Washington Update
Secretary Ridge Approves Initial Response Plan
On October 10, 2003, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge approved an interim Initial National Response Plan (INRP) designed to promote a unified approach to domestic incident management across the nation. The department describes the INRP as a first step toward the overall federal goal of integrating the current set of federal domestic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery plans into a single all-hazards plan. The INRP will be supported by the National Incident Management System (NIMS), an arrangement under development that will result in standardized incident management processes, protocols, and procedures (see the Observer, Vol. XXVII, No. 5, p. 5). A final NRP will eventually replace the INRP.
The INRP was created and vetted by representatives of federal, state, territorial, local, and tribal government, as well as representatives of various professions involved in emergency management. The plan links the current Federal Response Plan, the U.S. Government Interagency Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan, the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan, the Mass Migration response plans, and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.
The INRP designates the National Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) as the primary national-level hub for operational communications and information pertaining to domestic incident management. Located at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C., the HSOC will provide threat monitoring and situational awareness for domestic incident management on a 24-hour basis. The plan also identifies an Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG), made up of senior representatives from federal departments and agencies, including DHS components, and nongovernmental organizations to facilitate national-level situation awareness, policy coordination, and incident coordination. In addition, the secretary of DHS may designate a Principal Federal Official (PFO) during a domestic incident to serve as the personal representative of DHS locally during an incident. The PFO will oversee and coordinate federal incident activities and work with local authorities to determine needs and provide federal assistance. Further, federal activities at a local incident site will be integrated through a Joint Field Office (JFO) that will help coordinate federal, state, and local authorities. The JFO is expected to incorporate existing entities such as joint operations centers, disaster field offices, and other federal offices and teams that provide support on-scene.
For more information about the INRP, see the DHS web site: http://www.dhs.gov; specifically, http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=1936. The plan itself can be downloaded from http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/asset library/Initial_NRP_100903. pdf.
Plan to Cut Wildfire Threat Signed into Law
On December 4, 2003, President Bush signed legislation to reduce the risk of fire in national forests by promoting the removal of brush and diseased trees, especially near homes and towns. The final bill, which follows a three-year impasse on wildfire legislation, puts into law President Bush's "Healthy Forests Initiative," which streamlines the approval of projects to thin overgrown forests by limiting public participation such as appeals and environmental reviews. Much of the president's forest plan had already been implemented through administrative action. Opponents fear that the law will leave old-growth trees and remote, roadless areas of forests vulnerable to logging and timber interests.
The measure authorizes $760 million a year for thinning projects on 20 million acres of federal land, a $340 million increase from current spending. At least half of all money spent must be for projects near homes and communities, particularly those in the wildland-urban interface. The legislation expedites environmental reviews of fuels treatment projects and requires the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management to fully maintain, or contribute, toward the restoration of old growth trees. It also creates a major change in the way federal courts consider legal challenges to tree-cutting projects. Judges will have to weigh the environmental consequences of inaction and the risk of fire in cases involving thinning projects, and any court order blocking such projects must be reconsidered every 60 days.
The complete legislation (H.R. 1904) can be viewed on-line at http://thomas.loc.gov/. For information about the White House's "Healthy Forests Initiative" see http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/healthyforests/, and for a copy of Healthy Forests: An Initiative for Wildfire Prevention and Stronger Communities see http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/healthyforests/toc.html.
DHS Announces $2.2 Billion for State and Local First Responders . . .
On November 3, 2003, DHS Secretary Tom Ridge announced the allocation of over $2.2 billion for grants to be administered by the Office for Domestic Preparedness to help first responders prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from potential acts of terrorism. For the first time, states are able to go on-line and use a single form to apply for the funds (general information about this program is available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ interappp/editorial/editorial0355.xml). The grants are distributed through three programs to benefit first responders by providing additional resources to state and local government counterterrorism activities (see the Observer, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, p. 6):
The State Homeland Security Program, which received $1.7 billion for public safety and law enforcement planning, training, equipment, exercises, and other costs associated with strengthening local capabilities;
The Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program, which received $500 million to aid law enforcement offices through grants that will help those offices enhance their capabilities for detecting, deterring, disrupting, and preventing acts of terrorism with a specific focus on preventing the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and;
Citizen Corps, which received $35 million for direct grants to states. These funds will support planning, outreach, and management of Citizen Corps programs and activities by local Citizen Corps Councils. The broad goal is to engage all citizens in homeland security, community preparedness, and family safety. In addition, the funds will be used to conduct public education to inform citizens about their role in crime prevention, mitigation, emergency preparedness for all hazards, and public health measures, including those related to bioterrorism. The grants will also be used to develop and implement Citizen Corps programs that provide training and volunteer opportunities that support first responders, disaster relief groups, and community safety efforts.Since March 1, 2003, DHS has allocated or awarded over $6 billion to fund first responders. In addition to the single application process mentioned above, DHS is launching an interagency grants and training web site: http://www.dhs.gov/grants, which provides information on homeland security and public safety grant opportunities offered by DHS and other federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as a link to the Compendium of Federal Terrorism Training for State and Local Audiences, an interagency site listing training opportunities available to state and local emergency personnel. For more information, see http://www.dhs.gov, or contact the DHS, Public Affairs Office, Washington, DC 20528; (202) 282-8000.
