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Landrieu’s Panel Pushing New Disaster Declaration Legislation Nominate a Deserving Firefighter for a New House Emergency Plan Speeds University’s Recovery from Devastating Fire NVFC and USFA Release Report on Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service U.S. Fire Administration Announces Arson Awareness Week Theme for 2008 New Federal Coordinating Officers Complete FEMA Training
Landrieu’s Panel Pushing New Disaster Declaration Legislation May 6, 2008 – 8:43 p.m. Donny Williams, staff director of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, chaired by Landrieu, made his comments after a forum he participated in regarding the Stafford Act 430);">PL 93-288), which authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund post-disaster recoveries. “The Stafford Act, we believe, is meant for garden variety disasters,” Williams said. Williams said the law allows the president to make an emergency or major disaster declaration, “But we want to see a third declaration,” he said during the forum — one that would be for a catastrophic event, such as Hurricane Katrina. “Figuring out exactly what the requirements for that declaration would be is up in the air and that’s something we’re going to have to fight through the Congress,” Williams told forum attendees. “But that’s going to be the centerpiece of our Stafford Act reform activity.” Williams said the subcommittee already has a “working draft” of the legislation that “basically amounts to a wish list.” While the legislation’s main focus would be on the catastrophic declaration, Williams said it also would include “changes in housing with regard to giving more freedom for FEMA to more actively look for rental units and more permanent disaster housing,” as well as expand FEMA’s ability to do mental health counseling and change the way the public assistance program works to “more of a block grant kind of formula” during a catastrophe. As far as setting a threshold for when the president could make a catastrophic declaration, Williams told CQ the subcommittee is looking at a “per capita cost of damage” that might be coupled with several other measures “that make it clear that this is well beyond the state and surrounding region to respond to.” During his keynote address at the forum, former FEMA director James Lee Witt also touched on the notion of establishing a “per capita cost . . . for defining a catastrophic event or at least some trigger defining that event.” “I think that there needs to be changes within the Stafford Act, particularly to deal with catastrophic events,” said Witt, who is now chief executive officer of James Lee Witt Associates, a public safety and crisis management consulting firm that is part of the GlobalOptions Group. Witt recommended an “annex” to the Stafford Act “defining a catastrophic event and what rules will apply to that event.” In a list of talking points for his speech, Witt outlined his “proposed trigger for determining whether a catastrophic event has occurred.” Under Witt’s proposal a catastrophic event has occurred if the governor of a state has requested a major disaster declaration and one or more of the following has occurred: • The disaster has caused a “near complete loss of continuity of government in one or more political jurisdictions that have been mostly or entirely incapacitated by either the direct effects or a presidentially declared disaster or the subsequent financial crisis resulting” from it. • The affected state is projected to lose more than 10 percent of its tax-related revenues for a fiscal quarter because of the disaster. • The disaster is expected to cost the federal government more than $1,500 per capita (adjusted for inflation) in the state under the Stafford Act. • The disaster causes regional or national effects that are projected to reduce the gross domestic product by at least 0.25 percent. Drew Sachs, vice president for crisis and consequence management at James Lee Witt Associates, said Williams’ discussion of creating a third presidential declaration and Witt’s push for a threshold to define a catastrophic event are “basically the same thing.” “It’s whether you think of it as a third level of declaration that the president has to do something different in order to get it or whether you consider it just as an administrative trigger . . . in terms of how it happens,” said Sachs, who noted that his firm has been working with Landrieu’s subcommittee. Going forward, Williams said the subcommittee would be soliciting input on the legislation from people or groups including the Bush administration, FEMA and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. “We want to draw in everyone for their opinions, including the administration, and get a document that won’t get immediately knocked out of the water,” Williams said. This effort could prevent the document from being ready before the August recess, he added. Daniel Fowler can be reached at dfowler@cq.com. Source: CQ HOMELAND SECURITY Nominate a Deserving Firefighter for a New House Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is looking for a firefighter whose house and family need help. The show is accepting nominations for a firefighter who has displayed heroism or has proven to be a positive role model within the community, but whose family is in dire need of a new home. If there is a firefighter within your department or community that can benefit from a home makeover, nominate them today. Learn more and access nomination guidelines. Source: NVFC Emergency Plan Speeds University’s Recovery from Devastating Fire A fire at James Madison University’s (JMU) administrative offices could have crippled the entire school for an extended period of time. But three days after the fire, the payroll department issued paychecks as usual. Did a good emergency plan make the difference? In an article on the Government Technology website, Chandler Harris says the fire destroyed payroll