FEMA Blog

As 2012 approaches, we wanted to take a minute to reflect on the past year. 2011 has by far been one of the most active in disaster years in recent history. From the historic spring flooding in the Midwest and the deadly tornadoes that struck Alabama and Joplin, Mo., to the East Coast Earthquake in August – this year has certainly been busy for the entire team.

Before we ring in the new year, we wanted to share some photo’s from this year. Take a look at the slideshow below to see 2011: The Year in Photos.

Posted by: Darryl Madden, Director, Ready Campaign

Before the ball drops and we ring in the New Year, I’m sure many of you have made New Year’s resolutions for 2012. Many which I seem to repeatedly make year in and year out, like working more exercise into my daily routine, eating healthier, saving more or donating a larger portion to charitable causes. However, this year I have a New Year’s resolution idea that could prove to be priceless. Resolve to be Ready in 2012 and commit to making family, home or business better prepared for an emergency.

I know the hardest part of keeping a resolution is sustaining momentum after those first few weeks of the New Year. So here are some ideas for how you can phase in you resolution to be ready for an emergency in 2012:

• Set a monthly reminder in your calendar to test your home’s smoke alarms – the first of every month in your personal or work calendar can serve as a great reminder to test your smoke alarms.

• Pick up one item for your emergency kit on each of your shopping runs – building your family’s emergency kit doesn’t need to happen in one fell swoop. Pick up canned food, bottled water, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, and other recommended emergency items over the first month or two of the year (it will also spread the cost of building your emergency supply kit).

• Set attainable preparedness goals for each month of 2012 – learning your home’s fire escape routes or remembering your family’s emergency communication plan is easier with regular practice. So during each month of the year, set small goals like finishing your emergency kit, practicing your fire escape plan, reviewing family emergency meeting locations, bookmarking useful websites and mobile websites and learning about local resources in your area.

I sincerely hope you will join Administrator Fugate and the rest of us at FEMA to Resolve to be Ready in 2012. It’s a resolution we can keep, and one that will definitely prove its worth, should disaster strike.

By: Rachel Racusen, Director of Public Affairs

Over the past year, as directed by law, FEMA has re-initiated an improved process for identifying cases of improper payments made to individuals after disasters and to take steps to recover those funds. As we have explained before on this blog, several laws require FEMA and other federal agencies to conduct this process, known as “recoupment.” At the direction of our current leadership, we have worked within the legal constraints of these laws to make the process more fair and understandable for both disaster survivors and taxpayers. However, under these existing laws, FEMA was unable to waive debts.

Last week, Congress passed a law providing FEMA discretion to waive certain debts from disasters declared between August 2005 and the end of 2010 if the debt arose from an improper individual assistance payment made as a result of FEMA’s error, there was no fault on the part of the survivor, and the survivor currently has an income of $90,000 or less. The law does not apply to recoupment efforts for disasters declared after Jan. 1, 2011.

FEMA is committed to implementing the law to the fullest extent possible so that it meets its intended purpose: to offer a fair resolution to those survivors who received improper payments through no fault of their own and who may be unable to repay their debt due to their financial circumstances.

So now that the law has been passed, what next?

FEMA is currently reviewing the law and developing a plan to implement it. This includes examining the reasons for recoupment and the potential population of survivors who might be eligible to have their debts waived. We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers and all interested stakeholders during this effort.

As we begin work on this implementation plan, FEMA is not scheduled to send any new debts to Treasury for collection before Jan. 13, 2012. We know that there are many survivors and other stakeholders who will have questions about the effects of this new law. While we are just beginning to determine how to implement this brand new law, the legislation does make clear that a recoupment case must meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for full forgiveness:

• The improper payment was received from disasters declared between Aug. 28, 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) and Dec. 30, 2010;
• The improper payment was a result of an error solely on FEMA’s part – not on the part of a survivor;
• The improper payment cannot have involved fraud, false claim or misrepresentation by the survivor;
• The survivor’s adjusted gross income for the last taxable year was less than $90,000 (a survivor with an income of greater than $90,000 whose case meets the other qualifying criteria could be eligible for a partial waiver) ; and
• The collection of the debt would be against “good conscience and equity.”

Our priority is to ensure that all survivors have clear and complete information about these changes once we have an implementation plan to share, and we are working to make that happen as quickly as possible.

It is important to note that Congress wrote this law to apply only to recoupment efforts for older disasters. As we have also explained before, in recent years we have taken significant steps to put strong protections in place to cut down on the percentage of improper payments disbursed after disasters – and it is now less than one percent, on average. We will continue to do everything we can to reduce the need for any potential recoupments for current and future disasters.

We want to move expeditiously on this implementation effort, but we also want to get it right. We thank all of our stakeholders – especially survivors – for their patience as we move into the next phase or this effort and look forward to working together to make these important changes a reality.

