This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here August 18, 2022 To view email in web browser, click here. .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Tips for securing employer approval to attend the IAEM Annual Conference IAEM We know the economy often will impact training budgets first and you will need to justify spending time and money to attend the IAEM Annual Conference. Demonstrate return on investment and win approval to attend the premier event of the year for emergency managers, the IAEM 70th Annual Conference & EMEX in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 11-17, 2022. With these simple 5 steps, you can show your employer why you need to attend the conference and how it can benefit your organization. .IAEM SCHOLARSHIP Your bids will help IAEM provide scholarships to students earning EM-related degrees IAEM Place a bid in the IAEM Scholarship Program’s "End of Summer Auction" which is on a new platform, BetterWorld, for a more user-friendly experience. Some of the items up for bid are an IAEM logo Yeti mug with “It’s in the IAP” on one side; NYFD patches; COVID response challenge coins; local EM challenge coins; IAEM’s famous mystery box; weather alert radio; several vacations and adventures, including saltwater fishing, Maker’s Mark tour, Mexico getaway, Montana retreat, and beach vacation; IAEM logo shirts; and more. Bidding ends at 10:00 p.m. EDT, Sept. 6. .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS Senate passes bipartisan bill to protect pets and other animals during and after natural disasters Homeland Security Today Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to help protect pets and other animals during and in the aftermath of natural disasters and emergencies has passed the Senate. The Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an advisory group with outside experts that will align FEMA guidance to match current best practices in animal care for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. READ MORE OIG tells FEMA to improve oversight of understaffed Emergency Food and Shelter Program Homeland Security Today The Office of Inspector General (OIG) says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must improve its oversight of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). Since the program’s inception, there have been 38 program phases through fiscal year 2020, and four special appropriations, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act3 (CARES Act). An OIG audit has found that from fiscal years 2017 through 2020, the National Board did not spend about $58 million of the $560 million (10.4 percent) in appropriated grant funds for the EFSP. READ MORE IAEM-USA Council and Regional elections voting is open through Aug. 31 IAEM The ballots for IAEM-USA Council elections and IAEM-USA Regions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 elections were emailed to all voting members on Aug. 1. Voting will remain open until 5:00 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 31. The candidate statements for IAEM-USA 2nd vice president and secretary are available on the IAEM website. The candidate statements for each regional candidate may be found on each region’s election page on the IAEM website. Voting links are specific to each member. If you haven’t received your personal voting link for your regional or council election, contact IAEM Elections Staff Liaison Rebecca Campbell. Please don’t miss this chance to have your say on the future of IAEM.  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Rave Mobile Safety Natural Disaster & Severe Weather Preparedness The Complete Emergency Management Solutions Toolkit Biggest Threat to School Safety: Failure of Communication Protect Your Employees From Active Shooter Emergencies Securing Soft Targets in Your Community DHS is holding a Community Listening Session on the DHS Equity Action Plan on Aug. 22 at 2:30 p.m. EDT IAEM Join senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in a special discussion to gather feedback on the DHS Equity Action Plan ("Plan"). The Plan was launched after a 200-day assessment led by the DHS Equity Action Task Force following President Biden's issuance of Executive Order 13985 on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government" in January 2021. Please review the Plan ahead of the meeting so that you can be prepared to contribute meaningfully to the discussions. This meeting will consist of a detailed introduction by senior DHS officials; breakout groups among participants to discuss the key programs recommended in the report; and group discussion following the breakout sessions. Breakout sessions will cover: Applying for Naturalization & Accessing Humanitarian Protection During Immigration Processing. Bidding on DHS Contracts. Countering Domestic Violent Extremism and Targeted Violence. Filing Complaints and Seeking Redress in DHS Programs and Activities. Airport Screening & Accessing Trusted Traveler Programs. In order to ensure open and meaningful discussion between DHS and community stakeholders, this meeting is press-free and entirely off-the-record. Registration is required. .EM NEWS The highest honor for emergency management awarded to seven programs IAEM The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) has announced that the following emergency management programs have earned accreditation: State of Vermont; Jacksonville/Duval County, Florida.; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; City of Henderson, Nevada.; City of Dallas, Texas.; King County, Washington.; and Illinois Task Force One. To achieve accreditation, applicants must demonstrate through self-assessment, documentation, and peer assessment verification that its program meets the Emergency Management Standard. The emergency management program uses the accreditation to prove the capabilities of its disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation is valid for five years, and the program must maintain compliance with the Emergency Management Standard and is reassessed to maintain accredited status. Learn more about EMAP accreditation online.  