This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here April 14, 2022 .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Two speaking opportunities remain open for the 2022 IAEM Annual Conference IAEM There is still time to apply and be selected to present at the 2022 IAEM Annual Conference, Nov. 11-17, 2022, in Savannah, Georgia. Apply now to participate in the IAEM Poster Showcase and/or the EMvision Talks. Applications for the Poster Showcase close on Apr. 22. It is an information sharing event and allows participants to convey to a wide audience of EM practitioners and scholars the significance of their research project, practice, or general findings. View the webinar on “Tips for Poster Showcase Success.” You do not need to produce the poster prior to your application. Download the requirements and how to submit your abstract. Applications for the EMvision Talks close on May 6. IAEM’s EMvision Talks are modeled on the TED™ Talk format and are limited to seven minutes. The EMvision Talks provide a forum for people to share a personal connection to an idea, experience, or passion related to emergency management, leadership, health & wellness, inclusion, communication, community engagement, or other related topics. Learn the requirements and how to submit a proposal. .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS IAEM and NEMA issue annual report on EMPG return on investment IAEM Last week, IAEM and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) released the joint annual report entitled “Emergency Management Performance Grant: An Evaluation of the Nation’s Return on Investment.” In Fiscal Year 2021, 123 state and approximately 350 local emergency operations centers helped officials coordinate efforts for 21,482 events using EMPG funds. In addition, state and local emergency managers developed, maintained, or updated 4,409 plans addressing all types of emergency response, recovery, and mitigation needs, many of which were related to issues driven by the COVID-19 pandemic response. More than 322,309 participants took part in 2,525 state and local workshops, drills, and functional full-scale exercises, while 3,257 individual and community preparedness outreach campaigns impacted nearly 105 million residents across the nation. FEMA accepts video submissions for 2022 Partnership Month IAEM This July, FEMA is hosting a virtual exhibitor hall to celebrate Voluntary Agency Coordination Partnership Month. Videos will be hosted in the virtual hall as part of a month-long celebration of the strong partnerships that make emergency management possible. Organizations are invited to create a short video to be featured as part of the gallery. There is no cost to exhibit during this event; advertising or soliciting donations or the sale of items during this footage/video is prohibited; and the video should focus on increasing awareness of the valuable services and support FEMA partners provide before, during and after disasters. Videos must be one minute or less in length, in MP4 format, at 1080p resolution, with a file size of 100MB or less. Videos should provide closed captioning by including a script of the dialogue as well as an .SRT file. For questions and video submissions, email fema-r8hostedpartnershipmonth@fema.dhs.gov. To view last year’s videos, visit the Partnership Month website. Videos must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT, June 1. HHS renews COVID-19 PHE declaration IAEM To help meet the needs of the nation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, effective April 16. The first U.S. public health emergency declaration for COVID-19 was signed in January 2020. It has been renewed every 90 days in adherence to the law. Renewing the public health emergency declaration ensures health care providers and state and territorial health departments have continued flexibility to respond to the pandemic, helping save lives. These flexibilities support efforts such as rapid patient care during emergencies, including waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for certain requirements under section 1135 of the Social Security Act. HHS will provide states and territories with no less than 60 days’ notice prior to the termination of the public health emergency declaration for COVID-19. Read the latest on the ASPR website. .GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS FEMA releases funding notice for EMPG program — application deadline is June 13 IAEM On Apr. 13, FEMA released the funding notice for the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) program, making $405.1 million available to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in developing their emergency management capabilities and for all-hazards preparedness activities. The program focuses on planning, operations, equipment acquisitions, training, exercises, construction, and renovation. The application period closes at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 13. This is one of the highest ever annual amounts awarded for this grant, because of the combined release of $355.1 million through annual appropriations and an additional $50 million in funding through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Information is available on the FEMA website.  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Rave Mobile Safety Securing Soft Targets with the Help of Mass Notification Systems Keep Your Government Buildings Protected with Rave’s Safety & Protection Solution 2022 Crisis Communication and Safety in Education – Survey Report Proven Practices for Streamlined Employee Communications in Healthcare 4 Ways Desktop Notifications Can Make a Difference When it Comes to Critical Communication FEMA provides resources for upcoming Homeland Security Grant Program opportunities IAEM In advance of the release of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency Grant Programs Directorate is making available the following resources: Key Changes Fact Sheet FAQs These documents are being made available in advance of the NOFO release to provide applicants as much time as possible to develop projects and investments that address the HSGP requirements, including changes to the National Priority Areas, and Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities allocations. These documents are available at Homeland Security Grant Program | FEMA.gov. .EM NEWS EMAP seeks a training coordinator IAEM The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) has announced a search for a training coordinator. This position requires familiarity with adult education program development and delivery, and the ability to deliver instruction in on-site as well as virtual classroom settings. It manages the EMAP training activities and interacts with members of the staff team, customers, and instructors. This position is responsible for curriculum development and delivery of standards-based training, monthly showcase webinars, managing a cadre of qualified trainers, and related duties. The full job description is available on the Association and Society Management International website. This is the same firm that manages IAEM. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover message to Nicole Ishmael.  PRODUCT SHOWCASE GET YOUR 72 HOUR KIT. 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LEARN MORE GridExVI finds communications challenges that could cripple response to attacks on power grid* Homeland Security Today Participants in a wide-ranging exercise to test the response to an attack on the power grid among industry and government as well as interdependent critical infrastructure sectors found that communications and information sharing were “severely strained” in a complex cyber-physical attack scenario and could “essentially halt the grid restoration process.” The North American Electric Reliability Corporation wrapped up its GridEx VI exercise, managed by NERC’s Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), on Nov. 18, and released its report on lessons learned recently. READ MORE .NEW INSIGHTS Emergency management must resist the status quo: Opinion Government Technology As we wade into another year, with COVID still around and more disasters lurking, let’s think about how we engage the next generation of emergency managers. What do we need to teach them? How do we prepare them for success in a post-pandemic, climate changing, no-fail world? This goes beyond new FEMA Independent Study training courses to create or advertising more effectively for emergency management job opportunities. 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 An analysis of NFIRS data for selected wildfires including impacts in wildland urban interface areas* Homeland Security Today This analysis compares the publicly reported loss metrics (e.g., deaths, injuries, dollar losses and acres burned) from media and government sources for 6 named wildfires between 2016 and 2018 with the data reported by local fire departments to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The 6 wildfires were selected by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to reflect a diversity of wildland urban interface (WUI) conditions, land management responsibilities, locations, terrains and climates. READ MORE When crisis management becomes conflict management* Harvard Business Review The psychological toll of the pandemic has challenged workers and managers in a variety of ways. As we head into the third year of COVID, a new issue has sprung up: “splitting,” a mental defense mechanism which allows us to tolerate difficult and even unbearable emotions by seeing someone or something as either heroes or villains, good or bad, “with us” or “against us.” This can result in tension and conflict. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by University of Southern California MS in Emergency Management from the University of Southern California 100% online, no GRE required, complete in 1 or 2 years Develop the strategic and analytical skills necessary for leaders in times of crisis Master critical leadership and communication skills for effective emergency management Learn from a dedicated faculty team with global emergency management experience .CLIMATE/WATER/WEATHER UPDATES New national water alliance aims to predict water-related hazards, manage U.S. water resources Homeland Security News Wire The new Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) is composed of 28 academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and government and industry partners across the United States and Canada, aiming to better predict water-related hazards and manage the nation’s water resources. READ MORE .CYBERSECURITY NEWS FCC chair convenes interagency cybersecurity forum principals meeting* Homeland Security Today Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently convened the first principals-level meeting of the recently relaunched Cybersecurity Forum for Independent and Executive Branch Regulators. The Forum consists of regulatory agencies with oversight across all sectors of the U.S. economy. The purpose of the group is to increase the overall effectiveness of the nation’s cybersecurity efforts by identifying and exploring opportunities to align, leverage, and de-conflict cross-sector approaches to cybersecurity protection. READ MORE GAO promotes need for public-private 'partnerships' in cybersecurity policy Nextgov The current trend in national security threats imply public-private partnerships are needed to protect U.S. critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, the Government Accountability Office said in a report stemming from the agency’s plan for the next five to 15 years. The insight that “public-private partnerships” will be important for cybersecurity is not surprising, but the term has become synonymous with voluntary arrangments in policy circles on the issue. READ MORE Are smart buildings the next target for cyberattacks? Homeland Security Today Today’s smart buildings rely on hundreds to thousands of IoT sensors and computers connected to local servers and the internet to automate functionalities like controlling lighting, climate and elevators, as well as fire detection, video surveillance and badge access. These sensors, used in conjunction with Building Automation System (BAS), provide a mountain of valuable insights and actionable data about building condition and performance. Yet, they often lack basic cybersecurity features, making them prone to cyberattacks. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Asbestos? Lead? It Pays To Do Things Right Promoted by Optimum Seismic, Inc. Many older homes and apartment buildings contain lead and asbestos. Owners sometimes downplay the health hazards these substances pose to humans and the environment alike, and feel tempted to bypass the rules by removing these contaminants undercover — hoping that no one finds out. LEARN MORE   Securing & protecting the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure Domestic Preparedness The economics of providing cybersecurity have become a significant challenge due to finite resources that could limit or reduce attacks targeting U.S. industries on private infrastructure networks. Additional comprehensive congressional legislation to enforce greater private industry reporting parameters is needed but has often failed due to partisan disagreement and the inadequate resources of private sector entities. READ MORE 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 of active exploitation. These types of vulnerabilities are a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risk to the federal enterprise. READ MORE .EM RESOURCES FEMA's podcast relaunches with new focus, format* Homeland Security Today FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced that FEMA is relaunching the agency’s podcast, “Before, During & After” across multiple platforms today. The podcast will offer a new format with information and insights tailored to the nation’s emergency management community. READ MORE .DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS Warning sirens a relic of the past as emergency agencies move to phone-based alerts The Intelligencer The long, low wail of siren that could be heard in Wheeling during a late March tornado warning was loud enough to carry for miles – an easy enough fact to check as it is among the last of its kind in the region, according to emergency officials at the local and state level. For Wheeling residents, any siren sound heard was, in fact, traveling across the Ohio River from somewhere in Ohio, according to Lou Vargo, director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. READ MORE .IAEM MEMBER NEWS Former department head returning to helm of Volusia County Emergency Management* Volusia County via Ormond Beach Observer Jim Judge will be returning to a familiar role with Volusia County government. Judge, the face of Volusia County Emergency Management for seven-and-a-half years, stepped down from the position in January 2021. His retirement, however, was short lived, as Judge was re-hired in November 2021 to serve as deputy public protection director. And now, he’ll be returning to his position as head of emergency management. READ MORE .EM CALENDAR Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group virtual meeting scheduled for Apr. 26-27 IAEM Registration for the ICSJWG 2022 Spring Virtual Meeting is now open. The meeting will take place online from April 26 to April 27, 2022. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hosts the Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group (ICSJWG) to facilitate information sharing and reduce the risk to the nation’s industrial control systems. The ICSJWG provides a vehicle for communicating and partnering across all Critical Infrastructure (CI) Sectors between federal agencies and departments, as well as private asset owners/operators of industrial control systems. The goal of the ICSJWG is to continue and enhance the collaborative efforts of the industrial control systems stakeholder community in securing CI by accelerating the design, development, and deployment of secure industrial control systems. Register for the event here. FEMA is offering Apr. 21 webinar on 'FEMA Guidance on Public Assistance Deadlines' IAEM Since the start of the pandemic, FEMA has provided critical assistance that has helped communities across the country save lives and protect public health and safety. As of Mar. 31, 2022, FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program has provided more than $43 billion to state, local, tribal nation, and territorial (SLTT) governments and eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations to reimburse a wide variety of projects. Thanks in part to FEMA assistance, the nation has made significant progress in the fight against COVID-19. Considering this progress, FEMA is establishing several deadlines for the Public Assistance program to assist SLTT and eligible private nonprofits in making their requests for Public Assistance and submitting their applications for funding for COVID-19-related work conducted under the 100% federal cost-share. FEMA will hold a webinar to explain deadlines and provide guidance on submitting Requests for Public Assistance on Apr. 21 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Join the webinar using the Zoom link and passcode: 0422. .IAEM-EUROPA NEWS Greece to introduce tougher punishment for accidental arsonists* Greek City Times Greece is set to introduce tougher punishment for "accidental" arsonists, according to Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides. Stylianides said his ministry is set to call for tougher penalties against people responsible for the outbreak of fires through negligence in the wake of the blaze in Kassandra, Halkidiki, in northern Greece which was, according to all indications, due to human error. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Eight tornadoes in SC last week — almost the yearly average Government Technology At least eight tornadoes struck South Carolina on Tuesday last week, approaching the state's yearly average in a single day. The National Weather Service of Columbia states that five counties suffered damage from the twisters, one of which reached powerful EF-3 status, meaning it generated winds between 136 and 165 mph. The NWS now estimates that eight tornadoes hit the state, up from the five it had estimated late last week. READ MORE South Africa's Durban floods: At least 45 die as rain and mudslides cause havoc* BBC News At least 45 people in South Africa have been killed in floods caused by days of heavy rain, the authorities say. It happened in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, where many people are still missing and emergency services are searching for survivors. READ MORE Dozens killed in Philippines landslides and floods as tropical storm Megi hits The Guardian Rescuers hampered by mud and rain have used their bare hands and shovels to search for survivors of landslides that smashed into villages in the central Philippines, as the death toll from tropical storm Megi rose to 42. More than 17,000 people fled their homes as the storm pummelled the disaster-prone region in recent days, flooding houses, severing roads and knocking out power. READ MORE Area near Little Rock, Arkansas, hit by 'large, extremely dangerous' tornado CNN A storm system lashing states from Oklahoma into the Midwest brought tornadoes and hail to Arkansas Monday. A tornado emergency was declared by the National Weather Service office in Little Rock, Arkansas, for a confirmed large and destructive tornado. The weather service said the tornado was reported by an observer at Little Rock Air Force Base. 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. 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