Severe Weather Outlook

Throughout the weekend, multiple severe weather conditions are forecasted throughout the U.S. The National Weather Service expects heavy snow to continue throughout parts of the Northern and Central Rockies. In addition, heavy snow is forecasted for interior New England on Dec. 25. Southern California can expect high winds through Dec. 26. Parts of the South and Central and Southern Great Plains will experience severe drought conditions.

Remember to check weather.gov (or mobile.weather.gov on your phone) for the most up-to-date weather forecast in your area.


Wishing for our Gifts of Preparedness

All month long, we’ve been encouraging you to give the gift of preparedness this holiday season. So this weekend, I’ll be looking underneath the tree and in my stocking for some new preparedness items to add to my emergency supply kit. And for all you last-minute shoppers looking for creative and practical gifts ideas for family and friends, here’s one last reminder of great gifts ideas this holiday season:

• Flashlight with extra batteries,

• NOAA weather radio or hand crank radio,

• Solar cell phone charger,

• Even better, a tote bag or back pack with some basic emergency supplies to get your loved ones emergency kit started.

Visit Ready.gov for more gift ideas and to learn how you can Resolve to be Ready in 2012.

From all of us here at FEMA - wishing you and your family a safe and happy holiday,

Rachel

Earlier this year, President Obama released a policy directive aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States: Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness.

With your help, FEMA and its partners have created a National Preparedness Goal, which sets the vision for building a more resilient and secure nation, and a National Preparedness System, which identifies the programs, processes and tools for achieving that vision. Now, we are focusing on the next set of activities.

This is where you come in: Today, we’re launching an ongoing dialogue and are asking for input as we develop the next documents to meet the milestones required by the policy directive. We need your suggestions and comments across a variety of topics. This can include your general views on preparedness, such as a successful approach that your community or organization has used to assess preparedness; examples of how you, your business, or community as a whole collaborates with local law enforcement officials and federal authorities to help identify potential threats or prevent incidents; and stories of how local government and private sector stakeholders interact in your community to support emergency response needs during disasters. These are just a few of the many topics we will be discussing.

Visit fema.ideascale.com and click on the link for ‘Presidential Policy Directive 8’ to provide your ideas. You also may view, comment and vote on other people’s ideas.

We appreciate your help as we continue our efforts to make the nation more resilient and secure.

Between March and May of 2010, severe storms and floods devastated many parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Nebraska and Rhode Island. While Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is not a first responder to such disasters, the agency quickly got to work assessing the damage and connecting with local leaders regarding their needs as they began to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Recognizing the critical role that EDA can play for these communities, Congress provided $49 million in supplemental funding for EDA to award to these states to help them in their recovery efforts.

Last week, businesses in Tennessee got some good holiday news, when EDA announced its investment of $5.8 million to help build critical infrastructure to support Tennessee businesses and jobs and to develop a strategic marketing strategy to grow the Nashville hospitality sector following the floods of 2010.

These grants will assist in Tennessee’s recovery and redevelopment efforts by funding the necessary improvements that will ensure the resilience of physical and economic infrastructure and include:

• $2 million to the Jackson Energy Authority to build core sewer infrastructure to protect major regional employers, including the Jackson-Madison Hospital and numerous industrial and manufacturing businesses, from flooding. The project is expected to result in the retention of 9,690 jobs, according to grantee estimates;

• $1.49 million to the city of Dyersburg to help build an elevated water storage tank that will improve water capacity for manufacturing and industrial businesses and will serve new tracts of land being developed outside of the flood plain to accommodate business needs. The project is expected to save 433 jobs, create 200 jobs and generate $4 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates;

• $1.3 million to Conexion Americas of Nashville to help build the Casa Azafran Community Center, which will provide expanded business startup or expansion assistance to Latino small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs;

• $1 million to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau to implement a regional marketing strategy that will support the city’s economic recovery by promoting the hospitality industry, which lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the wake of the flooding that impacted the city in 2010.

In announcing the grant, U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson said “The Obama administration is committed to helping communities impacted by natural disasters rebuild stronger and smarter to protect businesses and jobs. These critical EDA investments will provide the infrastructure needed to help keep businesses running and workers productive in the event of future floods, expand vital business assistance to Nashville’s Latino community and help Nashville revitalize its critical hospitality sector to create new jobs.”

In May 2010, President Obama signed the Tennessee Disaster Declaration and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes beginning on April 30, 2010, and continuing. The president's action made Federal funding available to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

A few weeks ago, I was honored with an opportunity to spend four days serving as an executive mentor to some of FEMA’s newest employees through FEMA’s Mission Readiness course. It was a great opportunity to work with a small group of men and women who’ve accepted the challenge and committed themselves to helping Americans prepare for and recover from disasters.

