FEMA Weekly Bulletin, Sept. 7, 2012

Read all Isaac updates and Hurricane Preparedness and Continued Recovery Efforts in the Gulf Coast on the FEMA blog.

Did you know?

September is National Preparedness Month. Research on personal preparedness shows those individuals who believe they are prepared for disasters often are not as prepared as they think. In addition, some admit they do not plan to prepare at all. This year, to help DHS employees get ready, two new independent study courses have been developed to introduce practical steps federal employees can take to prepare for emergencies that could threaten their homes, workplaces, or communities. Both courses take approximately one hour to complete.

Hot Topic!

Deadline for Stafford Act Employee Viewpoint Survey Extended - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is in the final week of conducting the 2012 Stafford Act Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and FEMA is extending the deadline for submission to Friday, Sept. 14, 2012.

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Recent updates to Employee News Online include the following highlights:

Articles

Sign on to be a National Preparedness Coalition Member – Pledge to Prepare in the workplace. Throughout the month of September, we will feature an article each week on a topic related to National Preparedness Month. The article is the first article in this series.

Colorado Child Care Study - Region VIII presents the Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis at Colorado State University with a $30,000 grant to launch a two-year study of disaster preparedness among Colorado child care centers.
Region X delivers through Feds Feed Families Food Drive - Region X branch chiefs hold first annual Branch Chiefs Barbeque Lunch to collect food for Feds Feeding Families.
Two West Virginia DAEs Receive Safety Awards.
LLIS.gov Offers Hurricane Lessons Learned Resources - LLIS.gov is FEMA’s national, on-line network of lessons learned, best practices and innovative ideas for the emergency response and homeland security communities. Resources include after-action reports, plans and other reports, preparedness guides, and detailed information on past hurricanes, including Irene (2011), Ike (2008) and Gustav (2008).
EMI Superintendent named internal training integration director, training committee holds first meeting - Citing the need to “ensure that our internal training and career development programs are efficient, effective and focused on our core mission of helping disaster survivors”, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate recently announced his selection of EMI Superintendent Tony Russell to serve as FEMA’s director of internal training integration.
New FEMA LawTalk Podcast: Overview of Readiness and Pre-Declaration Activities.

The Office of Chief Counsel is pleased to announce the latest entry in the FEMA LawTalk podcast series: Overview of Readiness and Pre-Declaration Activities. During this podcast, FEMA’s Chief Counsel discusses FEMA’s authority to act before a Governor’s request for assistance.

Hatch Act Reminder - The Hatch Act is a Federal law that regulates political campaign activity by Federal employees as well as State, and local government employees that are paid with federal funds. Read more.

Announcements

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Secretary Janet Napolitano discuss the importance of being prepared in our workplace in their video message to the workforce.

FEMA Corps ready to engage! - Induction ceremonies introducing the first members of FEMA Corps will be held in Vicksburg, Miss., on Sept. 13, 2012.
Annual Flu Vaccinations - FEMA Safety, Health and Medical Readiness Division is working closely with Federal Occupational Health to prepare for this year’s annual flu vaccinations for FEMA staff.
OCFO Announces Providing Prompt Payment - 15 Day Pay Initiative - The FEMA Office of the Chief Financial Officer has been working with the Office of Management and Budget on providing prompt payment to small businesses. Pursuant to the OMB Memorandum 12-16 issued on July 11, 2012, for a period of one year the OCFO will be working towards a goal of paying all vendor payments within 15 days of receiving proper documentation. This initiative does not affect the application of the Prompt Pay Act’s late-payment interest penalty provisions.
FEMA Independent Study Coursed available online at Training.fema.gov.
Help FEMA Prevent Fraud, Waste and Abuse. If you have information about instances of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement involving FEMA programs or operations, you should contact the DHS OIG Hotline at: 800-323-8603; by fax at 202-254-4297; or e-mail DHSOIGHOTLlNE@dhs.gov.

Training and Career Development Opportunities

Reminder - DHS Employee Preparedness Initiative Coursework - All FEMA employees must complete one of the courses listed in the DHS EPI Curriculum within the FEMA Employee Knowledge Center by Feb. 28, 2013.
Deadline Extended to October 1! Executive Development Opportunities – Sept. 7 - The Career Development and Training Branch is accepting nominations for Executive Development Opportunities.
Human Resources for Managers and Supervisors – Aug. 30 - The FEMA Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer, Career Development and Training Branch is providing additional Human Resources for Supervisors and Managers classes.
New! FEMA Internal Rotation Program – Sept. 7 - The Career Development and Training Office has posted ten internal rotation announcements.

Read these stories and more on Employee News Online.

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FEMA News

The Road To Recovery: Know Where To Get Help Sept. 6, 2012

Take Precautions When Returning Home After Hurricane Isaac Sept. 6, 2012

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight the Highway 141 Fire Sept. 6, 2012

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Employee News Online is a news site that highlights the work of FEMA employees and issues related to the FEMA mission. It is produced by the Office of External Affairs, Public Affairs Division at 500 C Street, Washington, D.C. and will replace the FEMA Weekly.

You may submit your articles and announcements to FEMA-Weekly@fema.dhs.gov for inclusion to Employee News Online, FEMA Weekly Bulletin. Please allow 24-48 hours for your article or announcement to be posted.

NOTE TO CONTRIBUTORS: The employee news site will provide the same news categories you became familiar with in the FEMA Weekly – News (Featured Articles), Announcements, and Around FEMA (Employee Collaboration). The news site will be updated daily. You can access the employee news site 24/7, from your work or home computer. Please refer to the updated submission guidelines.

Last Updated:

10/16/2012 - 16:38