Former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested Tuesday. September 2019

Stay above reproach.

Assume

    -Someone is always watching even at the local level,

    -If you can’t explain it, don’t do it!

    -I always fly economy on business

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/10/fema-official-arrested-for-fraud-over-hurricane-maria-recovery-effort-in-puerto-rico.html A former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested Tuesday for taking bribes from the president of a company that landed $1.8 billion in federal contracts to repair Puerto Rico’s electrical grid after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017. Federal authorities arrested Ahsha Tribble, FEMA’s former deputy administrator for the region that includes Puerto Rico. Donald Keith Ellison, the former president of Cobra Acquisitions was also arrested. They were accused of “conspiracy to commit bribery of public officials; acts affecting a personal financial interest; false statements; disaster fraud; honest services wire fraud, Travel Act violations, and wire fraud,” according to a statement from the Department of Justice. Ms. Tribble and Mr. Ellison had a “close personal relationship” from October 2017 to April 2019, and Mr. Ellison gave Ms. Tribble gifts that ranged from personal helicopter use, hotel accommodations and personal security services, according to the DOJ statement. In exchange, Ms. Tribble performed “official acts” including influencing, advising, and exerting pressure on Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and FEMA officials, in order to award restoration work to Cobra and accelerate payments to the company. “All government officials are entrusted with performing their duties honestly and ethically,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez for the District of Puerto Rico. “The charged offenses are reprehensible, more so in light of PREPA’s and Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis.” FEMA said in a statement that the agency takes allegations of employee misconduct “extremely seriously” and added that they are “fully cooperating with federal investigators.” “FEMA’s mission is to help the American people before, during, and after disasters and our mission can only be accomplished by maintaining the public trust and confidence of those we serve. As such, the Agency takes allegations of employee misconduct extremely seriously and holds all employees to the highest ethical standards – requiring them to protect government resources and place public service over private gain in everything they do.”

Black Emergency Managers Association  

1231-B Good Hope Road.  S.E.

Washington, D.C.  20020

Office:   202-618-9097 

bEMA 

"We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice.  Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity.  Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom…a time like this demands great leaders.”      Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)             A 501 (c) 3 organization.

Stress Management. September 2019

Stress Management

Feeling stress is normal, but too much of it can hurt your health. Learn about the different types of stress, how you can recognize the signs in loved ones young and old, and simple ways to help your family de-stress. Knowing there are resources out there is important especially during the new school year.

Disaster Risk Reduction Guide. September 2019

Sustainable Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Disaster Risk Reduction

When it comes to community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM), you don’t need to be an expert to design, plan, and implement great CBDRM activities. This guide uses the analogy of cooking to present concepts and examples of successful CBDRM. Learn how to create the perfect recipe for building resilience at a community level in a sustainable and institutionalized manner, even if you are not a world famous chef.

Download Guide

Tech to Protect Challenge. September 2019

Tech to Protect Challenge: Washington, DC

Date: September 27-29, 2019, 5:00pm-6:00pm

Location: 509 7th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20004

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tech-to-protect-challenge-washington-dc-tickets-62210653740 

Contact: DC@TechtoProtectChallenge.org.

The Tech to Protect Challenge, implemented by the RedFlash Group and SecondMuse under contract with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division, is a national open innovation contest designed to help emergency responders—including EMS, firefighters and police—accomplish their mission to serve and protect our communities nationwide.

Join entrepreneurs, inventors, and innovators with diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in creating technology that can improve the safety of their communities. 

Regardless of your area or level of expertise, we invite you to use your talents and join researchers, scientists, and emergency responders in advancing technologies and applications for public safety.

For additional information on how to participate in-person or online, the contests you can create solutions for, the rules and more, visit techtoprotectchallenge.org. 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Tech to Protect Challenge can be found at https://www.techtoprotectchallenge.org/faqs

Faith-based Organizations. Disaster Relief Ministry and Training. September 2019

May be of interest to your organization.

Not able to attend.  How can you get this training\presentation at your location.