The goal of the executive mentor is to help set the tone for new hires, and help them acclimate and excel in their new roles and their FEMA careers.

The course, hosted by the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Md., was developed as part of the organization’s Employee Readiness Program, which aims to help acclimate new employees into the FEMA workforce. The course describe opportunities and responsibilities to manage personal career paths, and helps students understand what the emergency management mission means to them both personally and professionally. As FEMA continually recognizes that well-trained employees are our number one asset, this course serves as the first of many training opportunities new workers will receive.

Along with a better understanding of the structure and functions of FEMA, I believe the students take with them an understanding that they have the power to determine the quality of their experience within our organization. And I hope they will remember that our jobs rely heavily on relationships like the ones they formed during last week’s training.

In truth, I may have gained the most from having a week with these energized, new members of the FEMA team. Even if you aren’t a FEMA employee, I encourage you can take advantage of training offered by FEMA – visit fema.gov/training to learn how.

It has been a long and productive year working together with the private sector and we’re excited to continue to build on this progress in 2012. As we get ready to head into a new year, I am pleased to announce the release of a free, web-based training course that will help the entire team continue to build and strengthen public-private partnerships in emergency management – FEMA IS-660: Introduction to Public-Private Partnerships.

What makes this course particularly exciting is that it was designed in collaboration with both the public and private sector, and anyone can enroll in the course – for free! The target audience for this training includes emergency management and community planners, senior-level personnel from response agencies, representatives from private-sector organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies that may participate in collaborative continuity planning efforts.

To whet your appetite, this new training will:

• Provide learners with an overview of the importance of public-private partnerships to emergency preparedness, response, and planning;

• Highlight best practices on identifying roles, and establishing and sustaining public-private partnerships;

• Introduce and reviews standards-based business continuity planning like the Private Sector-Preparedness program; and

• Require only two hours of your time.

So if you have an interest in how the private and public sectors can continue to work more closely together in emergency management, I strongly encourage you to take the course. It’s available through the Emergency Management Institute’s Independent Study Program, so check it out today.

This training is another great example of what we can achieve by working together. Many thanks to all of you who contributed to this dynamic tool, and thanks in advance to all of you who will enroll.

Other resources
More information on EMI ISP courses is available at: http://training.fema.gov/IS.

We continue to closely monitor the severe winter weather in the Rocky Mountain and Central Plains as winter weather advisories, watches and warnings continue for the next few days. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm and winter weather advisories for parts of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Through our regional offices in Denver, Kansas City and Denton, Texas, we are continuing to stay in close touch with our federal, state and local partners in all the of potentially affected areas. While there have not yet been any requests for federal assistance, we stand ready to support our state and local partners, if needed.

Yesterday, blizzard conditions forced interstate traffic to a standstill in several states, and caused tragic accidents in some places as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones, and the effects of this severe storm serve as a reminder of the dangers of winter weather.

While we can’t control if winter weather will affect our city or town, we all can take steps to be better prepared if it does. If your area is likely to be affected by snow, ice, or blizzard-like conditions this winter season, remember to:

• Limit travel during a storm – only venture out on the roads if it’s absolutely necessary

• Stay up to date with your latest forecast – visit weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your smartphone for the latest conditions in your area. (This blog post has a full run-down of winter watches and warnings and what they mean.)

• Have an emergency kit in your vehicle – if a winter storm develops suddenly, have supplies on hand in case you’re stranded in your vehicle. (Ready.gov/build-a-kit has tips to get you started)

• Take precautions for power outages – winter storms often cause power outages, so be sure your family and home take steps to sustain yourselves for at least 72 hours

For more winter safety tips, visit Ready.gov/winter, or http://m.fema.gov on your mobile device.

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

This time of year, many of us are scrambling to find that perfect last-minute gift for our family and friends. Between “doorbuster” sales and stores staying open around-the-clock, being inundated with products and gift ideas can be dizzying to say the least. Although your family and friends may love another festive sweater or paperweight, why not give something that could prove to be priceless in the coming year – emergency preparedness?

This year has shown that, no matter which part of the country you live in, everyone should be prepared for an emergency. In fact, giving the gift of preparedness may spark your family and friends to get better prepared for emergencies and spread the word to others about getting prepared. So, when you’re doing your last minute shopping, look in your favorite stores for practical, essential preparedness items like:

• flashlights and batteries,
• NOAA weather radios,
• solar cell phone charger,
• first aid kit, and
• backpack with a few starter items for their emergency kit.

Here’s a video with some more holiday gift ideas:



Visit http://www.ready.gov/ (or http://m.fema.gov/ on your mobile phone) for more gift ideas and to learn how to get your home, family or business ready for the New Year.

