FEMA Funds for Water

In the scramble to find out what funding is available for state drinking water programs from the FY 18 Omnibus Appropriations Act, ASDWA came across some new information about programs managed by FEMA that may have funds available for water utilities and state primacy agencies.

FEMA funding is captured in the Omnibus bill under Division F, Title IV, Protection, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.  In total, FEMA grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements are collectively funded at $3,293,932,000.  Of that amount, the following appropriations are included:

• $507M for the State Homeland Security Grant Program to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies to obtain the resources required to support implementation of the National Preparedness System (NPS) and the Goal of a secure and resilient Nation.
• $630M for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Grant Program to address the unique multi-discipline planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density Urban Areas.
• $350M for the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program for states to assist state, local, territorial, and tribal governments in preparing for all hazards, as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and Section 662 of the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.
• $249M for the National Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund to assist states, tribes, and territories to reduce overall risk to the population and structures from future hazard events, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding in future disasters. This program awards planning and project grants and provides opportunities for raising public awareness about reducing future losses before disaster strikes.
• $275M for Current Operations to sustain training, exercises, technical assistance and other programs.

You are encouraged to collaborate with your state’s emergency management agency to determine how best to take advantage of these programs and opportunities.

 

FEMA Releases New Continuity Guidance Circular – Webinar Schedule

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released the draft Continuity Guidance Circular www.fema.gov/continuity-guidance-circular which guides whole community efforts to develop and maintain the capability to ensure continuity of operations, continuity of government, and enduring constitutional government during an emergency that disrupts normal operations.

The draft document is nearing the end of a 30-day National Engagement Period that provides interested parties with an opportunity to comment.  There are three more webinars scheduled to engage interested parties.  Each hour long webinar contains the same information.

DATES:            June 20, 21, and 22, 2017

TIMES:             June 20 – 10:00-11:00AM (eastern)

June 21 – 3:00-4:00PM (eastern)

June 22 – 10:00-11:00AM (eastern)

REGISTER:      June 20 – https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cgc6/

June 21 – https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cgc7/

June 22 – https://fema.connectsolutions.com/cgc8/

AUDIO:             Audio: 800-320-4330 PIN 579861 for all three events.

 

EPA Shares PrepareAthon! Information and Resources

America’s PrepareAthon! is a grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience.  This year’s PrepareAthon! Takes place throughout the month of April.  This link https://community.fema.gov/news?lang=en_US will take you to more information about preparedness and the PrepareAthon! Initiative.

In support of PrepareAthon!, EPA’s Water Security Division has also been working on preparedness and resiliency for the Water Sector.  Take a look at the materials that they have prepared and shared (including helpful case studies) on flooding, drought, tornadoes, and hurricanes.  The tips found in these materials can be just what a water utility needs to get started or expand an effort that they already have underway to enhance their resiliency.  Click https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/water-utilities-take-part-americas-prepareathon to learn more about EPA’s resources.  This link also has registration information for the May 3 Route to Resilience webinar for utilities.  You may recall that the state-focused webinar on this subject was held February 28.

EPA WSD Hosts 3-Part Webinar Series on Improving Response

EPA’s Water Security Division is hosting a three part webinar series for water and wastewater utilities and emergency management agencies to learn how to increase resilience and improve emergency response efforts.

ASDWA encourages you to participate and also share this learning opportunity with your water systems as well as with your own emergency management counterparts.

Webinar 1: Why should I care about collaboration?

DATE:                  May 10, 2017

TIME:                   1:00-2:00PM (eastern)

REGISTER:        https://epa-water-ess-webinar1.eventbrite.com

This webinar will provide an overview of the critical interdependencies between the water and emergency services sectors.  It will include speakers from an emergency management agency and a water utility to discuss how their organizations have benefitted from mutual collaboration.

 

Webinar 2: What have others done?

DATE:                  May 24, 2017

TIME:                   1:00-2:00PM (eastern)

REGISTER:        https://epa-water-ess-webinar2.eventbrite.com

This webinar will provide in-depth discussions of how two drinking water and wastewater utilities have worked with their local emergency management agencies, to their mutual benefit.

 

Webinar 3: Confronting Challenges – Access and Fuel Supply Planning

DATE:                  June 14, 2017

TIME:                   1:00-2:00PM (eastern)

REGISTER:        https://epa-water-ess-webinar3.eventbrite.com

In this webinar, speakers from both sectors will discuss how they approached resolving access issues to disaster sites (credentialing) and what efforts they have undertaken to create a more resilient fuel supply.

All three webinars are free but each requires a separate registration in advance of the event.  Webinar links will be shared approximately one week prior to the event.

Financing Recovery and Mitigation Webinars

As part of an ongoing webinar series, our colleagues at EPA are hosting two webinars that explore resource options that can be used for recovery, mitigation, and resilience financing.

Disaster Recovery Financing

 DATE:              November 22

TIME:               1:00-2:30PM (eastern)

REGISTER:      https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disaster-recovery-financing-tickets-28791523221

This webinar will share information on how states and communities use SRFs, FEMA grants, and other financing opportunities to recover from a disaster.

