Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) News

Put a freeze on all fires this thanksgiving and celebrate the holidays safety As our nation comes together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like to remind all residents to Put a Freeze on all Fires. According to data from the USFA, an estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of...

FEMA financing will assist the Plaquemines Parish School Board in reconstruction Phoenix PK-12 School will be reconstructed at the original site of the destroyed school. A Plaquemines Parish school destroyed after Hurricane Katrina has broken ground to celebrate its reconstruction. Approximately $41.3 million in FEMA financing will assist the Plaquemines Parish School Board in rebuilding the Phoenix pre-K through 12 school in Braithwaite, La. Phoenix PK-12 School, recognized...

FEMA and American Red Cross came together to provide care during disaster FEMA and American Red Cross partnership will strengthen mass care during a disaster. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that sets the framework for the Red Cross and FEMA to jointly lead the planning and coordination of mass care services, which will strengthen and expand the resour...

FEMA helps and prepares in overcoming the effects of natural disasters which cause much distress FEMA publications can point you in the right direction for information about how to reinforce your home against high winds and flooding. Weather happens. Sometimes it's severe enough to be a disaster, like the flooding and wind damage Tropical Storm Nicole caused in eastern North Carolina. You can take steps before the next disaster to protect your family and minimize property da...

Large number of fires occur in residential buildings on Thanksgiving Day celebrations causing much damage The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report examining the characteristics of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. The report, Thanksgiving Day Fire...

FEMA officials have heralded a new era to bridge experience and fire service One of the biggest things people wanted was better opportunities for training and how to expand their role within FEMA. For close to a year now, FEMA has firmly had its finger on the pulse of the fire service. In what is believed to be a first for the agency, four senate-appointed positions are held by former first responders. "It's been rare that in the FEMA leadership you have people (with experie...

Families should prepare themselves to cope with disasters and their effects A few simple steps like checking smoke alarms, developing a family communications plan, and putting an emergency kit together can go a long way toward keeping families safe. With Daylight Saving Time coming to an end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is encouraging Americans to take advantage of the November 7 time change as a reminder to make sure their families are prepared for a possi...

Grassroots forums report for effective retention and recruitment practices Fire Corps releases Grassroots forum report. In 2009 and early 2010, Fire Corps hosted a series of grassroots forums to identify best practices, challenges, effective retention and recruitment practices, and recommendations and feedback for Fire Corps from the local level. Forums were held in Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. A report of the findings from these valuable and insightful sessions has...

Seymour Support Services Division2010 Award of Excellence winner Fire corps announced Seymour Support Services Division as a winner of 2010 Award of Excellence. Fire Corps has announced that the Seymour (TN) Volunteer Fire Department Support Services Division is the winner of the 2010 Fire Corps Award of Excellence. Sponsored by the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) and Fire Protection Publications, the Award of Excellence annually honors a Fire Corps pr...

FEMA provides the best assistance to disaster hit infrastucture and people FEMA funds at least 75 percent of the cost of eligible work by local governments and some private non-profits. Eight additional counties have been added as part of Minnesota's federal disaster declaration and are eligible for all categories of Public Assistance funding, according to officials from the Minnesota Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Unde...

A major disaster for Arizona declaredby Craig Fugate Craig Fugate Administrator of DHS's FEMA announced that aid is available to the state of Arizona for local recovery in the area affected by severe storms and floods. The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Craig Fugate announced that federal aid is available to the state of Arizona to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe stor...

Disaster relief grants for Illinois severe storms and flooding are free from taxes Grants are also not counted as income in determining eligibility for any income benefit programs funded by the U.S. government. Recipients of state and federal disaster assistance grants will not have to pay taxes on those funds. Disaster relief payments provided to survivors of the Illinois severe storms and flooding are not subject to income tax, self-employment tax, or employment taxes such...

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate participated in Business Roundtable's Podcast series New Podcast series part of FEMA's expanded outreach with private sector As part of its ongoing partnership with businesses and private sector organizations around this country, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate recently participated in the Business Roundtable's first ever podcast series focused specifically on how the private sector can help strengthen the nation's disaster resilience. In the i...

Flood survivors can get support through Helpline if recovery centers are closed Helpline is an important resource for all registrants and can provide many services. Survivors of the summer floods who have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency have easy access to a toll-free Helpline that can answer many of their questions. To access the Helpline, call the registration number, 800-621-FEMA (3362); select language, enter a ZIP code, and then se...

It is always better to be prepared to face any kind of disaster rather than suffering the pain FEMA reminds citizens that emergency preparedness is important throughout the year for life's safety.As the seventh annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) comes to an end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to remind citizens of the importance of emergency preparedness throughout the year. NPM, sponsored by the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, is held each Se...

National Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which created a big havoc According to the United States Fire Administration, in 2009, fires killed more Americans than all other natural disasters combined. To help kickoff National Fire Prevention Week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges everyone to take a few simple steps to protect yourself and your family from fires and other emergencies. Observed each October, National Fire...

FEMA is happy to see ServiceMaster training its employees on earthquake mitigation and preparedness The QuakeSmart campaign was developed by FEMA around the premise that no community can fully recover from a damaging earthquake until its businesses are back up and running. As part of its ongoing efforts to partner with the private sector to strengthen disaster readiness and prepare for all hazards, including earthquakes, this week the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FE...

Damaged belongings after severe flooding FEMA with the help of AIC and NIC provides few tips for the care of water-damaged belongings and heirlooms. The losses that come with disasters are usually measured in dollars. But often the losses that matter the most are the cherished items closest to individuals and families. What do you do about those invaluable possessions that have been damaged in a flood? Restoration experts say family valuables and heirlooms can sometimes be s...

SBA provides multilingual operators who can address questions and concerns over the phone Illinois flood victims can now avail help from SBA in any language. Illinois residents with damage from the summer floods July 19-Aug. 7 can get disaster help in any language. “With any language from Arabic to Vietnamese, someone can get on the phone and walk you through the entire process, from telling us about your damages to completing the necessary forms,” said Federal...

Public alert and warning systems help in overcoming the possiblities of loss of life during disasters and catastrophes The new digital message format being adopted by FEMA is the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) v1.2 Standard. The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the adoption of a new digital message format for the Integrated Public Alert and...

Undergrounding of wires leads to prevention of power cuts during ice storms and controls the damage Northern Plains Electric Cooperative and Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative have been trailblazers in undergrounding wires in recent years. Ice storms are an unplanned event, but in rural North Dakota, Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs) have come to expect such storms as one of the hazards Mother Nature can dish out each winter. "It is a fact of life these outages will happen....

New EMS study shows lot of changes related to fire emergencyresponder crew size Study of EMS and public safety by IAFF and NIST shows that size and design of first responder crew and ALS crew affect the fire department’s ability to react on calls for emergency medical service. A new study issued by a broad coalition in the scientific, fire fighting, EMS and public-safety communities shows that the size and configuration of an EMS first responder crew and an advanc...

FEMA, with all members of ASG and SBA ,launched recovery efforts within days of the devastating tsunami The Department of Homeland Security's FEMA offered their warm condolences to the victims and shared optimism for the coming future of the people of American Samoa. One year ago a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck American Samoa and caused extensive damage and loss of life. The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has worked...

Hazard Mitigation Specialist gives guidance on home repair to withstand future disaster FEMA provided home repair advice in Edinburg, Del Rio and Laredo. The aim of the teams was to provide information and answer questions residents may have about protecting their homes from future disaster damage as well as building or rebuilding their homes safer and stronger.The FEMA representatives spoke with survivors about mold issues, mitigation and preparedness issues inc...

Severe summer storm that damagedfive New Mexico counties FEMA and DHSEM helps to make five New Mexico counties that faced severe damages from summer storms and flooding eligible for federal funding for repairs.  Damages from severe storms and flooding left their mark on five New Mexico counties hit earlier this summer, making them eligible to receive federal funding for repairs, according to officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New Mexico...

Disaster recovery also helping rare species Whooping cranes While FEMA’s primary goal is to support storm damaged communities recovery, the whooping cranes’ migratory path is now an environmental consideration for FEMA.This past winter, several winter storms knocked down thousands of power poles, taking out miles of line and jeopardizing the safety of thousands of North Dakotans who were left without power in frigid weather. As efforts were made to restore power an...

Be honest and candid during registration, if you make a mistake correct it as soon as possible All disaster funds received by survivors must be used for disaster recovery purposes. To err is human especially during the stressful time following a disaster. But making a mistake during the registration process and not correcting it could prove costly on more than one level. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remi...

DRC will guide individuals through the disaster assistance application process and provide essential information too  DisasterRecovery Center (DRC) in Grant County operated by WEM and FEMA will help the storm and flood affected local residents.A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Grant County. Residents who were affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding July 20-24 will be able to meet, face-to-face, with disaster recovery specialists. The D...

FEMA provides survivors two easyways to recover from summer storm Go through the following clarification about disaster assistance and some FAQs to avoid common misunderstanding. In the first few weeks following a disaster, residents may be confused or misled by rumors and half-truths about how to get help from the various assistance programs that are available. While state and federal programs are not intended to make storm survivors whole, they can provide the kinds of ass...

Fifth DRC will enhance the ability of FEMA and IEMA to administer a better disaster management in the state Fifth federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) operated by IEMA and FEMA going to open in the Chicago State University Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center. A fifth federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in the Chicago State University Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center for residents to meet face-to-face with disaster recovery spec...