Potential Severe Weather
A regular part of our weekly What We’re Watching blog is a look at upcoming potential severe weather. Looking ahead to the weekend and into Monday, our friends at the National Weather Service are calling for heavy rains in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Nebraska. And for those in Southern California, wind advisories and high wind warnings have been issued due to the return of the Santa Ana winds.

And as temperatures continue to drop around the country with the onset of winter, I remind you to visit www.Ready.gov/winter to learn how you can prepare your family, home and business for severe winter weather.


Forecast map issued by the National Weather Service.

And wherever your weekend plans take you, check weather.gov (or mobile.weather.gov on your phone) for your most up-to-date weather forecast.


Planning Our New Year’s Resolutions
Believe it or not, only two weeks remain in 2011 – which means it’s the time for us make our resolutions and promises for the New Year. As you mull over the many options you have for making a New Year’s resolution – from eating less sweets to reading more books – consider making a resolution to get more prepared for an emergency. As Administrator Fugate said earlier this week, it’s an easy commitment to keep, and one that could ultimately save your life or that of someone you love.

So visit http://www.ready.gov/ today to learn about staying informed, creating a family communication plan, making your family emergency kit, and getting involved in your local community.

(For our partners in the private sector, emergency management, faith-based or non-profit organizations, visit Ready.gov/resolve for ready-made resources to share with your group about making this important resolution.)

Posted By: Sandra Knight, Deputy Associate Administrator, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Mitigation

As part of our ongoing efforts to reform and strengthen the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA has been working with members of Congress and other stakeholders to revise our process for mapping the flood risk of communities and families living behind levees. Our goal is to improve the way we map that risk – so families have more precise information when making decisions about how to protect their homes and properties.

In recent months, we have explored multiple approaches by seeking extensive input from stakeholders, including independent technical experts and the public.

Based on this input, we now are proposing a new mapping process for levees that will help us compile more precise technical data and allow us to more effectively assess the actual flood risk faced by citizens in communities throughout the country. Specifically, our proposed approach would strengthen our current process by helping communities demonstrate the degree of protection that a levee may provide to the surrounding communities. Currently, our maps don’t recognize any level of protection if a levee has not been certified to meet FEMA standards.

And as we have throughout this effort, we will continue to seek comments from stakeholders and the public on this proposal to help us finalize this new process. This public comment period will be open until January 30, 2012. Anyone can get more information on this approach and provide comments by visiting the federal register.

As with other recently-adopted tools that have increased our mapping accuracy, such as digital mapping technology, these new methods will help us continue to improve our flood mapping and analysis efforts.

Flood mapping remains a team effort that requires close coordination between our agency, our federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners and communities – and of course, the public. As we continue to work to improve our flood mapping process, families and businesses can better understand the flood risk they face within their own communities and take steps to protect themselves and their homes against a potential flood. These steps can include flood proofing techniques to mitigate flood risk to their own homes, supporting good land use and building codes in their communities, developing a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, and investing in flood insurance. We encourage families and businesses to learn more by checking out http://www.floodsmart.gov/.

Posted by: Darryl Madden, Director, Ready Campaign

What a year 2011 has been. It’s certainly been one of the most active in terms of disasters, with Americans in almost every state impacted by hazards of all kinds – tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, winter storms, extreme heat and earthquakes. As 2011 comes to a close and we usher in the new year, why not make a New Year’s resolution that’s easy to keep?

Join us at FEMA and make a resolution to Resolve to be Ready for emergencies in 2012 by taking a few simple steps to prepare your family, home, business, and community for potential disasters.

Administrator Fugate is in on it, too:


As Craig said, take the first step and bookmark Ready.gov on your computer and m.fema.gov on your mobile phone – so when you get a free minute this holiday season, you can learn how to get your home, family or business ready in the New Year.

If you’re joining us in getting prepared in 2012, leave a comment below and share what you’ve been doing to get ready.

Posted By: Administrator Craig Fugate



One year ago today, we launched our first-ever blog here at FEMA and added a long overdue communications channel to our toolbox. As I explained in our inaugural blog post:

This won’t be another way to put out our press releases - this is a way to communicate directly with you…we will provide information before, during and after disaster strikes and we will highlight best practices, innovative ideas, and insights that are being used across emergency management and across the country.

Like many one-year-olds, our blog learned a lot during its first year of life about how to better serve our communities and disaster survivors.

For one, our blog turned out to be an effective tool for sharing critical information about what the entire team was doing to support communities before, during and after disasters. For example, during the tornadoes that swept across the southeast last spring and during Hurricane Irene, we used the blog to share what many federal agencies, state and local officials, private sector organizations, volunteer groups and other partners were doing across many states at once to help survivors and communities respond and recover.

