Finley Engineering Company, Inc.’s Post

FEMA updates for HMGP (also applies to HMGP post fire for FMAG)… “The Impact of a Lower Discount Rate on FEMA Hazard Mitigation Projects: A lower discount rate of 3.1% will make it easier for many applicants and subapplicants to demonstrate cost- effectiveness of hazard mitigation projects, including infrastructure projects that address long-term climate-related challenges. By making it easier to demonstrate cost-effectiveness for hazard mitigation projects, applicants and subapplicants can more effectively implement and fund critical resiliency initiatives that will save lives and protect infrastructure.” The new 3.1% discount rate is effective immediately upon signature of FEMA Policy 206-23-001. FEMA’s Benefit- Cost Analysis. - For the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), this policy applies to open major disaster declarations and to major disasters declared on or after the signature date of this policy. - For HMGP Post Fire, this policy applies to any open Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declarations and to FMAGs declared on or after the signature date of this policy. - For the Public Assistance (PA) Program, this policy applies to disasters declared on or after the date of this policy. For open disasters, this policy will apply to unobligated projects and to obligated projects that do not have an approved Hazard Mitigation Proposal included. This policy does not affect any other programmatic eligibility requirements for projects proposed through FEMA programs, including Hazard Mitigation Assistance and PA programs.” FEMA Policy Aid Link: https://lnkd.in/evpyEUH9 Read the full update: FEMA Policy 206-23-001 https://lnkd.in/eyNK6CSE

The National Disaster Management Centre hosts the 9th Annual National Fire Safety and Prevention Seminar to tackle the scourge of fires in the country The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) in collaboration with the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre will host the 9th Fire Safety and Prevention Seminar. The Fire Safety and Prevention Seminar will be held in the City of Ekurhuleni at Birchwood Hotel on the 22 & 23 February 2024. The content thrust of the seminar will be underpinned by the fundamental fire safety principles for preventing fire events and managing their impact through common universal principles such as Prevention, Detection and Communication, Occupant Protection, Containment, and Extinguishment. The consistent application of these principles has become pervasively urgent owing to the growth in the global population that leads to greater urbanization, which results in more people living in higher-density, high-rise developments comprising numerous uses and occupancy types. Similarly, urban areas encroach on wildland spaces, creating increased risk areas for interface fires. https://ow.ly/Xl6Q50QFnTe #FireSafety #FireSafetySouthAfrica

Emergency Management Victoria ** Update: this warning was updated at 5:35 pm, Tuesday, 16 January 2024. Stay informed: https://lnkd.in/gDpbE4Z ** Severe Thunderstorm Warning or heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hailstones for people in parts of Mallee, South West, Wimmera and North Central Forecast Districts. Issued at 5:01 pm Tuesday, 16 January 2024. Severe thunderstorms are continuing in the west of Victoria. Weather Situation: A warm, moist and unstable airmass in linking up with a surface trough to produce severe thunderstorms across the west. Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours in parts of the Mallee and Wimmera districts. Locations which may be affected include Murrayville and Walpeup. Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding, damaging winds and large hailstones over the next several hours in parts of the South West and Central districts. The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should: * If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible. * Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees. * Be aware - heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it's windy or wet. * Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees. * Stay indoors and away from windows. * If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways. * Stay away from fallen powerlines - always assume they are live. * Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks. Heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads. * Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency website/app/hotline. The next warning is due to be issued by 8:05 pm.

Regardless of the name or logo design any educational body chooses, professional development must follow a defined path. The transfer of knowledge is simply the foundation on which competence is built. Academics must accept that learning also requires critical thinking and reflective practice. Conversely, those who rely on experience while disregarding the academic foundation will ultimately fall short. The real test for emergency management professionals is not in the efforts put forth in labeling the educational path but in effective collaboration toward a common goal.

As an emergency management professional currently specialising in preparedness, it is myth number 5 that resonates with me. Anticipatory action is a smart way to respond to potential crises when it is possible to forecast a disaster. Evidence shows that anticipatory action can be fast, economical, inclusive, dignified, and resilient.

We have two free upcoming trainings at PTRC that will be beneficial for anyone at the local government level involved in disaster recovery. These sessions allow local governments, and the communities they serve, to view federally declared disasters through a financial administration lens that focuses on the FEMA Public Assistance program. That is FEMA’s largest, federal, reimbursement grant program that provides funding after the President officially declares a disaster. Those three words - federal, grant, and reimbursement - hint at the administrative burden for local govts and the sometimes millions in federal funding at stake. Who, specifically, benefits from attending? Emergency management (because it is always an EM process); finance directors and staff; planners (we discuss Disaster Recovery Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans at local/regional levels); and leadership – government management and elected officials. I promise free lunch and coffee, ready-to-use templates and a focus on the how-tos of navigating these processes. Please share with your networks and join us if you can.

𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆’𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 25 September 2024 Grant funding for capacity building to date has surpassed R15 million, provided by the Western Cape Provincial Government (WCG) Department of Local Government (DLG), Directorate Fire & Rescue and Disaster Management’s Fire Services, to the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) over the past financial year and two years ahead. Fire Chief Deon Stoffels commented on the significance of the funding: “The purpose of the capacity building ensures that the GRDM’s emergency capacity, mobilization, response, and mitigation systems are of a standard that meets the region’s risks. This also ensures that the GRDM at a Local Government level builds enough capacity to assist with fire and disaster management responses across the region at local municipalities.” Key projects to date, backed by Provincial funding, include: - Assistance of R3 million for the Regional Fire Station that was official unveiled on 2 February 2024; - In June 2024, a hook lift truck for flood and related response was delivered to the cost of R 2,5 million; - A fully equipped firefighting light duty vehicle to the value of R 981 000; - A mobile hazmat response unit to the value of R 500 000; - Ongoing roll-out of smoke detectors and the past year contribution were to the value of R 500 000; - A water delivery tanker was acquired, to the cost of R 1,2 million. All the above projects have been concluded within the 2023/2024 financial year. For the current and next financial year, further assistance in terms of grant funding is for an amount of R 7,2 million. This includes funding of R5 million to build a flood response unit, with various containerised equipment caches, including a hovercraft, an overhead housing facility. In addition, R 1 million will be made available for hazardous material equipment, mobile units. Lastly, one more water delivery truck worth R 1,2 million will be acquired to assist areas that are effected by water services issues. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dgwk7FCJ #fireservices #disastermanagement #wcg #floodresponse #fireandrescue #emergencyservices

