Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) News

National Fire Academy Course application period closes December 15 Take advantage of an opportunity - there has never been a better time to apply to the National Fire Academy. Due to the current economic conditions, many governments are invoking "no travel" policies. Even though the National Fire Academy reimburses the cost of travel to and from the campus and provides the training and a dorm room at no cost, some governments are not making any exceptions. No travel means "...

CMAS is one of many projects within IPAWS to send alerts and warnings to the public of United States The standards will enable wireless carriers to provide its customers with timely and accurate emergency alerts and warnings via their cell phones and other mobile devices.As part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the nation's next generation of emergency alert and warning networks, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Age...

The webinar series will feature new community preparedness topics several times each month The first LIVE webinar is scheduled for Monday, December 7 at 2 pm EST and will provide information on the newly created Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide. FEMA's Community Preparedness Division has announced the Community Preparedness Webinar Series. This webinar series will provide up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources available to...

Flood damage inspection in ArkansasPhoto by Patsy Lynch/FEMA The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for Arkansas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on October 29, 2009, and continuing. Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain priv...

Our mission is to assist states in rapidly connecting restoring victims to  a pre-disaster level of self-sufficiency  This agreement is a component of FEMA's interim two-phase disaster case management model.To better assist individuals recover from disasters the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have signed an interagency ag...

FEMA has extended the comment period on standards selected for the Voluntary PS-Prep Program New deadline for comments is January 15.NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs has been designated for adoption under the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of DHS has extended the comment...

Secretary Napolitano will meet with leaders from real estate, professional sports, financial and media industries(Photograph by M. Broussard, FEMA)  Secretary Napolitano will discuss protection of critical infrastructure among other things. "Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to New York City on Dec. 2-4 to meet with private sector leaders in the real estate, professional sports, financial and media industries to discuss t...

FEMA will host a flood risk information open house for Calhoun County residents Those interested may drop in at any time during the event to discuss mapping issues with MDEQ representatives. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, will host a flood risk information open house for Calhoun County residents on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, f...

Flood damage in Cedar Rapids, summer 2008. Photography bySusie Shapira/FEMA The general public is invited to view the floodplain maps and assess the risks of flooding. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), will host , 120 N. 4th Street in Hennepin.Newly released preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps will be displayed so residents can lea...

Flooded country roadPhoto by Patsy Lynch/FEMA Disaster recovery officials urge recipients of federal grants to keep receipts and other documentation for at least three years as proof the funds were spent as intended. More than $53.2 million in disaster recovery grants was distributed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the September storms and floods. "Those approved for federal grants received...

The NFA's Fiscal Year 2010 second semester application period is open now through December 15 The National Fire Academy's Fiscal Year 2010 second semester application period is open until December 15.  The second semester includes classes running from April 1 through September 30, 2010.  Interested applicants can submit their completed FEMA Form 75-5, General Admissions Application right away. For complete application information and course schedule i...

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate addressed students and faculty at Savannah State University The event was sponsored by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Student Organization (HSEMSO). FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate addressed students and faculty at Savannah State University, in Savannah, Georgia. The FEMA Administrator praised students for choosing to study emergency management and recognized the administration of Savannah State, a Historical...

Fire Corps is administered through the National Volunteer Fire Council The 2009 Award of Excellence was presented during the meeting to the Mesa (AZ) Fire Department. The Fire Corps National Advisory Committee (NAC) met on October 26 at the Fire Corps national office in Greenbelt, MD. The NAC, which is comprised of representatives from many national fire and emergency service organizations as well as other prominent leaders in the industry, came together to provide e...

Veterans would like to participate in disaster relief in their communities The conference was hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) on November 18. According to a study released by Civic Enterprises on Veterans Day this year, 88 percent of veterans surveyed would like to participate in disaster relief efforts in their communities.  The conference focused on engaging veterans in communities and how to receive fun...

RHoK brings together disaster relief experts and software engineers to develop solutions to critical issues The event brings together top programmers to develop solutions to disaster relief challenges.FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate keynoted the inaugural ‘Random Hacks of Kindness, Disaster Relief Codejam' (RHoK) initiative. RHoK is sponsored by industry leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! in conjunction with NASA and the World Bank, and brings together d...

