Know your SAA (State Administrative Agent). Grant making process to disaster declaration.

All a matter of being aware.

Do you know who your State Administrative Agent (SAA) is in the grant approval process, and when a disaster strikes your location and resources aren’t available within your state and DHS\FEMA needs to be called?

Know before any deadline approaches.  Make the call before, during, and after the grant and disaster.

Check the list for your State SAA.  Know the disaster declaration process for your State.  Voice your needs and concerns. Before and during a crisis. 

The difference may just be a CONFERENCE CALL you lead with BEMA International on the line at your invitation.  You are not alone.

1. DHS\FEMA list of SAA.
1. https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/about/state-administrative-agency-contacts
2. Disaster declaration Process.
1. Local official guide:  https://www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org/p/local-elected-and-appointed-officials.html
2. State process:  https://www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org/p/disaster-declaration-process-in-united.html
3. Federal process:  https://www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org/p/disaster-declaration-process-figuring.html

At some point in the process it may become a POLITICAL decision and the needs of disadvantaged people and communities is not a priority.

Change occurs when YOU get involved.  Get involved. 

BEMA International

Black Emergency Managers Association International   Washington, D.C.  20020 bEMA International Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P) A 501 (c) 3 organization   Change without sacrifice is an illusion.

 

Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies January 2023

E-learning course development on Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies

By Asian Disaster Preparedness Center published on Jan 17, 2023 02:30 pm
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a self-paced online course in MOOC format for Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE) under the PEER program administered by the Preparedness for Response and Recovery (PRR) Department. 

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Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.

Established in 1986 as a technical capacity-building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC has six strategic themes supported by seven departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, and Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC also works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees.

ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change, and regional cooperation.

For details, please refer to the ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

Department Introduction

The Preparedness for Response and Recovery (PRR) Department of ADPC focuses on enhancing the preparedness, and response management capacities of governments, response organizations, volunteers, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, communities, and other traditional and non-traditional actors of the Disaster Risk Management Ecosystem. It also strives to strengthen the capacity of institutions and at-risk communities for faster and more efficient disaster recovery. The department works with the above-stated actors to ensure that the regional, national, sub-national, and local disaster preparedness, response, and

recovery frameworks and implementation plans are in place well before disaster strikes.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a self-paced online course in MOOC format for Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE) under the PEER program administered by the Preparedness for Response and Recovery (PRR) Department. The focus of the course will be on the management, leadership, and coordination roles of hospital managers during emergencies. The key technical information will be presented in the different sessions, but it is not meant to go into detail. Instead, the purpose is for hospital managers to be aware of the various issues and tools available and mobilize the appropriate experts and trained professionals to support the hospital response during emergencies. It is not the intention of the HOPE E-Learning Course to replace the existing in-person course, but rather it adds value by providing an opportunity for more participants to access the training and increase the outreach in promoting the preparedness of hospitals. The E-Learning Course also acts as a refresher training and provides updates for people that completed the HOPE training.

Therefore, ADPC seeks a qualified firm to develop the HOPE E-learning course.

Expected Outputs

1. Introductory video of the HOPE Online Course
2. Instructional Design Document that includes project plan, key milestones, and timeline
3. Presentation prototype using ADPC Communication Guide.
4. Illustrated videos of training modules (graphic animations, voice-over)
5. Module Assessment / Quizzes
6. Course structure uploaded to ADPC Platform
7. Operational maintenance and training
8. Final project report

Responsibilities and Tasks

The firm is responsible for providing the following services:

1. Instructional Design Document (IDD)

   • Collect training course content from the HOPE training, clarify objectives, and finalize content in consultation with the ADPC PEER team.

   • Submission of instructional design document (IDD) for HOPE, including the course concept, tools, work plan, collation of existing training content and limitations, and information about the software under production or development according to the requirement of the hosting platform (ADPC).

   • Develop and present detailed storyboards based on the HOPE online course in consultation with the ADPC PEER team.

2. Design and Development

   • Transform training material to e-learning modules on the topics that are identified. Design and curate interactive modules using various pedagogical tools, including audio/video script, multimedia elements, graphics, animations, simulations, quizzes, case studies, etc.