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 Will this save Charleston, S.C., from rising seas? Government Technology In Charleston, a place where street lines blur with sunny day tidal flooding and major storms dump enough water on downtown that one can kayak the deluge, Dale Morris is right at home. After all, water — its function, resource and the very element that threatens to sink the historic city — is what made his career. For decades, Morris has consulted on the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast on all things water, from coastal restoration to flood protection and risk mitigation. Nearly a year ago, the city nabbed Morris for the post of chief resilience officer, a job that’s been around for close to five years. READ MORE Women, girls recruited for emergency management program* Government Technology A host of girls and young women were introduced to the field of emergency management last week when the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) and partner Farmers Insurance put on their weeklong HERricane program in Los Angeles. The program is aimed at developing diversity in emergency management, specifically among girls and young women who may otherwise lack avenues into emergency management and similar professions. 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 NIST study finds wildfire hazards in residential fences and mulch beds* Homeland Security Today When building fences and landscaping their properties, homeowners should keep fire safety on the top of their minds, especially if they live in a wildfire-prone region, according to a new study. Across nearly 200 fire experiments, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) burned residential fences and mulch beds to examine the role they play in spreading fire. They found that fire hazard was generally disproportionately higher when combustible objects burned together. READ MORE Audit: Va. didn't use lessons from earlier snowstorm to avoid I-95 meltdown* The Washington Post Virginia agencies didn’t apply lessons from a chaotic snowstorm that paralyzed a Southwest Virginia highway in 2018, then repeated similar missteps in response to a January storm that stranded hundreds of people overnight on Interstate 95, according to a new audit. The independent review by the Virginia Office of the Inspector General offers new clues into what went wrong over 36 hours along the highway south of the nation’s capital. 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. .NEW INSIGHTS Wildfire 'go bag' should be updated with these essentials Government Technology First responders train hard to prepare for wildfires and other disasters. Residents need to do the same, according to the Klamath County Fire Agencies that compiled the online Oregon’s Ready Set Go guide to reduce the risk of a fire harming people and property. People who have been evacuated know there is no extra time to figure out what to take. And those in a rush may forget a vital item or bring too much. READ MORE How do we measure community disaster resilience? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Phys.org In a new study published in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, retired Illinois State Water Survey engineer Sally McConkey and Eric R. Larson, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences at the U. of I., examined the metrics used at a county scale for national assessments to determine whether communities are prepared to withstand and recover from natural disasters such as floods and fires. READ MORE Prediction of human movement during disasters allows more effective emergency response Homeland Security News Wire The COVID-19 pandemic, bigger and more frequent wildfires, devastating floods, and powerful storms have become facts of life. With each disaster, people depend on the emergency response of governments, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector for aid when their lives are upended. But there is a complicating factor: people tend to disperse with such disasters, making aid delivery more difficult. READ MORE Wealthiest homeowners most at risk of wildfire hazard Homeland Security News Wire The top 10 percent most valuable homes in the western United States are 70% more likely to be in high wildfire hazard areas than median-value properties, measured by county, according to a new study published in Environmental Research Letters. Researchers at Resources for the Future, an independent research institution in Washington, D.C., used granular spatial data to study residential properties in the western United States and their relative risk for wildfire exposure. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation sign letter of intent with Capraro Technologies, Inc. to expand technology solutions Promoted by Tidal Basin Group Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation (RPHC), parent company to Tidal Basin Group, announced that it has reached an agreement with Utica, NY based Capraro Technologies, Inc. (CTI), to acquire the technology firm. The addition of CTI aligns with RPHC’s strategic vision for its family of companies to provide their clients with increased technology solutions within the disaster management industry. LEARN MORE   .UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL EM ISSUES Colleges ease COVID-19 restrictions as fall semester begins for millions of students* NPR Millions of students are heading back to college for their third full academic year since the COVID pandemic hit. But as students move into their dorms and sign up for classes this year, things are different. On many campuses, the masking restrictions are gone. Classes are being held in-person, testing requirements are loosening, and quarantine and isolation dorms have been returned to regular housing. College officials say the goal of easing these restrictions is to try and get students back to a more typical college experience. READ MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE There was a pandemic strategy and plan Domestic Preparedness Although it may not have been readily apparent in early 2020, the federal government did have a comprehensive national strategy and plan for a pandemic threat in the November 2005 “National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza” (Strategy) and its May 2006 “National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza – Implementation Plan” (Plan). The documents provide guidance and a detailed framework for planning at all levels of government in conjunction with the private sector and foreign partners. 