National PreparednessDirectorate 2008 Annual Report National PreparednessDirectorate 2008 Annual Report Page Intentionally Left Blank TABLE of CONTENTS 1 Background on Preparedness Letter from the Acting Deputy Administrator of NPD 3 3 The Preparedness Cycle An Evolution of Doctrine and Policy 3 An Organizational Overview 4 NPD Structure 4 Our Personnel: Recruiting and Retaining a Top Quality Workforce 4 Planning and Doctrine 5 National Response Framework (NRF) 5 National Incident Management System (NIMS) 6 Planning 7 National Planning System 7 Organize and Equip 9 Community Preparedness 9 Leadership Forum 10 Community Preparedness Toolkit 10 Public Alert Radio Distribution to Schools 10 CERT Program 10 National Preparedness Month 12 Testimonials on Preparedness from Ready.gov 12 Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness 13 Train 14 Emergency Management Institute (EMI) 14 EMI by the Numbers 15 Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) 16 CDP by the Numbers 16 Training and Exercise Integration 18 Exercise 22 Preparedness in the Face of Technological Hazards 22 Report on the National Integration Center (NIC) Assistant Administrator, Steve Saunders 24 Evaluate and Improve 25 Target Capabilities List (TCL) 25 Assessing Preparedness Activities: An Integrated and Comprehensive Approach 26 LETTER from the ACTING DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR Dear National Preparedness Partners: The National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) was formed by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA). The establishment of NPD brought together a variety of preparedness entities under the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to better align preparedness with FEMA’s mitigation, response and recovery missions. In 2008, NPD spent a significant amount of time building a unified organization that leverages its planning, organizing, equipment, training, exercise, evaluation and improvement resources to better prepare this great Nation. While much progress remains to be made, the 2008 NPD Annual Report highlights several milestones and successes that we are proud to share with you. Our priorities this past year were to: • Attract, retain, and develop qualified and motivated employees for the NPD; • Implement preparedness programs throughout the FEMA Regions; • Assist with the development of a national planning community; • Sponsor a national program for training and education, exercises, and lessons learned to implement national preparedness doctrine; and • Develop a comprehensive assessment system to determine Federal, State, and local preparedness levels. After overcoming the initial challenges of joining several disparate entities together, we worked to hire the best and brightest employees from around the Nation to fill more than120 vacancies within the Directorate. We brought on board several senior executives, from a variety of emergency management, homeland security, and military backgrounds, and placed them in career leadership positions to help stabilize and lead the organization into the future. We placed significant emphasis on pushing many of our preparedness programs out to the 10 FEMA Regions. We hired 10 Federal Preparedness Coordinators (FPCs) to serve as the central interface to States for preparedness related issues. The FPCs are leading an increased number of preparedness staff in the Regions, including 10 new Deputy FPCs, 20 new Preparedness Analysis and Planning Officers and Specialists, 20 new Training and Exercise Officers, and 28 new Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program Coordinators. Our preparedness doctrine continues to evolve and in January 2008 we released the National Response Framework (NRF). In December 2008 the revised National Incident Management System (NIMS) was released. We are also moving closer to building a national planning system, with the implementation of an Integrated Planning System (IPS) at the Federal level, and the release of the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, which provides planning guidance for State, territorial, tribal, and local governments. Our National training and exercise programs have made significant strides in the past year. The National Exercise Program sponsored TOPOFF 4 in Oregon, Guam and Arizona; held 148 Regional, State and local exercises across the country; and continued to refine its exercise doctrine, the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). The National Exercise Simulation Center a PKEMRA requirement also evolved from concept to reality and has begun supporting exercises. Within the National Training Program, we merged training institutions under one roof and now offer hundreds of residential, mobile and online courses through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), Center for Domestic Preparedness, and 64 other training partners across the country. Additionally, we hosted the 25th annual National Preparedness Training and Exercise Conference at EMI in May 2008. 1 In 2008, we also made significant progress in our Technological Hazards programs by not only continuing to plan, train, and exercise the communities surrounding chemical stockpiles and nuclear power plants, but also integrating the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) and Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Programs (CSEPP) into the National Preparedness System. We continue to align the REPP and CSEPP exercise methodologies with the HSEEP guidance, and last year we introduced a Hostile Action Drill series to the REPP program. NPD’s community preparedness programs continue to inform and educate our Nation’s citizens for disasters. In 2008, we led an effort to place 182,000 public alert radios in schools throughout the country, in order to better prepare our children for disasters. We also signed an agreement with the American Association of Community Colleges to expand the role of community colleges in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery activities. We continue to prepare our citizens through over 2,300 Citizen Corps Councils and Community Emergency Response Teams. In 2009, we will place particular emphasis on a comprehensive assessment system which will integrate assessment methodologies, so reporting requirements are streamlined and less burdensome to our stakeholders. We are contributing to the development of a national strategy that will guide the Nation’s approach to recovering from disasters. We will continue to refine and enhance our planning, training, exercise, community preparedness, and technological hazards programs to implement the National Preparedness System. Our success in this important mission is measured by continuous engagement with you. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the Nation’s preparedness for all hazards across all missions. Corey Gruber Acting Deputy Administrator, NPD 2 BACKGROUND on PREPAREDNESS An Evolution of Doctrine and Policy The organization and doctrine for homeland security preparedness has evolved over time and has been shaped by the changes in legislation and policy, occurrence of natural and manmade disasters, advancements in technology, and improved understanding of our risks. The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA) assigned FEMA unprecedented responsibilities to develop a National Preparedness System (NPS) and lead its implementation. The National Preparedness System defines target preparedness levels and priorities through the National Preparedness Guidelines (NPG) and the Target Capabilities List (TCL), issued in September 2007. The NPG and TCL describe how to achieve and sustain preparedness at all levels of government, the private sector, and the public in a way that balances risk with resources and need. The Preparedness Cycle The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines preparedness as a “continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action.” These activities constitute the Preparedness Cycle (see graphic). Preparedness activities should be geared toward improving the capabilities identified as priorities in plans and strategies. For each phase of the cycle, FEMA has developed resources that are linked to Target Capabilities List (TCL), allowing organizations to tie all preparedness activities to the enhancement of priority capabilities. The Preparedness Cycle is the process by which organizations work to improve their ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from all-hazard incidents. Each step focuses on improving capabilities and producing corrective actions to inform and revise strategies and plans. 3 AN ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW NPD Structure Our Personnel: Recruiting and Retaining a Top Quality Workforce Since joining FEMA as a unified directorate, NPD has had great success in recruiting outstanding employees. NPD’s staff comes from a variety of sources with expertise in emergency management, exercises, planning, chemical and radiological safety, training, and other fields. NPD began 2008 with over 120 vacancies—nearly a quarter of the Directorate’s positions. Through strategic partnerships with the FEMA Human Capital Division, Security Office, and Chief Financial Office, NPD’s vacancy rate has decreased by 50%. To date, over 150 new staff have been hired to support Preparedness activities at the Headquarters and Regional levels. NPD’s recruiting brought a new leadership group to the Directorate over the past year. Steve Saunders joined NPD as the NIC Assistant Administrator. He is supported by Dr. Christopher (Todd) Jones as the new Superintendent at the Center for Domestic Preparedness and Don Grant as the Director of Incident Management Systems Integration. Dr. Kenneth Watman is leading the Preparedness Policy, Planning and Analysis division. Dr. Cortez Lawrence has returned to the Emergency Management Institute as Superintendent, while James Kish has moved over to the Technological Hazards Division to lead the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program and the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. They join Preparedness Coordination Division Director Andy Mitchell and Acting Deputy Administrator Corey Gruber in filling the ranks of NPD’s career FEMA leadership team. NPD continues to push recruitment efforts, including the use of innovative programs like the Federal Career Internship Program with the ultimate goal of reducing Directorate vacancies to fewer than 5%. Candidates interested in opportunities to join the Directorate can investigate potential NPD job postings at USAJOBS. com or the FEMA job site at: http://www.fema.gov/career/ 4 PLANNING and DOCTRINE National Response Framework (NRF) NRF in 2008 On January 22, 2008, the NRF was released following an extensive process of outreach and coordination between the Department and key stakeholders representing Federal, tribal, State and local governments, non-governmental organizations and associations, and the private sector. On Saturday, March 22, 2008, the NRF was formally adopted. FEMA continues outreach and training efforts on the concepts and principles of the NRF across the entire emergency management community, and Federal, State and local officials. The NRF is intended for use by senior elected and appointed leaders, such as Federal department and agency heads, State governors, local mayors, tribal leaders, city managers, the private sector and emergency management practitioners. Educational and outreach efforts include the release of the on-line training course “IS-800.B National Response Framework, An Introduction,” which can be found at: www. training.fema.gov/ EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp. To make the NRF a “living system” that can be revised and updated in a more nimble, transparent fashion, the NRF Resource Center (www.fema.gov/nrf) was developed as an on-line repository for the component parts of the NRF. The Resource Center will allow for ongoing revisions to address lessons learned from real-world events and exercises. In addition to the NRF base document, the Emergency Support Function Annexes and Support Annexes can be accessed online at the NRF Resource Center. “It is our collective duty to provide the best response possible. From individuals, households, and communities to local, tribal, State, and Federal governments, national response depends on our readiness to act.” IS-800.B Lesson 2 5 PLANNING and DOCTRINE “Russell Decker, president of U.S. chapter of the International Association of Emergency Managers and director of the Allen County, Ohio, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, was particularly pleased about stakeholder involvement in the revision. ‘What I’m most excited about. . . is that on this revision, the stakeholders were consulted,’ said Decker, who chairs FEMA’s National Advisory Council subcommittee on NIMS. ‘They worked with emergency managers, they worked with law enforcement, they worked with fire service and emergency medical and public health, and they actively involved those people in the process. When the original NIMS document came out, we had little input.’ One of the more important changes, Decker said, was clarifying the relationship between NIMS and the National Response Framework.” – From Congressional Quarterly (CQ) December 2008. PLANNING and DOCTRINE “Russell Decker, president of U.S. chapter of the International Association of Emergency Managers and director of the Allen County, Ohio, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, was particularly pleased about stakeholder involvement in the revision. ‘What I’m most excited about. . . is that on this revision, the stakeholders were consulted,’ said Decker, who chairs FEMA’s National Advisory Council subcommittee on NIMS. ‘They worked with emergency managers, they worked with law enforcement, they worked with fire service and emergency medical and public health, and they actively involved those people in the process. When the original NIMS document came out, we had little input.’ One of the more important changes, Decker said, was clarifying the relationship between NIMS and the National Response Framework.” – From Congressional Quarterly (CQ) December 2008. National Incident Management System (NIMS) NIMS is the National doctrine for incident management and establishes standardized incident management processes, protocols, and procedures that all responders—Federal, State, tribal, and local—will use to coordinate and conduct response actions. The December 2008 revision expands the original version released in March 2004 by clarifying existing NIMS concepts, better incorporating preparedness and planning, and improving the overall readability of the document. The revised NIMS was released following an extensive review involving partners from all levels of government, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, and subject matter experts representing a broad spectrum of emergency management and incident response disciplines. Through three official national comment periods, FEMA reviewed and adjudicated nearly 6,000 comments from more than 280 individuals and organizations. The NIMS document is supported by an online tool designed for stakeholders at every level. The NIMS Resource Center is an invaluable source of information that hosts supplemental materials such as NIMS Component Frequently Asked Questions, implementation guidance, briefings, forms, etc. The website includes an “email update” feature that allows stakeholders to be notified of site or document updates. The NIMS Resource Center can be accessed at www.fema.gov/nims. 6 PLANNING PLANNING National Planning System Integrated Planning System The Integrated Planning System (IPS) presents a “how to” planning guide at the Federal level to develop and then integrate Federal plans with State and local plans. IPS was reviewed by State and local stakeholders, including the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and the Homeland Security Consortium to enable integration and synchronization with State and local planning. State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Planning Guidance The IPS is complemented by the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101): Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Government Emergency Plans. CPG 101 provides guidance about planning to all levels of government. CPG 101 replaces the State and Local Guide (SLG) 101 and expands planning concepts and lessons learned from real-world events. By collaborating with Federal, State, and local emergency managers, homeland security practitioners, and law enforcement personnel, NPD was able to incorporate best practices gleaned from years of “bootson- the ground” experience. NPD expanded the document to integrate prevention and protection activities into the planning process. We are developing technical assistance programs to support the planning process and are working to redefine planning-related training. Planning for Catastrophic Events While it is neither affordable nor feasible for jurisdictions to fully prepare for every possible hazard, the consequences of catastrophic natural and manmade events requires special planning consideration, especially in high-risk urban areas with large populations and critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). Congress addressed this need by establishing the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP). RCPGP provides over $90 million in grants and technical assistance for enhancing regional preparedness for catastrophic events. Most importantly, the program funds planning personnel to help fix shortcomings in existing plans for catastrophic events and to build regional planning processes to effectively prepare for catastrophic events. Similarly, the Task Force Emergency Readiness (TFER) pilot program, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, establishes dedicated teams built around sets of highly skilled planners to enhance catastrophic planning capacity and facilitate planning integration at the State and regional levels. 