Private Sector Advisory The U.S. Virgin Islands Qualifies to Receive Up to $371 Million in Community Disaster Loans November 7, 2017

  -Loans over grants?  Wait for the grant.  What about 2018 Hurricane Season?

      Will you be able to pay off any existing loans by the 2018 Season?

VIRGIN ISLANDS APPROVED FOR COMMUNITY LOANS…..

Federal Emergency Management Agency Private Sector Division/ National Business Emergency Operations Center FEMA-Private-Sector@fema.dhs.gov Private Sector Advisory The U.S. Virgin Islands Qualifies to Receive Up to $371 Million in Community Disaster Loans November 7, 2017 The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the provision of additional resources and services to support ongoing operational needs for the U.S. Virgin Islands, in the form of federal loans. On Oct. 26, 2017, President Trump signed supplemental appropriations funding permitting the transfer of up to $4.6 billion to FEMA’s Community Disaster Loan (CDL) Program. CDLs help local governments continue to provide essential operating services after a major disaster. FEMA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, determined the U.S. Virgin Islands now qualifies to receive up to $371 million in CDLs. These funds will help the U.S. Virgin Islands continue to perform essential government functions as the territory recovers from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The CDL package was presented today to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Governor’s Authorized Representative for further review and consultation with FEMA in regard to the loan terms. Upon agreement, the loan funding will be transferred to budgetary accounts for dispersal to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ central government, the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center, the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital-Schneider Regional Medical Center, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. Loan funds will be withdrawn in increments based on actual, immediate cash needs as necessary to maintain essential government operations supported by financial documentation. FEMA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, implemented additional reporting requirements (e.g., submissions of cash receipts, cash outlays, restricted and unrestricted cash balances, and other cash flows) to ensure CDL funds are being used appropriately. FEMA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, continues to work closely with states and territories affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma to determine eligibility and appropriate loan authority for their CDLs.

Webinar - Coaching and Mentoring in Humanitarian Response. November 2017

Webinar - Coaching and Mentoring in Humanitarian Response

Join us on the 29 November for this hour-long webinar to learn how coaching and mentoring can be effectively put into practice within a humanitarian context.

• Topic:
  New and featured courses , Management Essentials, Coaching and mentoring others
• Format:
  Individual modules, Event, Webinar
• Language:
  English
• Provider:
  Humanitarian Leadership Academy
• Region:
  Global
• Compatibility:
  Smartphone, Tablet
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• https://kayaconnect.org/course/info.php?id=754&utm_source=CMwebinar%20mailchimp&utm_campaign=CMwebinar%20mailchimphttps://kayaconnect.org/course/info.php?id=754&utm_source=CMwebinar%20mailchimp&utm_campaign=CMwebinar%20mailchimp
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Towards a culture of preparation in East Africa. November 2017

Cultural preparation & change will have to take place at all levels.  From top-down to bottom-up.

BEMA International.

Towards a culture of preparation in East Africa We are working in partnership with several universities in East Africa to provide students with free access to humanitarian learning via our digital platform Kaya. These collaborative efforts seek to increase resilience, response capacity, and ability to confront disasters in the region.

Read more Towards a culture of preparation: Engaging with university students to promote uptake of Kaya courses to enhance Disaster Risk Reduction Disasters and disaster risks have been on the rise in the last decade. Globally, the number of people affected has been increasing by an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 per decade since the early 1970s and is projected to continue to increase in many regions of the world due to the growing exposure from human activities and climate change. This projected increase in frequency and intensity of disasters is expected to be exacerbated by increased vulnerability due to poverty and increased population pressure in some risk-prone areas. http://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/towards-culture-preparation-east-africa/?utm_source=Academy+List+January+2017&utm_campaign=8380e4b2d3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_OctNews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_184305c7d3-8380e4b2d3-280667361

CERT Should Be Mandatory. Starting in Middle School?

What about your community?