We also used the blog to open up our doors to give an inside look at FEMA, highlight more experienced bloggers in sharing their message, and share the work of the entire emergency management team. And perhaps most importantly, we’ve found time and again that our best, most powerful blogs haven’t come from us – but from all of you. Such as:

• Explaining how our Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama provided training to state and local officials in Minot, North Dakota, in Joplin, Missouri, and other communities that helped them deal with devastating disasters.
• Posting tips from our friends the Center for Disease Control for surviving a zombie apocalypse – which reminded all of us that humor and creativity can go a long way in getting an important message out.
• Examining the ongoing recovery efforts with our partners with Alabama’s Emergency Management Agency regarding the deadly tornadoes that struck the state last April.

And this is just the beginning – we will continue to find ways to improve this tool. So instead of a party or gifts for the FEMA blog’s one-year birthday, we’re asking that you continue to give your input, feedback and ideas. Keep pushing us to do better, keep letting us know what works well and what doesn’t.

Year two begins today – let’s get going. Let us know what you’d like to see in the comments below.

As many of you may know, over a year ago FEMA implemented a private sector representative program to support Emergency Support Function-15 in the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). Since its inception, the program has improved the way the agency works with many private sector partners across the field of emergency management. We have had much success with private sector representatives from larger companies, such as Target, Big Lots, Brookfield Properties, and Verizon in this unique role; all bringing great expertise and knowledge.

This week, we are taking another great step forward by welcoming Hollis Stambaugh from System Planning Corporation as our first-ever small business representative within our private sector program. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small firms represent over 99 percent of all employer firms and employ half of all private sector employees in the United States. It was only right to bring in a small business representative into our program – to further expand on our ability to partner with private sector organizations larger and small.

Hollis and her company were nominated to serve in this position by our partners at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. System Planning Corporation is an Arlington, Virginia based high-technology and systems engineering company that employs more than 300 employees.

Through its TriData division, the company supports government and private sector emergency management and security through technical assistance and system solutions.. When asked about her readiness for the position, Hollis said, “I look forward to bringing my experience from Systems Planning Corporation as the Director of the Center for Public Protection to FEMA. Having studied and reported on dozens of disasters over the last 15 years, I know how critical business is to response and recovery”.

We hope that Hollis’s experience as a small business private sector representative here at FEMA is the first of many to come in 2012. Like much of our work at FEMA, this position will continue to be successful if we work together as a team, leveraging the resources of our many private sector partners and bringing more to the table. Let’s make it work and do amazing things!

If you or someone you know is interested in being a candidate, please click here. Our private sector team is available 24/7 and ready to work with you. And please continue to share your stories and ideas about how we can continue working with the private sector to better serve our nation and communities.

At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Weather Outlook

It looks like most of the country will enjoy relatively nice weather this weekend! According to the National Weather Service (NWS), there are not many weather hazards for the next several days. However, the NWS expects drought conditions to continue throughout parts of the South and Great Plains regions and some flooding in parts of the Midwest.

Although there are no severe weather threats, we encourage you to follow your area’s local forecast as weather conditions can change.

And while you are out this weekend thinking of creative gifts to give your family and friends this holiday season, I encourage you to consider giving the gift of preparedness.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: an extra cell phone battery or cell phone charger for a car; a first aid kit; a NOAA weather radio; an extra blanket for an emergency kit in a car; flashlight and batteries; or a carbon monoxide detector makes a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer.  Make sure your family and friends are prepared for an emergency by sharing the gift of preparedness!

Recently, I had the privilege of talking with three students from the University of North Texas in Denton as part of a class project. One of the students, Kristopher Davis, is considering a career in emergency management, and came to FEMA looking for guidance and information as he ponders this important decision.

Kristopher and the other students asked me questions about working in the emergency management field - what kind of experience it takes to become an emergency management leader, what aspects of my job would I keep and what would I change if I could, what are the rewards and benefits of emergency management as a career, and what advice would I give to a person who wanted to follow a similar career path.



I shared with them some of what led me to a career in emergency management, which began with my desire at a young age to help others. I explained how after serving with the military, I joined FEMA as a Federal Coordinating Officer. Being a military officer, I learned the importance of service and sacrifice which translated greatly to FEMA, which has the same ethos and focus. After eight years as a FCO, I headed up the FEMA office in Louisiana and was then appointed as the FEMA Region VI administrator.

I also shared with them some of the challenges they could face during an emergency management career. The stress of working a disaster for months, being away from your family and friends for extended periods of time, as well as the reality of the constraints we all face when state and federal budgets are tight are all sacrifices we must make to help disaster survivors.

I was thoroughly impressed with their intelligence, interest and drive, and was proud to offer up some of my expertise and experience and, hopefully, peak their interest in working for a federal agency such as FEMA in the coming years.

We are proud of our partnership and collaboration with UNT and are committed to working with the university to help develop coursework and cultivate opportunities for students. I look forward to the day when these students graduate and become emergency management leaders in Texas and across the nation.

