Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Update ~ January 17, 2014 Information and Updates Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program Application Period Open The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is currently accepting applications for a second round of grants under the Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant (WRRG) Program. All applicants much coordinate proposed projects with appropriate county officials to ensure consistency with county-level wildfire risk reduction planning. The deadline to submit grant proposals to DNR is March 13. Eligible applicants include community groups, local governments, utilities, state agencies and non-profit groups. Applicants must contribute 100 percent matching funds, which can include in-kind resources, for a 50-50 grant-to-match ratio. Examples of projects considered for funding include:
Creation of defensible space around homes and structures, based on Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) guidelines. Construction of fuel breaks, based on CSFS guidelines. Fuels reduction beyond defensible space, designed to protect water supplies and/or reduce fire intensity.
Visit the Colorado Department of Natural Resources website for the grant application and specific information on this grant program that will provide $5.8 million in grants this year. CEMA Conference Registration and Information Some important information as you plan your attendance to the 2014 Emergency Management Conference "Partner Integration - Your Piece of the Puzzle":
When: February 25-27,2014, 3 full days begins at 10 am on Tuesday. Where: The Embassy Suites in Loveland Lodging deadline: Monday January 27 Registration deadline: February 10 Registration and payment: Visit www.cemacolorado.com. for registration instructions and a full draft agenda.
Lodging for Emergency Managers: Please contact either
[email protected] or
[email protected]. Lodging will be provided for one person per county or city in the EMPG program traveling more than 50 miles one way.
Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
Other lodging needs: Please contact the hotel directly at 970-593-6200 or their website at http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/F/FNLESES-CEM-20140224/index.jhtml. The hotel group code is CEM Additional assistance: Call our main line at 720-852-6600 for questions. The CEMA Silent Auction will continue this year to support the need of scholarships to attend the annual conference. There were great results last year and we encourage all of you to participate with your Region baskets or contact someone you know that might be able to offer us the variety of packages that are in the auction every year. For more information, please contact Pat Mialy at
[email protected] or 970-962-2434. Notice of Interest Forms for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Notice of Interest forms for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) are located on the COemergency website. Eligible potential applicants include local governments, Tribal governments, state agencies, and certain private nonprofit organizations (including rural electric associations). The deadline to submit forms in round one is January 31, 2014. Submit your forms by email to
[email protected]. Call for Nominations: 2014 Higgins & Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue honor outstanding achievement in the technical rescue discipline of swiftwater and flood rescue. They are not heroism awards, but rather recognize preparedness, teamwork, and a job well done, sometimes under extreme conditions, where training is vital to the success of rescue missions, as well as the safety of rescue personnel. The awards were established in 1993 by members of the Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) in honor of Earl Higgins, a writer and filmmaker who lost his life in 1980 while rescuing a child who was swept down the flood-swollen Los Angeles River, and Jeffrey Langley, a Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter-paramedic and swiftwater rescue pioneer, who lost his life in a helicopter incident in 1993. There are several award categories. The Higgins and Langley Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Swiftwater Rescue is the premier, internationally-recognized award for excellence in swiftwater and flood rescue. The Program Development Award honors programs that define "state of the art" deployment for swiftwater and flood rescue, and can be considered international models for the science. Incident, and Special Commendation Awards recognize individual contributions, as well as teamwork. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have made a significant, lasting and continuous impact in the field of swiftwater rescue. The Awards are presented during the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) Conference, followed by presentations at the local level. For information about the 2013 conference, go here.
Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership: February Meeting Information On February 6, 2014, the Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP), in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will hold its first meeting of 2014. Also, it will be CEPP's first meeting ever in Northern Colorado. This is joint CEPP/FEMA meeting will focus on the challenges that were encountered by counties, towns, families and businesses due to the September floods, as well as the hurdles that remain as part of the long-term recovery process. Experts from key private sector, public sector, charitable and faith-based organizations who played important roles during the wildfires, floods and their aftermath will discuss many of the challenges that had to be overcome in order to help community response and recovery. What worked? What didn't work? What lies ahead on the road to recovery for our businesses, neighborhoods and families? These issues will all be topics of discussion. The meeting will be held from 9 - 11:15 a.m. at The Ranch Complex in Loveland. Onsite registration with refreshments begins at 8:15 am, but to speed the registration process and to ensure there are ample refreshments, a registration link will be provided soon at www.thecepp.org. FEMA Seeks Applicants for Youth Preparedness Council The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking applicants for its Youth Preparedness Council. The Youth Preparedness Council is a unique opportunity for youth leaders to serve on a highly distinguished national council and participate in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit. Additionally, the youth leaders have the opportunity to complete a self-selected youth preparedness project and to share their opinions, experiences, ideas, solutions and questions regarding youth disaster preparedness with the leadership of FEMA and national youth preparedness organizations. Once selected, members serve on the Council for one year, with the option to extend for an additional year, if formally requested by FEMA. Council activities and projects center around five key areas of engagement: Programs, Partnerships, Events, Public Speaking/Outreach and Publishing. Members represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and share information with their communities. They also meet with FEMA on a regular basis to provide ongoing input on strategies, initiatives and projects throughout the duration of their term. Any individual between the ages of 12 and 17 who is engaged in individual and community preparedness or who has experienced a disaster that has motivated him or her to make a positive difference in his or her community, may apply to serve on the Youth Preparedness Council. Individuals Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
who applied last year are highly encouraged to apply again. Adults working with youth and/or community preparedness are encouraged to share the application with youth who might be interested in applying. Youth interested in applying to the Council must submit a completed application form and two letters of recommendation. Specific information about completing and submitting the application and attachments can be found in the application instructions. All applications and supporting materials must be received no later than February 24, 2014, 11:59 p.m. EST in order to be eligible. New Youth Preparedness Council members will be announced in May 2014. For more information about the Youth Preparedness Council and to access the application materials, please visit http://www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council. InciWeb Site Information In March 2014, the URL http://inciweb.org will be completely removed and replaced with the new InciWeb URL http://inciweb.nwcg.gov. When you log-on to http://inciweb.org you will see a message that notifies you of the new URL and redirects you to it. Please bookmark http://inciweb.nwcg.gov and make any necessary changes on your websites, social media sites and other incident communication materials you may have to reflect this URL change. This change is being made to bring InciWeb into compliance with standards for federal government websites.
Job Announcements Poudre Fire Authority – Fire & Life Safety Education Specialist The Poudre Fire Authority is seeking a Fire & Life Safety Education Specialist. View the position announcement and employment application.
Kudos and Congratulations DHSEM Staff Updates Michael Cooke – Office of Preparedness The Colorado Office of Preparedness welcomed Michael Cooke on Monday. Cooke recently served as a Deputy Emergency Manager for El Paso County during the Waldo Canyon wildfire. In that role, he also served as the County’s Emergency Watershed Protection Plan Manager working with the US Forest Service, the National Resource Conservation Service, FEMA, Burned Area Emergency Response Team, as well as many others. He was responsible for storm / flood water response and recovery planning which involved volunteering to be part of the debris removal and mass care / mass casualty planning efforts. Cooke is also a 30 year U.S. Army veteran with two tours of duty in Iraq. His military experience is in the areas of Combat Engineers and Military Police. He can be contacted at
[email protected] or phone number 720-852-6692.
Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
Steve Denney – Office of Emergency Management Steve Denney is now the Deputy Field Services Manager and is temporarily assigned to flood recovery in El Paso County. Congratulations to Steve.
Educational Resources Best Practice for Long Term Recovery for the Disability Community Webinars There are two webinars are scheduled to discuss the lessons learned that guide what the disability community should do now for long term recovery. Topics covered will include:
Steps to participate in community recovery efforts Sequence of delivery for disaster recovery Purpose and functions of long term recovery groups Role of the disability community in long term recovery groups.
View the event flyers for specific information on time and teleconference information.
January 24, 2014 February 4, 2014
Training Information FEMA EMI Courses The following courses are available from FEMA:
V-0006: Virtual Tabletop Exercise Series (VTTX) – Wildland Fire Focus E0580: Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments E0179: HAZUS-MH for Disaster Operations
Social Media for Disaster Responses and Recovery The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center will be visiting Colorado several times in February to offer their Social Media for Disaster Response and Recovery. This is a basic social media course. Please visit their website at https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/training for course dates and registration. Fire & Life Safety Educator I Certification Class The Fire & Life Safety Educators of Colorado are holding a FLSE I Certification class from January 20-22, 2014 at Arvada Fire Department. This is the only group providing this certification on behalf of the State. To register for the class visit their website at www.firesafetyeductors.org or download the course registration form.
Training Announcements Training announcements are also available on the DHSEM website on the Office of Preparedness page. Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
ICS 400: Advanced Incident Command System
Northwest
01/22/14
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
South Central
01/23/14
Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP)
North Central
01/27/14
G775 EOC Management and Operations
South
02/06/14
G290 - Basic Public Information Officer
Southeast
02/11/14
Social Media for Diaster Response & Recovery
North Central
02/19/14
CSEPP 101: Integrated Performance Evaluator Training Course
South
03/11/14
G775 - EOC Management and Operations
South
03/11/14
G775 EOC Management and Operations
Southeast
03/13/14
G775 - EOC Management and Operations
South
04/03/14
Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Update