materials, accounts payable and receivable records, cash, IT equipment, grants and contracts. “JMU also lost paper files stored in the building, including all its employees’ W-4 forms,” Harris says. “More than 50 JMU employees were forced to move into temporary offices on campus.” So how did the university still issue paychecks three days later? According to Harris, it was the school’s resilient emergency plan and prepared staff. “The payroll running the following Wednesday revealed a lot of effort went into quickly trying to find locations for staff and get the system back up from the university department perspective,” Dale Hulvey, assistant vice president for information technology at JMU, told Harris. Hulvey credits part of the successful rebound to an efficient transition, since every JMU employee affected by the disaster was notified the night of the fire and given instructions for the temporary workstation location. “A lot of effort went into quickly trying to find locations for staff, and get them functioning,” Hulvey told Harris. “These folks all relied on computers, and trying to get computers, phones and other equipment functioning was where the challenge was.” To read the full article, click here: http://www.govtech.com/pcio/articles/279724
Source: Disaster Resource Guide NVFC and USFA Release Report on Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has completed a study of emerging occupational health and safety issues in the volunteer fire and emergency services. The report, Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service, provides information on initiatives, programs, and strategies for reducing fatalities among volunteer firefighters. "The volunteer fire service is an integral part of our nation's Homeland Security," said U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade. "The USFA was pleased to work in partnership with the NVFC to develop focused initiatives to support the health and safety of America's volunteer firefighters." There are an estimated 823,950 volunteer firefighters in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association report U.S. Fire Department Profile through 2006. Over 70 percent of the fire departments in the U.S. are all-volunteer and 17 percent are mostly volunteer combination departments. With the vast majority of fire departments and their communities dependent on volunteer firefighters, there is a critical need for effective health and safety programs to protect these volunteers from preventable injury, illness, and death. "The volunteer fire service has distinct issues related to health and safety that need to be specifically addressed," said Philip C. Stittleburg, NVFC Chairman. "We lose too many volunteer firefighters in line-of-duty deaths." Download Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service. Printed copies of this publication will be available in the near future; please check the USFA Publications Catalog for a notice of availability.
Source: NVFC U.S. Fire Administration Announces Arson Awareness Week Theme for 2008 EMMITSBURG, MD – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the theme for the 2008 Arson Awareness Week: Toylike Lighters – Playing with Fire. May 4th to the 10th will be used to educate all Americans about the dangers of novelty and toylike lighters in the hands of children. Toylike or novelty lighters have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the Nation. State and local governments are taking action by banning the sale of novelty lighters and limiting their distribution. “It is critical to focus public attention on the dangers of these toylike lighters,” said Greg Cade, U.S. Fire Administrator. “We are pleased to join our partners at the National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Volunteer Fire Council, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute in supporting the ban of toylike and novelty lighters.” Source: USFA New Federal Coordinating Officers Complete FEMA Training Thirteen new Federal Coordinating Officers (FCOs) completed a two-week orientation program, giving them an overview of FEMA programs and procedures that are critical to managing disasters. They have been assigned to FEMA regions across the country. More information about this is available at: http://online.fema.net/homepage/hp_stories/042808b.shtm Source: DHS Secretary Chertoff Thanks Employees for Service to Nation Noting the start of Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) today, Secretary Chertoff told DHS employees in an e-mailed message that the week allows “each of us to take stock of our contributions to the Nation.” He thanked employees for their hard work and sacrifice on behalf of the department and the country, and said he was “proud to lead such a devoted team.” “Every day, you selflessly demonstrate your dedication to the DHS vision …and in so doing exemplify public service,” the secretary said in his message. “The United States remains secure and free from terrorist attacks because of your vigilance and hard work protecting the country, enforcing the law, and providing important services to our citizens. Thank you for your dedication to the DHS mission. I am proud to lead such a devoted team.” As part of his message, the secretary encouraged employees to participate in the many activities that are taking place this week as part of PSRW. As in previous years, DHS is joining approximately 100 other agencies in an exhibition on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. “This year, components that participate will do so under the seal of the Department, demonstrating our breadth of service as well as our unity as an organization,” the secretary said. Among the DHS activities occurring this week in Washington, D.C. are a naturalization ceremony being conducted by USCIS on the National Mall, a canine exhibit and demonstrations by CBP, as well displays of Border Patrol assets. Source: DHS |
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