BEMA International

Good Article in Emergency Managment News Letter - CERT Should Be Mandatory http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Fall-2017-EM-CERT-Should-Be-Mandatory.html CERT Should Be Mandatory All too often, businesses and organizations expect that first responders can get to them quickly in a major disaster. by Larissa Paschyn / October 30, 2017 Too often, businesses and organizations rely on the hope that first responders will be able to reach them in time during a major disaster.  However, the bigger the disaster, the more strain on limited resources, and the less likely the government will be able to respond.  As a result, it is imperative that everyone in an organization can use their own resources and skills to take care of each other. FEMA maintains the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program as an official emergency preparedness program. However, there is no obligation or requirement for schools and employers in high-hazard areas to implement or maintain such programs on site. The CERT concept was originally developed following a series of earthquakes in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that left hundreds dead, injured and without emergency services. CERT volunteers are educated about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area, and CERT trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Local responders can rely on CERTs during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Yet public education campaigns encouraging participation in CERTs have not been highly effective or visible.  For example, in California’s Bay Area, few residents are even aware that their neighborhoods offer CERT. Combine that with the fact that numerous IT companies in the Bay Area are basically small cities, and you are looking at a recipe for disaster.  With the limited man-power and resources local emergency response has, these IT villages are not likely to receive help for a long period of time. And let’s not forget the sheer density of downtown San Francisco and Oakland, where emergency response will also have a difficult time responding to all affected buildings. Without holding schools and businesses accountable, there is a greater likelihood of loss of life when a catastrophic disaster occurs, such as tornado, flood or earthquake.  In a catastrophic disaster, first responders will not be able to assist for a prolonged period of time.  By requiring businesses of more than 150 persons and schools to have a work or campus-based (C-CERT) team in place, local public safety can focus on other areas [during an emergency situation]; allowing the affected school/company to be self-sufficient for a time. In any disaster, you can find numerous accounts of neighbors and regular citizens assisting at the scene before response agencies could deploy.  After the Joplin, Mo., tornado in 2011, neighbors assisted in digging others out of the rubble.  During the 2016 Louisiana floods, instead of waiting for the government to come rescue them, the people of Louisiana used privately owned boats to save their neighbors. This “Cajun Navy” was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Louisianans. In South San Francisco, biotech companies have been ahead of the game for years, maintaining on-site search and rescue, medical, hazmat teams, and incident command teams. In the event of an earthquake, they will be able to rescue and treat their own staff before help arrives. The fact is that our communities and our facilities are one of the most effective ways to ensure that we are prepared in the event of a future emergency response situation, and every business should be a part of that preparedness. Schools and companies need to be able to take care of their own people, and in earthquake territory, it is irresponsible not to require all corporations and educational institutions to have response programs in place. Larissa Paschyn is the emergency manager for Amgen in South San Francisco, where she trains the emergency response teams. Previously, she was the external affairs officer for the FEMA Region 9 Incident Management Assistance Team.

Grants. 2018 Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation Grants. Let's rebuild OUR COMMUNITY

https://www.lowes.com/cd_Charitable+and+Educational+Foundation_936258779_

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation

Founded in 1957, Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation has a long and proud history of improving the communities we serve. The foundation's support has grown to match the growing needs of our communities, going from $3 million in contributions in 2004 to nearly $19 million in 2010.

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation funds nonprofit organizations and public agencies that support our charitable goals. The foundation's primary philanthropic focus centers on K–12 public education and community improvement. Within these areas, Lowe's Foundation is committed to supporting projects that have the greatest impact on our communities and align with our core business — home improvement.

We believe education is the cornerstone to building bright futures and stronger communities. Our long-established commitment to improving educational opportunities is best exemplified by our signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education^®. Since its inception in 2006, Lowe's Toolbox for Education has contributed nearly $25 million to more than 5,400 schools in the United States. In 2010, with schools and community groups continuing to face financial challenges, Lowe's Foundation again focused on basic needs. The foundation gave more than $2.5 million in regional grants to fund a variety of improvements for schools and community gathering places.

With the foundation's support, we also continued to address the growing skilled worker shortage in the United States and Canada. Lowe's Foundation boosted its support of trades education with a new five-year, $1.5 million annual commitment to SkillsUSA^®. As we expand our store presence in Canada, we also are expanding our commitment to youth across the country. The foundation will contribute $1.25 million over five years to Skills / Compétences Canada. The contribution will support high school-based projects in the provinces of Alberta and Ontario, and will expand to other regions as Lowe's establishes retail locations in more communities.

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, which also supports partnerships with Rebuilding Together^®, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Nature Conservancy among others, is comprised of a nine-member board of directors. The board includes representatives from various departments within Lowe's, from store operations and human resources to the legal and tax teams, supplying a diversity of thought, leadership and experience to help shape the foundation's work. Larry Stone, Lowe's president and chief operating officer and a 41-year company veteran, is chairman of the foundation.

For more information about Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, including application guidelines, visit Lowes.com/community.