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 Hospital response — A personal training experience Domestic Preparedness While infectious disease, cyberattacks, and workplace violence may be the most emergent threats to hospitals, the risk of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) event is ever-present. A biological or radiological terrorist attack may seem unlikely, but hazardous materials are abundant around and inside every hospital. CBRNE materials are used in factories and on farms. They are transported by vehicle and rail. The hospital itself contains any number of contaminants, from the radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine imaging, to chemotherapy waste, to cleaning chemicals. Exposure to these substances can lead to everything from irritation to the skin and eyes to cancer. READ MORE .WEATHER UPDATES Risk of catastrophic megafloods has doubled in California, study finds The Guardian Driven by the climate crisis, exceedingly rare megafloods will become more common – and more catastrophic – according to a new study that found their likelihood has already doubled in California. The unexpected threat lingers even as browning hillsides, fallowed fields and bathtub ring-laden reservoirs serve as a constant reminder of the drought disaster in the state, which may be woefully unprepared when the coin inevitably flips. READ MORE .CYBERSECURITY NEWS Why proactive cybersecurity is a must in today's sophisticated threat environment* Homeland Security Today In recent years, the cybersecurity focus and activities by both industry and government have been reactive to whatever is the latest threat or breach. As a result, mitigating the threats was difficult because, from the outset, cyber-defenders were always at least one step behind. The reactive mindset has been changing due to a series of wake-up calls that have included a major series of intrusions by sophisticated threat actors against many high-profile targets (including SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, OPM, Anthem, Yahoo, and many others) that exposed a flawed approach to defending data and operating with a passive preparedness. READ MORE .EM RESOURCES EMAP announces training opportunities IAEM EMAP is providing additional training opportunities for emergency management programs looking to start or expand upon their self-assessment. These training opportunities are in addition to the Emergency Management Standard Trainings offered at the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Conference and the Emergency Management Institute. The Host Emergency Management Standard Training provides a jurisdiction/agency with information and tools that will assist them in evaluating their capabilities and documentation using the Emergency Management Standard. The training offers an opportunity for the host jurisdiction/agency to invite their stakeholders, localities, and/or regional jurisdictions to learn about and engage with the Emergency Management Standard, assisting in the development of buy-in and support for the accreditation process. The Training & Standards Orientation Workshop provides an emergency management program’s employees and stakeholders with the opportunity to evaluate their current capabilities and documentation against the Emergency Management Standard. The training is customized to the program; it incorporates program documentation into the training curriculum, providing opportunities for the program staff to assess their documentation for gaps and jumpstarting their self-assessment. For more information about any of these opportunities, their costs, and benefits, contact Todd Livingston, EMAP training coordinator. FEMA releases mass care agreements guide IAEM FEMA recently released How to Develop Agreements for Mass Care Services: A Guide for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide a range of vital resources, capabilities, innovative technology, and expertise to state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments during a disaster. The guide provides guidance to SLTT governments and NGOs to better understand why memorandums of agreement and memorandums of understanding are important. In addition, the guide provides resources for improving the delivery of mass care services and emergency assistance. The guidance will help enable SLTT governments and NGOs to work together to identify resources and capability gaps and determine what services and support they can provide to each other. Additionally, this guide addresses GAO findings from September 2019 that FEMA and the American Red Cross need to ensure key mass care organizations are included in coordination and planning. FEMA's National Dam Safety Program releases first-ever children's coloring book IAEM FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) has announced the release of Dam Safety with Beaverly, a children’s coloring book. This coloring book was created to help children, or young students, learn more about dams and safety around them. The coloring book follows Beaverly the beaver, who provides information about dams, what they are used for, the hazards surrounding them and how to stay safe near them. It also includes several pages for coloring and two activity sheets that will help children learn about dams. .CERTIFICATION UPDATE IAEM releases updated certification exam resources IAEM A new version of the IAEM AEM®/CEM® exam will be live beginning Nov. 13, 2022. A new reference list to use to prepare for the exam is available on the IAEM website. .IAEM MEMBER NEWS IAEM member Peter Gaynor joins GEI to direct resilience, response, and recovery programs IAEM Pete Gaynor, CEM, has joined GEI Consultants as senior vice president and director of national resilience, response, and recovery programs. A former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), Pete transferred to GEI from its sister company, The LiRo Group. He will further develop and strengthen GEI’s national, industry-leading water resources practice. Pete earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Rhode Island College and a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, RI. He is also a graduate of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leaders Program. HSToday published a Q&A article with Gaynor on Aug. 16. Staff Spotlight: Robert McCord Macon-Bibb County Our Emergency Management Agency (EMA) works around the clock to make sure Macon-Bibb is prepared in the event of an emergency. Whether it’s a pandemic, a weather event, or