A NOTE FROM THE RA In the “Loop” - Illinois Emergency Services

A NOTE FROM THE RA
HEADLINES
STATEWIDE VIEW
REGION V: AROUND TOWN
WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MONTHLY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
ARE YOU SOCIAL?
A NOTE FROM THE RA
In the “Loop”
By Andrew Velasquez III – Regional Administrator
As we continue to highlight a different emergency preparedness topic every month during 2012,
I am proud to say we have set aside the month of August to focus on volunteerism. While we
don‟t know when or where the next disaster may strike, we do know we can count on volunteers
and volunteer organizations to lend a helping hand when it matters most.
Volunteers are vital members of our society who come from all walks of life and are out there
making a difference 365 days a year, not just in the aftermath of a disaster. They willingly
devote their time, knowledge and expertise to make a positive impact in the life of an individual
or a community, and no project is too big or too small.
I am grateful to the countless volunteers who are out there making a difference in our Region,
and encourage everyone in FEMA Region V who is not already doing so, to become a
volunteer. The personal rewards are countless and you will be surprised how little of your time
can make a big difference in the lives of others. Remember: Volunteers are vital.
HEADLINES
Rich Little Named Employee of the Quarter
By External Affairs
Region V Mission Support Division employee
Richard Little has been named FEMA Region V
Employee of the Quarter for the 3rd Quarter of
2012, in recognition of his professionalism, excellent
problem solving skills and customer service. Little
has been with Region V since January 2010 and has
continuously demonstrated his commitment to
FEMA‟s mission. The purpose of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency Region V ‐
Employee Recognition and Award Program is to
From Left to Right: Andrew Velasquez III,
recognize, on a quarterly basis, those employees
Richard Little and Michael Moline
whom their peers feel have served FEMA, the public
and their co‐workers in an exceptional manner. A
nominee should be any FEMA Region V permanent‐full‐time (PFT), temporary‐full‐time
(TFT), or cadre of on‐call response and recovery employee (CORE) with at least one year of
service who demonstrates outstanding merit and a commitment to the FEMA mission.
Nominations may be submitted by any FEMA Region V PFT, TFT, or CORE employee, with at
least one year of service. Fourth Quarter award nominees must be submitted by August 31,
2012.
Region V GIS Wins FEMA-Wide Design Contest
By External Affairs
Region V Response Division Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) employee Tom Griffin
was one of two winners of the FEMA-wide 2012
GIS work group map design contest.
Griffin, a Cadre on‐call Response and Recovery
Employee (CORE) has been with Region V for
almost two years. His winning entry, FEMA
Region V Seasonal Tornado Density map, depicts
where tornadoes are more likely to occur within the
region at different times of the year. Griffin
developed the map in response to his Division
Director‟s inquiry. And although he could have
explained the analysis verbally, he felt the use of the
Tom Griffin with his award winning FEMA GIS map to display the data visually would enhance
Region V Seasonal Tornado Density map at the
the analytical information and tell a much better
2012 Esri International Users Conference held in
story. His intuition paid off. Griffin and his map
California.
were selected by FEMA Headquarters to represent
the talented work of the FEMA Geospatial Cadre at the Esri International Users Conference held
in Calif., from July 23-27. This is the second year that FEMA Region V has submitted a winning
entry.
Chicago RCPT Hosts First Whole Community Conference
By External Affairs
On July 18-20, FEMA Region V personnel participated in the 2012 Whole Community
Conference, a three-day event hosted by the Chicago Area Regional Catastrophic Planning Team
(RCPT) and EnableUS, to encourage inclusive emergency planning among stakeholders in the
greater Chicago area. The conference brought together emergency management, public health,
human services and disability stakeholders from throughout northern Illinois, southeastern
Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana to focus on strategies for including the whole community in
catastrophic incident planning.
Andrew Velasquez III, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region V, delivered the opening
address and stressed the importance of including all sectors of the community in emergency
planning. Mr. Velasquez stated that, in order to be successful in a holistic response to disasters,
we need to engage the public sector, private sector, non-governmental organizations and citizens
themselves in the planning process. Gary Schenkel, Director of Chicago‟s Office of Emergency
Management and Communications (OEMC), also delivered an address and detailed his support
for including all stakeholders in emergency planning, response, recovery and mitigation
activities.
Presentations focused on strategies for meeting the communication, transportation, sheltering and
other functional and access needs of disaster survivors, including those with disabilities,
children, seniors, people experiencing homelessness and people who own pets or livestock.
In addition to informative presentations, state breakout sessions allowed participants to meet new
contacts, explore diverse state resources and define next steps for more inclusive planning
activities.
The conference concluded with updates from Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Teams from
across the nation and an invitation for new stakeholders to join the Chicago RCPT.
Information, resources and networking opportunities at the conference will ultimately increase
momentum for emergency planning that is truly inclusive of the whole community at all levels.
