2008 Accomplishments
National Preparedness Directorate


The National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) was established on April 1, 2007. The establishment of the NPD brought together a variety of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) entities that develop and maintain preparedness-related programs and initiatives. The combined effort of the NPD entities serves to increase preparedness through providing resources and programs for each phase of the Preparedness Cycle – a “continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action.”1

2008 proved to be a year of challenges, growth, and progress for the Directorate. Steps forward were made to overcome the initial challenges of joining several disparate entities together. The NPD entities have grown to understand and closely engage one another and the FEMA Regions to work together and ensure streamlined resources and guidance for our stakeholders. The NPD has made significant progress through releasing comprehensive policies and guidance, developing or revising courses, convening various stakeholder engagements and conferences, and conducting various training sessions and exercises.

The NPD’s 2008 accomplishments, to include the National Preparedness Divisions within the 10 FEMA Regions, are listed below. Accomplishments are grouped by the Preparedness Cycle phases. 

Planning and Doctrine: The Nation’s ability to plan affectively is crucial to successful preparedness.  Strategic and operational planning establishes priorities, identifies expected levels of performance and capability requirements and provides the standard for assessing capabilities.  In 2008, the NPD achieved the following milestones related to furthering planning efforts.

* The Incident Management Systems Division (IMSI) published and released the National Response Framework (NRF) to the Nation in January 2008.
* The IMSI published and released the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to the Nation in December 2008. 
* The Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101): Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Government Emergency Plans was finalized and will soon be released.
* A pilot program was created in conjunction with the Department of Defense (DoD), called the Task Force for Emergency Readiness, which works to establish dedicated teams built around sets of highly-skilled planners to enhance catastrophic planning. 
* An Integrated Planning System was developed to guide the synchronization of plans across Federal departments and agencies, and enable integration with Regional, State and local plans. 
* Three summits were conducted with State and local officials to discuss national planning modernization.
* Annual plan and annual Letter of Certification reviews were completed for all 17 nuclear power plants in Region IV. 
* Region IV and VII provided support to the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) Catastrophic Planning Task Force and workshop process.  
* Region V completed 40 local jurisdiction Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) plan reviews and annual Letters of Certification for all six States.
* Region V revised their Regional Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan to ensure key functions can continue during an emergency.
* Region V facilitated an earthquake planning workshop with the Defense Coordinating Officer/Defense Coordinating Element. 
* During National Preparedness Month, Region V distributed preparedness materials to 300,000 Federal employees in 182 agencies. 
* Region VI hosted a Regional Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Workshop, with over 60 Federal, State, and local attendees.
* Region VI conducted outreach to the Houston-Galveston Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) site by attending their initial Kick-off meeting and providing valuable investment justification and program plan feedback. 
* Region VII provided active NIMS technical assistance to States, Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) urban areas, and other stakeholders.  As a result, all Region VII States and UASIs are NIMS compliant, report NIMS compliance using the NIMSCAST, and have well established NIMS implementation programs. 
* A Region VII Planning Group was established to ensure all regional planning efforts are coordinated and mutually supportive.
* Annual plan and annual Letter of Certification reviews were completed for all six nuclear power plants in Region VII. 
* The Region VII established the Region VII Continuity Working Group and updated the Regional Continuity Plan with a Pandemic Influenza Annex. 
* Region VIII instituted the Region VIII Safety Policy for FEMA field responders deploying prior to the establishment of a Joint Field Office (JFO).
* Region VIII planned and executed several preparedness activities in support of the Democratic National Convention. 
* Region IX served on the California Statewide Preventive Radiological Nuclear Detection Task Force, in the development of the Los Angeles County Emergency Plan for Significant Radiological Incidents, and with the Comprehensive Review Outcomes Working Network. 
* Region IX hosted its first Preparedness Partnership Meeting in September for the entire region. 
* Region IX personnel coordinated with Region X, Region IX and Region X Health and Human Services (HHS), and Defense Coordinating Officers to develop a Concept Plan (CONPLAN) for DHS Pandemic Influenza Region E. 
* Region X led the region’s multi State-Federal Regional Interagency Steering Committee Planning Subcommittee and were the principal authors of the region’s first, comprehensive, all-hazards CONPLAN. 
* Region X developed and launched a Region X Planning website to link together dozens of State and Federal agency disaster planners to collaboratively build sophisticated plans for the Pacific Northwest via a WIKI feature on the website. 

