FEMA Podcast, Episode 83
The FEMA Podcast is an audio series available to anyone interested in learning more about the agency, hearing about innovation in the field of emergency management, and listening to stories about communities and individuals recovering after disasters.
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GATHER Food Sovereignty Grant Application Deadline: January 14, 2021
First Nations offers grants in support of work that contributes to a vision of Native communities and food systems that are self-directed, well-resourced and supported by community policies and systems.
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Tribal Wetland Program Development Grant Application Deadline: January 15, 2021
Environmental Protection Agency is making funding available to assist state, tribal, local government agencies and interstate/intertribal entities in developing or refining state/tribal/local programs to protect, manage and restore wetlands.
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USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program Application Deadline: January 31, 2021
USDA’s 1994 Tribal Scholars Program combines classroom study with paid work experience that may lead to employment at USDA. This program strives to boost the number of students studying and graduating in food, agriculture, natural resources and other related fields of study.
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Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands Application Deadline (Extended): February 11, 2021
U.S. Department of Energy is providing this program to support technology on tribal lands. View the webinar and presentation slides.
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Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Justice:
NPQ’s webinar in its Remaking the Economy series, in partnership with the First Nations Development Institute, lifts up indigenous voices to explore environmental justice and their connection to culture, land, people, and the economy.
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Project TRANSAM Application Deadline: Ongoing as supplies are available.
This Civilian-Military Cooperative Action Program between the Indian Health Service and the Department of Defense distributes medical equipment and supplies obtained from closure of military bases and the GSA Excess program and other sources to qualified Tribes and Alaska Natives.
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Quick Links to COVID-19 Resources to Support Tribal Entities:
- The USDA Office of Tribal Relations Website
- Coronavirus Pandemic: FEMA Assistance for Tribal Governments
- Indian Health Service: COVID-19 Information
- HHS ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE)
FEMA Announces Free Access to GIS Software and Licensed Datasets in Response to COVID-19
On March 28, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that through the DHS Enterprise License Agreement with Esri, DHS/FEMA is able to extend that agreement to non-Federal governmental partners during incidents of national significance, which includes COVID-19.
State, local, tribal and territorial governmental entities can now obtain free access to Esri software for up to 6 months to help respond to COVID-19.
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Coping with Grief After Community Violence
This SAMHSA tip sheet introduces some of the signs of grief and anger after an incident of community violence, provides useful information about to how to cope with grief, and offers tips for helping children deal with grief.
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Mass Violence/Community Violence
This SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) installment is a collection of resources about common reactions to incidents of mass violence, community violence, and terrorism; tips for coping with such incidents; and ways to support children and youth in coping.
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The Impact of Disaster and Mass Violence Events on Mental Health
This online article from the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) describes common reactions that disaster survivors may experience. While most reactions lessen over time, some may turn into long-term and severe responses, such as PTSD.
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Navigating the CARES Act for Nonprofits
The U.S. Chamber Foundation hosted an online briefing on how 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations can benefit from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
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The U.S. Chamber also created a guide for nonprofits and small businesses with everything you need to know about how to apply for relief under the CARES Act, including eligibility, requirements, and application guidelines.
Access the guide and checklist.
Mutual Aid Resource Planner
The Mutual Aid Resource Planner (MARP) allows planners to develop capability based mutual aid plans using a cloud-based platform, enabling rapid deployment and streamlining information sharing. The MARP: Allows users to share plans and resource needs with partners; Helps align planners with operations staff; Provides a simplified planning template.
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CDBG-DR COVID-19 FAQs
These frequently asked questions (FAQs) provide information to Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), CDBG National Disaster Resilience (CDBG-NDR), and CDBG Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grantees on flexibilities HUD is granting on timelines, eligible activities, and citizen participation as communities work to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19.
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PROJECTN95
The National Clearinghouse to connect healthcare providers with critical equipment. They get personal protective equipment to frontline medical workers across America. Items like gowns, gloves, ventilators, and masks. Our team is coordinating with manufacturers and suppliers across the globe.
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Health Resources and Services Administration
HRSA Provides answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19, ranging from funding other resources to information collection.
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HHS announced HRSA awards of %100 million to 1,381 health centers across the country with funding provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020.
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USDA Implements Immediate Measures to Help Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities Affected by COVID-19
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2020 – USDA Rural Development has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Rural Development will keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated as more actions are taken to better serve rural America.
Information / www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus
FEMA Extends Grace Period for Flood Insurance Renewal Premiums
To help serve its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) customers who may be experiencing financial hardships, FEMA is extending the grace period to renew flood insurance policies from 30 to 120 days. This extension applies to NFIP flood insurance policies with an expiration date between Feb. 13 and June 15, 2020. There is typically a 30-day grace period to renew policies to avoid a lapse in coverage. However, due to the widespread economic disruption arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA recognizes that flood insurance policyholders may not meet the standard policy renewal deadline. Read the full release in English and Spanish. Facebook. Twitter: English and Spanish
Mitigation Minute
FEMA continues to work diligently to solicit stakeholder input. The Agency’s goal is provide transparency around the BRIC development process and offer stakeholders an opportunity to share their experiences and opinions. FEMA intends to publish a proposed BRIC policy in the Federal Register for public comment within the next few weeks. Stakeholders may provide new comments. The policy will be broad and intended to establish the framework and requirements for BRIC. After this step, FEMA anticipates finalizing the policy and releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by the fall of 2020.