Posted by Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

Here at FEMA, we continually emphasize the importance of including and meeting the needs of the whole community. A principle foundation in emergency management is to continually take into account, understand, and support the needs of the entire community in the work that we do. It’s important for all of us to plan for the true, diverse makeup of our communities, and every day we make strides closer to achieving this goal.

With that in mind, we wanted to share the following story from the North Jersey/Bergen County Record, which captures how FEMA, through our disability integration specialists out in the field, work with all of our partners to ensure that we are fully including Americans with access and functional needs in all of our disaster planning, response and recovery efforts. Last week, Marcie Roth, Director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, spoke about this work at a panel with other state and local emergency management partners:

"This is a priority. This is something we talk about on a regular basis," said Ridgewood Councilman Paul Aronsohn, who helped organize the event. "What we hope to do today is to really start a community-wide conversation, an opportunity to share lessons learned, things that work and don't work."

The community as a whole needs to come together to make sure everyone stays safe during a disaster, according to FEMA Regional Disability Integration Specialist James Flemming. Everyone has a stake in safety during times of emergency, and they need to work together to make the community as a whole better prepared, Flemming said.

"You know better than I what happened here when Hurricane Irene hit," he said. "That is not the time for people to hold onto their turf. That is not the time for people to say, 'Well that is not my job.’”

“FEMA, as well as other branches of government, are already reaching out to entire communities when making their preparations, according to Marcie Roth, director of FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (OCDI). Modifying a plan then hanging it for people with disabilities will not adequately take into account everyone's needs, which can lead to dangerous situations in an emergency, including the death of residents who do not have the means for proper evacuation."

If we wait and plan for people with disabilities after we write the basic plan, we fail," Roth said, quoting FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. "It's time that children, people with disabilities, or any other segment of our communities who are traditionally underserved be more fully and consistently integrated into planning and preparedness on every level of government."

You can check out the full article here and encourage you to share it with others in your community. And if you have a good idea or approach for how we can be more inclusive, let us know. Leave a comment below or submit your idea to the FEMA Think Tank.

Aquí en FEMA, estamos enfatizando constantemente sobre la importancia de incluir y reunir las necesidades de toda la comunidad. Un principio fundamental en el manejo de emergencias es incluir, entender y apoyar alas necesidades de toda la comunidad en el trabajo que hacemos. Para todos nosotros es bien importante la planificación de la diversidad real de nuestra comunidad y todos los días nos acercamos más en logro de esta meta.

Con esto en mente, queremos compartir la siguiente historia de “Los Archivos del Condado de Bergen en North Jersey”, los cuales muestran como FEMA por medio de la integración de especialistas en discapacidades en el campo, trabajan con nuestros asociados para asegurarse de que todas las personas con necesidades especiales sean parte de la planificación de desastres y los esfuerzos de respuesta y recuperación. La semana pasada, Marcie Roth, Directora de la Oficina de Integración de Discapacidad y Coordinación, habló sobre este trabajo con asociados de manejo de emergencias estatales y locales. “Esto es una prioridad. Esto es algo de lo que conversamos con regularidad”, dijo Paul Aronsohn, Cónsul de Ridgewood , quien ayuda en la organización de la actividad. “Lo que esperamos lograr hoy es comenzar conversaciones en toda la comunidad, tener la oportunidad de compartir lecciones aprendidas, las cosas que funcionan y las cosas que no funcionan.

“Toda la comunidad tiene que unirse para asegurarse de que todos estén a salvo durante un desastre, según James Flemming, Especialista de Integración de Discapacidades de la Oficina Regional de FEMA. Todos tenemos interés en la seguridad durante una emergencia y tienen que trabajar juntos para hacer que la comunidad esté lo mejor preparada posible, dijo Flemming.

“Usted sabe mejor que yo lo que paso aquí cuando el Huracán Irene toco tierra”, dijo. “Esos no son momentos para que las personas se aferren a su territorio. Esos no son momentos para que las personas digan, ese no es mi trabajo.”

“FEMA, así como otras ramas del gobierno, ya están llegando a todas las comunidades cuando hacen su preparación”, dijo Marcie Roth. Modificar un plan sin incluir las personas con discapacidades, no permite tener en cuanta las necesidades de todos, lo cual puede conducir a situaciones de riesgo en caso de una emergencia, incluyendo la muerte de las personas que no tengan los medios para un desalojo adecuado”.

“Si esperamos e incluimos a las personas con discapacidades después de escribir el plan inicial, hemos fracasado”, dijo Roth, citando a un mensaje de Craig Fugate, Administrador de FEMA. ‘Es hora de que los niños, personas con discapacidades, o cualquier segmento de nuestra comunidad que tradicionalmente es marginado este totalmente y consistentemente integrado en la planificación y preparación en todos los niveles del gobierno”.

