This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here July 21, 2022 To view email in web browser, click here. .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Learn how emergency managers advance their careers IAEM The IAEM 70th Annual Conference & EMEX will be held in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 11-17, 2022. Watch the video to hear what past attendees valued about the IAEM conference and discover why attending the conference is one of the most important things you can do to advance your career and expand your network. Visit the conference website to obtain more details and register online. .IAEM-CANADA COUNCIL NEWS Canada supports flood, landslide recovery efforts in British Columbia Business Standard Canadian Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair announced advance payments to support flood, landslide and storm recovery efforts in the province of British Columbia. The advance payments of over 870 million Canadian dollars (700 million U.S. dollars) is in addition to the 207 million Canadian dollars (166 million U.S. dollars) in support of wildfire recovery efforts that was announced in June, Blair said in a news release. READ MORE B.C. government on upcoming trilateral agreement for emergency management during disasters Global News In the face of disaster, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said "all levels of government must work together going forward to increase our resilience." An emergency management trilateral agreement between Canada, British Columbia and First Nations is in the works, he revealed during a federal disaster relief funding announcement. READ MORE .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS 988 Mental health crisis hotline launches nationwide* Government Technology Mental health professionals across Missouri and Kansas are preparing for Saturday’s launch of 988, a 24-hour call and text line they expect will change how mental health crises are handled. They hope 988, which will replace the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, can help callers more easily access local help at any hour. READ MORE OIG assesses FEMA's public assistance alternative procedures* Homeland Security Today The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has assessed the effectiveness of one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) public assistance programs. OIG assessed whether Public Assistance Alternative Procedures (PAAP) for permanent work projects sped disaster recovery, increased the accuracy of cost estimates to restore facilities, improved the effectiveness of financial incentives and disincentives, the cost effectiveness of PAAP, and whether the PAAP independent expert panel was effective. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Rave Mobile Safety How to Leverage Rave911 Suite and Smart911 for Safety in your Community Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Public Safety Engage and Protect Your People with Rave’s Personal Safety App Fast, Smart, Reliable School Safety with the Rave Panic Button Invest in Employee Safety and Wellness for Your SMB When disaster strikes, these Americans may not be ready Ohio State News A new national study shows which Americans are least likely to be prepared to take necessary actions when faced with disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Researchers found that households led by women, those with children under age 18, renters, those of low socioeconomic status, African Americans and Asians were all less likely than others to be at least minimally prepared for disasters. READ MORE FEMA seeks public feedback on the Wireless Emergency Alert System IAEM FEMA is seeking public feedback on the upcoming national test of the Wireless Emergency Alert System (WEA) which is used to disseminate timely and effective warnings to people in situations of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other hazards to public safety and wellbeing. FEMA is required to test the public alert and warning system every three years. The tests help FEMA assess WEA's geographic reach, along with additional key parameters outlined in the IPAWS Modernization Act of 2015. FEMA and other WEA stakeholders, such as the Federal Communications Commission and congressional committees, use the test to enhance and expand WEA to further improve emergency alerting capabilities, leading to a better prepared and more resilient nation. FEMA implements a survey to capture key technical performance factors of WEA, such as geographic coverage and carrier-related issues and non-technical aspects essential to WEA's role in national alerting, including alerting effectiveness in reaching diverse populations and traditionally underserved populations. The survey assesses public awareness of the WEA system. Comments must be submitted before Sept. 6. To learn more and submit feedback, visit Regulations.gov.  