. . . And Even More Pennies from Heaven
Ten days after announcing the distribution of the $2.2 billion cited above, DHS announced the allocation of an additional $725 million from the FY 2004 budget for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), which provides U.S. urban areas with grants to help them improve their overall security and preparedness for acts of terrorism. The funds are in addition to the nearly $800 million that the department's Office for Domestic Preparedness awarded to urban areas in FY 2003. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge stated that the funds will be going to "designated states, which will then work with counties and cities to form regions that will work together through mutual aid agreements, interoperable communications, statewide intelligence centers, and community and citizen participation. Our goal is to ensure that all of these neces- sary elements are communicating and coordinating to prevent a crisis and to be ready if one occurs."
Approximately $675 million will be distributed in the form of grants through states to urban areas selected using a formula that takes into account factors such as critical infrastructure, population density, and credible threat information. Allocations to the cities, contiguous counties, and mutual aid partners will be based on an urban area assessment and strategic plan. Eighty percent of the funds allocated to a state under this program must be awarded to the designated cities and contiguous counties within the identified urban areas based on the strategic plan. The state may use the remaining 20% for further security enhancements within an urban area.
At the same time, DHS is distributing $50 million through the states as grants to mass transit agencies to help those agencies improve security. The transit systems receiving funds were determined based on the number of annual riders and overall track mileage. The funds can be used for installation of physical barricades, area monitoring systems, and integrated communications systems, as well as for prevention planning, training, and exercises. Each transit system is required to conduct an assessment and develop a preparedness plan on which to base resource allocations.
For more information about this funding, including a list of recipients, see the DHS web sites: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=2218 and http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/UASI_FY04_Allocations.doc.
FEMA Increases Individual and Family Disaster Assistance
Annually, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) re-examines its "disaster impact indicators," i.e., the per capita cost of a disaster that qualifies a county or state for disaster assistance. Based on annual changes in the Consumer Price Index published by the Department of Labor, those levels have been increased by FEMA for disasters occurring on or after October 1, 2003. The countywide per capita impact indicator was revised to $2.77 and the statewide indicator to $1.11. Further information about these revisions is available from James Walke, Recovery Division, FEMA, 500 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3834.
Along with these changes, FEMA announced an increase in the maximum amount of assistance available to individuals and households, as provided by Section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The maximum amount of Individual and Household Program financial assistance with respect to a single emergency or major disaster is now $25,600. The maximum amount of repair assistance is $5,100, and the maximum amount of replacement assistance is $10,200. At the same time, FEMA announced an increase in the maximum Small Project Grants awards to state and local governments and private nonprofit facilities as provided by Section 422 of the Stafford Act. The new ceiling is $54,100 for all disasters declared on or after October 1, 2003. Details about this policy revision are available from Berl Jones, Recovery Division, FEMA, 500 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-4235. The announcements of these changes appeared in the October 15, 2003, Federal Register (Vol. 68, No. 199, p. 59413), which is available at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
FEMA/U.S. Fire Administration:
Lessons from Texas A&M Tragedy
Apply to All Emergency RespondersIn keeping with a 90-year-old tradition, 58 people were constructing the fourth tier of the 1999 bonfire stack on the campus of Texas A&M University during the early morning hours of November 18, 1999. The bonfire is ignited every year on the eve of the football game between Texas A&M and its arch rival the University of Texas at Austin. The 40-foot stack, consisting of approximately 5,000 logs, collapsed, killing 12 people and sending 28 to area hospitals. The rescue and recovery effort lasted almost 24 hours and involved over 3,200 individuals from over 50 different agencies.
Shortly after the incident, the president of the university appointed an independent commission to determine the cause of the collapse. On May 2, 2000, the commission released its findings, concluding that the bonfire collapsed due to a number of both physical (design and engineering) and organizational factors. The organizational factors resulted in an environment in which a complex and dangerous structure was built without adequate physical controls. Organizational failures included the absence of an appropriate written design or design process; a "cultural bias," which impeded risk identification; and the lack of a proactive risk management approach.