Presentations and transcripts will be posted on the EnableUS website for those who were unable
to attend the conference in person.
Region V Administrator Speaks at Hispanic Community CERT Graduation
By External Affairs
On July 8, Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III addressed more than 230 graduates of
the Church of God Chaplains in Action program at Spaulding Avenue Church of God in
Chicago‟s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Among the Chaplains in Action graduates were
ninety-three graduates from the Church of God - Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) in Chicago.
The CERT Chaplains program is a three day course designed to equip Community Service
Chaplains and others in the basic response skills required by DHS when responding as a CERT
Team. Members are trained on how to work with local, state and national organizations in times
of emergency situations. While some previously trained Chaplains have already deployed in
support of disasters like the Joplin and Tuscaloosa tornadoes, these recent graduates will be able
to assist their own communities in coping with the aftermath of a disaster.
Chaplains in Action is part of the National Chaplains Commission, an organization that offers
education and training opportunities in various disciplines, which include crisis counseling,
disaster response, domestic violence, substance abuse and others. The Church of God Chaplains
Commission has placed a priority on raising awareness of emergency preparedness in
underserved communities. As a result, the graduating chaplains volunteered to become part of
the CERT program to assist the Chicago-area communities during an incident.
Administrator Velasquez commended the graduates on their commitment to the community and
for recognizing that it takes the whole community to respond to an incident, not just the
government.
Region V Intern Program in Full Swing
By Jeff Beichner, External Affairs Intern
FEMA Region V Summer Interns Sean Johnson, Andreas Safakas,
Jeffrey Beichner, Brittany Whitemarsh, Region V Administrator
Andrew Velasquez III, Thomas Walsh, Phillip Aguet, Konstantine
Buhler, and Nathan Worthen.
FEMA Region V currently
employs eight fulltime Summer
Interns. This is the first year the
FEMA Student Temporary
Employment Program (STEP)
has conducted weekly meetings
to introduce the students to
different roles that FEMA fulfills
as a part of its overall mission.
These meetings include a brief
presentation by each major
division within FEMA Region V.
During these seminars FEMA
employees provide the interns
with their own stories and
background within the field of emergency management.
Each meeting evolves from a lecture on the functions of a department, and soon becomes a
informal question and answer session about the specific impacts each job has within the disaster
cycle. The different employees bring their own unique perspective on the functions of
emergency managers during a disaster.
Not all of the meetings have been merely introductions to different departments. The summer
interns have also observed detailed presentations regarding the effects of different disasters.
These presentations give a unique view of the cascading effects caused by a disaster.
The intern meetings are not always limited to inside a conference room. Emily Minkow, who
assists with the coordination of the internship program at FEMA Region V, organized various
trips to private partners, such are Argonne National Laboratory. These trips provide students a
glimpse at the complex working relationship FEMA employees have with outside entities.
Region V Holds Third Quarter RISC Meeting
By External Affairs
On July 24-25, FEMA Region V hosted the Third Quarterly Regional Interagency Steering
Committee (RISC) Meeting in Chicago, Ill. Committee members from state and federal
government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector participated in the forum designed to
help strengthen partnerships through exchange of ideas and best practices, and to coordinate
interagency and intergovernmental planning before disaster strikes.
Agenda topics included tools to enhance
information sharing, situational
awareness and development of a common
operating picture. Committee members
were provided an overview of Argonne
National Lab‟s Virtual Joint Planning
Office (VJPO), FEMA Region V‟s
Dashboard tool and Web Emergency
Operations Center (EOC), and the
National Geospatial Agency‟s (NGA)
Domestic Crisis Support.
Andrew Velasquez III speaks at the 3rd Quarter RISC Meeting in
Chicago
Members were also briefed on planning
tools and plans including FEMA‟s All
Hazards plan, Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) plan and the Threat and Hazard Identification
and Risk Assessment (THIRA); as well as Illinois Emergency Management Agency‟s (IEMA)
Regional Resilience Evacuation Plan. Additionally, FEMA provided an overview of the Fire
Management Administration Grants (FMAG) program.
ESF-6 Mass Care Workshops Continue
By Cassie Ringsdorf, Region V Individual Assistance
Andrew Velasquez III gives opening remarks at the ESF-6 workshop
on July 26th
Region V Administrator, Andrew
Velasquez III provided opening remarks
to kick off the third Region V ESF-6
workshop on July 26 and 27 in FEMA‟s
Chicago office. With an emphasis on
using lessons learned from the first two
workshops, Administrator Velasquez
emphasized the importance of a whole
community approach for expanding state
readiness to all disasters. In an effort to
further inform and develop the Region‟s
all-hazards plan, the two-day workshop
brought together representatives from
each of the Region V states, as well as
federal and voluntary agency partners to
assess capacity and begin developing
mass care and emergency assistance capabilities. Discussions enhanced the understanding of
requirements, processes and partners necessary to successfully achieve mass care and emergency
assistance goals following a major disaster. These conversations will hopefully be the first of
many to further define state ESF-6 capabilities throughout Region V.
