This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here April 21, 2022 .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Last call for poster submissions for the IAEM Annual Conference — deadline is tomorrow, Apr. 22 IAEM The call for submissions for the Poster Showcase will close tomorrow, Apr. 22, at 11:59:50 p.m. CDT. The Poster Showcase at the IAEM Annual Conference allows participants to present the significance of their research project, practice, or general findings to practitioners and scholars in the emergency management community. For more information, visit the conference website. Submit proposals by May 6 to become an EMvision Talk speaker at the 2022 IAEM Annual Conference IAEM IAEM now is accepting abstracts for the popular EMvision Talks. The talks will be held at the IAEM Annual Conference and EMEX in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 11-17, 2022. IAEM’s EMvision Talks are modeled on the TED™ Talk format. They 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. The talks are limited to seven minutes. Step-by-Step instructions and information needed to complete the online submission form are found in the Speaker Submission Guidance. To be considered, applicants must submit an abstract for the first round of review by 11:59:59 p.m. CDT, Friday, May 6, 2022. .IAEM-OCEANIA COUNCIL NEWS Report outlines racism toward Aboriginal Australians during worst bushfires on record* VOA Indigenous Australians experienced racism and unfair treatment during the catastrophic "Black Summer" bushfires, according to new research. It has found that First Nations communities suffered more than other groups because of failures by the authorities during the crisis. Australia's "Black Summer" was its most intense bushfire season on record. New research released this week has found that large numbers of Indigenous people suffered "extreme trauma" from both the fires and the emergency response. They were turned away from evacuation centers and ignored in disaster management plans. READ MORE .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS FEMA updates state and local mitigation planning policy guides IAEM FEMA updated its state and local mitigation planning policy guides to reflect programmatic and administrative regulatory changes. The updated policies facilitate consistent evaluation and approval of state and local hazard mitigation plans and promote mitigation planning and risk-informed decision-making. They also support stakeholders in meeting federal requirements with their hazard mitigation plans to receive certain types of funding. The policies will become effective for all mitigation plan approvals one year from the official release date. This provides a one-year transition period for state and local governments to meet the new requirements. FEMA will host external webinars on the policy updates. A webinar on updates to the state mitigation planning policy will be held from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EDT on May 10. To attend this webinar, register in advance on FEMA.gov. A webinar on updates to the local mitigation planning policy will be held from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EDT on May 12. To attend this webinar, register in advance on FEMA.gov. Visit FEMA’s Policy Update webpage to learn more. FEMA announces equity action plan IAEM FEMA is pleased to announce the publication of its first agency-wide equity plan. The plan was initiated by the Biden-Harris administration’s whole-of-government equity agenda. FEMA’s plan outlines how the agency has, and will continue to, integrate equity into its programs. In the last year, FEMA has taken concrete steps to increase equitable outcomes. It has focused efforts by creating a FEMA-wide equity definition and framework and integrating it into the FEMA strategic plan. An equity steering group is reviewing policies, procedures, plans, and guidance agency-wide to ensure they drive equitable outcomes. The agency is enhancing its external engagement with the public by soliciting input on FEMA programs, regulations, and collections of information. It also is continuing its robust engagement with the emergency management community at large. FEMA’s Equity Action Plan commits the agency to take its equity commitment even further into the future. It includes expanding public assistance to prioritize the needs of high-risk, underserved communities, building the resilience of nonprofit organizations, and investing in resources to help advance civil rights.  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 has scheduled NDRF Listening Sessions IAEM The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) was last updated in 2016. Looking at the past six years of disaster activity, it is apparent that the nation’s approach to recovery and the importance of refining and improving upon our shared framework is critical to addressing the nation’s most difficult immediate and long-term disaster challenges. FEMA is taking the important steps necessary to document what has been learned and applying these adjustments through the revisions that will be included in the upcoming 3rd Edition of the NDRF. The NDRF update process started with a series of visioning and listening sessions with FEMA and federal stakeholders from Nov. 2021-Mar. 2022. These sessions provided valuable insight into five key focus areas where the NDRF team should focus its update efforts: equitable outcomes, climate resilience, resource alignment, roles and responsibilities, and mission integration. Now, FEMA is seeking input from its state, tribal, and territorial leaders, volunteer organizations, and non-government and professional organizations partners to ensure the NDRF update will facilitate a more collaborative approach to disaster recovery. Listening sessions have been scheduled for partners to provide input for the 3rd Edition NDRF. Registration is open for sessions on the following days: 10:00 a.m. EDT on Apr. 26; 1:00 p.m. EDT on May 3; and 3:00 p.m. EDT on May 19. Questions may be directed to the NDRF project co-leads, Kimberly Torbert and Tina Velcich. Additionally, if you are unable to join one of the sessions, reach out to Tina or Kim