The following type of available materials can be converted to e-learning content:

• Materials from the existing face-to-face training (e.g., project information, course syllabus, assignments, case studies)
• Current training course on HOPE
  1. Prototype - Develop and present a prototype of one of the topics.
  2. Develop the first module incorporating the feedback on the prototype.

1. Components of the e-learning course

   • Create User Profile

Enable the option for the user to create a 'Profile' for the course to save their details and track their progress in the course or module. The information provided will be used to generate the certificate and measure progress.

• Brief overview of each module
• Information about the course
• Reading materials
• module, syllabus, grading
• sitemap and help section
• Feedback and FAQs section

3.3 Module

• After each session, learners take a short quiz. When the learners complete the quiz, the session is shown as “completed.”
• After the learners complete the entire course, including the final test/quiz, a certificate of completion is generated
• Include a repository of reading material and contacts of resource persons, instructors for additional information.
• Provide subtitles for videos wherever required
• Provide an option to save (user’s progress) and exit

3.4 Certification

Certification shall be provided based on the assessment elements such as quizzes, multiple choice questions (MCQs), hypothetical scenarios, and the following. These can be used to test the competence of the participants on the topics. These questions should adhere to the weightage given to each session for certification.

4. Course Framework

Design and develop 5 modules with 3-4 sessions in each module and host all e-learning modules on appropriate LMS. It's expected minimum of 255 minutes total based on the materials.

5. Platform deployed on hosting server

1. Platform skeleton to be compatible with the hosting platform’s requirements.
2. Moderator- The firm should moderate responses to queries and feedback during the contract and ensure the transfer to the assigned person.

6. Operation maintenance and training

1. Post-deployment portal maintenance
   1. Provide technical support to maintain the online course during the contract period. After the contract ends, the selected agency shall be available for four months to provide services if there are technical faults in running the online e-learning platform.
   2. Carry out error/bug fixes and minor enhancements to keep the online course fully functional during the contract period. Provide maintaneance for 1 year after the online training is live.
   3. Support users and administrators in any technical.
2. Training organized for management of e-learning platform
   1. Training material: Develop clear and comprehensive Operational and Technical Reports/ Manuals for training and maintenance of the e-learning course.
   2. After the e-learning course is live to the audience, perform monitoring of the back-and-forth process of the eLearning development cycle.

Working Principles

In performing the duties and responsibilities indicated above, the firm will be supervised by the PEER team under the overall guidance of the Technical Lead, Emergency Preparedness, and the Director, Preparedness for Response and Recovery (PRR) Department of ADPC. In addition, the firm will closely work with other Project/Program Coordinators/Managers and Project Coordinators of the PRR Department.

Qualifications

The qualifying criteria for the firms/institutions/individuals applying for this are given as follows:

• Should have implemented similar e-learning and virtual courses. Provide 2-3 examples as reference.
• Should have a minimum of five years of experience in e-learning and virtual course development, including multimedia content/ graphics/ graphical guiding elements for e-learning applications (animations, videos, etc.)
• Should have experience in implementing assignments with a multi-disciplinary team of experts available
• The firms/institutes/individuals will also be assessed on the following:
  • Troubleshooting capabilities: Capability to provide technical support for maintenance,
  • Availability of dedicated team for maintenance and update of course,
  • After-development support: ability to provide software orientation, timely troubleshooting and fixes, software configuration, software customization, backup services, and monitoring of software implementation after the course is live,
  • Availability of manual testing procedures during the development process.

Duty Station: Home-base

Duration: 1 February 2023 - 31 March 2023

How to apply

Interested firms can submit the project proposals to ADPC to: adpcjobs@adpc.net by 25 January 2023, including links to previous work.

Simplify during disaster recovery: FEMA Program to Support Rapid Recovery for Applicants January 2023

 

FEMA Releases Policy to Simplify Public Assistance Program to Support Rapid Recovery for Applicants

 

On Jan. 9, FEMA released a policy that will simplify the Public Assistance (PA) program to help communities recover more quickly after Presidentially declared events.