STATEWIDE VIEW
FEMA Awards $22,455,252 SAFER Grant to Detroit Fire Department
By External Affairs
On June 29, FEMA‟s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant
Program awarded the Detroit, Mich., Fire Department $22,455,252 –the single largest
disbursement since the program‟s creation in 2005. The award will be used to fund 108
firefighter positions for the next two years, eliminating the need for lay-offs.
The award to the Detroit Fire Department is one of many SAFER grants awarded in Region V
this year. The SAFER Grants Program provides funding directly to fire departments and
volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help increase the number of trained, "front line"
firefighters available in their communities. During the 2011 application process ending in Feb
2012, 1975 fire departments nationwide applied for grants. As of July 31, $319,740,638 in
federal funding had been disbursed to 267 of those qualifying applicants. Regionally, 17.5
percent, or 346 of the applications came from Region V states. Additionally, $75,520,382, or 23
percent of the total funding disbursed, has been awarded to 42 qualifying applicants from Region
V.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 SAFER Grants Program application process closed on August 10,
2012.
For information on the FY 2012 SAFER Grant Program and the veteran‟s hiring incentive visit
www.fema.gov/firegrants.
FEMA Region V: Working Closely with State and Local Partners in Ohio
By External Affairs
As severe storms moved across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic in late June, FEMA worked
closely with federal and state partners to meet the needs of all those that were impacted in Ohio
and Indiana. In Ohio, the President approved an emergency disaster declaration that authorized
FEMA to provide resources to support state and local response efforts, including generators to
support critical infrastructure such as shelters, as well as positioning water in staging areas near
the impacted areas. While those resources were critical, the state of Ohio and other members of
the emergency management team took the welfare of citizens very seriously with face-to-face
efforts.
On July 1, Ohio Governor John Kasich deployed more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen of the Ohio
National Guard (ONG) to Franklin and Montgomery counties on a “Knock and Talk” mission.
From single-story homes to 20-story high rises, team members braved the heat and knocked on
doors to chat with residents. They provided valuable information on available resources, such as
cooling centers, made available by local and state partners. Ohioans also came together to check
on their neighbors, ensuring that everyone had water and knew how to stay cool during the
power outages and heat wave.
On July 2, the men and women of the ONG teamed up with student volunteers from the Ohio
State University and continued the “Knock and Talk” mission to ensure that senior citizens,
young children and those with sensitive conditions and medical needs were served.
The ONG and the students of OSU exemplify the responsibility that each of us has to take care
of our friends, neighbors, family and loved ones.
REGION V: AROUND TOWN
FEMA Takes Emergency
Preparedness to the Farmer’s
Market
By External Affairs
When FEMA set up shop at the Federal
Plaza Farmer‟s Market in downtown
Chicago in June, visitors walked away with
more than fresh produce as FEMA raised
awareness on the importance of emergency
preparedness planning and provided tools
to help them get started.
FEMA Interns Jeffrey Beichner, Andreas Safakas and Brittany
Whitemarsh talk emergency preparedness with shoppers at
the Federal Plaza Farmer’s Market.
FEMA staff spoke with visitors on the
importance of identifying the risks in their
community and developing a plan before
disaster strikes. They also listened to
individual concerns and provided helpful
websites and brochures on what to include in an emergency kit as well as planning
considerations for individuals, families with children, older citizens, individuals with limited
English proficiency or disabilities and pets.
FEMA plans to return to the Farmer‟s Market in September during National Preparedness
Month. When it comes to emergency preparedness, it is never too early to start planning.
Region V Exercise Update
By Marc Chmielewski
In the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2012, the Region V National Preparedness Division (NPD),
Integration Branch Exercise Team has participated in the planning, coordination, development,
conduct and evaluation of 13 exercises. These exercises were designed to help prepare local,
state, and federal stakeholders respond to events like a Cyber Threat, validate the Improvised
Nuclear Detonation Operations Plan and respond to wildfires. Here are a few examples of their
hard work throughout the Region:
Vibrant Response
(Left) IND Planning Group Members of
the City of Chicago and FEMA Region V
Joint Planning Team review the Draft
Improvised Nuclear Device (IND)
Operations Plan during Exercise Vibrant
Response 13. The plan was used as the
basis for the US Army North CBRNE
Full Scale Exercise conducted at Camp
Atterbury, and Muscatuck Urban
Training Center.
FIREBOLT
(Above) The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) TTX, an internal Region V Exercise,
was the first in our “Chicago Firebolt” Internal Exercise Series Initiative. The exercise tested
the region’s ability to respond to wildfires by using the FMAG Standing Operating Procedures
(SOP) and Checklist and ensured the Region’s preparedness to execute FMAG plans, especially
during this year’s unusual drought.
