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This Citizen Corps News Digest is provided by FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division to highlight community preparedness and resilience resources and activities recently announced by federal agencies and Citizen Corps partners. |
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DHS -FEMA Updates
Be heard…Email comments or suggestions to us at cert@dhs.gov
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FEMA's National Integration Center is seeking public feedback on a number of National Incident Management System (NIMS) Resource Management component documents that enhance interoperability and the effectiveness of mutual aid. This National Engagement Period will conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2018 . The National Engagement Period provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on newly developed supplemental guidance.
Today's release includes:
NIMS Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide and 17 EOC Skillsets to help create a national vocabulary for EOC personnel qualifications, while remaining flexible for the diversity of EOC organization structures
NIMS EOC Director and Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS) Job Titles/Position Qualifications that define minimum qualifications criteria for personnel serving in these positions;
Accompanying Position Task Books (PTB) that identify the competencies, behaviors, and tasks that personnel should demonstrate to become qualified for a these positions.
In late 2015/early 2016, FEMA conducted interviews with more than 100 state, local, tribal, and territorial EOC leaders to better understand current EOC practices in order to develop national guidance. These interviews showed that EOCs vary widely in terms of authorities, mission, and resources.
FEMA recognizes the need for EOC leaders to determine their own organizational structure according to their needs, and is committed to supporting this through flexible guidance and tools.
2017 NIMS describes multiple EOC organization structures. This flexibility is necessary given the diversity of EOCs across the Nation, but creates challenges when attempting to support personnel qualifications for EOCs.
To address the need for flexibility in EOC guidance while providing a way to qualify EOC personnel, FEMA has modified the standard NQS Position Task Book – or PTB – approach and by developing EOC “skillsets” to define tasks performed by EOC personnel.
EOC Skillsets help create a national vocabulary for EOC personnel qualifications, while remaining flexible for the diversity of EOC organization structures. The EOC Skillsets reflect common functions performed by EOCs. EOC leaders can mix and match skillsets, combining them together to form EOC task books that reflect the needs of their EOC.
The two Job Titles/Position Qualifications and accompanying PTBs provide emergency managers and incident workforce personnel with minimum qualifications for the EOC Director and DIVS positions.
To support partner and stakeholder adoption, FEMA is hosting a series of 60-minute webinars to discuss the NQS supporting documents and answer questions related to the foundational guide and supporting tools. All webinars are open to the whole community, including individuals and communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and all governments. The schedule is below. All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Webinar #1: Thursday April 12, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Webinar #2: Tuesday April 17, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Webinar #3: Thursday April 19, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Webinar #4: Tuesday April 24, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
To review the documents and for additional webinar information, visit:
https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system/national-engagement .
To provide comments on the draft, complete the feedback form on the webpage listed above and submit the form to FEMA- NIMS@fema.dhs.gov .
Thank you for your input and continued support. Together, we make our Nation more secure and resilient.
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Save for a rainy day because you never know when it may pour.
Begin saving for your financial future during the second week of National Financial Capability Month , April 8-14. Learn how to create a rainy day fund to cover emergency expenses, prepare yourself financially and deal with debt .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury will focus on financial preparedness throughout the month. Share the content in the Financial Preparedness Social Media Toolkit and use #FinancialFuture2018 to join the conversation.
On Wednesday, April 18 at 3 p.m. ET, join the Facebook Live – Money: Build it, Grow It, and Secure It to:
- Hear stories of people overcoming financial challenges;
- Discuss practical tips to planning, budgeting, saving, and protecting assets;
- Highlight what organizations are doing to help community members improve their financial well-being; and
- Provide resources to help individuals and families improve their financial future.
Find out more by following #FinancialFuture2018 and visiting Ready.gov/financial-preparedness or MyMoney.gov .
Please help spread the word within your community about the importance of financial preparedness. Visit Ready.gov/financial-toolkit to borrow sample messages and graphics. |
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During this time of year, several states and U.S. territories offer Tsunami Preparedness Campaigns . According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a tsunami can occur anytime if conditions are right.
Large undersea earthquakes cause most tsunamis. They consist of a series of waves that move outward in all directions. They can travel across entire oceans. Take steps now to protect yourself and your loved ones if you live in or visit a tsunami hazard zone.
Follow these NWS tips to prepare for a tsunami:
Visit the NWS Tsunami Safety page and the Ready.gov Tsunamis page for more information. |
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Reward yourself and your neighborhood. Volunteer to improve your community.
Next week, April 15-21, is National Volunteer Week . Get involved with a local volunteer group or start your own project. Serve.gov offers ways to help your community.
Visit Serve.gov to:
- Find a Volunteer Opportunity
- Start a Project
- Become a Mentor
- Discover the Benefits of Volunteering
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In observance of National Financial Capability Month, the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) invites you to a webinar on Thursday, April 26. This webinar will provide financial tools and resources to use when working with families and individuals. The topics include steps to better prepare for and bounce back from unexpected events. This webinar will include various presenters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other FLEC agencies.
Title: Be Ready Financially: Resources to Help Individuals and Families with Financial Preparedness
Date: Thursday, April 26, 2018
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT
How to Join the Webinar:
We hope you will join us on April 26!
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The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins June 1. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individual and Community Preparedness Division invite you to participate in a hurricane preparedness webinar. On Tuesday, May 8 , learn innovations in preparedness that you can implement in your community. Participants will hear from local and national leaders. Attendees can engage one another in a conversation with the goal of building resilience for the coming hurricane season.
Title: Helping Your Community Get Ready for Hurricanes: Innovations from the Field
Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Time: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (ET)
This webinar will feature the following presenters:
- Lauren Stienstra, HERricane Project Lead, Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management, Arlington County, VA
- Leslie Chapman-Henderson, President and CEO, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH)
- Marcus Coleman, DHS Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, FEMA
- Matthew Lyttle, Individual and Community Preparedness Division, FEMA
How to Join the Webinar:
We hope that you will be able to join us on May 8!
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Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events, entities, organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting: citizencorps@dhs.gov
About FEMA
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.
The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. |