 

As the name implies, the PA Simplified Procedures Policy simplifies procedures and streamlines documentation requirements for applicants under the Public Assistance program. This policy release follows the August 2022 announcement to increase the threshold for PA small projects to $1 million.

 

“This policy change is a reflection of FEMA and President Biden’s commitment to reduce red tape, cut back on bureaucracy and ensure that communities get the resources they deserve when they need them most,” Administrator Criswell said in August 2022 when the final rule was announced. “FEMA’s Public Assistance remains our flagship program for helping communities rebuild infrastructure, restore critical services to the public and build climate resilience. By simplifying the application process, we will break down barriers and better meet the funding needs of small communities and our nonprofit partners.”

 

The policy simplifies procedures, reduces the administrative burdens, supports equitable delivery of assistance to underserved communities and enables communities to recover more quickly after Presidentially declared events. The policy defines FEMA’s requirements for funding small projects, and it applies to all public assistance projects up to $1 million from major disasters and emergencies declared on or after the date of issuance.

Disasters: Preventing Human Trafficking in Disasters.

 

Webinar on Preventing Human Trafficking in Disasters: What You Need to Know and How to Respond

 

The DHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the DHS Office of Partnership and Engagement and FEMA are co-hosting a webinar to provide information and resources on adversely impacted communities after disasters and how to identify the risk factors that may lead to human trafficking.

 

The webinar will take place at 2 p.m. ET on Jan. 26. Register here in advance to attend the webinar. Organizations featured to speak include: 

• All-Healers Mental Health Alliance.
• University of Maryland School of Medicine.
• Humanitarian Disaster Institute, Wheaton College. 
• San Jose State University.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security,

 

The webinar will include information on how to better prepare faith and community groups, first responders, and emergency managers to recognize social and emotional impacts caused by disasters. The webinar will discuss the importance and the role of local partners to prevent exploitation and respond to survivors needs. It will also provide federal resources on how to report potential incidences of human trafficking.

 

DHS is hosting additional webinars about human trafficking throughout January:

• Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. ET: Blue Campaign del DHS: Introducción a Reconocer y Denunciar la Trata de Personas (Español).
• Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. ET: Human Trafficking Youth Forum.

 

FEMA recently published a blog on ways to prevent human trafficking. Visit the FEMA Blog to read, "5 Ways We Can Work Together to Prevent Human Trafficking." 

Resilience for Communities (R4C) Measuring Vulnerability and Building Equitable Resilience Thursday, 19 January 2023 08.00 AM EST

 

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Resilience for Communities (R4C) Measuring Vulnerability and Building Equitable Resilience    🗓️ Thursday, 19 January 2023 🕘 08.00 AM EST / 01.00 PM GMT / 09.00 PM SIN/KUL Register Extreme weather events are among the most dangerous shocks that plague cities and are becoming increasingly common as a result of climate change, impacting people's livelihood and well-being, especially the most vulnerable. In 2022 alone, the catastrophic extreme weather and climate disasters that impacted the United States are estimated to have cost at least $1 billion each, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For the first Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series of 2023, jointly organized by the Resilient Cities Network and the World Bank, we will be joined by R-Cities Regional Director for North America, Laurian Farrell, David Nash, Senior Manager for Climate Change and Partnerships at the Z Zurich Foundation, and Jordana Vasquez, Program Manager for R-Cities' flagship program on flood and heat resilience, Resilience for Communities (R4C). R4C is designed to strengthen climate resilience and address social inequities at the community level, by looking at the question of how we define resilience at the community level, and perhaps most crucially, who gets to define resilience. During the session, we will discuss the community-focused methodology behind implementation, track current progress in Houston, and share some of the lessons we have learned so far. Register Access previous sessions

1/18/2023 U.S. Releases Memorandum of Understanding with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to Strengthen Electric Vehicle Battery Value Chain

 The United States Releases Signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to Strengthen Electric Vehicle Battery Value Chain

01/18/2023 01:21 PM EST

 

Office of the Spokesperson

Today, the Department of State released the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on electric vehicle battery value chains signed by the United States on December 13, 2022, during the Africa Leaders Summit.  Through this MOU, the United States will support the commitment between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to develop jointly a supply chain for electric vehicle batteries.  The MOU supports the DRC and Zambia’s goal of building a productive supply chain, from the mine to the assembly line, while also committing to respect international standards to prevent, detect, and take legal action to fight corruption throughout this process.