Organizing and Equipping: Organizing and equipping provide the human and technical capital stock necessary to build capabilities and address modernization and sustainability requirements.  In 2008, the NPD achieved the following milestones related to furthering organizing and equipping efforts.

* FEMA’s regional preparedness presence and resources were enhanced by adding additional staff, led by 10 new Federal Preparedness Coordinators (FPCs), 10 new Deputy FPCs, 20 new Preparedness Analysis and Planning Officers and Specialists, 20 new Training and Exercise Officers, and 28 new REPP personnel in each region.  
* The System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program engaged 1,094 first responder participants, representing approximately 425 jurisdictions from across the country. Equipment assessments have produced 814 documents, on 149 equipment types and/or technologies, which are made available to the responder community through the SAVER website.
* The Responder Knowledge Base website reached a mature program status and was transitioned to a new contract to ensure long term availability.
* The Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program received over 3,500 equipment applications resulting in 1,045 agencies receiving equipment and training.
* The IMSI led a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) that produced a draft of the Incident Command System (ICS) Forms – the first nationally consistent set of ICS Forms that are truly all-hazard with instructions on how to extend the forms for hazard or scenario specific application. 
* The IMSI led a SME working group that produced a draft of the Emergency Responder Field Operations Guide – a job aid for first responders that will assist them in applying the ICS Forms in a consistent manner to allow for interoperability when mutual aid is requested and received.
* A draft of the NIMS Intelligence/Investigation Function Guide was released for public comment. It provides a job aid to assist incident commanders locate the intelligence and investigation function in an optimum ICS organization based on the nature of the response, e.g. as a Command Officer, a separate Section, in the Operations Section, or in the Planning Section.
* IMSI revised 13 teams in Search and Rescue Typed Resources and 27 Job Titles with required and recommended knowledge skills and abilities to serve on the 13 teams.
* IMSI revised 12 Fire Hazmat Typed Resources to reconcile the traditional typing of structural and wildfire equipment, and improve consistency with current equipping standards for firefighting vehicles.  The 21 Job Titles with knowledge, skills and ability were also updated to conform to current training and certification standards.
* The IMSI revised 12 teams in Public Health and Medical Typed Resources and 44 Job Titles with required and recommended knowledge, skills and abilities.
* The draft of the NIMS Credentialing Guideline was released for comment. It is an expansion of the principle NIMS doctrine for supporting mutual aid in large disasters, by establishing the common business rules for access to disaster sites, by outlining the identity, qualification /affiliation and authorization to deploy.
* A Citizen Corps Leadership Forum in Oklahoma City brought together 225 State and Territory Citizen Corps program managers, national program partners and affiliates, government partners, and other related community preparedness leaders to focus on sharing information, identifying tools and resources to strengthen collaboration, and further the mission of community preparedness and resilience.
* The Community Pet Preparedness Toolkit was developed in collaboration with Ready.gov, the American Red Cross, and the Humane Society of the United States to support pet and pet owner preparedness.
* National Preparedness Month was held in September 2008 as a nationwide effort intended to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies. Citizen Corps Councils, Partner Programs, and Affiliates held hundreds of State and local educational events throughout the month.  
* In partnership with HHS, Department of Education, and Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over 250,000 NOAA All-Hazards Public Alert Radios were distributed to pre-kindergarten schools, private schools, and higher educations institutions throughout the country to provide access to alerts and safety steps during a disaster.  
* A pilot program for the National Emergency Technology (NET) Guard was created to assist in evaluating and refining the NET Guard concept and developing guidance and tools to support potential local implementation of the NET Guard programs as part of the nationwide Citizen Corps network.
* In partnership with the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, 10,000 Presidential Volunteer Service Awards were made available free of charge to Citizen Corps Councils and Program Partners. 
* The Report of the National Watch Groups Summit, held in partnership with the Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ/BJA), was released providing recommendations for community participation in homeland security. 
* The joint FEMA/NPD and DOJ/BJA Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program, in coordination with the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis, supported the implementation of the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers by:
– Providing over 130 technical assistance deliveries to Fusion Centers across the country
– Facilitating 37 Exchanges for 62 fusion center personnel via the Fusion Center Exchange Program
– Hosting five regional fusion center workshops
– Sponsoring a National Health Services Intelligence Enterprise Workshop
– Sponsoring the National Fusion Center Conference
* Region I developed and fostered the New England Regional Preparedness Council with public-private sector and governmental partners.
* Region I created unique Student Tools for Emergency Preparedness Program to create FEMA niche and advocates with impressionable population.
* Region IV, in conjunction with their Kentucky State and local partners and the U.S. Army, completed approximately 80% of Operation Swift Solution monitoring activities at and around the Chemical Weapons Activity at Blue Grass Army Depot without incident. 
* Region V partnered with a Chicago think tank, The National Strategy Forum, to plan and host a Preparedness Summit to talk about the factors that affect readiness. 
* Partnered with ChicagoFIRST, which is a non-profit association of private firms in the Chicago area that collaborates with one another and with government at all levels to promote the resilience of its members and the Chicago business community. 