Puede ver el artículo completo y le exhortamos a compartir el mismo con otros en su comunidad. Si usted tiene una buena idea o forma en que nosotros podamos incluir a más personas en la comunidad, puede comunicárnoslo dejando un comentario abajo o presentando una idea en el Foro para Compartir Ideas de FEMA.

As demonstrated time and time again through many disasters across America, emergency management requires a team effort. Our country's tribal nations and leaders are an essential part of the team. The Obama administration has long been committed to supporting Indian Country in efforts to build resilient communities, prepared for all hazards.

Last week, on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the administration, I met with tribal leaders as a participant in the 2011 Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the White House. The goal of this multi-day event was to continue an honest, meaningful discussion between tribal leadership, the administration and federal agencies, to listen, learn and explore how we can continue to strengthen our government-to-government relationship.

During these conversations, I had the opportunity to announce -- consistent with our strong government-to-government relationship and after a lengthy review process -- that the administration supports amending the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized tribal governments to make a request directly to the president for a federal emergency or disaster declaration. Under current law, only states, through the governor, can make such requests.

Amending this legislation will acknowledge the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes and the trust responsibility of the United States, enhance FEMA's working relationship with tribal governments, and improve emergency responsiveness throughout Indian Country.

En cada desastre se ha demostrado una y otra vez que el manejo de emergencias requiere un esfuerzo en equipo. Las naciones tribales de nuestro país y líderes son parte esencial de ese equipo. La administración del Presidente Obama está comprometida apoyando a los territorios indígenas en sus esfuerzos de construir comunidades resistentes y preparadas para todos los riesgos.

La semana pasada, a nombre de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la administración, me reuní con los lideres tribales como participante de la Conferencia de Naciones Tribales del 2011 organizado por la Casa Blanca. El propósito de este evento de varios días fue el continuar conversaciones significativas y honestas entre los líderes tribales, la administración y las agencias federales; para escuchar, aprender y explorar las posibilidades de como fortalecer las relaciones entre gobiernos.

Durante estas conversaciones, he tenido la oportunidad de anunciar (a la par con nuestra fuerte relación entre gobiernos y después de un intenso proceso de revisión) que la administración apoya la enmienda a la Ley Stafford que permite que los gobiernos tribales federales reconocidos hagan su pedido de estado de emergencia federal o declaración por desastre directamente al presidente. Bajo la Ley actual, solamente los estados por medio de los gobernadores pueden hacer este pedido.

La enmienda a esta legislación reconoce la soberanía de los gobiernos tribales federales y la confianza en la responsabilidad de los Estados Unidos, mejorando la relación de trabajo de FEMA con los gobiernos tribales y la capacidad de respuesta en emergencias de todos los territorios indígenas.

We first talked about the Presidential Policy Directive on National Preparedness last March and since then we have released the National Preparedness Goal outlining the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the nation.

Today, we took the next step in our ongoing efforts to work together to improve for a wide range of these threats and hazards, such as acts of terrorism, cyber attacks, pandemics and catastrophic natural disasters, by releasing a description of the National Preparedness System. What makes this preparedness system unique is that it involves the whole community – individuals, businesses, community- and faith-based organizations, schools and all levels of government. We recognize that the nation will be most prepared for threats and hazards when we work together and the National Preparedness System outlines the approach, resources and tools for achieving that goal.

The system has six main components for improving our preparedness:

• Identifying and assessing risks;

• Estimating capability requirements;

• Building or sustaining capabilities;

• Developing and implementing plans to deliver those capabilities;

• Validating and monitoring progress made towards achieving the National Preparedness Goal; and

• Reviewing and updating efforts to promote continuous improvement.

Each of these components calls for specific actions that we can take to improve our national preparedness. The first component, for example, will create a common way to assess risks, so we can more fully understand all of the risks that communities face. This clear view will help us figure out how best to work together to ensure we’re making wise decisions to keep people safe from harm.

With the National Preparedness System description released, we will now focus on the details of how we will achieve our National Preparedness Goal. Over the next few months, we will continue to work with the entire community to determine roles and responsibilities as well as develop frameworks to support the coordination needed to effectively deliver the core capabilities outlined in the goal. Those coordination points will be detailed in a series of national frameworks and interagency operational plans. In addition to the recently released National Disaster Recovery Framework, frameworks will be developed for prevention, protection and mitigation as well as updates made to the National Response Framework. Federal interagency operational plans will also be developed for all five frameworks. As with the previous steps in this process, we look forward to incorporating input from the whole community as we work to strengthen our nation’s resilience to all hazards.

To read the system description or learn more about Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness, visit www.fema.gov/ppd8.