- Visit the Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) landing page here: https://www.fema.gov/bric.
- To view the Summary of Stakeholder Feedback Report, visit: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/186461.
- View the 2019 webinar series related to BRIC: https://www.fema.gov/drra-bric.
School Meal Finder
Select your state and/or provide your address below to find meal sites while schools are closed. This site currently has data for Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas, provided by state education agencies, plus some data from California and Alabama provided by local districts
https://schoolmealfinder.hoonuit.com/
TX: https://txschools.gov/
LA: https://cnp.doe.louisiana.gov/ServingSites/
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- Text TalkWithUs to 66746
- Use your preferred relay service to call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990
- TTY 1-800-846-8517
Spanish Speakers
- Call 1-800-985-5990 and press “2”
- From the 50 States, text Hablanos to 66746
- From Puerto Rico, text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663
- En Español
Coronavirus Rumor Control
The purpose of this FEMA page is to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. Do your part to the stop the spread of disinformation by doing 3 easy things; don’t believe the rumors, don’t pass them along and go to trusted sources of information to get the facts about the federal (COVID-19) response.
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Coronavirus Pandemic: Eligible Emergency Protective Measures
Consistent with the President’s national emergency declaration for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 13, 2020, FEMA urges officials to, without delay, take appropriate actions that are necessary to protect public health and safety pursuant to public health guidance and conditions and capabilities in their jurisdictions. FEMA provides the following guidance on the types of emergency protective measures that may be eligible under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program in accordance with the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration in order to ensure that resource constraints do not inhibit efforts to respond to this unprecedented disaster.
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Please Share TRO News: “Harvey households covered by FEMA group flood insurance should prepare now to buy standard flood insurance by Oct. 24”
The TRO is reminding Texans that FEMA provided Group Flood Insurance Policies (GFIP) to 6,704 households across counties impacted by Harvey. These three-year policies end Oct. 24, so policyholders must plan now to switch to a standard flood insurance policy to ensure continuous coverage. Those who received a GFIP policy as part of their FEMA disaster assistance after Harvey but don’t buy a standard flood insurance policy won’t receive federal disaster assistance for home repairs if they experience another flood event.
Please help spread the word by sharing the news release (available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) and promoting on social media by sharing the post on the Harvey Facebook page and retweeting the post on the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account.
Insight from a Mitigation Veteran
On this episode we talk with Mark Carey, who recently retired after 20 years of service with FEMA. Since 2007 he served as the FEMA Region 10 Mitigation Division Director where he was responsible for the region’s hazard mitigation financial grant program, National Flood Insurance Program, Endangered Species Act compliance, Risk Analysis and Risk Reduction programs. Mark talks with us about the principles of hazard mitigation and how support for mitigation has evolved over time. He also shares his own experience and insight as a disaster survivor.
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USDA Announces Intent to Make Grants Available Under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program
USDA will make the grant funds available under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Its purpose is to increase significantly the sale and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive approach to marketing higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-related infrastructure.
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USDA Offers New Hurricane Insurance Endorsement for Crop Year 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced a new crop insurance endorsement, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI). HIP-WI covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy when a county, or county adjacent, is within the area of sustained hurricane-force winds.
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New York Park Design and Planning
Drawing from the NYC Parks’ decades of experience with waterfront park planning and design and taking into consideration valuable lessons learned after Hurricane Sandy, these Guidelines encourage applying a contextual, site-by-site approach to the planning and design processes for each new or renovated waterfront project. Resilient waterfront park design should account for “the norm, not just the storm.” In other words waterfront parks should facilitate everyday public use during typical weather conditions while still including elements meant to face the risk – an approach that maximizes parkland utility and public investment.
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Green Infrastructure: A Strategy for Flood Risk Mitigation
The Green Infrastructure for Texas (GIFT) program specializes in water quality and quantity through a series of living landscape features. Our projects include rain gardens, floating wetlands and other low-impact design elements like WaterSmart Parks. We also partner with stakeholders in the community to share our expertise and collect valuable information through two-way dialogue, discovery workshops, town hall meetings, forums and volunteer programs.
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HUD Releases New IDIS Training for CDBG Grantees
HUD is pleased to announce the availability of several *new* training modules for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantees on using the Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS).
Before exploring modules on specific National Objectives, explore Introduction to IDIS which presents the IDIS system and why IDIS is an essential tool for CDBG grant administration.
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Dr. Carolyn Kouky’s “Harnessing the Power of Disaster Insurance”
In her PrepTalk, Kousky demonstrates the essential role of insurance in disaster recovery. She explains why not enough people have insurance coverage, and offers suggestions for how the public and private sectors can work together to overcome challenges to increasing insurance coverage across America.