Training: Training provides responders, homeland security officials, emergency management officials, private and non-government partners, and other personnel with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform key tasks required by specific capabilities. In 2008, the NPD achieved the following milestones related to furthering training efforts.

* The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) conducted 114,500 residential and non-residential course completions.  The advanced hands-on training enables responders to prevent, respond to, and recover from real-world incidents involving acts of terror, hazardous materials, and manmade disasters.
* A Citizen Corps Statement of Affiliation was signed with the American Association of Community Colleges, which represents almost 1,200 two-year institutions and 11 million students. Community Colleges collectively educate over 80% of the Nation’s police, fire and emergency medical technician personnel.   
* 1,986,330 independent study courses were completed on-line through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI).
* The 25th Annual National Preparedness Training and Exercise Conference was held at EMI in May 2008.
* In cooperation with the National Emergency Management Association, a four-day State Emergency Management Agency Director’s Training course was held in the summer of 2008 with 22 State emergency management directors and Federal Coordinating Officers attending. 
* Disaster Workforce Task Books were developed for all 250 positions in the JFO.
* Transition training was conducted for DHS career officials in preparation for the Presidential Administration transition.
* 13 new Emergency Management Higher Education Programs were added for a total of 155 programs in the U.S.
* EMI began development of 16 new courses and revision of 109 existing courses.
* 13,870 people attended EMI courses at the EMI/National Emergency Training Center campus or off-site locations.
* The 11th Emergency Management Higher Education Conference was held in June 2008 with more than 350 people from over 100 colleges and universities in attendance.
* 12 community-specific Integrated Emergency Management Courses were held for 817 students.
* 87,959 students attended over 3,280 instructor-led training classes. An additional 20,502 students completed online classes. 
* Training and Exercise Integration Division (TEI) conducted over 109,250 training deliveries across their 153 certified courses. These courses covered a variety of topics, from Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) response, cyber and agro-terrorism, to citizen preparedness.
* TEI introduced a new Registration and Evaluation System to its training partners. This online system collects and manages all of the student registration and evaluation forms and provides a robust reporting capability that will be used for analysis and validation purposes.
* Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) conducted 24 Mobile Education Team (MET) Seminars for Governors, Mayors and other Homeland Security leaders.
* NPS had 150 local, State, and Federal leaders from diverse disciplines enrolled in 5 cohorts with classes in the National Capital Region and Monterey, CA.
* NPS ran two Executive Leadership Programs graduating more than 60 leaders.
* NPS’ Homeland Security Affairs Journal had 68,311 readers; leadership includes policy-makers, practitioners, and academics world wide and published 41 peer-reviewed articles and 21 essays in ten quarterly issues with 2 supplemental issues.
* Region I developed a comprehensive Higher Education outreach program to New England’s colleges and universities, operationalizing EMI’s Higher Ed program and linking partners and resources to Competitive Training Grant Program (CTGP) opportunities.
* Region I developed cogent preparedness outreach and educational programs linking citizens through emergency management education ages 8-80, connecting 3,700 4th/5th grade students and scouts with colleges and senior programs throughout the area.
* Region IV created a Continuity Working Group within both of their Federal Executive Boards (FEBs). The main focus of the group is to promote continuity efforts at all levels of government, ensuring critical services will be provided to government customers during times of emergency.
* Region IV field-deployed several EMI’s courses to the Southeast in 2008 and trained hundreds of FEMA full-time and reservist staff as well as other Federal, State, and local officials, on dozens of preparedness, response, and recovery related topics. 
* Region IV conducted day-long NIMS and NRF workshops in each of their eight States to update local, State, and Federal officials on changes and future directions of these core documents. 
* Disaster work force training was provided to thousands of employees at JFOs supporting 18 presidentially declared disasters in Region IV. 
* Region V coordinated four UASI Capability Awareness Seminars which brought together senior level officials from the UASI, State and Federal governments to focus attention on initial command, control, senior level policy, and public information issues that might face an urban area following the occurrence. 
* Region V assisted FEMA’s Disaster Operations Division in the development and conduct of a Regional Catastrophic Earthquake Planning Workshop,  bringing together local, State, and Federal ESF partners with the goal of developing and revising specific components of the Regional Plan.  
* Region VI created a Continuity Working Group within each FEB, and started working with States to create the same type of group - to promote continuity efforts within all levels of government, ensuring critical services could be provided to government customers during times of emergency.  
* Region VI trained 46% of the Nation's Continuity professionals in the COOP Manager's Certification Course.  
* Region VI provided first responder scholarships to help them participate in a HOTZONE Conference and training workshop.
* Disaster work force training was provided to thousands of employees at JFOs supporting 17 ongoing presidentially declared disasters in Region VII. 
* Region VII significantly expanded its work force training efforts with over 100 employees completing EMI courses. 
* Region VII provided formal continuity training to the Kansas City FEB COOP Working Group and the State of Missouri.
* Region IX staff facilitated the delivery of disaster workforce training in a number of subject areas from Incident Management to JFO Operations at the Region IX offices as well as JFOs during disasters.  
* Region X field-deployed several EMI courses to the Pacific Northwest in 2008 and trained hundreds of FEMA full-time and reservist staff as well as other Federal, State, and local officials, on dozens of preparedness, response, and recovery related topics. 