FEMA unveils building restrictions in flood zones BY ZACK BUDRYK - 07/10/24 5:00 AM ET The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday announced finalized rules for the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The FFRMS is a flexible federal standard requiring agencies to develop resilience and flood protection plans for federally funded projects and buildings, including the necessary building dimensions to protect them from flooding risks. Under the finalized rule, FEMA will also cover any applicable federal costs for implementing the standards. The standard also applies to projects involving safeguards against flooding, such as structural elevations. Mayorkas said on a call with reporters that the standards will require participants to account for “current, foreseeable and future flood threats.” Another official said the standard will increase the number of feet structures can be elevated and broaden floodplains. It will also allow the consideration of future flooding threats rather than relying solely on currently existing risks. “Taking forward-looking, effective steps to increase resilience before disaster strikes will save lives, property, critical infrastructure, and taxpayer money,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard ensures that FEMA-funded projects meet that mandate. We cannot be passive as climate change threatens the safety and security of the American people and our homeland.” Flooding and flood resilience have been a major priority for the Biden administration as climate exchange exacerbates the risks through sea level rise and more intense weather events. The White House and FEMA last week announced nearly $1 billion in funds for mitigation and resilience projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. A White House official on the call explicitly tied the standard to broader efforts to improve flood mitigation infrastructure using BIL funds and expressed hope the announcement would have “cascading impacts” for resilience planning. The announcement comes weeks after the Biden administration also announced the first-ever federal heat protection standards for workers as the U.S. faces unprecedented summer temperatures. It also comes days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas, after becoming the second-ever recorded category five Atlantic hurricane to form in July. Updated at 10:42 a.m. EDT https://lnkd.in/evP4G8jA

The QLD IGEM report will identify a range of important issues impacting the ability of various QLD agencies, including Local Governments to provide timely, relevant and tailored public information and warnings. QLD is unique in Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMG’s) having responsibility for managing disaster response including provision of warnings. This is particularly important in relation to the impacts of cyclones and severe weather including flooding etc. The LDMG and LGA roles are central to the highly successful locally led QLD disaster and emergency management approach. However, this can only occur effectively if QLD implements an all hazards state based warning platform as has occurred in virtually all other states. While Local Goverments will support LDMG’s via Disaster and Emergency dashboards and local subscription based SMS alerting systems the idea of over 70 LGA’s doing this independently is non sensical. As the Gold Coast submission makes clear the provision of advanced geospatial capabilities (and AWS messaging) is essential. It is therefore critical that all agencies are consulted on the user requirements of any future state platform as agencies must be able to update the system locally based on the current situation. It must also be integrated with the Emergency Alert request process to speed up the current very manual process. It also won’t be long before some LGA’s will be able to provide local communities with AWS warnings including predicted flood extents (with geo location) and local impact advice including real time road impacts and links to flooded road cameras. It is essential that a future state platform can provide this information (and functionality) seamlessly to all individuals and not require them to visit different Disaster and Emergency dashboards as they move from one LGA to the other.

                                                                                                                                                                 Flood Loss Reduction Funding Focus of DRBC/PEMA Training for Local Officials   WEST TRENTON, N.J. (May 2) – The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and the Pa. Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), with support from USACE-Philadelphia District, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 3, have partnered to conduct a series of workshops focused on flood loss reduction grant assistance for local officials in the Pa. counties of Carbon, Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks and parts of Luzerne.   “Flooding is the number one natural hazard in Pennsylvania,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “The latest ‘Mitigation Saves’ report shows that every dollar spent on mitigation in the Commonwealth saves at least $6 in post-disaster costs. It really highlights the value of supporting code enforcement, hazard mitigation planning and mitigation project implementation.”   Reducing flood loss is one of the DRBC’s key missions in water resource management. Climate change will impact precipitation patterns in the Basin, likely causing more storms and associated flooding coupled with extended dry periods, making flood loss reduction even more important for water resource managers to address.   “As the potential for more flooding in the Basin increases, equipping local officials with tools and resources to make their communities more resilient is more important than ever,” said DRBC Deputy Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh. “These workshops are a vital way for the DRBC and our partners at PEMA to offer Basin communities guidance to advance mitigation, recovery and resilience projects, prioritizing those with a climate and equity focus.”   Now in its second round, this project receives funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. In 2021 and 2022, PEMA and DRBC worked in Pike, Monroe, Wayne and Lackawanna Counties. Looking ahead, the DRBC will continue to seek opportunities to partner with Basin state emergency management agencies to support flood mitigation efforts.   Information about this project is available at https://lnkd.in/gDw7aD-v. The DRBC also recently released a tool that allows users to project future extreme precipitation in the Delaware River Basin, thereby informing stormwater management and infrastructure design and increasing climate resilience. Learn more by visiting https://lnkd.in/gAk5NBRM. CONTACTS:  Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth.brown@drbc.gov                               Kate Schmidt, kate.schmidt@drbc.gov