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 A real chance to fortify our coastlines against worsening storms Governing Hurricane season has arrived, but for communities along the coasts still recovering from last year’s devastating season, it has felt inescapable. Economic forecasts are painting a stark picture of the costs of worsening extreme weather — a recent report projected that coastal Louisiana faces $5.5 billion in annual damages due to climate change — and for policymakers looking to prepare, it can feel nothing short of overwhelming. While it’s clear that America’s coastlines are in crisis, some states on the front lines of climate change are teaching us lessons for preventive action that the rest of the country can take advantage of now. READ MORE Criswell delivers keynote remarks on climate change, community resilience at 2022 ESRI User Conference Homeland Security Today FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell delivered keynote remarks at the 2022 Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) User Conference in San Diego, California. At the event, she discussed how geospatial and predictive forecasting tools help to make communities more resilient in the face of climate change and support FEMA’s readiness to respond to disasters. “We have to understand the threats that we have faced in the past, but we have to be better prepared for the threats that we are going to face in the future, because our landscape is changing,” said Administrator Criswell. “We have to start to embrace the fact that our world is changing around us, and we have to be able to use this type of technology to help us plan for the future. This type of predictive data … has never been more important to help our emergency management community get ahead of the threats that we are going to face in the future.” READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE New and Innovative Flood Risk Mitigation Solutions Designed, engineered, and manufactured in the USA to meet or exceed ANSI 2510/2511 Standards. Stores compactly near to high-risk areas. Rapidly deployed with no tools required. Minimal Labor Requirements. Example: 150 of 48" protection can be stored in a single stackable crate and deployed by a crew of 4 in about 15 minutes. LEARN MORE .EM NEWS Boulder residents join wildfire partners with expertise* Government Technology As wildfires become more frequent in Colorado, homeowners not just in the foothills but in the plains have also begun looking to do the same. For about eight years, Boulder County's Wildfire Partners program has helped residents learn how to protect their homes. After the Marshall Fire, it created a pilot program for unincorporated Boulder County residents in the plains and is hoping to continue to expand its work in order to help residents avoid disaster. READ MORE Fatal Larimer County flood caused by 20-minute downpour on burn scar Fort Collins Coloradoan The area where a flash flood killed two people in Larimer County on Friday received nearly an inch of rain in a short period of time, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Weather service meteorologist Frank Cooper said a gauge 3 to 4 miles northwest of Crystal Mountain received .91 inches of rain with .67 inches of that coming from 5 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. He said radar estimated higher amounts of rain in the area that includes the Cameron Peak Fire burn scar. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Pulsara Before the next stress event, overlay your system with Pulsara's demand-driven communications solution. Learn how healthcare leaders successfully created interconnected regional systems of care. Discover how one EMS agency eliminated 434 unnecessary transports in just three weeks. By simplifying patient transfers with Pulsara, one task force reduced excessive phone calls by 75%. Triage, track patients, and manage stress events all on a single platform. Accelerationist guide calls for Metcalf-style attacks on 'sitting duck' electricity infrastructure* Homeland Security Today An accelerationist handbook being shared among extremist Telegram channels calls for shooters to bypass softer targets in favor of causing chaotic blackouts by emulating on a broader scale an unsolved sniper attack on a California transmission substation. The cover of the 14-page PDF features a depiction of a masked and hooded gunman wielding a semiautomatic handgun with a suppressor affixed and wearing panoramic night-vision goggles. In the branches of a swastika behind the gunman are depictions of acts of violence including three people being hanged, a group of buildings ablaze, and a police car on fire next to a figure holding an incendiary weapon. READ MORE .NEW INSIGHTS Public safety grant programs changes — A 10-year review Domestic Preparedness Change is inevitable. As society continues to progress in the “digital age,” so has applying for various federal grant programs. It is becoming almost impossible to apply to these programs via a paper application, as in the past. To remain competitive when applying for these grants, it is essential to constantly stay abreast of these changes or risk receiving a rejection notice instead of an award letter. One change is the reduction of paper applications being accepted. READ MORE How FEMA can prioritize equity in disaster recovery assistance The Center for American Progress Hurricanes are the most dangerous natural disasters in the United States. They are becoming more frequent, more powerful, and more costly. The 2021 hurricane season saw 21 named tropical storms, sustaining a six-year streak of increasing frequency, with damage totaling $70 billion. Scientists have concluded that the uptick and severity of hurricanes and other devastating natural disasters such as wildfires are likely linked to climate change. Historically marginalized populations — including communities of color, disabled people, low-income communities, and those experiencing homelessness — are more vulnerable to the worst effects of tropical storms and disasters such as hurricanes. And while natural disasters do not discriminate against the type of person who is in their path, the response to natural disasters can. READ MORE Four takeaways from the Nashville Christmas bombing Domestic Preparedness