other dangerous situations – our team of highly educated and experienced professionals are always learning. Deputy Director Robert McCord has a long list of professional and educational accomplishments including his recent graduation from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy (NEMAA). That’s why he’s this week’s staff spotlight! READ MORE Meet Tim Warstler, head of Stark County EMA The Alliance Review Tim Warstler has been the director of the Stark County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) since 2004. He started with the agency in 2001. For the past 21-plus years during his time with Stark EMA, he has assisted with the management of three federally declared disasters and numerous local emergency declarations. Warstler also has secured or assisted with millions of dollars in state and federal grants for Stark County’s public safety forces and local communities. READ MORE .GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS DHS announces funding allocations for FY 2022 preparedness grants IAEM On Aug. 17, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced final allocations for $550 million for seven FY 2022 competitive preparedness grant programs. These allocations, together with the almost $1.5 billion in non-competitive grant funding announced earlier this year, total more than $2 billion in FY 2022 to help prepare our nation against man-made threats and natural disasters. The grant programs provide funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector to build and sustain capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other disasters. The total amount for each grant program is set by Congress and the allocations are made by the Secretary. The Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) is included in the announcement. EMPG, including the funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act, provides more than $405.1 million to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities. Other performance grants allocated in this announcement include Operation Stonegarden; Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program; Nonprofit Security Grant Program; Port Security Grant Program; Transit Security Grant Program; Intercity Bus Security Grant Program; State Homeland Security Program; Urban Area Security Initiative; Intercity Passenger Rail; and EOC Security Grant Program. Read the full press release for details. .SURVEY REQUESTS EM community requested to respond to a survey on federal guidelines for dam safety by Sept. 30 IAEM To collect stakeholder feedback, the emergency management community is asked to respond to a survey on federal guidelines for dam safety. The purpose of this survey is to gather information from the dam safety and emergency management communities on the perceived needs and gaps of Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety – Emergency Action Planning for Dams (FEMA 64), July 2013. The survey will remain open until Sept. 30. .IAEM-ASIA NEWS PM urges new disaster response system to cope with climate change The Korea Herald Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday called for a new disaster response system to cope with climate change, as the heaviest rainfall in decades battered Seoul and its surrounding areas last week. The heaviest rainfall in 80 years swamped Seoul and its surrounding areas earlier last week, killing 14 people, with six people still missing. READ MORE How Gujarat's Morbi-like dam disaster was averted in Madhya Pradesh NDTV Madhya Pradesh averted a major disaster in tribal dominated Dhar and Khargone districts as a breach was reported in the Karam dam last week threatening inundation. Villagers, who were shifted to shelter camps following a dam collapse warning, returned to their homes after the water was released through a channel on Sunday. READ MORE .IAEM-EUROPA NEWS Wildfires in Europe burn area equivalent to one-fifth of Belgium The Guardian Across Europe, an area equivalent to one-fifth of Belgium has been ravaged by flames as successive searing heatwaves and a historic drought propel the continent towards what experts say is likely to be a record year for wildfire destruction. According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis), 659,541 hectares (1.6m acres) of land burned across the continent between January and mid-August, the most at this time of year since records began in 2006. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Flood kills 50, displaces hundreds in Jigawa The Guardian Fifty persons have been confirmed dead and hundreds of residents displaced, as flood ravaged parts of Jigawa State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Addressing newsmen in Dutse, yesterday, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sani Yusuf, said the flood destroyed thousands of homes in the state on Saturday. READ MORE At least 41 killed, 14 injured in Egyptian church fire The Siasat Daily At least 41 people have died in a fire at a Coptic church in Giza near Cairo, the Health Ministry of Egypt said on Sunday. The fatalities were due to thick smoke and a stampede triggered by the blaze, Health Minister Khalid Abdul Ghafar said in a statement, dpa news agency reported. READ MORE At least 50 killed so far in Sudan seasonal flooding, police say The Associated Press via CBC Floods triggered by seasonal torrential rains in Sudan have left over 50 people dead and inundated more than 8,170 homes since the rainy season started, a senior police official said Saturday. Nineteen fatalities have been recorded in North Kordofan province, followed by Nile River province, which reported seven deaths, said Brig.-Gen. Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim, spokesperson for Sudan's National Council for Civil Defence. The western Darfur region, which has five provinces, reported 16 deaths, he added. READ MORE Flash floods kill 29 in Afghanistan: Officials Barron's Flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 29 people and destroyed scores of homes in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday. Scores of Afghans die every year in torrential downpours, particularly in impoverished rural areas where poorly built homes are at risk of collapse. Heavy rains over the past 24 hours lashed Parwan, Kapisa and Nangarhar provinces. 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. 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