Exercising: Exercises examine and measure the speed, effectiveness and efficiency of capabilities, and test the adequacy of policies, plans, procedures and protocols. In 2008, the NPD achieved the following milestones related to furthering exercise efforts. 

* Hostile Action Drills were incorporated into the REPP exercise series, with a focus on security-based events in order to meet the ever increasing role of emergency management in man-made disasters.
* The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) conducted six exercises at CSEPP sites to prepare the communities surrounding those facilities.
* Exercises were conducted, in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service, in preparation for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, both of which were National Special Security Events.
* Transition Exercises for career officials were conducted in preparation for the new Administration.
* Principal Level Exercise (PLE) 1-08 was conducted, in conjunction with the HHS, to exercise principal-level officials in the preparedness and response to Pandemic Influenza.
* PLE 3-08 was conducted, in conjunction with the Homeland Security Council (HSC), to exercise principal-level officials in preventing a terrorist attack using nuclear weapons.  
* The National Exercise Division (NED) conducted a Secretary-level IED tabletop exercise (TTX), as a DHS Intra-agency assessment of preparedness in relation to a terrorist IED campaign. 
* The Man-Portable Air Defense Systems CONPLAN was tested in an exercise requested by the HSC, and was held in conjunction with Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.
* National Level Exercise (NLE) 2-08 was conducted merging three existing exercises into a single, coordinated exercise - U.S. Northern Command's Ardent Sentry 2008 exercise, FEMA National Continuity Program’s Eagle Horizon 2008 exercise (formerly known as Forward Challenge), and FEMA Disaster Operation’s Hurricane Preparedness Exercise. Canada also participated in coordinated scenario elements and exercised internal objectives through their Staunch Maple Exercise.
* Diablo Bravo 08 was conducted in conjunction with Department of Energy, involving a terrorist attack on a vehicle transporting nuclear weapons, and was designed to exercise the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center.
* As outlined in the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), a National Exercise Simulation Center (NESC) was established to simulate Federal response during an exercise with State and local officials.  The NESC was used for the first time to support the January 20, 2009 Presidential Inauguration, and will be used to support NLE ’09.
* Region IV’s CSEPP staff planned, executed, evaluated and reported on one annual CSEPP exercise.  
* Region IV’s REPP staff planned, executed, evaluated and reported on numerous REPP related exercises including seven nuclear power plant exercises; two ingestion exercises; and 10 Hostile Action Drill-related briefings, TTXs, and drills.
* Region IV conducted the first annual Region IV Regional Five-year Training and Exercise Planning Workshop (TEPW).
* Region IV conducted a Continuity of Operations Exercise at Rock Eagle.
* Region V conducted nine REPP exercises. 
* Region V participated in two TTXs and one functional exercise in advance of the Republican National Convention.
* Region V facilitated the annual Regional COOP Deployment Exercise and two FEB TTXs. 
* Region V participated in two hostile action drills at Comanche Peak and Grand Gulf nuclear power plants.  
* Region VI initiated planning for NLE ‘09; the first of its kind Prevention and Protection focused NLE. The NLE ‘09 scenario will drive the FEMA Region VI five-State area into an intelligence and information sharing environment between its intelligence and law enforcement communities, and across all levels of government.  
* Three full scale power plant exercises and two hostile action drills were successfully completed in Region VII. 
* Twelve exercises were conducted or supported by Region VII including a major flood exercise prior to the spring flood season and six pandemic influenza exercises, one of which involved all four States, two UASIs, one FEB, and the private sector. 
* Region VII provided support to all four States’ TEPWs, and the first Region VII TEPW was conducted with participation from all State, UASI and Federal response and recovery partners. 
* Region VII conducted pandemic continuity exercises for two FEBs with total participation from over 58 Federal agencies.
* Region IX coordinated the development and delivery of the Guam Super-Typhoon tabletop exercise in June 2008 that served to validate the new Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Federal/Territorial coordination in a catastrophic event. An After Action Conference was also conducted, leading to the development of a new CONOPS.
* Region IX participated in the development and delivery of the Nevada State/Vigilant Guard Functional Exercise in June that served to validate the new CONOPS for Federal/State coordination in a catastrophic earthquake event.  
* Region X successfully conducted its annual internal Continuity of Operations relocation exercise, called Redundant Reassurance 2008, to instill a culture of continuity. The exercise involved the deployment of the Emergency Relocation Group to our designated Relocation Site, establishing operations, and participation in a facilitated Pandemic Influenza Scenario TTX.  
* Region X Exercise planners led the regional Federal coordination for the Top Officials 4 exercise in Portland in early FY08 involving several hundred local, State, and Federal officials, and participated as players in key positions during the exercise as well. 
* Region X was a principal leader in planning the NLE 2-08 exercise in the three exercises in the Pacific Northwest venues to help test U.S. Army North and NORTHCOM hazardous material response teams and procedures. 