As we blogged about in the “What We’re Watching” Friday, the National Weather Service expects significant snowfall in the Central Rockies throughout the Plains states. The National Weather Service forecasts up to 12 inches of snow in parts of Colorado and New Mexico and 4 to 7 inches of snow forecasted farther north and east.

We are closely monitoring the storm system and will continue to monitor as it develops. We encourage residents in those states to closely monitor the storm and encourage all residents to prepare for the winter by visiting Ready.gov/winter for steps on preparing your home and family for the winter months.

To get you started here are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re prepared:

• Be sure to update your family's emergency supply kit and add items such as snow shovels, extra blankets, rock salt (or more environmentally safe products) to melt ice on walkways, and appropriate clothing (i.e., hat, gloves, and scarf).

• Have an emergency kit in your car in the event you are stranded by a blizzard or traffic jam. Be sure to include items you would need to stay warm and comfortable.

• Make a family communication plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.

• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).

Mientras hacemos este blog sobre “Qué estamos observando” el viernes, el Servicio Nacional de Meteorología aspecto una cantidad de nieve significativa en Central Rockies y por todos los estados planos. El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología pronosticó hasta 12 pulgadas de nieve en algunas partes de Colorado y New México y de 4 a 7 pulgadas de nieve más hacia el norte y este.

Estamos observando de cerca la tormenta y continuaremos monitoreando la misma mientras se va desarrollando. Instamos a todos los residentes de estos estados a monitorear de cerca la tormenta y estar preparados para la temporada de invierno, para mas detalles vea como puede prepararse en antes de la tormenta.

Aquí presentamos algunos de los pasos a seguir para ayudarle en su preparación:

• Asegúrese de actualizar su equipo familiar de emergencias. Incluya palas para la nieve, mantas adicionales, sal de arena (o productos que mas seguros para el ambiente) para derretir la nieve de las aceras y ropa apropiada para la temperatura (por ejemplo, bufandas, guantes, sombreros, entre otros).

• Tenga un equipo de emergencia en su auto en caso de que se encuentre con mal tiempo en la carretera. Asegúrese de incluir todo lo que necesite para estar caliente y seguro.

• Haga un plan de comunicación familiar. Puede que su familia no esté junta al momento de un desastre, así que es importante el saber con quien comunicarse, como van a estar juntos de nuevo y que hacer en caso de una emergencia.

• Aprenda cómo cerrar las válvulas de agua (en caso de que una válvula se rompa).

At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Weather Outlook
This weekend, the National Weather Service predicts strong winds to continue in the Southwest. Below average temperatures are expected to continue in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains, and parts of the South throughout the weekend.

Heavy rains are expected for parts of the Southern Plains, Mid-Atlantic, and East Central regions with heavy coastal rains and inland snow across Southern Alaska. Additionally, flooding is expected across the Upper Great Lakes and Northern Ohio Valley. Severe drought weather will continue throughout Central and Southern Great Plains, and throughout parts of the South.

Visit the new Ready.gov for tips on preparing your home and family for severe weather, heavy rain and floods, and wildfire conditions.

Holiday Shopping Gift Ideas
As you continue your holiday shopping this weekend and try to think of new and creative gift ideas for family and friends, we encourage you to give the gift of preparedness. Instead of buying your uncle another red tie or favorite cousin a paper weight, why not buy a more practical gift that may come in handy in an emergency - like a flashlight or hand-crank radio with extra batteries? They will definitely thank you when the power goes out and they need to put the flashlight or radio to good use.

Here's a video to help get you in the "gift of preparedness" giving mood this holiday season:

Today we are holding the first stakeholder forum for the National Disaster Recovery Framework in New Orleans, and additional stakeholder forums are being organized for other cities in the coming months. The purpose of this forums is to continue the development, collaboration and implementation of the key concepts of the Recovery Framework and discuss how they can be used to drive recovery efforts in a community after a disaster or through pre-disaster recovery planning.

As we blogged about this in September, the release of the Recovery Framework is the culmination of a collaborative process and extensive outreach efforts that brought together recovery partners and stakeholders from across the nation. The framework was developed through numerous meetings and briefings, online engagements, and a series of video teleconferences and stakeholder forums across the country, building upon existing programs, authorities and best practices.

The Recovery Framework outlines how disaster recovery is supported and organized across the nation, and builds on scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibilities, linking state, local, tribal and territorial governments, the federal government, private sector, individuals, and voluntary, faith-based, disability and community organizations – all who play vital roles in community-based recovery.

On March 30, 2011, the President issued Presidential Policy Directive-8 (PPD-8) directing the delivery of “a series of integrated national planning frameworks, covering prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.” Consistent with the vision set forth in PPD-8, the Recovery Framework summarizes the way ahead for disaster recovery and is the first framework published under PPD-8.

Visit our Recovery Framework page for the full Framework document and future stakeholder forums.