for information on additional ways to provide feedback to FEMA or to find out if additional listening sessions are added. .EM NEWS Many factors influenced the severity of burns from Oregon's 2020 megafires Homeland Security News Wire In early September 2020, severe winds, high heat, and prolonged drought conditions led to the explosive growth of wildfires along the western slopes of the Cascades Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. New research confirms that extreme winds over the Labor Day holiday were the primary driver of the destructive force of the fires yet demonstrates how forest vegetation structure (e.g., canopy height, the age of trees, etc.) and topography played a significant role in burn severity patterns. READ MORE  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 'No one solution' for severe flooding in towns hit by Ida* Government Technology On each side of the Schuylkill , Norristown and Bridgeport officials are thinking about future floods. Norristown's fire department is getting a high-water vehicle for rescues. Bridgeport is set to buy two rescue boats and a trailer. Volunteer firefighters are going through advanced water rescue training. Along with new infusions of federal funding, the steps are among many local flood-preparedness efforts happening as the recovery from Hurricane Ida remains ongoing. But the patchwork of efforts in the Philadelphia region and beyond can't allay nerves about the looming start of the next Atlantic hurricane season. READ MORE GPDRR to push the world to build disaster resilience: BNPB Antara Global Platform Risk Reduction (GPDRR), to be held on May 23, 2022, in Bali, will become an opportunity for Indonesia to encourage the international world to build collective disaster resiliency, National Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BNPB's) official stated. On account of the fact that GPDRR will be attended by delegations from 193 nations, it is believed that the discussion will produce a concept for international disaster risk reduction efforts. 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 .UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL EM ISSUES Why your school's anonymous tip line needs to have a texting option Campus Safety Any adult with a teen or pre-teen in their life knows that for most of them, their cell phones are like appendages — never leaving their sides, including when they go to sleep. Some stay up into the early hours of the morning, scrolling through social media or texting and sharing memes with their friends. This preferred mode of communication for young students has led many schools to adopt a texting option for their anonymous tip lines. At Lexington School District One in Lexington, S.C., 43% of anonymous tips come in after-school hours, according to Christopher Ellisor, director of safety and emergency services. READ MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE A growing threat to healthcare and other facilities Domestic Preparedness Shooting incidents and other attacks seem to be increasing. In many cases, domestic violence has become a common denominator and one that has many opportunities for prevention. While the domestic violence threat alone is tragic, these incidents can become more deadly when they transcend the home and enter the workplace, resulting in secondary victims being harmed. Perpetrators who are unable to vent their frustrations on the intended target may transfer their aggression toward others who simply get in the way. 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 U.S. flood damage risk is underestimated Homeland Security News Wire In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers used artificial intelligence to predict where flood damage is likely to happen in the continental United States, suggesting that recent flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency do not capture the full extent of flood risk. In the study, published in Environmental Research Letters, researchers found a high probability of flood damage – including monetary damage, human injury and loss of life – for more than a million square miles of land across the United States across a 14-year period. READ MORE California leads effort to let rivers roam, lower flood risk* The Associated Press Between vast almond orchards and dairy pastures in the heart of California’s farm country sits a property being redesigned to look like it did 150 years ago, before levees restricted the flow of rivers that weave across the landscape. The 2,100 acres (1,100 hectares) at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers in the state’s Central Valley are being reverted to a floodplain. That means when heavy rains cause the rivers to go over their banks, water will run onto the land, allowing traditional ecosystems to flourish and lowering flood risk downstream. READ MORE Climate change fueled extreme rainfall during the record 2020 hurricane reason* NPR Human-induced climate change fueled one of the most active North Atlantic hurricane seasons on record in 2020, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The study analyzed the 2020 season and the impact of human activity on climate change. It found that hourly hurricane rainfall totals were up to 10% higher when compared to hurricanes that took place in the pre-industrial era in 1850, according to a news release from Stony Brook University. READ MORE New study highlights flood risks in our growing cities WITN-TV As the population continues to boom in North Carolina, our cities are growing. The growth comes in two forms, vertically (higher density apartments, parking garages, etc.) and horizontally (roads, parking lots, strip malls, suburbs). The destruction of forest and, more specifically, permeable surfaces has lead to an increased threat of flooding in our urban areas. A new study by a Portland State University research team looks at this urban flood risk and who is benefitting from investments made by city governments. In order to mitigate the increased threat of urban flooding, introduction of green infrastructure is a common practice. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Emergency Managers Discuss Lessons Learned Promoted by Tidal Basin Group It has been two grueling years that the world has been in the grips of SARS-CoV-2, the novel virus that disrupted life as we knew it. Now, mask mandates in the U.S. have relaxed, and many are beginning to find some comfort in the thought that COVID is a once-in-a-lifetime event. But is it? LEARN MORE   .CYBERSECURITY NEWS What CISA wants critical infrastructure partners to report on cyber incidents Nextgov As it embarks on a complicated rulemaking process to implement the new cyber incident reporting law, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has published a quick guide of what kind of incidents critical-infrastructure entities should be sharing with the government, and how. The Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022—which became law last month as part of an overdue spending package amid a sense of urgency surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—gives CISA up to 3.5 years to finalize rules that will settle essential questions about the law’s applicability. READ MORE CISA seeks comment on visibility effort being piloted with cloud service providers Nextgov The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is asking for feedback over the next month on preliminary documents it’s published to help agencies implement logging and other security measures under order from Congress and the Biden administration. Comments are due May 19 on a technical reference architecture for secure cloud business applications and a program guidebook for an extensible visibility reference framework the agency published Wednesday, noting risks associated with the use of certain cloud services. 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   .CERTIFICATION UPDATE IAEM seeks volunteers for the Certification Commission — apply by June 1 IAEM IAEM is recruiting CEMs to join the Certification Commission with the term beginning in January 2023. If you are looking for a way to give back to the emergency management profession, review the announcement on the IAEM website. The application deadline is June 1. .IAEM MEMBER NEWS World Campus graduate uses skills to improve Nigeria's emergency preparedness Penn State Penn State graduate Abiodun Awoyemi is putting his degree to work to improve Nigeria’s emergency management systems in an effort to make his home country safer. Most recently, Awoyemi helped coordinate COVID-19 response and train health care workers in Lagos, Nigeria. READ MORE .GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS DHS has announced the FY 2022 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program funding opportunity IAEM The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the Fiscal Year 2022 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity, an annual competitive funding opportunity that is available to assist local communities to develop sustainable capabilities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism in the United States. The program is managed by the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), Congress has provided $20 million. priorities for award selection include: implementing prevention capabilities in small and mid-sized communities; advancing equity in awards and engaging underserved communities in prevention; addressing online aspects of terrorism and targeted violence; preventing domestic violent extremism; and enhancing local threat assessment and management capabilities. State, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status; and accredited institutions of higher education should apply by 5:00 p.m. EDT, May 18. Resources are available on the DHS website. .EM CALENDAR IAEM-USA Region 3 webinar on black sky events is being held today, Apr. 21, at noon, EDT IAEM Today, Apr. 21, at noon, EDT, IAEM-USA Region 3 will host a webinar titled, Understanding Black Sky Events. Black Sky events threaten societal continuity by impacting our increasingly interdependent critical lifeline infrastructures. Black Sky events can only be initiated by a handful of threats, all of which are difficult or impossible to prevent or preempt but which can be mitigated. In addition, because of their scale and duration, we cannot rely on proven emergency management and response strategies or techniques that are normally effective when used against more common disaster scenarios. This webinar will help better prepare emergency managers for the “what if” of a Black Sky event. Register here. CONVERGE releases 'Public Health Implications of Hazards and Disaster Research Training Module' — demonstration webinar is scheduled for Apr. 29 IAEM The CONVERGE facility, headquartered at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, has released the Public Health Implications of Hazards and Disaster Research Training Module. This module offers original content and several case studies to illustrate the relationship between public health and hazards and disaster research. It also emphasizes how this research can help improve the health of disaster-affected people and communities. To learn more, a demonstration webinar will be held 3:30-4:00 p.m. EDT, Apr. 29. Register to participate in the webinar. UNDRR will release its 'Global Report on Disaster Risk Reduction' on Apr. 26 IAEM Did you know that based on current trends, the world is projected to face 560 disasters per year by 2030? That’s more than 1.5 disasters per day. UNDRR’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) – the biennial flagship report of the United Nations on worldwide efforts to reduce disaster risk – is coming out on Apr. 26, 2022. Join the launch event on April 26 at 9am EDT. The report reveals how inadequate governance and risk management systems are sending the world on a spiral of self-destruction. Read the report to learn how to stop the spiral, and join UNDRR in spreading the word. FEMA in partnership with other agencies have announced the FY 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program technical assistance webinar series and other DHS resources IAEM The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD), in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, invites faith-based, community, and nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming webinars regarding the FY 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NSGP provides funding support through a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack and promotes emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration between public and private community representatives, as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. FEMA and its partners are committed to providing quality customer service to all nonprofit organization stakeholders, including socially vulnerable, underserved, and under-represented communities. As such, and building on last year’s efforts, GPD is offering informational NSGP webinars for all nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the FY 2022 NSGP priorities, eligibility, and application process. Each webinar will present the same content and include an open forum, moderated question and answer period. Registration is available for webinars that are being held during April, May, and June. Additional information related to the NSGP can be found on the FEMA website. .IAEM-EUROPA NEWS Ukraine refugee's' trauma creates 'crisis on top of a crisis' for Eastern Europe* Politico Millions of Ukrainian refugees have streamed into Eastern Europe over the past six weeks, their lives uprooted and loved ones left behind. Many will need specialist help to come to terms with the displacement and deal with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For the ones who have lived through fighting and witnessed atrocities perpetrated by invading Russian troops, the need for therapy will be greatest. Yet they will be leaning on a mental health infrastructure that is already tottering, in a region where psychological wellbeing has suffered decades of neglect and where depression and trauma were stigmatized under communist rule. READ MORE Sweden increases investments in civil defense* Baltic News Network In Sweden, the government has decided to allocate additional 800 million kronor (77 million euros) to improving the civil defence system in the Scandinavian country, also addressing the need to repair bomb shelters and emergency syrens, Swedish news portal The Local.se reports. The new funding, which will go to municipalities, regional government, and other organisations, was announced of part of the country’s spring budget. READ MORE Earthquake evacuation plan being put in place* The Portugal News Eduardo Faria, who was speaking at the briefing on seismovolcanic activity in São Jorge, said that the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA), in cooperation with the Azores Operational Command (COA), is at an “advanced stage” of the evacuation plan by sea, if necessary, and also by air, in the event of having damaged airport infrastructure." READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Oil tanker runs aground off Tunisian coast* The Associated Press via Seattlepi A commercial oil tanker carrying more than 750 tons of diesel ran aground overnight from Friday to Saturday in the Gulf of Gabès in southeastern Tunisia. According to the Environment Ministry, the ship sank late Saturday morning due to water seeping into the engine room. Only the bow of the boat was still visible. It's unclear if it is leaking fuel. READ MORE Blizzard conditions lead to oil well fire, 100,000 gallon saltwater spill in western North Dakota InForum Blizzard conditions in western North Dakota last week led to a fire on an oil well pad and the release of more than 100,000 gallons of highly concentrated saltwater. McKenzie Energy Partners told North Dakota industry regulators that extreme weather contributed to the incident on their well site on Wednesday, April 13. A fire caused well pad tanks to leak over 100,000 gallons of produced water and around 2,100 gallons of oil, according to an incident report filed by the company. READ MORE Southeastern Saskatchewan still digging out of April blizzard Global News Communities in southeastern Saskatchewan are still trying to dig themselves out of a blizzard that bombarded towns with high speed winds and large volumes of snow. Most businesses reopened in Estevan by Friday afternoon but the city received 10 more centimetres of snow Saturday and it continued to fall into Sunday. READ MORE Cyclone disrupts power supply in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh The Sentinel Bomdila, the district headquarters of the West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh, plunged into darkens since Friday morning after the 132-KV transmission line reportedly snapped due to a cyclonic storm along with heavy rains. Bomdila Electric Division executive engineer Phurpa Wangyal said that works are on and power supply is likely to be restored later on Saturday. READ MORE South Africa declares state of disaster after deadly floods Africa News President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a state of national disaster in South Africa. This comes a week after terrible floods left at least 443 people dead in the Durban area on the east coast. Some 10,000 troops have been deployed to the affected areas to assist the overwhelmed relief effort. The week-long downpour has led to deadly floods and landslides in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) where most of the casualties have so far been recorded. READ MORE Over 100 still missing as storm Agaton death toll reaches 172 Business World Reported deaths from storm Agaton, with international name Megi, has reached 172 while 110 were still missing, according to the national disaster management agency’s April 17 update. Agaton brought several days of moderate but continuous rains mostly in the Visayas, the country’s central islands, and parts of southern Philippines, which triggered flooding and landslides that buried communities downhill. READ MORE Tonga rocked by another earthquake after deadly volcano disaster 9News An earthquake has been recorded near Tonga. The 6.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded 138 kilometres from the capital of Nuku'alofa, according to Geoscience Australia. There are no immediate threats of a tsunami. 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