NLE 2012
(Left) FEMA, state
and federal
stakeholders work
together at the
National Level
Exercise 2012
Master Control Cell,
Herndon, Va.
In June, Region V supported the National Level Exercise 2012 (NLE-12), a Cyber Terrorism
Exercise Series exploring the national response to a cyber attack on several states and federal
agencies tested our capabilities under the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP), as
well as several regional and state plans. Participants included states from FEMA Region I, II,
the states of Michigan and Wisconsin out of Region V, and the National Capital Region. The
series began with detection and reporting activities at the seven National Cyber Centers and
numerous State Fusion Centers, and progressed to a National Tabletop Exercise (TTX) and a
Functional/Command Post Exercise involving State and Federal Agency Emergency Operations
Centers. The exercise culminated with most federal agencies moving to Continuity of
Operations (COOP) sites and exercising devolution plans, devolving operations to pre-planned
sites across the nation.
WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES
Region V Welcomes New FCOs and Assistant Regional Counsel
Suzann “Suzi” Cowie has been selected as Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO)
for Region V. Before joining the FCO cadre, Suzann was the Individual
Assistance Branch Chief in Region III. In 2008, she oversaw the response
operations and was deployed as the deputy FCO in Iowa for the Midwest Floods.
Since joining FEMA in July 2001, Suzann has deployed to more than 20 major
disasters and National Special Security Events. A native of West Virginia, she
owned and operated a small business there for 20 years.
Warren Riley has been selected as a member of the FCO Cadre for Region V
after 29 years of service with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).
Named superintendent of police four weeks after Hurricane Katrina, he spent the
past five years collaborating with federal, state and local officials to rebuild
NOPD. A keynote speaker at international conferences, Warren earned both B.S.
and M.A. degrees in criminal justice from Southern University at New Orleans.
He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston
University and the Gulf South Research Institute for Police Executives in Louisiana.
Kyle Lewis will join FEMA Region V as Assistant Regional Counsel on July 30, 2012. Kyle
previously served the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, as Assistant District
Counsel. He graduated from Vermont Law School in May 2009 and holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI). A native of Massachusetts, Kyle is looking forward to joining Region V in Chicago with
his soon to be bride, Ameenah.
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MONTHLY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
For FEMA Region V, August spotlights the efforts and importance of volunteers. We have all
seen the affects of disasters in communities and the toll it takes on people. We can never be sure
when disasters will happen or how much damage will result. But we can be sure about one thing
– we know that when disasters strike, we can count on the services of volunteers to offer a
helping hand. Volunteers give selflessly of their time, energy and expertise to help when it
matters most. There are numerous opportunities to help in your own community. Do you have a
skill or talent that you could share with others? Do you want to make a difference by getting
involved in projects that will benefit your community? The personal rewards are many and the
positive impact you will make will be appreciated by all. Volunteers are vital. To find out how
to volunteer during times of disaster, visit fema.gov.
To watch the August External Affairs Awareness video, “Volunteers are vital”, click the video
below.
“Volunteers are Vital”
September: National Preparedness Month
September 2012 marks the ninth annual National Preparedness Month, which is held each
September to encourage Americans to prepare for disasters and other emergencies in their
homes, businesses and communities. The goal this year is to transform awareness into action by
encouraging all Americans to take specific steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces, and
communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds. Simple steps to enhance
preparedness have life-saving potential. Everyone is encouraged to get an emergency supply kit,
make a family emergency plan and learn about the potential hazards that exist in the
communities where they live.
National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen
Corps and the Advertising Council. Individuals, families, and organizations in all sectors can log
their support and find resources on preparedness by „pledging‟ on the National Preparedness
Coalition Online Community. Connect, collaborate and empower yourself.
ARE YOU SOCIAL?
FEMA.gov received a new upgrade. Drupal is FEMA‟s new content management system that
increases usability, empowers regional staff members to maintain and update regional pages and
allows for real-time disaster page creation and maintenance. Some of the major improvements
include: reducing the number of clicks for users, improving search capabilities by utilizing
search engine optimization (SEO) and focusing on accessibility and usability.
Region V is fully engaged in improving its portion of the fema.gov website. If you have
suggestions on how Region V can improve its web presence, share those ideas with External
Affairs staff. Read more about the new fema.gov here.
Region V continues to grow its followers on Twitter. Currently Region V is the fourth most
followed social media channel at FEMA, behind @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and
@FEMARegion4, respectively. External Affairs is working hard to promote our important
preparedness messages and disaster updates through social media. Make sure you are getting the
most up-to-date information by following @FEMARegion5 on twitter and FEMA on Facebook.
Click on the images below to access the latest Region V tweets and Facebook posts.