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Farm Bill Conservation Programs: Helping Landowners Manage Their Lands
Through the Farm Bill conservation programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency offer financial and technical assistance to landowners and agricultural producers to voluntarily implement conservation practices that will benefit the environment and agricultural operations.
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Emergency Operations Planning: Dam Incident Planning Guide
This Dam Incident Planning Guide supports state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers in planning for dam incidents and failures by summarizing the concepts that a community should consider when creating dam incident-specific elements of local emergency operations plans.
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ReConnect Program
The Broadband ReConnect Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas.
Reconnect Loan and Grant Program. Overview
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Radon Action Month
EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk.
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Texas Local Catastrophic Debris Management Guide Release
TDEM, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, released the Local Catastrophic Debris Management Guide as required by Senate Bill 6 and House Bills 5 and 6 of the 86th Legislature. This guide will assist in planning, response, and recovery efforts for disasters that generate catastrophic amounts of debris.
National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) releases the Dam Incident Planning Guide
FEMA’s NDSP released its newest publication – Emergency Operations Planning: Dam Incident Planning Guide. The Dam Incident Planning Guide supports state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers in planning for dam incidents and failures by summarizing the concepts that a community should consider when creating dam incident-specific elements of local emergency operations plans. This Guide is intended to help community planners create a plan to respond to dam incidents that take place in, or affect, their communities. The NDSP offers a Dam Safety Collaborative Technical Assistance (CTA) program. Through this program, emergency managers work collaboratively with neighboring communities, agencies, and the private sector to gain a detailed understanding of the risks they face from local and regional dams and how those risks can be addressed.
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USDA Highlights Investments and Accomplishments in 2019 to Build Rural Prosperity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2019 – USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today highlighted major accomplishments and investments that are building prosperity and strengthening the nation’s rural businesses and communities. “Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA continues to make great strides in building prosperity in our rural America,” LaVoy said. “In 2019, the Department collaborated with many partners and invested $28.6 billion to spark business development and create jobs in all 50 states and all U.S. territories.
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Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus
The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) provides disaster payments to producers to offset losses from hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of those disaster events.
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Mitigation Matters: Policy Solutions to Reduce Local Flood Risk
“Mitigation Matters,” new research from The Pew Charitable Trusts, identifies 13 states or cities that have adopted policies resulting in effective flood mitigation. To learn more, read the overview, which includes lessons from these jurisdictions, or go directly to briefs below about each city or state. The policies are organized into three categories: 1) using existing funds for mitigation by redirecting revenue and spending, 2) creating revenue sources, and 3) establishing smarter regulations.
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Building Science Releases FEMA P-2055: Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation Guide
This Guide was developed as required by the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, Section 1241: Post-disaster Building Safety Assessment and targets three main stakeholder groups.
- Architects, engineers, and building officials directly involved in post-disaster building safety evaluation.
- Emergency managers and health officials who may be involved in management of the post-disaster evaluation process, including environmental health issues.
- Policy makers at state, local, tribal, and territorial and federal government levels.
FEMA P-2055 summarizes and references best practice guideline documents, identifies recommended improvements and needs, and provides interim recommendations for issues without best practice guidance.
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Topics in Climate Change Adaptation Planning Webinar Series
Recordings are available at: http://nau.edu/tribalclimatechange under the Trainings and Events tab.
Hazus Webinar: Economic benefits of open space
Tina Lund, principal at Urbanomics, and Michael Haggerty, associate at Starr Whitehouse, discuss their use of Hazus to document the economic benefits of converting low-lying areas in East Harlem to open space. The project considers both social resilience and climate change – increasingly important areas of discussion for the risk assessment community.
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USDA Highlights Investments and Accomplishments in 2019 to Build Rural Prosperity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2019 – USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today highlighted major accomplishments and investments that are building prosperity and strengthening the nation’s rural businesses and communities. “Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA continues to make great strides in building prosperity in our rural America,” LaVoy said. “In 2019, the Department collaborated with many partners and invested $28.6 billion to spark business development and create jobs in all 50 states and all U.S. territories.
Information
Mitigation Matters: Policy Solutions to Reduce Local Flood Risk
“Mitigation Matters,” new research from The Pew Charitable Trusts, identifies 13 states or cities that have adopted policies resulting in effective flood mitigation. To learn more, read the overview, which includes lessons from these jurisdictions, or go directly to briefs below about each city or state. The policies are organized into three categories: 1) using existing funds for mitigation by redirecting revenue and spending, 2) creating revenue sources, and 3) establishing smarter regulations.
Information
Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus
The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) provides disaster payments to producers to offset losses from hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of those disaster events.
Information
USDA Helps Rural Businesses Make Energy Efficiency Improvements, Adopt Renewable Energy Systems in Texas
State Director for Rural Development Edd Hargett today announced that USDA is investing over $1 million to help farmers, ag producers and rural-based businesses lower energy costs. USDA is providing the funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). “By lowering energy costs, these businesses and ag producers can become more competitive and create more jobs that will help to make rural communities prosper,” said Hargett.
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