7 PLANNING The Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program Services Include: • Fusion Process Orientation and Development Services • Fusion Center and Fire Service Information Sharing and Coordination • Fusion Center Privacy Policy Development • Fusion Center Technology Technical Assistance • 28 CFR Part 23 Technical Assistance • Fusion Liaison Officer Program Development • Fusion Liaison Officer (FLO) Program Implementation • State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training • Criminal Intelligence for the Chief Executive • Intelligence Commanders Course • National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Here is what A.R. Moore, Director of Emergency Man- agement at the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency had to say about a FEMA-led Technical Assistance program: “Fulton County, Georgia has worked with [FEMA] over the past year in support of multiple aspects of regional Emergency Public Information planning for Fulton County and the City of Atlanta… The project included a two-day seminar for the staff of the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Office of the Governor, the American Red Cross, public information officers and other representatives from cities within the county, other government agencies and private sector organizations. The seminar focused on execution of the Emergency Public Information Plan, including operation of a regional Joint Information Center as well as examining the option of developing a virtual JIC for disseminating emergency public information when a disaster affects multiple jurisdictions. FEMA presented information on the creation and dissemination of messages for Special Needs Populations that was of particular interest to our staff given the important nature of that issue. The seminar included several scenarios which challenged the participants to activate a JIC and respond according to our new plan. I highly recommend [this program] for any emergency public information or special needs planning projects...” Technical Assistance Developing robust capabilities surrounding planning requires effective training for the people helping to keep our country safe. NPD provides this training through its Technical Assistance (TA) program. TA helps States, local governments and agencies identify and fill gaps in their preparedness capabilities. 2008, in particular saw the expansion of NPD’s Prevention TA through the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program. Since the inception of the program, this partnership has provided over 125 program and service deliveries to support and facilitate the nationwide development and/or enhancement of the fusion process. Prevention TA ranges from providing jurisdictions an overview of the training process to advanced State and local anti-terrorism training. New assistance was made available in 2008, including Fusion Center Technology Assistance, which provides short term, on site working sessions to support fusion center implementation and knowledge expansion. As more jurisdictions develop their prevention capabilities, the Prevention TA program will expand to meet the needs of our stakeholders in the field. 8 ORGANIZE and EQUIP ORGANIZE and EQUIP Community Preparedness Citizen Corps Announces National Affiliation Citizen Corps Overview With American Association of Community The Citizen Corps strategy is designed to strengthen Colleges collaboration between government and community leaders On June 16, 2008, FEMA’s Citizen Corps and the American from all sectors to engage the full community in preparedness, Association of Community Colleges (AACC) signed a formal protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Although agreement of affiliation with the American Association of Citizen Corps is administered nationally, its focus, scope, and Community Colleges. Deputy Administrator for National impact is centered on local communities and its members who Preparedness Dennis R. Schrader and George Boggs, AACC are making efforts to prepare themselves, their families, and President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) were on hand for their community for all hazards. the formal ceremony that attracted a number of government, academic, and business members. Over 2,300 State, local, tribal, and territorial Citizen Corps Councils have registered, representing jurisdictions that serve AACC represents almost 1200 two-year institutions and 11 78 percent of the United States population. Many of the tools million students. Community colleges educate over 80% of and resources available to Citizen Corps Councils are made the Nation’s police, fire and Emergency Medical Technician possible through partnerships with National organizations (EMT) personnel. Citizen Corps and AACC plan to expand and volunteer Program Partners. Currently, Citizen Corps the role of community colleges in comprehensive community has 26 National Affiliates. NPD’s Community Preparedness preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. Division promotes five National Citizen Corps Program Partners through partnerships with other Federal agencies and National organizations. The five programs—Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Fire Corps, USA on Watch/Neighborhood Watch, and Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)—provide National resources for outreach, training and exercising, and volunteer service to support local emergency service providers. The countless acts by volunteers capture the spirit of service and help support government efforts to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for the catastrophes to come. 9 ORGANIZE and EQUIP Leadership Forum From August 18 to 21, CPD hosted the 2008 Citizen Corps Leadership Forum in Oklahoma City, OK, with 225 State and Territorial Citizen Corps program managers, National program partners and affiliates, government partners and other leaders to focus on providing information, tools, and resources to strengthen collaboration and further the citizen’s mission of community preparedness and resilience. The conference provided an opportunity for participants to review their past successes and to focus on future goals and objectives. During a formal Roll Call of States and territories, each territory/State’s representatives exchanged best practices and lessons learned, and shared unique features of each of their community preparedness efforts. Community Pet Preparedness Toolkit Following the passage of the