BEMA International

Setting up a Disaster Relief Ministry - Presented by Saddleback Church Date: September 20, 5:30-8:30pm Location: Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 361 Tilghman Road, Salisbury, MD 21804 Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/setting-up-a-disaster-relief-ministry-presented-by-saddleback-church-registration-65726113575 For over 14 years, Saddleback has had an effective Disaster Relief ministry. For the first time they are providing the opportunity for other churches to learn from their experiences, by bringing this training to us! Get tips and ideas of how to set up a new DR ministry at your church. We will discuss successes, pitfalls to avoid and even the characteristics of the people who are best at leading this type of ministry. You can take what Saddleback does and how we do it and use those principles to create a ministry in your church that works for your congregation. Pizza provided from 5:30 - 6pm, training from 6-8:30pm. Disaster Relief Volunteer Training - Presented by Saddleback Church Date: September 21, 9:00am-5:00pm Location: Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 361 Tilghman Road, Salisbury, MD 21804 Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disaster-relief-volunteer-training-presented-by-saddleback-church-registration-65720079527 Have you been watching disaster updates on the news and wondered if you could help? It is the desire of our Saddleback Relief Team that everyone be equipped to reach out to the suffering and displaced both here in the US and around the world. We have developed these classes to do just that! Light breakfast snacks will be available in the morning. Lunch will be provided from 12-1pm. 9am - 12pm: Orientation: This orientation will prepare you to serve in the aftermath of these disasters, or others in the future. We will also talk about the emotional stages of what people go through in a disaster, as well as specific things you can say and do that are helpful to them. There are a variety of ways you can serve -- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Don't wait until the next big disaster happens. This class will prepare you to respond with us quickly 1-5pm: Trauma training: Follow-up to the basic orientation which discusses more in depth the spiritual and emotional help you can give to someone in the aftermath of a disaster. You will learn the basics of how to simply enter into someone’s pain for a short time and help them process and recover from the disaster and to also notice the symptoms that may require professional counseling.

Black Emergency Managers Association   

Disaster Insurance Presentation. September 17, 2019

Disaster Insurance Presentation

Date: September 17, 2019, 6:00-7:30pm

Location: George Howard Building – Howard County Government Complex, Columbia/Ellicott City Room, 3430 Court House Dr # 100, Ellicott City, MD 21043

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disaster-insurance-presentation-tickets-68486754727

Contact: Howard County OEM at 410-313-6030, emergencymanagement@howardcountymd.gov

Often times, "conducting an insurance check-up" isn't on disaster preparedness checklists. But having the right type and amount of insurance is a crucial component of disaster preparedness, and the best way to maintain a healthy financial future following a disaster. Making sure you understand all your insurance options, what is covered (and more importantly NOT covered by insurance), and updating your insurance coverage should be as routine as an annual physical. Take the first step in conducting a disaster insurance check up by joining us to hear the Maryland Insurance Administration's presentation on what you can do to prepare for a disaster, what your insurance will and will not cover, and what resources are available to help.

Is your business prepared? Business Preparedness Day. Sep. 17, 2019. DC HSEMA

Business Preparedness Day

Date: September 17, 2019, 9:00am-3:00pm (deadline 9/13)

Location: 2720 Martin Luther King Junior Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20032

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-preparedness-day-tickets-64376665339

Contact: DC.BEMOC@dc.gov

Whether it’s a flood, blizzard, or hurricane, a disaster can strike the District at any moment. The effects can be devastating to both residents and businesses. A swift and coordinated private sector response can expedite recovery and restore normalcy in the District. This 6 hour event will convene first responders, emergency managers and the District’s private sector partners to: Discuss business preparedness initiatives in the District; Showcase new technologies that are being leveraged by the BEMOC; Identify and prioritize operational issues that can be solved through public-private partnerships; Conduct the first ever BEMOC Tabletop Exercise. Be prepared show a photo identification when you arrive. There is a free visitor parking lot available. If you prefer to take the Metro, the closest station is Anacostia and the following buses take you to HSEMA: A2, A4, A6, A8, and W3.

Urban Violence. September 2019. Baltimore, MD.

Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence

Date: September 10, 2019, 5:30-7:00pm

Location: Sheldon Hall (W1214), 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bleeding-out-the-devastating-consequences-of-urban-violence-tickets-66498616151

The 21st Century Cities Initiative and the Urban Health Institute at Johns Hopkins welcome Thomas Abt for a discussion of his new book Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence – and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets. Urban violence is one of the most divisive and allegedly intractable issues of our time. But as Harvard scholar Thomas Abt shows in Bleeding Out, we actually possess all the tools necessary to stem violence in our cities. Coupling the latest social science with firsthand experience as a crime-fighter, Abt proposes a relentless focus on violence itself — not drugs, gangs, or guns.

Oct 2019. BAEMCONF.....West Coast Emergency Management Conference.

Join key industry leaders for the 6th annual BAEM Conference

The Premier West Coast Emergency Management Conference The 6th annual Bay Area Emergency Managers Conference (BAEM), is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17th. Learn more at www.baemconference.com. WHAT: BAEM is one of the premier emergency response and disaster recovery conferences on the West Coast. Our goal is to bring Emergency Managers, EH&S, and Business Continuity professionals together and share actionable insights that help your business better prepare for the next disaster. WHY ATTEND: Attending BAEM gives you the opportunity to learn best practices while networking with some of the key leaders in the industry; including Genentech, FEMA, Applied Materials, Stanford University, eBay, Cisco, Wells Fargo and Kaiser Permanente to name a few. This is a community conference, so your attendance helps everyone be better at enhancing preparedness in the Bay Area. WHAT'S NEW THIS YEAR: ·    The conference date has been moved to October ·    We added more networking time ·    We've added interesting interactive practice sessions during the conference ·    To help everyone beat the traffic, there's a later start time and earlier end time WHEN: October 17th, 2019 8:30AM - 4:30PM WHERE: Genentech Event Center  401 DNA Way  South San Francisco, CA 94080 Free Parking is available REGISTER TODAY so you don't miss out! Register Now Questions? To learn about registration, parking, the agenda, and see highlights from last years conference browse the BAEM website for complete details. Contact us with questions by using the Contact Form or send us an email: Greg Jones, Genentech Jeff Hamilton, Nexis Response Hosted by:  BAEM 2018 Committee, 401 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Disability Approaches to Disaster Assistance. Webinar. Septermber 2019. Preparedness Month.

The Black Emergency Managers Association International (BEMA International), and the National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) are collaborating on the upcoming National Preparedness Month September 2019.  Two vital webinars conducted by the NDRN on disability approaches to disaster assistance and humanitarian actions available September 4^th & 5^th at 1:00 PM ET.

Register early to participate.

BEMA International

Session One | A Disability Justice Approach to Disaster Assistance Date:          September 04, 2019 Time:          01:00 PM [Eastern Time] Duration:     1 Hour 15 Minutes    An interactive virtual workshop on Disability Justice approaches to disaster assistance that recognizes histories of harm and centers communities of color. The session will be co-facilitated by Justine Shorter who serves as the Disaster Protection Advisor for NDRN and Valerie Novack who is currently a Portlight Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Together, they will guide participants through critical questions that call for a nationwide reimagining of how we prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters/emergencies. Interested participants can Click here to register.

Session Two | Disability Justice Approaches to Humanitarian Action Date:          September 05, 2019 Time:          01:00 PM [Eastern Time] Duration:     1 Hour 15 Minutes    With a particular focus on global humanitarian action, this thought provoking session will feature Disability Justice approaches that recognizes historical trauma and centers on underserved communities. Join us as we pose critical questions that call for a collective reimagining of international development, foreign policy and humanitarian interventions. The session will be facilitated by Justine Shorter who serves as NDRN’s Disaster Protection Advisor and Valerie Novack who is currently a Portlight Fellow at the Center for American Progress. We welcome disaster/emergency management professionals worldwide, international development practitioners and anyone else with an interest in disability-centered humanitarian assistance. Interested participants can Click here to register.

Black Emergency Managers Association  

1231-B Good Hope Road.  S.E.

Washington, D.C.  20020

Office:   202-618-9097 

bEMA 

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.  We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.  In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late.  Procrastination is still the thief of time.  Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity.  This may well be mankind’s last change to choose between chaos or community.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘Where Are We Going From Here:  Chaos or Community’.

Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)             A 501 (c) 3 organization.