The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world’s cobalt.  Zambia is the world’s sixth-largest copper producer, and the second largest cobalt producer in Africa.  These resources, and this commitment to cooperation, are crucial components of the urgently needed global energy transition.  The plan to develop an electric battery supply chain opens the door for open and transparent investment to build value-added and sustainable industry in Africa and creating a just energy transition for workers and local communities.  The U.S. private sector is a tremendous resource, both for technical knowledge and financing, for commercial development at every step in the process.  The U.S. government will work with the DRC and Zambia to ensure the private sector has a level playing field to participate in these projects.

The Memorandum of Understanding is available here.  For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.

Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Populations During an Evacuation

 

January 2023 aspr.hhs.gov/MRC

Featured Article

Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Populations During an Evacuation Vulnerable populations, including older adults, children, and those with a disability, face unique challenges during an emergency. For the Central Nebraska MRC, this became particularly apparent three years ago when a local assisted living facility experienced a fire and needed to evacuate residents.   “We put together a committee that included those who work at nursing homes and with elderly populations to understand the needs and how we could respond to such incidents,” said Unit Coordinator Ron Pughes. The result is the unit’s newest initiative: VIPER (Vulnerable Identified Population Evacuation Response). Expected to be deployable by April of this year, VIPER includes supplies and equipment; procedures and deployment processes; training; and response capabilities for the unit’s volunteers to assist vulnerable populations during an emergency.  If, for example an assisted living facility needed to be evacuated, the Central Nebraska MRC would be ready to assist those that the fire department transports out of the facility. This includes providing walkers, wheelchairs, ramps, life vests, and rope to serve as guidelines to help safely evacuate residents. Blankets, clothing, hygiene kits, and heaters would help to make residents comfortable and things like patient belongings bags to help ensure that valued keepsakes stay safely with residents. All of this equipment is stored in a dedicated 8’ x 20’ trailer with shelves, bins, and hooks to organize equipment and supplies. Included is a 33’ x 16’ inflatable no-step tent that can be set up by four people within 15 minutes.  “This is designed to serve as an interim shelter while Red Cross or other entities set something else up,” said Pughes. “It’s designed to provide compassionate comfort during a 6-to-8 hour sheltering response.”  To build out this initiative, the unit received a $14,000 grant from Nebraska’s Citizen Corps program. Those funds were primarily used to purchase supplies. The trailer, high-wheeled stretchers, and some supplies were donated from area groups including the fire department and health department.  In addition to training its members to respond under this initiative, the unit hopes to host a multi-agency training exercise. The unit will also work with nursing homes and other facilities to review emergency response plans.     View the Central Nebraska MRC’s deployment readiness guide for VIPER. See additional resources to support vulnerable populations during an emergency: ASPR TRACIE Topic Collection: Populations with Access and Functional Needs CDC – Access and Functional Needs Toolkit ASPR Resources to Support Older Adults TRAIN Course: Addressing the Needs of Older Adults in Disasters CDC Resources to Support Older Adults Congratulations to the Bainbridge Island MRC Last month, the Bainbridge Island MRC (WA) was awarded "Volunteer Organization of the Year" by the International Association of Emergency Managers. This honor is a testament to the activities of Bainbridge Prepares and the MRC as well as its ability to leverage and enhance partnerships with other organizations. The MRC and Bainbridge Prepares is one leg of a primary three-way partnership between the City of Bainbridge Island and the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. That partnership foundation means the MRC is key to emergency response plans and missions, and allows the unit to also support many, many other communities outside of the island. Do you have good news to share about your unit? Send details to mrc@naccho.org for recognition in an upcoming newsletter.