At approximately 6:30 a.m. (CST) on Christmas morning 2020, Anthony Quinn Warner’s explosives-laden RV and Warner himself (identified through his remains) detonated in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, near the AT&T building. The blast hospitalized three and caused extensive property damage and disruptions to telecommunications systems. In addition to the substantial explosion and extensive damage and impacts, the case drew worldwide interest due to the bizarre precursor to the attack. Before the attack, a speaker attached to the RV issued warnings in a digital female voice to leave the area. The RV also broadcasted the 1964 hit song “Downtown” by Petula Clark, which CNN observed is “about how the bustle of a city can cure a lonely person’s blues.” The investigative determination was that Warner’s act – including the building of the explosive device – was not terrorist in nature and that he was a lone actor. Targeted violence incidents involving motivation-elusive lone actors, such as Warner, present numerous additional challenges to investigations and proactive risk management efforts in an already complex field. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Proper Debris Management — Key to Disaster Recovery and FEMA Assistance Promoted by Tidal Basin Group Every year, communities across the country are impacted by disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and winter storms. With these natural events comes debris. Debris management is often one of the most overlooked and least-planned-for components of disaster response and recovery. Learn how to better prepare your communities from debris. LEARN MORE   .UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL EM ISSUES Dozens of bomb threats made against colleges, universities Campus Safety Another string of bomb threats has plagued at least two dozen colleges and universities, largely in Virginia and Florida and at community colleges. Six institutions in southeastern Virginia’s Hampton Roads region received bomb threats on July 12, reports Yahoo. The campuses include Regent University in Virginia Beach, Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton, Paul D. Camp Community College in Franklin, Eastern Shore Community College in Accomack County, and Norfolk State University. READ MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE Monkeypox keeps spreading. Here's what authorities are doing to stop it* NPR Two months after the first monkeypox case was detected in the U.S., the case count has risen to more than 1,800, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And once again, New York is bearing the brunt of a virus. Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the state has become an epicenter for the latest outbreak, with almost 500 cases, characterized by painful, itchy poxes and lesions that can last for up to a month. New York City looked prepared with 14,500 doses of the vaccine ready to go. Then the website to make appointments crashed. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Leadership Programs Recommended for You Want to optimize your effectiveness and accelerate your impact? ­ Experience an executive education program at Harvard Kennedy School including Leadership Decision Making (ONLINE), Leadership and Character in Uncertain Times (ONLINE) and Leadership in Crises ­ (ON CAMPUS). The best leaders never stop learning. Apply today. LEARN MORE CMS may expand emergency preparedness requirements for nursing homes* McKnights Long-Term Care News The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will explore broadening some of its life safety and emergency preparedness requirements after a federal audit found widespread noncompliance with the regulations. The report was released Friday by the Office of the Inspector General. The federal watchdog investigated new life safety and emergency preparedness requirements implemented by CMS in 2016. The changes included updates to sprinkler systems and smoke detector coverage and expanding emergency preparedness planning requirements. READ MORE COVID-19 public health emergency extended in the U.S. CNN The Biden administration on Friday extended the Covid-19 public health emergency for another three months. US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra officially renewed the declaration, extending it through October 13, 2022. The emergency declaration has been in place since January 2020, and the latest renewal comes as the Omicron offshoot BA.5, the most contagious variant yet, continues to stake its claim in the U.S. READ MORE .WEATHER UPDATES NOAA: Nation struck with 9 separate billion-dollar disasters so far this year* Homeland Security Today June kicked off a very warm and dry start to meteorological summer for the U.S., according to experts from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The year so far also brought nine separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters to the nation — including tornado outbreaks, damaging hail and extreme drought. READ MORE Hurricane preparedness is expensive. Emergency managers and community leaders seek a solution* WUSF-FM This June, Valencia “Vee” Gunder’s organization, The Smile Trust, organized its first hurricane preparedness event. Gunder and her staff prepared 200 kits full of supplies like water, battery-operated fans and first aid kits. They planned to give these away to neighboring families of its Miami headquarters. “We ran out of supplies,” Gunder laughed. “People were asking, when are you all going to come back?” People generally know the list of things they're supposed to have