The Future of Transportation Webinar, May 31

7:00-8:00 PM ET 

Carl Eppich will lead our discussion and Q&A as well as be one of our speakers. He is the Director, Municipal Planning Assistance Program for the State of Maine. Carl has over 25-years experience in the private, non-profit and government sectors. His focus is City and Regional Transportation planning.

Our other expert speakers include:

• Marc Lore – Serial Entrepreneur; Founder & Chairman, Telosa Community Foundation; Founder, Chairman & CEO of Wonder Group, Wonder – a company disrupting the fine food industry; and former CEO, Walmart.com.
• Jeffrey DeCoux – Chairman & Autonomy Fellow, Autonomy Institute; a government, industry, academia & public alliance accelerating the “Path to Commerce” for intelligent and autonomous systems. He is also President & CEO, ATRIUS Industries Inc. – a company scaling intelligent and autonomous systems within cities.
• Adam Goldstein – Founder & CEO, Archer Aviation – a company developing electrical vertical takeoff & landing aircraft focused on improving mobility in cities. Adam is a successful entrepreneur, having founded, led and sold Vettery Inc.

To attend the webinar, please click link below.

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Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team course offerings

The National Fire Academy (NFA) has several Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) course offerings scheduled this July and August on our campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. These classes are free of charge and meet the needs of the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework.

If you are selected to attend, the NFA will provide world-class training, lodging, travel reimbursement and class materials. Participants are required to pay for their meals on campus. NFA courses are not limited to structural fire/rescue personnel: those who meet the student selection criteria are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Details at: https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/catalog/details/10844

New NIST report measures PFAS levels in firefighter gear

The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighter turnout gear has raised significant concern recently. PFAS are a category of manufactured chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting (NFPA 1971) requires that firefighter gear meet certain criteria for resistance to heat, water, and other hazards. Since the properties of PFAS can impart water and oil resistance to fabrics, these substances are often used in firefighter gear to help it meet these safety standards.

However, for firefighters who already face increased cancer risk from fire-related exposures to smoke and soot, as well as vehicle exhaust and other hazardous materials, PFAS in bunker gear is just one more pathway for exposure to potential carcinogens. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has been advocating for removal of PFAS in bunker gear, stating that it is an “unnecessary occupational threat.”

This month, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced the release of a report that contributes much-needed evidence to help decision-makers and manufacturers improve the safety of firefighter gear. NIST conducted an in-depth examination of a range of textiles used in turnout gear coats and pants, which are constructed in three layers – an outer shell, a moisture barrier, and a thermal barrier. The results of this research further cement our understanding of what is inside the gear.

The research showed that the amount of PFAS present varies widely between manufacturers and layers, with the highest PFAS concentrations observed in the outermost two layers. The results of the study suggest that selecting optimal combinations of fabrics for each layer could significantly reduce the amount of PFAS present in turnout gear.

This research is part of a larger effort by NIST to examine public health risks to first responders related to PFAS. NIST is completing a similar study of PFAS in new and stressed hoods, gloves, and wildland gear.

Future work by NIST will examine the effect of typical use on the types and concentrations of PFAS in firefighter gear textiles, since higher PFAS concentrations have been observed in used fire fighter gear compared with new firefighter gear. Additionally, exposure to heat, ultraviolet irradiation, and laundering have been found to alter PFAS concentrations in durable water repellent (DWR) treated textiles. Future work will also test for PFAS in dust collected from fire stations, and NIST plans to study the amount of PFAS released from firefighter gear textiles when exposed to simulated sweat.

You can read NIST’s news release and the full report on NIST’s website to learn more about this research. FirefighterCloseCalls.com provides an overview of the report, along with an important reminder to firefighters to maintain a healthy lifestyle, get regular health screenings, and to sign up for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) newly launched National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer.

FEMA provides assistance and flexibilities in support of the end of the COVID-19 incident

FEMA published the COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Assistance Disposition Requirements for Equipment and Supplies Frequently Asked Questions (Version 2) document, which provides updated guidance on what to do with remaining equipment and supplies when a project is complete. FEMA has obligated over $62 billion in Public Assistance funding to support the unprecedented response to the COVID-19 incident, which ends today, May 11, 2023. As the incident closes, states, tribal nations, territories, localities, and private nonprofits may have excess supplies and equipment no longer essential or usable. To help address the surplus, FEMA is providing the following assistance and flexibilities:

• Funding disposal of eligible FEMA-funded equipment and supplies, including necessary transportation.
• Accepting $0 fair market value for expired equipment and supplies.
• Accepting remaining fair market value for un-expired equipment and supplies based on current market conditions.
• Funding disposition of eligible equipment and supplies that FEMA provided as Direct Federal Assistance.
• Funding warehousing costs during the disposition period (until Aug. 9, 2023).
• Extending time needed for demobilization, disposition, and disposal beyond the original deadline of Aug. 9, 2023.