PETS Act, the Ready Campaign, American Red Cross, Humane Society of the United States, NPD, and other FEMA offices developed the Community Pet Preparedness Toolkit to support pet and pet owner preparedness. This toolkit offers sample preparedness brochures, PowerPoint templates, press materials, and resources and templates for staying current on local pet disaster plans, policies, and procedures. It also promotes preparedness in local communities and educates the community about how to assemble a pet emergency supply kit. Citizen Corps Councils around the country have increased outreach and education on this critical issue. Public Alert Radio Distribution to Schools NPD and partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services completed the final phase of America is Safer When Our Schools Are Safer Program. This program ensured every school in America is equipped with critical life-saving public alert radios. In 2008 the final phase of the program distributed 182,000 radios to preschools, Head Start programs, K-12 nonpublic schools and nonpublic school central offices, K-12 school district offices, and post-secondary schools. An earlier phase distributed 97,000 radios to K-12 public schools. Through this program, every school in the Nation now has access to alerts and safety steps for a wide range of emergencies. CERT Program When any emergency occurs—a single incident or a widespread disaster—community members are always the first on scene to assist those who need help. Ordinary people help their neighbors, co-workers, and sometimes complete strangers until professional responders can arrive. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program, launched by FEMA in 1994 as an all-hazards training program, builds on individuals’ willingness to help and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as damage assessment, search and rescue, emergency medical intervention, and team operations. The CERT Program creates an immediate disaster response asset to save lives, minimize property loss, and stabilize communities after an incident. 10 ORGANIZE and EQUIP ORGANIZE and EQUIP CERT Program (continued) Sacramento, California Exercise Highlights Use of CERT Responders in Disasters According to the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, the Sacramento area faces a high risk of flooding. In the event of a large-scale flood, first responders may become overwhelmed with response and recovery missions and may even be prevented from accessing certain areas due to flooded roads and other obstacles. This makes trained volunteers a critical part of the emergency response system. To that end, an exercise conducted on September 13, 2008, gave CERTs a chance to work together in responding to a large-scale simulated disaster. “We had CERT members who participated in the exercise with years of CERT training and then we had CERT members that were brand new—just completed their CERT training the day before the exercise,” noted Geoff Winford, Sacramento regional CERT coordinator and logistics coordinator for the exercise. The scenario included the bursting of the upstream Folsom Dam with a number of “victims” trapped on land and near water for several hours. “We’ve done collapsed buildings and large incidents like that before, but we’ve never had an exercise that featured water rescue like this.” Doing this exercise makes sense, “due to Sacramento’s high risk of flooding,” Winford explained. He added that because of the area’s levee system and waterways, dam breaks or massive hundred-year floods that have been predicted would require more help than professional responders might be able to provide. “The water rescue skill sets we were trained on are basic and easily learned by volunteers, but they’re enough for somebody to do the job if they need to in a disaster situation,” he explained. The exercise was very successful. Professional responders provided incident command for the volunteers, and CERT members used skills they drilled the previous day including how to make sandbags, how to perform watercraft rescue, and how to perform rope rescue. They rescued more than 100 “victims” trapped in and around the American River Parkway. At the end of the event, lessons learned included the need for team leaders to make command decisions more quickly and for teams to be able to prepare for a new assignment after completing a task. 11 ORGANIZE and EQUIP ORGANIZE and EQUIP National Preparedness Month The Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to promote community preparedness culminate ever year in September with a focused effort to motivate and inform the public during National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort intended to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies. In 2008, more than 3,200 National Preparedness Month coalition members signed on and agreed to educate individuals, families, and communities on the importance of emergency preparedness. National Preparedness Month coalition members consist of Citizen Corps Councils, non-profit and for-profit national organizations, families, and individuals committed to creating a culture of preparedness through community planning and capacity building, outreach and education, training and exercises, and volunteer programs. Over 1,000 inspiring events and initiatives were held around the country, with events including Youth Be Ready camps, public preparedness fairs, special needs workshops, school preparedness events, public alert systems tests, small business workshops, and multi-cultural workshops. Testimonials on Preparedness from Ready.gov Bill Munro, owner of a dry cleaning, uniform rental, and safety apparel business, thought he was prepared for anything with his basic emergency plan. However, when Hurricane Rita struck his community, Bill, the owner of Munro Inc., was surprised to learn that his plan had left a lot of room for improvement. Originally, Hurricane Rita was not forecasted to come near his hometown of Beaumont, TX. However, the weather pattern changed and Hurricane Rita came charging straight through the Beaumont area. The entire community was forced to evacuate, which