FEMA Seeks Feedback on Emergency Operations Center DocumentsFEMA’s National Integration Center is seeking public feedback on two Emergency Operations Center (EOC) toolkit documents. The national engagement period starts on Dec. 1 and will conclude on Jan. 5, 2021 at 5 p.m. ET. The two EOC toolkit documents, EOC How To Quick Reference Guide and EOC References and Tools, are a collection of guidance and best practices for emergency management, specifically EOC communities. This national engagement period provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the draft documents to ensure they are relevant for all implementing partners. To provide comments on the drafts, complete the feedback form and submit the form to FEMA’s National Integration Center. The National Integration Center is hosting a series of three, 60-minute webinars to discuss the two EOC toolkit documents and answer related questions. All stakeholder webinars are open to the whole community. Each webinar will cover the same information. Advance registration is required due to space limitations. Registration is on a first come, first served basis. To register, click on your preferred webinar session from the list below: If you require accommodations to participate in these events, please provide details in the Disability Related Accommodations field on the registration page or contact us at FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov. Please make accommodation requests as early as possible. We will try our best to fill late requests. Tribal Alerting via IPAWS: Webinar Available for DownloadFEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) office thanks attendees and presenters of the Tribal Nations & IPAWS webinar on Nov. 18. The webinar recording is now available online. IPAWS is a national system for local alerting that enables public safety officials the capability to deliver a single alert simultaneously through multiple communication devices, reaching as many people as possible to save lives and protect property. The Navajo Nation was among the first alerting authorities nationwide to issue a live wireless emergency alert for the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency in March after 49 initial cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on the western part of the reservation. You can hear about their experience using IPAWS by downloading the webinar. FEMA Looks Back at the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane SeasonNov. 30 brought the official end to the record breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The season got off to an early start: from May to July, a record nine named storms formed. The 21-name Atlantic list was quickly exhausted when Tropical Storm Wilfred formed on Sept. 18. For only the second time in history, the Greek alphabet was used for the remainder of the busy season. NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlooks accurately predicted a high likelihood of an above-normal season with a strong possibility of it being extremely active. In total, the 2020 season produced 30 named storms (top winds of 39 mph or greater/tropical storm or higher), of which 13 became hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or greater), including six major hurricanes (top winds of 111 mph or greater/category 3 or higher). This is the most storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and the second-highest number of hurricanes on record. An average season produces 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. As of Nov. 30, 12 storms hit the U.S. coastline; this is the most in a season, surpassing the prior record of nine from 1916. Of those 12 landfalls, five were in Louisiana alone; and almost every mile of the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coast has been under a tropical watch or warning. While the season officially ended on Nov. 30, it is still possible for additional storms to develop. Stay vigilant and make sure your family is ready for any kind of severe weather. The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season will officially begin on June 1 and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will issue its initial seasonal outlook in May. FEMA Podcast Episode 83: After the Disaster: How to Donate and Volunteer ResponsiblyThis episode of the FEMA Podcast will feature an interview with Stacy Lamb from Convoy of Hope & FEMA’s donations management lead Don Bonchack about what you should know to most effectively volunteer your time after a disaster or how to ensure your donation makes the greatest impact for those who need it the most. 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. The FEMA Podcast is available on Apple iTunes and Google Play to stream or download. Upcoming Deadlines and RemindersFEMA Holds Virtual Listening Session on Pandemic Assistance for Tribal NationsFEMA’s Recovery Directorate - in partnership with FEMA Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division, will host a virtual listening session with tribal leaders to discuss coronavirus (COVID-19) policies and guidance and their implementation and effect on tribal nations. This listening session will take place virtually from 1 to 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 8. FEMA staff will provide an overview of program assistance for the pandemic, recovery (Public Assistance and Individual Assistance) policies and tribal inquiries already received. FEMA is interested in hearing additional feedback from tribal leaders on ways of improving the delivery of assistance. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FEMA Seeks Public Comment on Disaster Grant Closeout ProceduresFEMA seeks comments on revisions to a recovery policy about disaster grant closeout procedures. The draft version of “Recovery Policy FP 205-081-2 Stafford Act Section 705, Disaster Grant Closeout Procedures” establishes when FEMA can recover payments made through the Public Assistance program. It applies to all potential recoveries of payments made to state, tribal and local government recipients and subrecipients for funding. The revised policy states FEMA may not start administrative actions to recover funding after three years from the date the recipient submits certification of completion for a large project or all small projects. The revision also specifies when the three-year period starts for small and large projects. The policy revision can be viewed on the FEMA website. Comments on the policy are due by Dec. 10. FEMA requests that all comments are submitted to FEMA-Recovery-PA-Policy@fema.dhs.gov using the accompanying comment matrix. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FEMA Seeks Feedback on Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101FEMA seeks feedback on the updated “Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.” This document provides guidance on developing emergency operations plans and promotes a common understanding of the fundamentals of community-based, risk-informed planning and decision making to help planners examine a threat or hazard and produce integrated, coordinated and synchronized plans. FEMA updated this guidance recently to align with new and updated policies and programs, providing additional tools and maintaining the flexibility and scalability of the document while expanding on the role of whole community partners. FEMA will host a series of 60-minute webinar sessions to discuss changes to the updated CPG 101 and gather feedback from whole community partners. The sessions will include facilitated discussions with stakeholders to help improve the existing draft. A line numbered version of the CPG 101 is available to allow individuals to provide comments on specific areas within the document. This national engagement period concludes at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 25. To review the document and learn more about the webinar sessions, visit the FEMA website. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FEMA Releases Draft "Building Private-Public Partnerships Guide" for Public CommentFEMA seeks content input from community partners on the “Building Private-Public Partnerships Guide” draft document. The agency will host a series of 60-minute engagement webinars to discuss the Guide and answer stakeholders’ questions. The webinars will be open to the whole community and advance registration is required. To register, click on the preferred webinar session below. The purpose of the review is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide substantive content recommendations and refinement of the draft. Submit feedback to NPD-Planning@fema.dhs.gov by Dec. 10. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FEMA Hosts Civil Rights Stakeholder Summit SeriesFEMA will conclude its series of Civil Rights Stakeholder Summits with its final summit on Dec. 3. Motivated by FEMA core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and respect, the goal of each summit is to strengthen the foundation for an inclusive, whole-community based approach to emergency management. FEMA understands that disasters impact individuals and communities differently. To foster a more inclusive, prepared and resilient nation, FEMA seeks to strengthen the agency’s communication with members of underserved and historically marginalized communities, such as those with low income, differing ethnic groups and limited English proficiency. Because presenters and panelists will respond to your questions during the summits, please email questions to FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov no later than the Friday prior to the event. Perspectives and feedback from the public are critical to ensure FEMA effectively prepares and serves all communities before, during and after disasters. Register below in advance for the remaining summit in this series and join the discussion! | 