Comments requested on the updated draft of the National Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is currently updating the Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities to reflect insights learned from recent disasters. The updated capabilities provide more specificity around what the entire healthcare delivery system can do to save lives and continue to function in advance of, during, and after a response. The updated capabilities also prioritize equity in all activities, with the goal of ensuring access to consistent levels of care in underserved and historically marginalized communities and at-risk individuals. Comments are being accepted on the draft until Friday, June 9 via the online comment form. 

FEMA Updates its Nuclear Detonation Response Guidance: Planning for the First 72 Hours

If a nuclear detonation happened today, first responders would immediately respond to save lives. Yet even with the best of plans, response assets and resources would likely be overwhelmed due to the scale and complexity of the incident.

The 72-Hour Nuclear Response Guidance uses the first 72-hour time frame as a notional target to help planners focus their efforts on developing actionable strategies that would have the greatest impact on lifesaving efforts, which should be the primary focus during the first few days after a nuclear detonation.

The guidance delineates missions and tactics that should be executed by first responders, emergency managers, and other state, local, tribal and territorial response organizations following a nuclear detonation in or near their jurisdiction. The document includes guidance on pre-detonation tactics and how to:

·         Protect the lives of first responders and the public.

·         Develop a common operating picture.

·         Establish a coordinated multi-jurisdictional response.

·         Prepare for the integration of support arriving from other jurisdictions, states and federal agencies across the country.

Visit 72-Hour Nuclear Response Guidance for the complete guide. For additional information, including the agency’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response capabilities, visit Tools for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Hazards | FEMA.gov.

Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Allocate More Than $330 Million to Help Manage Migrant Arrivals

On May 5, FEMA and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program’s National Board announced the allocation of $332.5 million to assist with migrant arrivals at the Southwest border.

This distribution allocates all remaining funding through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian.

Future support for emergency migrant care will be supported by the newly created Shelter and Services Program, which has about $360 million to grant before the end of the Fiscal Year. More information about the new program is available here.

FEMA Administrator Delivers Commencement Address at Penn State

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell delivered the 2023 commencement address at Pennsylvania State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology on May 6. 

Administrator Criswell’s remarks highlighted technological advances that help FEMA and the emergency management enterprise respond to disasters, including COVID-19, but reminded the new graduates that it is the people behind the technology that are the real heroes.

“Technology helped fast-track the development of COVID vaccines, but it took people to get the shots in arms. Technology enabled virtual medical appointments, but it took people to work through the complex process of protecting patient information. And when it came to your college education, technology brought you into virtual classrooms, but it took your professors and administrators to maintain the experience of a world-class education,” remarked Administrator Criswell. “We can never forget that it is the people behind the technology that has helped us get here today. Technology is only one part of the solution — you are the other.”

Administrator Criswell also challenged the class of 2023 to continue to question and challenge the status quo in order to make change in their own communities, nationwide and across the globe.

“Regardless of the career you choose, I challenge you to give back to the places you call home. Use your skills to make a difference, change a life and perhaps save one too” said Administrator Criswell.

You can read the Administrator’s full remarks on FEMA.gov watch her commencement speech on YouTube.

FEMA publishes data on flood insurance methodology

FEMA is releasing more data on the agency’s new flood insurance rate pricing methods. The National Flood Insurance Program is using a new rating methodology—Risk Rating 2.0—to calculate flood insurance rates based on a unique combination of rating variables for each property to reflect its flood risk. FEMA created exhibits to show the risk-based cost of flood insurance or the full actuarial rate for single-family homes under Risk Rating 2.0, using data from single-family policies renewed before Sept. 30, 2022. These exhibits will be updated and revised once data is available for all policyholders who have renewed their policies under Risk Rating 2.0. For more information about the switch from the legacy rating methodology to Risk Rating 2.0 visit FEMA.gov.

FEMA announces 2023-2027 Data Strategy

Data is a powerful tool for ensuring our work as emergency managers is effective and equitable. FEMA Administrator Criswell recently announced the release of the 2023-2027 FEMA Data Strategy. The strategy gives FEMA the vision, strategic goals, and guiding principles needed to effectively use data to make decisions and fulfill FEMA’s mission. It can also be used as a model for the emergency management community. The four strategic goals within the strategy outline how the agency can better utilize and care for data. This includes everything from how data is collected, to how it is processed and used to inform decision-making.