meant the Munro employees were dispersed across several states. “Our plan had not been updated in years and had just deteriorated, but we were fortunate to have a communications plan which was basically a cell phone network that connected all of our employees,” said Bill. “This was vital because we were spread out across the region during the evacuation.” Though Bill had a rudimentary emergency plan in place, it did not account for power loss or for the shortage of food and supplies after the hurricane. It took Bill a week to reopen his business. There was not much of a need for dry cleaning. There was, however, a huge need for a laundry service in the community. Local contractors needed clean clothes, so Munro Inc. stepped up to fill this demand. Many of his employees had made their way back into the community, but schools had not reopened. To solve this issue, Bill allowed his employees to bring their kids to work. Some pitched in and worked, others played in a conference room that was converted into a kid-friendly area. “Though we had a basic emergency plan in place and were fortunate enough to reopen relatively quickly, we knew we could do a lot better,” said Bill. “…I can’t imagine any business moving forward without a plan. If businesses are up and running, individuals can receive a paycheck and the community can stabilize,” concluded Bill. “If businesses are able to recover, the local economy is able to come back. It’s so critical.” 12 ORGANIZE and EQUIP Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness On October 2, 2008, the long awaited roll out of the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program was the focus of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) seventh annual Homeland Security Standards Panel (HSSP) Plenary. Held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Briefing Center in Washington, DC, nearly 150 public and private sector stakeholders attended the event, which addressed private sector preparedness, the voluntary certification program, and Title IX of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act (9/11 Act). This program is directed by Public Law 11053, Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, which was signed into law on August 3, 2007. Title IX of this Act amends elements of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include development of a voluntary private sector preparedness accreditation and certification program. The program requires the Department to establish a common set of criteria for disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity, to provide a comprehensive set of standards by which American businesses and other private sector entities can assess their preparedness for all hazards. Under Title IX of the 9/11 Act, the Department is charged with a number of core tasks to establish the voluntary program, including the designation of an organization to act as an accrediting body. Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security signed an agreement with the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to establish and oversee the development and implementation of the accreditation and certification requirements. In this role, ANAB will be responsible for overseeing the certification process, managing the accreditation, and accrediting qualified third parties to carry out certifications of private sector entities. ANAB was selected based on its experience and expertise in managing and implementing accreditation programs. The Private Sector Preparedness Council, which is compromised of Department leadership from the Science Technology Directorate, Office of Infrastructure Protection, and Private Sector Office, and chaired by the FEMA Administrator, will focus on the remaining requirements of the Act. This includes selecting program standards, defining and promoting the business case for private sector entities to work toward voluntary certification, overseeing the program’s progress, and providing regular updates to Congress. 13 TRAIN Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Emmitsburg, Maryland Updates from EMI In May 2008, EMI held the 25th Annual National Preparedness Training and Exercise Conference. More than 200 State emergency management training and exercise officials, State homeland security agencies, and Federal agencies attended this conference. Many participated in the largest conference “share fair” ever by staffing booths to give conference participants information regarding their training programs. The recently revised four day State Emergency Management Agency Director’s Training course was held in the summer of 2008 with 22 state emergency management directors and Federal Coordinating Officers attending. This course was held in cooperation with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). Five webinars were conducted in a series on specific topics such as FEMA grants and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. In June, EMI hosted the 11th Emergency Management Higher Education Project, the largest event at EMI for the year. The conference hosted more than 350 participants from over 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad, the highest number of attendees in the conference’s history. During the conference, EMI staff conducted a mini Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC) built around a campus violence scenario for the participants. EMI staff members served on the writing team as subject matter experts for the development and rollout of the NRF. EMI also designed the State IEMC titled, “NRF”, specifically targeted at the States. The first State to participate in this course was Minnesota. 10 States (Washington, Kansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, and Indiana, Vermont, Maine Rhode Island) are scheduled to participate in the new course in FY 2009. 