This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here September 16, 2021 .IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS Attend the IAEM Annual Conference and connect with your colleagues IAEM There are many repeat visitors to the IAEM Annual Conference & EMEX. Learn why your colleagues return to the IAEM Annual Conference year-after-year. View the full program to plan your schedule during the event. Register now and add free FEMA training for registered attendees at the full and student rates while class space is still available. Complete details, including hotel and travel information, are available on the conference website. Act now to join us at the 69th IAEM Annual Conference & EMEX in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Oct. 15-21, 2021. .IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS State of DHS: 20 years after 9/11, which way forward? Homeland Security Today The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was founded because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but 20 years after 9/11, DHS is still struggling. Assembled from 22 different civilian security missions of the federal government, DHS does some of the most important work of any civilian cabinet department. Yet DHS struggles to get successive White Houses to embrace a consistent vision of DHS's mission and priorities. READ MORE Advancing local emergency response 20 years after 9/11 Route Fifty When terrorists crashed a plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, it wasn't a branch of the military that oversaw the massive emergency response operation — the lead agency was the 266-person Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia. The emergency response at the Pentagon that day was largely considered a success, by the 9/11 Commission, due in part to the high level of regional cooperation among local, state and federal agencies that enabled first responders to quickly stand up an incident command system. READ MORE Louis W. Uccellini, Director of the U.S. National Weather Service, to retire Homeland Security Today Louis W. Uccellini, federal scientist, global leader in meteorology and renowned expert and author on U.S. winter storms, has announced his plan to retire from public service on Jan. 1, 2022. He has enjoyed a 43-year illustrious career in public service as a research scientist, day-to-day operational leader and senior executive, with 11 years at NASA and 32 years at NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Veoci The University Of South Florida Achieves Emergency Management Accreditation Using Veoci Webinar: Reframing Resilience for Long Term Care Facilities How the NOAA GFS Upgrades Benefit Emergency Planners Whole Community Solutions - Execute Plans, Inspect & Manage, Track & Communicate Checking All the Boxes of the CMS Guidelines for Healthcare FEMA provides retroactive reimbursement for safe opening and operation costs IAEM FEMA continues to maximize available COVID-19 assistance by retroactively reimbursing 100% of costs to support the safe opening and operation of eligible facilities. The funding is available to state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities and certain private nonprofit organizations for expenses incurred from Jan. 20, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021. Facilities that might be eligible for safe reopening and operation costs may include schools, medical facilities and government facilities open to the public. Reimbursement is exclusive to COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations through FEMA's Public Assistance program. Items that may be eligible for reimbursement include face coverings, Personal Protective Equipment, cleaning and disinfection, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, screening and temperature scanning, and portable temporary physical barriers for social distancing. For additional information on FEMA's updated Safe Opening and Operation interim policy, visit FEMA.gov. FEMA issues final rule for mitigation programs IAEM On Sept. 10, FEMA published the final rule in the Federal Register that includes an update to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs and mitigation planning regulations. The rule incorporates requirements enacted by the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12) and reflect uniform administrative requirements. FEMA implemented most of these changes administratively through an update to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance in 2013. Codifying the changes in federal regulations reduces mitigation program complexities. The updates include replacing outdated terms and definitions that better align with legal requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 2 part 200: Uniform Administrative Guidance. The update to outdated terms and definitions impacts FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Flood Mitigation Assistance program regulations, as well as the property acquisition and relocation for open space and mitigation planning regulations. The final rule will be effective on Oct. 1 and can be viewed at Regulations.gov by using the Docket ID: FEMA-2019-0011.  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Innovative Strategies for Resilient, Prepared Communities For over 36 years, IEM’s team of nationally recognized emergency management, disaster recovery, and crisis response leaders have applied their expertise, experience, and innovative solutions helping communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters, public health emergencies, and other hazards. No matter the crisis, #TeamIEM is prepared to take on the challenge. How can we help you create a more resilient future? LEARN MORE .EM NEWS FEMA chief: Stop 'incremental' mitigation projects. Go big E&E News The nation must move away from "incremental" mitigation measures to counter the effects of climate change and focus on large projects that can protect a wide swath of people, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told emergency-response officials this week. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that as climate change intensifies disasters, the agency and its local counterparts should undertake large-scale, multimillion-dollar projects instead of mitigating individual homes that are prone to being flooded. READ MORE How the terrifying evacuations from the twin towers on 9/11 helped make today's skyscrapers safer Homeland Security News Wire One legacy of the 9/11 tragedy and the harrowing experience of those who successfully escaped the Twin Towers – the disaster was the most significant high-rise evacuation in modern times — is that today's skyscrapers can be emptied much more safely and easily in an emergency. The 2001 World Trade Center disaster was the most significant high-rise evacuation in modern times, and the harrowing experiences of the thousands of survivors who successfully escaped the Twin Towers have had a significant influence on building codes and standards. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Ethos Preparedness Meet Ethos Preparedness: More than Med Sled® Free Download: Fortune 100 Benchmark Report | What Emergency Managers Should Know FREE Webinar for Emergency Managers Hosted by TedTalk Speaker | Register Today $5,000 Donation to Support Diversity in Emergency Management | Learn More Preparedness Guides: Share this Guide to Make an Impact this Preparedness Month Evaluating wildfire hazard Homeland Security News Wire Severe wildfire disasters are often the product of numerous factors — vegetation, drought, a lack of firefighting resources, and many others — coalescing. Identifying which factors are the most important is not always a simple task for local leaders assessing their community's risk for damaging wildfires. READ MORE State of Homeland Security: Preventing future 'failures of imagination' Homeland Security Today Before retiring for a second time from a large federal consulting firm I had a conversation with a colleague regarding the use of the term "Cyber Pearl Harbor." My counsel was to stop using the term. As we now know, the attack on Pearl Harbor should not have been a surprise. Similar to the 9/11 attacks, the "pieces to the puzzle" existed but were not shared, communicated, collated, or analyzed at the right levels to provide adequate warning of the Japanese intention. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Homeland Security Master of Professional Studies The master’s degree in Homeland Security provides a comprehensive, full field view of both current and emerging threats, as well as a cutting-edge graduate curriculum in homeland security studies that examines relevant national and information security policy and practices in the public and private sectors. LEARN MORE State of preparedness: Richard Serino discusses 9/11 and its all-hazards lessons Homeland Security Today The year 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a series of terrorist attacks that involved 19 militants hijacking four planes to carry out attacks on United States facilities including the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon. I had the chance to catch up with Richard Serino, who is now a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, but who was chief of Boston EMS at the time. READ MORE State of emergency management: What needs to change for better preparedness and response Homeland Security Today The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created nearly 20 years ago in response to catastrophic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Emergency management became a pivotal component of the Department with the inclusion of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Over the last two decades, our nation's threat landscape has drastically changed. READ MORE .UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL EM ISSUES Cybercriminals use pandemic to attack schools and colleges Homeland Security News Wire Cyberattacks have hit schools and colleges harder than any other industry during the pandemic. In 2020, including the costs of downtime, repairs and lost opportunities, the average ransomware attack cost educational institutions $2.73 million. That is $300,000 more than the next-highest sector — distributors and transportation companies. READ MORE .HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic — a retrospective in 7 charts The Conversation via Government Executive A year and a half into what the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, it's an understatement to say that Americans are exhausted. I'm an epidemiologist and an internationally recognized science communicator, and I've often found myself running between COVID-19 meetings asking "how did we get here?" READ MORE Report: 20 years after 9/11, America still not fully prepared for public health emergencies Homeland Preparedness News A new report from Trust for America's Health (TFAH) has found that 20 years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, America is not fully prepared for public health emergencies. The report, 2021 Ready or Not: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, found that while the country is better prepared than it was in 2001, there is an urgent need for federal, state and local policymakers to prioritize the nation's health security — something illuminated by the COVID-19 pandemic. READ MORE .CLIMATE/WATER/WEATHER UPDATES More flooding is coming. Here's how cities can prepare. Grist After Superstorm Sandy hit New York in 2012, the city and state spent billions recovering from the storm and building new storm surge protections for its subway system. Seven years after the storm, a reporter asked then–Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair and CEO Pat Foye whether the subway was prepared for another Sandy. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Will Your Building Survive The Next Big Earthquake? Promoted by Optimum Seismic Inc It’s been a difficult year for owners of rental income properties, with up to 20% of Southern California tenants behind on rent and many owing balances in the tens of thousands of dollars, according to various reports. LEARN MORE   .CYBERSECURITY NEWS State of cybersecurity posture: The overarching problem is scale Homeland Security Today I've been asked to address the cybersecurity security posture of the United States. That's simple. A few years ago I wrote, tongue in cheek, that based on my analysis the entire world economy would be consumed by cybercrime in 2025. Bye-Bye World Economy. With Solar Winds, JBS Foods, wholesale destruction of municipal and educational networks, and older but equally significant events like WannaCry and NotPetya, my prediction is far closer to the truth that I would have dreamed. READ MORE State of cybersecurity: We can do more to protect our supply chain and critical infrastructure Homeland Security Today The past year made it clear how many cyber challenges we face and how the threat landscape has evolved since the physical attacks on our country on 9/11. A raft of ransomware attacks has led to ransom demands as a condition for the decryption of data and to prevent its public release. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Disaster Recovery. Simplified Deloitte’s Close as You Go (CAYG) is a secure cloud-based software platform built to help agencies manage recovery documentation for procurement and contracting, model policies and procedures, and plan for disaster. Developed alongside specialists in preparedness and response, CAYG helps you prepare, so you can focus on recovery. LEARN MORE .EM RESOURCES FEMA updates Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans IAEM FEMA updated the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans. The document provides guidelines on developing emergency operations plans and promotes a common understanding of the fundamentals of community-based, risk-informed planning and decision making. The guide will help planners examine a threat or hazard and produce integrated, coordinated, and synchronized plans. To assist with the rollout, FEMA will host a series of 60-minute webinar sessions to discuss the update and key changes to CPG 101 with whole community partners. These webinars will highlight the changes in the document and help planners at all levels utilize the principles, concepts, tools, and process from the CPG 101. Advance registration is required and on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click on the preferred session: Webinar 1 at noon EDT on Sept. 21; Webinar 2 at 6:00 p.m. EDT on Sept. 22; Webinar 3 at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Sept. 28; Webinar 4 at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Oct. 04; or Webinar 5 at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Oct. 13. .NEW INSIGHTS Past fires may help in predicting, reducing severity of future wildfires in western US Homeland Security News Wire Researchers analyzed 106 fires that burned in the Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon between 2002 and 2018, and concluded that previous fires may hold the key to predicting and reducing the severity of future wildfires in the western United States. READ MORE PRODUCT SHOWCASE Online Executive Program from Harvard The online executive program Promoting Racial Equity in the Workplace runs from Sept. 13-17, 2021. Learn effective strategies for increasing diversity, inclusion, and racial equity within your organization while building your network.   LEARN MORE   Match Vaccine Supply with Resident Demand Address challenges around vaccine appointment scheduling. Avoid system crashes that frustrate and confuse residents. Data and targeting features increase reach and facilitate two-way communication. Automate appointment signup to provide clear status information. Generate vaccination heatmaps to discover and address problem areas. Request a Demo!   LEARN MORE   Why people resist disaster preparedness spending Futurity via Government Executive If the New Orleans region had invested more aggressively in disaster preparedness instead of disaster relief, the total cost of Hurricane Katrina could have been just $7 billion. That's compared to the estimated $125 billion to $170 billion economic fallout the storm — the most costly U.S. natural disaster to date — caused, says Michael Bechtel, associate professor of political science and director of environmental policy at Washington University in St. Louis. READ MORE Security lessons learned — part 2, Las Vegas shootings Domestic Preparedness Each year, thousands of tourists travel to Las Vegas to unwind and relax at the city's various attractions. Las Vegas is home to many hotels and casinos, as well as indoor and outdoor entertainment venues. These facilities host several events each year, including NASCAR races, concerts, and a large New Years' Eve celebration. Local law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical providers respond to thousands of calls for assistance from visitors to the city each year. READ MORE September 11 — Remembrance & recovery Domestic Preparedness The changes in the emergency management profession over the past few decades have been extensive and largely due to lessons learned and research to ensure evidence-based emergency operations. Many who worked in emergency management on that day have retired or moved on to other positions. However, there are many lessons learned that should not be forgotten. The most important is that it takes a community to effectively plan for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. READ MORE Remembering 9/11: The impact, then and now American City & County Sometimes, an event marks history with such ferocity that innumerable mundane occurrences taking place simultaneously are indelibly stamped in the memory of every person living at the time—each unique to the individual. These instances define a generation and change a nation's trajectory in the broader scheme of human civilization: Pearl Harbor; the moon landing; the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. READ MORE .DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS DHS S&T wildfire sensor initiative heats up Homeland Security Today The words "research and development" may conjure images of someone wearing a white coat, sitting in a sterile lab and looking through a microscope, but sometimes it means rising before dawn, lacing up hiking boots, leading a caravan of trucks filled with scientific equipment, and traversing the rugged foothills of Dye Creek Preserve near Red Bluff, California, to install sensors ahead of a prescribed burn. READ MORE Gaps in disaster communications are failing first responders and citizens The Hill As public safety leaders and longtime citizens of cities directly impacted on Sept. 11, 2001., frontline workers' responses deeply affected us. What happened that day continues to inform our approach to public safety and inspires us to work harder. Twenty years ago, the frontline workers who responded to the horrific attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania were unable to share a simple radio message and communications networks were overwhelmed. READ MORE .IAEM MEMBER NEWS Robert Oliver named Richmond Emergency Management Coordinator Security Magazine The City of Richmond, Texas promoted Robert Oliver to oversee the city's Emergency Management department. As Emergency Management Coordinator, Oliver will run daily operations of the department and coordinate emergency operating plans with Fort Bend County and surrounding areas. READ MORE .EM CALENDAR "If You See Something, Say Something" Campaign offers 2 webinars today (Sept. 16) on how to participate in Awareness Day IAEM Ahead of #SeeSayDay on Sept. 25, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "If You See Something, Say Something®" Campaign is hosting two webinars to provide more information about the campaign's initiatives and how you can participate in Awareness Day. In addition, the webinar will share more about the campaign's efforts throughout the year and introduce new resources. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during each session. These webinars look to champion the "If You See Something, Say Something®" mission of empowering and educating the public on suspicious activity reporting. The webinars are being offered today, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. EDT and 2:00 p.m. EDT. Register to participate. EPA is hosting a webinar, "20 Years of EPA Homeland Security Research — Looking Back and Moving Forward" today (Sept. 16) at 2:00 p.m. EDT. IAEM Today's webinar will provide an account of EPA's emergency personnel responsibilities and expertise during the 2001 Amerithrax incident, where letters containing anthrax spores contaminated the Brentwood post office in Washington, D.C., as well as the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. It will discuss how this incident and the events of September 11th necessitated the establishment of a Homeland Security Research Program at the U.S. EPA. Through the years, the Homeland Security Research Program has built up capability through a foundation of research to assist emergency responders and decision-makers on several incidents, such as ricin, water contamination, Fukushima, and Ebola. The Program continues to develop capability to respond to large-scale contamination incidents and improve the ability of water utilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to water contamination that threatens public health. As the Program fulfills its mission by responding to current events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, fentanyl contaminations, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, it also looks to the future to apply what we know now to what's potentially to come and ensure the United States can prepare for, respond to, and recover from those events. Register to participate. .IAEM-ASIA NEWS Climate change is making India's west coast more vulnerable to cyclones EOS The northern Indian Ocean consists of two seas: The Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. Historically, tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal is generally higher than that in the Arabian Sea. But new research showed a shift in this trend. Researchers found that between 1982 and 2019, there was a significant increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea. READ MORE .AROUND THE WORLD Metallic balloon causes massive blackout in Dresden, Germany Homeland Security News Wire A major power failure in Dresden, Germany, on Monday, which saw more than 300,000 buildings and apartments lose power, was caused by a commercially available balloon, typically used in weddings or children birthdays. In a joint press conference with the utility, Saxony Energy, police spokesperson Thomas Geithner said Tuesday morning that initial investigation indicates that it was likely an accident rather than a deliberate act, even though that possibility cannot be ruled out at this stage. READ MORE Firefighter dies and more than 1,000 evacuated as wildfire rages in Spain EuroNews via Homeland Security Today Hundreds of people have been evacuated in southern Spain due to a raging wildfire, regional authorities said. Firefighting teams and planes were battling a blaze in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range in Malaga province, which started late on Wednesday. Authorities have confirmed that a 44-year-old firefighter perished on Thursday while trying to extinguish the fire. READ MORE Sudan floods kill over 80 people: Official AFP via News 24 Floods following heavy rain in Sudan have killed more than 80 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, an official said Monday. "A total of 84 people were killed and 67 others injured in 11 states across Sudan since the beginning of the rainy season," said Abdel Jalil Abdelreheem, spokesperson for Sudan's National Council for Civil Defence. READ MORE Typhoon Jolina leaves 17 dead The Manila Times Seventeen people died from the harsh effects of typhoon "Jolina" (international name: Conson) with 24 injured and seven remain missing. Typhoon "Kiko" (Chanthun), on the other hand, affected more than 10,000 people. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued two separate reports on the effects of Jolina and Kiko. READ MORE Hurricane Nicholas hammers Gulf Coast communities AccuWeather A man drives down through floodwaters caused from Hurricane Nicholas in Surfside Beach, Texas. READ MORE Pakistan — 20 killed in floods and mudslides in north, monsoon death toll exceeds 160 Floodlist At least 20 people have died after torrential monsoon rains and mudslides hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan early from 08 September 2021. Meanwhile disaster authorities in the country report that over 160 people have now died in rain-related incidents since the start of this year's monsoon. READ MORE   IAEM Dispatch Connect with IAEM Jason Zimmerman, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2686 | Download media kit Bob Kowalski, Executive Editor, MultiView, 469-420-2650 | Contribute news International Association of Emergency Managers 201 Park Washington Court  |  Falls Church, VA 22046-4527  Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, IAEM CEO, IAEM Executive Director Dawn M. Shiley, CAE, IAEM Dispatch POC, IAEM Communications and Marketing Manager (703) 538-1795  |  Contact Us  |  www.iaem.org/ Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063