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External Affairs, Disaster Operations Division

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Vision

Decatur, GA, September 29, 2009

Delivering coordinated and successful response operations in any environment across the Nation.

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Mission

To build, sustain and improve our ability to coordinate and provide the core Federal disaster response capability needed to save lives, reduce suffering, and protect property in communities throughout the Nation that have been overwhelmed by the impact of an incident, regardless of cause.

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Disaster Operations, Training and Cadre Management

In support of ESF-15 and in accordance with the ESF-15 Concept of Operations, Disaster Operations provides support to Regional External Affairs Officers (EAO) until external affairs operations transition to the Joint Field Office (JFO). During this initial response, the division’s activities include the following:

Establishing  the daily battle rhythm of operations and  key events related to disaster response and recovery including coordination calls, VTCs and media avails

Managing Headquarters Ready Room operations and OEA resource inventory

Identifying and coordinating ESF-15 leadership and staffing

Coordinating the External Affairs plan, to include JFO/Regional development and distribution

After initial response operations, Disaster Operations continues to be a liaison between the JFO, Regions and HQ External Affairs, facilitating communications among all the JFOs through the External Affairs Weekly Communications Summary (EAWCS) and the bi-weekly JFO coordination call.

In addition to incident response, the division also plans and coordinates the OEA participation in National Level Exercises (NLEs), and oversees its Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans and exercises.
           
Training and Cadre Management 

The Training and Cadre Management function manages the administration and training management of External Affairs cadre and sub-cadres (both national and regional), which includes deployments, recruitment, and training and credentialing. The National Cadre Manager liaises with all Regional Cadre Managers to initially deploy reservists when a JFO is established and coordinate rotations and other personnel issues concerning reservists during the operational period of the JFO. In addition, the function develops and coordinates all recruitment efforts and training and credentialing of reservists, including courses that focus on the role of ESF-15 in disaster response and that offer specialized skills for each OEA sub-cadre and specific job functions.

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Limited English Proficiency/Additional Communication Needs

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Special Needs function of the Disaster Operations division provides valuable services to disaster survivors of limited English proficiency, including translation of disaster-related information into commonly encountered languages and the creation and dissemination of communications materials such as flyers, posters and brochures that have a heavy emphasis on graphics and pictographs. The LEP/Special Needs function works closely with all External Affairs components to disseminate their materials and be sensitive to non-English speaking communities. In addition, this function provides content and timely updates for FEMA’s Spanish and other language Web sites.

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Community Relations

The mission of Community Relations (CR) is to provide the vital information link between DHS/FEMA and those affected by disasters. Community Relations representatives are often the first “Face of FEMA” seen by individuals impacted by a disaster. Whether going door-to-door to homes, visiting shelters, or attending town meetings and interfacing with local community organizations; CR representatives collect and disseminate vital disaster information, ensuring that disaster survivors are aware of available federal disaster assistance programs and understand how to access them.

Because they are always in the field, they can be the first to identify larger problems in providing disaster assistance. They are often the first to see what solutions may provide the best customer service. CR representatives work with local community leaders to provide accurate information about FEMA programs and guide them to valuable information about other federal or state programs.

CR representatives in the field can identify ethnic, social or religious communities who may have different needs to address for FEMA to provide better assistance. The relationships they make within a community can also assist in locating disabled or elderly individuals with special needs who need extra help with applying for disaster programs. Through personal relationships with an affected area, CR representatives carry the compassion of FEMA out into the community, contributing to a positive image of people helping people in disaster response and recovery.

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Last Modified: Thursday, 22-Dec-2011 10:51:16 EST

Contacts

Contact FEMA EA Operations Division: FEMA-DAE@fema.gov

Phone: 1-877-792-3362

EA Disaster Operations Division

FEMA Regional  Offices

References

Training