stocked up for a storm, Gunder explained. But for low-income people and people in marginalized communities, getting those supplies is sometimes an unreachable goal. READ MORE Water resources to become less predictable with climate change Homeland Security News Wire Many regions of Earth rely on the accumulation of snow during the winter and subsequent melting in the spring and summer for regulating runoff and streamflow. Water resources will fluctuate increasingly and become more and more difficult to predict in snow-dominated regions across the Northern Hemisphere. READ MORE Why does Buchanan County keep flooding? WJHL-TV After the second bout of severe flooding in a year left more than 100 structures damaged across Buchanan County, Virginia, local residents and nearby citizens are left wondering why exactly the county is prone to such disasters. In press briefings with Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), officials stated that 2022’s flooding was caused by heavy rainfall paired with geography that creates severe situations. READ MORE .EM CALENDAR IAEM-USA Region 3 hosts webinar today on 'The NOAA USAF Hurricane Awareness Tour at DCA' — Register to participate at 12:00 p.m. EDT IAEM Sidd Mathur, Sr., emergency management analyst with Erie Insurance, will present a webinar recapping the recent Hurricane Hunters Awareness Tour. Sidd will provide an in-depth perspective on how the dedicated men and women of the NOAA and USAF Hurricane Hunters perform their duties and functions, including showcasing interviews with the pilots, flight directors, meteorologists, and engineers/technicians. Learn more about how the Hurricane Hunters' data and information have an impact on emergency management professionals and on keeping our communities prepared, safe, and resilient before, during, and after a storm. What does a Pringles tube, a wooden roller coaster, and a washing machine have to do with the Hurricane Hunters? Why do the Hurricane Hunters fly aircrafts with turboprop engines instead of jet engines? What do the Hurricane Hunters do when hurricane season is over? Come to this interactive webinar to get the answer to these questions and learn more about the Hurricane Hunters. Register online and join at noon EDT, today, July 21. FEMA Co-Hosts the 11th Annual Building Resilience through Private-Public Partnerships Conference IAEM FEMA is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the 11th Annual Building Resilience Through Private-Public Partnerships Conference in Washington, D.C., July 28-29, 2022. This year’s conference explores the need for readiness strategies and improving resilience while bringing together government, nonprofit and private sector leaders to drive effective resilience programming through greater collaboration across sectors. FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks, Logistics Management Directorate Director Jeffrey Dorko, and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Section Chief Camille Crain are among the confirmed speakers for the 11th annual event. The conference features two days of in-person action-oriented roundtables, engaging breakout sessions, substantive discussions, and networking opportunities, including a Resilience Network Reception. Communities depend on the reliability of emergency management systems and institutions to perform under duress, disruptions, and disasters. This dependency and system interdependency is often forgotten until a crisis occurs. To better prepare, it is important to strengthen partnerships before the next crisis. The conference is free to attend. To register and learn more, visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation website. .IAEM-ASIA NEWS Portugal fights wildfires with new tactics as heatwaves raise risk* Thomson Reuters Foundation Along the main motorway in Portugal's rural interior, the scent of eucalyptus perfumes the air. The smell may be pleasant - but it is also a source of fear for local residents. Stands of eucalyptus - a fast-growing but highly flammable Australian native tree - helped fuel a massive wildfire in 2017 that killed 64 people and injured more than 250 in the town of Pedrogao Grande, in central Portugal. Many of the victims burned to death in their cars trying to escape the blaze on national road EN236-1, now known as the "road of death" after the worst disaster in modern Portuguese history. Amid Portugal's tinder-dry forests, many such arteries remain a danger. READ MORE .IAEM-EUROPA NEWS UK breaks record for highest temperature as Europe sizzles* The Associated Press Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.’s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes. The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering — even at the seaside — have driven home concerns about climate change. READ MORE Why 100-degree heat is so dangerous in the United Kingdom NPR This week, it was hotter than ever in the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, parts of England hit a temperature above 40 degrees Celsius – or 104 degrees Fahrenheit — a first in the U.K.'s recorded history. With much of the U.S. facing its own heat wave, it could be easy for Americans to wonder why the extreme heat has been so disruptive in the U.K. In short: Because it's not a common occurrence there, the country and its residents are less equipped to deal with heat, officials and experts say — even as climate change means extreme days are more likely in the years to come. READ MORE Britain isn't built to withstand 40°C — Here is where infrastructure is most likely to fail Homeland Security News Wire Climate change is intensifying heatwaves in the UK, an affluent country with the capacity and resources to adapt to warmer temperatures. Still, very little has been done over the past ten years to address overheating in buildings and the rising risk to critical infrastructure. The country is unprepared to handle temperatures of more than 38°C consistently for long periods, which is more common in Mediterranean countries. READ MORE Warning system for dangerous heavy rain and flash floods Homeland Security News Wire In recent years, there have been repeated flash floods in Germany, some with devastating effects, which have been triggered by localized heavy rainfall. New project aims to provide prototypical warnings at different spatial scales, from the whole of Germany to individual federal states and down to the municipal level. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Wildfires scorch France, Spain as Europe contends with extreme heat wave The Associated Press via PBS Newshour Firefighters struggled on Sunday to contain wildfires raging out of control in France and Spain as Europe wilts under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities in Madrid link to a rise in excess mortality. Two huge blazes that have been consuming pine forests for six days just south of the city of Bordeaux in southwest France have forced the evacuation of some 14,000 people, including many who were set to spend their vacation at campsites. READ MORE Ghana confirms first two cases of deadly Marburg virus disease* Homeland Security Today Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of Marburg virus disease. Both patients died recently and approximately 100 people are under quarantine as suspected contact cases. Marburg is a highly infectious viral haemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease. Preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway. The World Health Organization is deploying experts to support Ghana’s health authorities by bolstering disease surveillance, testing, tracing contacts, preparing to treat patients and working with communities to alert and educate them about the risks and dangers of the disease and to collaborate with the emergency response teams. READ MORE Heat advisory issued in Midwest with a heat index of 108 Government Technology Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue through the week, with the air temperature projected to reach 106 degrees or higher Tuesday in Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. A heat advisory for the region was issued Monday by the National Weather Service. The advisory was to remain in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with a heat index value as high as 108. READ MORE Three dead in landslide, flooding as Cyclone Shaheen hits Oman Arab News Two people were killed by a landslide and a child died in flash flooding as Tropical Cyclone Shaheen pummeled Oman, authorities said Sunday. Rescue teams pulled the bodies of two men from their home after it was hit by a landslip in the Rusayl industrial area of Muscat province, Oman’s National Committee for Emergency Management (NCEM) said. READ MORE Record torrential rain continues in wide areas of Japan Kyodo News Record torrential rain continued to fall in wide areas of southwestern Japan on Tuesday, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders for more than 480,000 people and partially disrupting public transportation. A spate of linear rainbands from late Monday through Tuesday morning brought record levels of rain in Fukuoka, Saga and Oita prefectures in the Kyushu region and Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of the country's main island of Honshu, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. READ MORE Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan injures 10 people The Associated Press via ABC News An earthquake shook a remote area of eastern Afghanistan on Monday, injuring at least 10 people, a Taliban official said. It struck in the same region where an earthquake last month killed hundreds of people and caused widespread devastation. The U.S. Geological Survey said Monday's earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. READ MORE 1 dead, 394 families affected as floods hit SoCot, NoCot areas Philippine News Agency One person died while 394 families were evacuated to safer grounds after flash floods hit an area in this province and another in North Cotabato over the weekend, officials said Monday. In Tampakan town, some 200 families were evacuated after flash floods caused by a heavy downpour hit several barangays of the municipality on Saturday. READ MORE Towering waves in Hawaii crash into homes, barrel through wedding venue The Associated Press via The Guardian Towering waves on Hawaii’s south shores crashed into houses and businesses, spilled across highways and upended weddings over the weekend. The large waves, some more than 20ft (6m) high, came from a combination of a strong south swell that peaked Saturday evening, particularly high tides and rising sea levels associated with climate change, the National Weather Service said Monday. A wedding Saturday evening in Kailua-Kona was interrupted when a set of large waves swamped the event, sending tables and chairs crashing toward guests. READ MORE   IAEM Dispatch Connect with IAEM | Privacy Policy Hailey Golden, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2630 | Download media kit Bob Kowalski, Executive Editor, MultiView, 469-420-2650 | Contribute news *Article contributed by the Emergency Manager's Weekly Report. 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