The Disaster Recovery Center at the Lee Center in Utulei will be open daily except for Sundays The deadline to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to turn in a completed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application is only a few days away.FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Kenneth R. Tingman said the deadline for American Samoa residents to apply for disaster assistance and return a completed SBA loan application for damages or...

FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate. FEMA/Bill Koplitz Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate yesterday addressed the National Voluntary Organisations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) Board of Directors Meeting. The gathering of national nonprofit organisations, that are dedicated to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, took place at the Salvation Army headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. "FEMA's only one part of our nation's...

An estimated average of 3,800 fires occurs each year in university dwellings The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report examining the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories, fraternity, and sorority houses.  Thef report, University Housing Fires, was developed by the National Fire Data Center and is a part of the USFA's Topi...

 Flood damage in Cedar Rapids, summer 2008. Photography bySusie Shapira/FEMA The team of inspectors found that the Cedar Rapids fire station has suffered so much flood damage that it would be easier to replace than to repair. The State of Iowa and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that the City of Cedar Rapids will have the option to replace the Central Fire Station. The Central Fire Station was damaged during the historical flooding in...

The Program Guidance document for the FY2009 SAFER Grants provides a wealth of information on the SAFER program The FY2009 SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants. The application deadline is December 18. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the posting of the Program Guidance for the FY2009 SAFER Grants. The Program Guidance document for the FY2009 SAFER Grants provides a wealth of information on the SAFER program including t...

116 Georgia cities, counties and other public organisations have applied to GEMA for public assistance In just over six weeks, more than $82 million have been channelled to survivors of the Georgia floods to help them on their way towards recovery. "While much has been done to help thousands of people, there are still those who have not registered for help," said Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Director Charley English.  People and businesses in 17...

EPA workers locating hazardous material moved by Ike in Texas The funds will go toward developing an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $437,325 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Cook County, Ill., for the development of an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan. This plan will identify and propose ways to reduce the risks of na...

USFA launched an effort to encourage everyone to install and maintain home smoke alarms and sprinklers The nationwide ‘Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign' will emphasise how important smoke alarms are to the saving of lives. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has launched an effort to encourage everyone to install and maintain home smoke alarms and, if possible, sprinklers. More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year, and the majority of them have...

An image taken during the fires that struck Puerto Rico late last week Meeting covered partnership and recent fire, explosion The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate met today with Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño to discuss FEMA's partnership with Puerto Rico, as well as the response to the explosions and fires that struck the island late last week. Over the weekend, President Obama signed an Emerg...

FEMA and GEMA advise citizens to create emergency kits Agencies advise families to create plans, prepare emergency kits Just as every home should have a smoke alarm, every home should have an emergency supply kit packed and ready. And being prepared doesn't have to cost a lot of money. While emergency preparedness is ongoing at the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it's also an individual responsibility. "You sh...

Firefighters on scene in Puerto Rico, in the area hit by fire and explosions Action enables FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area struck by explosions and fire beginning on October 23...

The deadline for applications for the FP&S Grants is October 23, 2009 Submissions still open for FY 2009 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants There is still time to submit an application for the Department of Homeland Security, FY 09 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants! Applications for FP&S grants must be received by October 23, 2009 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Fire Prevention and Safety Grants projects can include arson prevention, sprinkler awareness, smoke a...

FEMA Administrator Fugate addressed the annual NCAI convention Speech highlighted the importance of tribes to US emergency response capabilities Yesterday, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate addressed the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 66th Annual Convention in Palm Springs, CA. At the convention, Administrator Fugate underlined the critical role that tribes play as a partner and member of our nation's emergency response team. Over 1,500 tribal leaders from acro...

HAZUS 2010 will be held in Indianapolis Next year's conference will be held in Indianapolis The 4th annual HAZUS conference will be held August 23-25, 2010 in Indianapolia, Indiana.  The HAZUS conference provides a unique opportunity for users of all levels in a wide variety of professions, including all public safety operatives, to share expertise and experience in the development and use of HAZUS-MH. Those who should attend include: First responders Local...

The IAFF has announced Elizabeth M. Harman is the intended nomination for Assistant Administrator at FEMA Former firefighter and paramedic is Obama's intended nomination U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced President Obama's intent to nominate Elizabeth M. Harman, a former firefighter and currently a Director at the International Association of Fire Fighters, to become an Assistant Administrator at the Federal Emergency Manag...