Resilience Mitigation Financing

DATE:              December 7

TIME:               1:00-2:30PM (eastern)

REGISTER:      https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resilience-mitigation-financing-tickets-28791849196

This event will offer insights about financing resources that can be used for resilience planning and hazard mitigation projects.

Please click https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/financing-disaster-recovery-and-resilience-mitigation-water-and-wastewater for more details about each of these events.

 

Just a Reminder…

EPA’s Water Security Division invites you and your water utilities to attend a webinar to showcase available tools and resources helpful in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all types of emergencies.

DATE:              November 9

TIME:               1:00-2:00PM (eastern)

REGISTER:      https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-epa-free-preparedness-resources-for-water-utilities-webinar-tickets-27410156516

For more information, please refer to our blog of October 3 on this event.

ASDWA and EPA WSD Explore Hazard Mitigation

On September 15, ASDWA and EPA cohosted a webinar and interactive discussion to showcase their new document, Hazard Mitigation for Natural Disasters: A Starter Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities.  The event was designed to help state drinking water program staff better understand the benefits of hazard mitigation initiatives, how to connect and collaborate with their state hazard mitigation officers (SHMOs), and how to share this important information with their water systems.  EPA’s Water Security Division was joined by state primacy and state hazard mitigation staff from Utah and Iowa for the event.

If you were not able to participate in the webinar, please visit ASDWA’s security web page at www.asdwa.org/security and scroll to the Important Documents Section.  There you will find:

+ A link to the video recording of the webinar

+ A link to the Hazard Mitigation Guide

+ A link to FEMA’s list of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

For more information about the Hazard Mitigation Guide, please visit EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/hazard-mitigation-natural-disasters

WSD Reminds Us of Two Good Planning Tools

Our colleagues at EPA’s Water Security Division (WSD) remind us that there are quite a few existing tools that water systems should have in their proverbial “hip pocket” when planning for an emergency.  Two of those planning tools are highlighted below.

The first is their own Planning for An Emergency Drinking Water Supply Guide.  The guide provides utilities with the building blocks necessary for considering where to find an alternate water supply. Click https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/water-utility-planning-emergency-drinking-water-supply to download the guide.

The second is a compendium of recent (June 16, 2016) updates to FEMA’s National Planning Frameworks.  The Frameworks – one for each of the five preparedness mission areas – are part of the National Preparedness System.  The Frameworks foster a shared understanding of our roles and responsibilities from the fire house to the White House.

• National Prevention Framework (second edition)
• National Protection Framework (second edition)
• National Mitigation Framework (second edition)
• National Response Framework (third edition)
• National Disaster Recovery Framework (second edition)

 

 

Infrastructure Protection Training

Looking to enhance your critical infrastructure security and resilience knowledge and skills?  TEEX is offering a series of DHS/FEMA-funded trainings across the nation that can meet your needs and help qualify you for an Infrastructure Protection Certificate.

The Infrastructure Protection Certificate Program provides an understanding and local application of the homeland security infrastructure protection doctrine.  The program includes an in-depth examination of key concepts and practices in capabilities-based and community-focused planning, integrated risk management, private-public partnerships, and whole community resilience strategies.  This link provides more information about the program.  In addition, here is a list of locations for the four Certificate Program trainings:

Infrastructure Protection Courses Course Number Course Name Date Location AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 9/6/16 Dallas, TX MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 9/12-13/16 El Paso, TX AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 9/14/16 Fayetteville, AR MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 9/20-21/16 Arlington, TX MGT414 Advanced Critical Infrastructure Protection 9/21/16 Miami Beach, FL MGT315 Critical Asset Risk Management 9/26-27/16 El Paso, TX MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 9/27-28/16 Suffolk, VA AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 10/4/16 Rancho Cucamonga, CA MGT414 Advanced Critical Infrastructure Protection 10/4/16 Dallas, TX AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 10/5/16 Jackson, MS MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 10/6-7/16 Rancho Cucamonga, CA MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 10/11-12/16 Harlan, KY AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 10/18/16 Sevierville, TN AWR213 Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Awareness 10/19/16 Gulfport, MS MGT414 Advanced Critical Infrastructure Protection 10/19/16 Sevierville, TN MGT310 Jurisdictional Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 10/25-26/16 Beaumont, TX

 

Hazard Mitigation for Natural Disasters Webinar

ASDWA and EPA WSD are teaming up to present a webinar that will consider how state primacy agencies can work with both their state hazard mitigation offices and their utilities to promote, fund, and implement hazard mitigation projects.

DATE:              Thursday, September 15, 2016

TIME:               1:00-2:30PM (eastern)

REGISTER:      https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/615897312349016579

The webinar will include examples of successful state agency coordination that results in utilities implementing appropriate mitigation measures.  This will also be states’ first opportunity to view a demonstration of EPA’s newly released tool, Hazard Mitigation for Natural Disasters: A Starter Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities.

The target audience and discussion focus for this event is state drinking water programs.  Other events are planned to share these materials with other members of the water community.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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