In November 2003, FEMA issued a technical review of the incident response and the consequent lessons for emergency managers. According to the review, entitled Bonfire Collapse, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas – November 1999 (Technical Report Series USFA-TR-133), emergency responders dealing with such emergencies should "think big" and order additional resources immediately to meet possible management needs. The tragedy also "shows the importance of pre-incident planning. In this case, there had been a tabletop exercise with city and university responders just one week prior to the event and the university's emergency management service personnel had conducted a drill just two weeks before." The review, compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), also pointed out the importance of a strong incident command system, which was in place at this event. Other lessons cited in the report include:
The advantages of having additional electric power and hardwired telephone lines brought to the scene's command post to help with communications as the magnitude of the emergency quickly exceeded the capabilities of the existing emergency responder sys- tems, the telecommunications system of the community, and two local hospitals;
The need to consider redirecting noncritical patients to alternative medical facilities in an event involving multiple casualties, since the capabilities of local hospitals can be easily overwhelmed;
The need to provide additional staffing to hospitals, which may require help in a multicasualty incident to assist with unloading patients and dealing with families and friends of the injured; and
The need to control rumors. So much misinformation was broadcast following the collapse that two local hospitals turned off their television sets to reduce anxiety.The FEMA news release summarizing this report is available at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7774. The report is available at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fire-service/techreports/tr133.shtm/.
FEMA and HOPE Coalition America
Announce Economic Recovery Service
for People Affected by DisastersOn November 6, 2003, FEMA and the nonprofit group HOPE Coalition America, a private-sector led coalition comprised of leading Los Angeles area and national businesses as well as several leading community based organizations and foundations, announced a public/private partnership to improve disaster recovery assistance; HOPE Coalition America will now provide counseling to victims of selected disasters. The partnership will also strengthen the ability of the nation's emergency managers to meet the short-, medium- and long-range economic and financial challenges faced by people and communities affected by natural disasters and national tragedies. The free service is now available to victims of last fall's California wildfires and will subsequently be provided for selected future disasters as determined by FEMA and HOPE Coalition America under the formal agreement they have signed.
In addition to coordinating the resources of numerous federal agencies and the American Red Cross to support disaster response efforts of state and local governments, FEMA manages a wide array of federal disaster assistance to aid individual and community recovery. The assistance can include:
Grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and replacement of essential household items;
The need to consider redirecting noncritical patients to alternative medical facilities in an event involving multiple casualties, since the capabilities of local hospitals can be easily overwhelmed;
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, and transportation needs;
Unemployment benefits for workers with disaster- related job losses;
Low-interest loans for uninsured residential, business, and farm property losses; and
Crisis counseling services, income tax assistance for casualty losses, and advisory aid for legal needs, veteran benefits, and social security matters.FEMA also assists community recovery by providing funds to state and local governments for debris removal, emergency protective measures, the restoration of dam- aged infrastructure, and mitigation measures that reduce future disaster risks.
Operation HOPE, Inc., is a national leader in promoting economic recovery. It accomplishes this goal through HOPE Coalition America, which brings together senior executives and professionals from financial services, legal industries, and other organizations to provide financial counseling to people and small businesses affected by natural disasters and national emergencies. HOPE Coalition counseling services include helping clients to:
Grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and replacement of essential household items;
Establish an emergency budget;
Manage financial reintegration and restructuring;
Create a personal financial inventory;
Understand credit card rights and responsibilities;
Access homeowner relief programs; and
Determine and use other useful emergency assistance and social services programs, public interest legal services, and education and career transition services.People affected by natural disasters or national emergencies will be able to contact HOPE Coalition America by calling (888) 388-4673, or by visiting the HOPE Coalition America web site, http://www.hopecoalitionamerica.org, which also provides extensive background information about the coalition. Again, the service is now available to victims of the California wildfires.
More information about the cooperative agreement is available from the FEMA web site: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7711.
Multihazard Mitigation Fellowship
In an effort to raise awareness and ensure that hazard mitigation is effectively incorporated into future urban and rural planning, FEMA is offering Community Planning Fellowships for 2004-2005. Fellowships provide graduate students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with hazard mitigation and planning. Three fellowships are scheduled for the 2004-2005 academic year.
The Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is joining FEMA and providing funding so that one of the fellows can study how communities, regional organizations, and states effectively address watershed planning and flood- plain management issues. The deadline for submitting applications is February 17, 2004. The fellowship announcement and application can be downloaded from http://www.nibs.org/MMC/mmcactiv4.html. For more information contact the Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences, 1090 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-7800.
Table of Contents for This Issue of the Natural Hazards Observer