Evaluating and Improving: The evaluation and improvement of mission and task performance is the final step of the preparedness cycle and crucial to informing risk assessments, managing vulnerabilities, allocating resources, and informing the other phases of the Cycle. In 2008, the NPD achieved the following milestones related to furthering evaluation and improvement efforts.

* Six proof-of-concept pilots were performed to determine how to update the Target Capabilities List (TCL) to be more risk-based, user friendly, and measurable for setting national preparedness goals.
* An After Action Report/Improvement Plan was created to identify lessons learned and corrective actions from the 2008 Hurricane Season.  
* The NPD entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) in January 2008.  By the end of 2008, twenty-two States and Territories had accredited emergency management programs.  
* Region IV hosted one of two Animal Health TCL Framework Development Workshops and one of two Emergency Operations Center Operations TCL workshops. 
* Region IV conducted State Preparedness Report reviews and participated in a FEMA-hosted process review with the State of Florida.
* Region V designed and implemented a REPP-specific Geographical Information System program and capability. 
* Region V developed and implemented a TCL annual enhancement strategy with all six States. 
* Region VI processed the first Combined Operating License Application (COLA) for new nuclear power reactors in the country (South Texas Project).  
* Region VI developed the REPP Exercise Evaluation Tool.  The tool streamlined the process of tracking exercise demonstration criteria, generating exercise reports, providing a one source location for exercise reports and supporting documents.  
* A Region VII Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) was developed and used to inform the development of the regional all-hazard plan, and the Improvement Planning and Exercise Planning workshop processes. 
* Region VII hosted one of two Animal Health TCL Framework Development Workshops. 
* Region VII initiated a process with Lessons Learned Information Sharing staff to develop lessons learned and after action reports for the Greensburg, Kansas tornado and Iowa flooding disasters.  These reports will be used for gap analysis and plan improvements. 
* Two semi-annual REPP Regional Assistance Committee meetings were conducted in Region VII. 
* Community Preparedness and Continuity of Operations Programs developed measurement tools to determine the strength of their programs in each of the Region VIII States.
* Region IX facilitated a workshop to solicit improvements to intelligence related items in the TCL as part of the TCL Implementation Project.  Law enforcement stakeholders from the public, tribal and private sector communities within Region IX participated in this workshop which was the only such event to focus on intelligence issues in the TCLs.
* Region IX Pacific Area Office hosted EMAP training for the State of Hawaii and the Territories of American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. 

1 As defined by the National Incident Management System.
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