds and lava spewing out, officials said. While there haven't been any reports of fatalities or injuries, the 2.2-km-long lava flow along the west flank of the volcano has damaged coffee and avocado plantations in its path. READ MORE Alabama, Georgia pick up the pieces after deadly tornadoes The Associated Press via WWBT-TV Chainsaws buzzed through fallen trees, stunned residents dug in the rubble that had been their homes, and neighbors rushed in to help on Friday after multiple tornadoes ripped a path of devastation across the Deep South. At least five people were killed. As many as 10 tornadoes — an estimated eight in Alabama and two in Georgia — carved a tremendous path of devastation on Thursday, uprooting 100-year-old trees, stripping roofs from houses, seriously damaging schools and businesses, and scattering treasured family possessions far and wide. READ MORE 40,000 evacuated, at least 2 dead in massive Australian floods NPR Days of torrential rain have spawned massive flooding in eastern Australia, forcing the evacuation of some 40,000 people. In the country's arid central section, it has sent waterfalls down the side of the country's majestic Uluru rocks. Barely a year after devastating bush fires burned through tens of millions of acres in Australia, the country is grappling with one of its worst floods after weather systems converged over Queensland and New South Wales, dumping more than 20 inches of rain in a single day in one area north of Brisbane. 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