5 States (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and New York) have already committed to participate in the training in FY 2010. As a result of the NIMS Implementation Plan mandate, EMI staff, in conjunction with the National Disaster Workforce Cadre Managers, completed development of Disaster Workforce Task Books (DWTB) for all 250 positions in the Joint Field Office (JFO). This involved working with the operational teams and managers to identify Incident Command System (ICS) position titles and the tasks each position is to perform. Each position Task Book includes an online assessment tool that supervisors and employees use to identify tasks performed and necessary improvements. EMI, in coordination with cadre managers, Regional Training Managers, and other FEMA staff, developed the Disaster Service Account (DSA) Tool. The Tool is an automated system that validates training requests for DSA funding to the FEMA nine Core Missions and additional justification criteria. The Tool expedites the ranking and review of the hundreds of requests submitted by the FEMA Regions, FEMA Headquarters, and EMI staff. The DSA Tool process will be used annually to plan, prioritize, and fund training requirements to develop the readiness of the FEMA disaster workforce. 14 TRAIN EMI by the Numbers Online Course Completions (Independent Study) 1,986,330 FEMA Course Completions through Employee Knowledge Center (FEKC) 81,024 NIMS Course Completions Delivered by CDP 57,313 Enrollees to GovDelivery 27,811 Training Completions at off-site locations 7,399 Training Completions at EMI (NETC Campus) 6,102 Graduated Master Exercise Practitioner 1,000 Courses Deliveries for the Year 516 Total Courses Available at EMI 456 Training Completions at CDP 369 Total Higher Education Emergency Management Programs 155 Courses Under Revision this year 109 New Courses Developed this year 16 Emergency Management Higher Education Programs Added 13 15 TRAIN The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) Anniston, Alabama In 2008, CDP continued to set the standard for training America’s emergency responders and experienced another active training year. The CDP’s advanced hands-on training concept enables responders to effectively prevent, respond to, and recover from real-world incidents involving acts of terror, hazardous materials, and manmade disasters. During the first decade of CDP training, more than 403,000 responders have participated, making a significant contribution to America’s preparedness. The CDP offers cutting-edge, hands-on resident training in 38 distinctive courses in weapons of mass destruction related to protection and response, as well as an all-hazards curriculum in traditional classrooms. In addition to the main training campus, the CDP includes two unique training sites: the Chemical, Ordnance, Biological, and Radiological Training Facility (COBRATF)—the Nation’s only toxic agent chemical training facility dedicated to civilian emergency response training; and the Noble Training Facility (NTF)—a former military hospital that is now solely dedicated to training healthcare and public health officials, affording them the opportunity to experience mass casualty training in a real environment. In addition to the resident training at the Anniston campus, the CDP executed 2,167 no-cost, on-site training offerings. These Mobile Training Team events transport critical hands- on training to local jurisdiction to meet their specialized requirements. Mobile Training Teams also provided ‘special events’ training that included on-scene training for the 2008 Presidential election conventions—25 classes supported the Republican National Convention and 67 classes for the Democratic National Convention, for more than 4,000 responders. CDP provided on-scene training for Pennsylvania state police officers in preparation for the 2008 Annual Governors Conference in Philadelphia. CDP by the Numbers 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 Resident Training Indirect Training Non Resident Training As reflected in the graph of the 114,540 course completions during 2008, 14,171 were through Resident training programs; 60,625 were through Non-Resident training programs; and 39,744 were through Indirect/Train-the-Trainer programs. Responders who benefited from CDP training courses represented all 50 States, and four U.S. territories. Non-Resident training increased an impressive 60% during 2008, reflecting the success of a new grassroots methodology to training. 16 TRAIN “In Their Own Words” Responder Training Feedback • “The class that I took was outstanding! Each instructor spoke to us – not at us – and brought the topics to our level of understanding. I’m ready to come back for more.” • “As a first responder, I will always support your mission to prepare us for the unspeakable...I look forward to attending more outstanding training at the center.” • “After attending CDP training, I have experienced what I feel is one of the best returns on my tax dollar. You have the best training facility and program I have ever experienced…thanks for doing a supreme job for the defense of our country.” • “The class was remarkable. It was intense, but so worthwhile…I told my boss that you all put the ‘Home’ in Homeland Security.” • “The COBRA training facility was out of this world. This was the best training I have ever had in my 20 years of service in the public safety field.” TRAIN “In Their Own Words” Responder Training Feedback • “The class that I took was outstanding! Each instructor spoke to us – not at us – and brought the topics to our level of understanding. I’m ready to come back for more.” • “As a first responder, I will always support your mission to prepare us for the unspeakable...I look forward to attending more outstanding training at the center.” • “After attending CDP training, I have experienced what I feel is one of the best returns on my tax dollar. You have the best training facility and program I have ever experienced…thanks for doing a supreme job for the defense of our country.” • “The class was remarkable. It was intense, but so worthwhile…I told my boss that you all put the ‘Home’ in Homeland Security.” • “The COBRA training facility was out of this world. This was the best training I have ever had in my 20 years of service in the public safety field.” CDP Year in Review continued... FY08 CDP Noteworthy Achievements • 114,540 emergency responders participated in CDP training courses in FY08. • The CDP celebrated its 10th anniversary as a Federal training center in June in a formal ceremony with special guest speaker FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison. Responders representing every State and territory were recognized as a part of the 10th anniversary celebration. • The CDP received Congressional authority to train international, private sector, and Federal responders on a reimbursable, space available basis. • The CDP was recertified by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) as an approved authorized provider of Continuing Education and Training Units (CEUs) to responders who successfully completed CDP training courses. 