Staying compliant with federal regulations can be a challenge, especially when it comes to a federal grant recipient’s ability to contract and make major purchases with grant funding. That’s why FEMA created resources for grant recipients to use to maintain compliance of procurement rules under 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317 200.327. FEMA developed the Roadmap to Procurement Compliance (“Roadmap”), which provides checklists designed to aid recipients and subrecipients based on their purchasing scenarios. The Roadmap guides grant recipients through the federal procurement under grants rules applicable to their procurement, which is based on entity type, procurement dollar amount, type of work and method of procurement. Roadmap users respond to initial questions to help determine the facts and circumstances of their procurement. Once answered, users are directed to checklists that correspond to their purchasing method to help review for compliance with federal procurement rules. Staff are encouraged to share the Roadmap with grant recipients and subrecipients. To learn more about procurement regulations, including purchasing under a FEMA award, visit Resource Library: Purchasing Under a FEMA Award | FEMA.gov. On Oct. 12, 2023, FEMA announced $1.8 billion available in funding for the Fiscal Year 2023 Building Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance grant programs. The BRIC funding level will be $1 billion, and the Flood Mitigation Assistance funding level will be $800 million. FEMA has published several program support materials (PSMs) and launched a series of webinars and on-demand videos that provide important resources and information for prospective applicants and sub-applicants. These resources can be used to help develop applications for these two FEMA hazard mitigation grants. The application period for both programs closes on Feb. 29, 2024. Resources to Help with Grant Applications Information about the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance Funding Opportunities Webinar Series is available online and includes an opportunity to watch the video or download the presentation. Program Support Materials: These program support materials are resources to help a state, local, tribal and territorial governments preparing applications for this grant cycle. BRIC Direct Technical Assistance This webinar provides an overview of and guidance on how to request Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Direct Technical Assistance in fiscal year 2023. More information about this opportunity is available on the BRIC Direct Technical Assistance webpage. For a community or tribe interested in applying, please complete this form by Feb. 29, 2024. Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) March 9-16, 2024. This year’s Tribal Nations Training Week theme is “Developing Generational Resiliency Through Training.” The weeklong training event is open to all who work in emergency management and are affiliated with one or more Tribal nations or the Indian Health Service, as well as those who work directly with Tribal nations. Courses being offered during the week include: - Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents.
- Hospital Emergency Response Training for Mass Casualty
- Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response Operations.
- Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC), with Crisis Leadership (MGT-340) and Crisis Standards of Care and Treatment Decision-Making (AWR-934-V1).
- Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments (L580) with Natural Disaster Awareness for Community Leaders (AWR-310) and Psychological Preparedness for Responders (AWR-933-V7).
- Community Based Response to All-Hazards Threats in Tribal Communities (MGT-449).
- Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment and Stakeholder Preparedness with Emergency Operations Center Operations and Planning for All-Hazards Events (MGT-346).
The week will feature an executive session for Tribal leaders or their designated representatives. The executive session is comprised of a Tribal Leaders Symposium, followed by Continuity of Government Operations Planning for Rural Communities, NIMS Overview for Senior Officials, a closed listening session with FEMA Headquarters officials and the Department of Homeland Security’s Tribal Advisory Council, a workshop discussion on the disaster declaration process and its requirements, and a Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness. Like last year’s event, the week will also feature a separate listening session for all participants with FEMA Headquarters officials and others. The training is fully funded for state, local, Tribal and territorial emergency responders, to include roundtrip airfare, meals, and lodging. For more information, including a closer look at the trainings offered, visit cdp.dhs.gov. To register for the 2024 Tribal Nations Training Week, email David.Hall@fema.dhs.gov. The Ready Campaign’s 2023 National Preparedness Month theme, “Take Control in 1, 2, 3” was designed with older adults and their unique needs in mind. The "Take Control in 1, 2, 3 Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults" is now available in Spanish, "Guía de Preparación para Desastres para Adultos Mayores" and was developed to support older adults and their caregivers in preparing for whatever emergencies or disasters they may face. By taking three essential steps—assessing needs, creating a plan, and engaging a support network, older adults will be empowered with actionable strategies to be more prepared.  On Oct. 25, FEMA National Exercise Division (NED) director Shawn Lenore traveled to the North American Leaders Summit to discuss best practices in training and exercises. He debuted FEMA's newly translated "IDEA Guide Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility in Exercises: Considerations and Best Practices." By translating the IDEA Guide, FEMA strives to help Spanish-speaking audiences involve the whole community, particularly Spanish-speaking underserved communities, in exercise development, conduct and feedback processes. The guide offers exercise planners insights and tools around key considerations for exercises that better reflect the full spectrum of a community's stakeholders. This document and video intend to be used by exercise practitioners and emergency managers at all levels of government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations. By providing these documents in Spanish, FEMA hopes to engage planners and participants who have previously been unable to participate. Please find the English and Spanish language documents below: - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility in Exercises: Considerations and Best Practices.
- IDEA Guide in English and Spanish.
- IDEA Video in English and Spanish.
If you have any questions, email NEP@fema.dhs.gov. Each Veterans Day, we pause to salute and pay tribute to those who have risked everything to serve our nation. We are honored to have many veterans play a critical role at FEMA by bringing their expertise and knowledge to emergency management. FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Director, Sherman Gillums, is one of the many veterans at FEMA. In honor of Veterans Day, Gillums shared some thoughts about his military experience and how it influences his work at FEMA. Read the full blog here. FEMA and CISA Release a Cyber Incident Planning Guide for Emergency ManagersFEMA released “Planning Considerations for Cyber Incidents: Guidance for Emergency Managers,” a foundational product developed in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Key aspects of cyber incident preparedness outlined in the document include: - Understanding the types of cyber incidents likely to occur.
- Engaging service owners and operators.
- Identifying cyber-dependent critical services and related dependencies.
- Prioritizing and planning for service and system disruptions.
- Identifying roles and responsibilities.
- Providing integrated communication and public messaging.
- Developing a cyber incident response plan.
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