17 TRAIN Training and Exercise Integration 2008 was another banner year for the Training and Exercise Integration (TEI) Division of the National Integration Center, having delivered over 3,300 courses across the country to more than 88,800 students. In addition to these instructor- led courses, over 20,500 students completed web-based courses. TEI also added nine new training partners to its robust portfolio. As the primary coordinator of over 150 training courses, TEI continues to leverage leading institutions and associations to help provide world-class training and education to the Nation’s first responder community. Through its grant programs, TEI expanded the breadth of its training partner curriculum in 2008 to include courses in agroterrorism, cyber terrorism, intelligence, transportation and port security, citizen preparedness, and special needs population issues. After receiving over 230 applications in early 2008, TEI awarded $27.2 million for the Competitive Training Grant Program (CTGP) to 11 organizations to develop and deliver innovative training programs vital to preparing the Nation for all types of disasters. With an emphasis on innovation and high quality delivery, CTGP awards have a direct impact – grant funding is administered to a mix of local governments, national associations, higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations to address high priority homeland security training needs. Another major advantage of the CTGP is its ability to support the latest thinking in responder training, and in 2008 the CTGP spanned several emerging areas including: intelligence and information sharing and dissemination; critical infrastructure protection; regional collaboration; citizen preparedness, evacuation, and shelter in-place. Since its inception in 2004, CTGP funding of $148 million has led to the development of 61 training programs, many of which continue to meet critical training needs of Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial first responders. In addition to its role as coordinator of the CTGP, TEI also managed the Homeland Security National Training program (HSNTP), which supports the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) and the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC). TEI also funds the Continuing Training Grants program, which includes the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS, the Nation’s premier Homeland Security educator. In 2008, CHDS conferred 84 master of arts degrees in Homeland Security and graduated 63 students from the Executive Leaders Program. In addition, CHDS supported a digital library containing over 200 theses on Homeland Security topics and issues. A long-standing member of TEI, the NDPC serves as the ‘core’ of TEI’s training portfolio, with each member of the Consortium specializing in subject area ranging across chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. In 2008, the NDPC recorded over 93,500 students trained across the 68 certified courses offered to emergency responders. Several of these courses were delivered to state and local agencies in advance of the national political conventions to prepare responders. Similar to the NDPC in structure, the RDPC also serves as a central training resource for rural communities across America. Managed by Eastern Kentucky University, the RDPC consists of seven academic training partners that deliver training specific to the needs of responders in rural areas. Consistent with TEI’s focus on continuous improvement, in 2008 the RDPC published its annual Rural Needs Assessment, which reviewed over 1,800 survey responses on training needs and overall confidence in responder readiness and performance of critical emergency tasks. Over the coming years TEI and the RDPC will use the Rural Needs Assessments to drive development of new courses and focus training deliveries where they are most needed. 18 TRAIN Training and Exercise Integration continued... TEI continued to pursue leading-edge technologies in support of its mission in 2008. The division launched a web-based tool for its training partners that collects and analyzes training course evaluations and registration data from over 60 training programs, improving the ability for programs to view and assess their performance and overall effectiveness. TEI launched a new website, www.firstrespondertraining.gov, providing news and information on the latest courses certified by TEI along with catalogs of TEI-certified training courses. As shown in the table to the right, TEI had a very productive year. TEI aims to have an even stronger year in 2009, with exciting, innovative new courses ranging from the latest in online ‘serious gaming’ technologies (George Washington University and Dartmouth College virtual training games) to the most advanced transportation research and all-hazards education through the NDPC. Feedback from TEI training partners continue to demonstrate the outstanding service and value provided through their coursework. TEI by the Numbers • 109,358 students trained • 3,304 instructor-led course deliveries • $109,161,700 in grants awarded • Nine new training partners added • Over 30 new courses certified • 84 Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) masters in Homeland Security graduated 19 TRAIN Personal “Rad” Detector Training Lives Up to its Name Last year, the Counter Terrorism Operations Support (CTOS) program conducted the first pilot of its revolutionary “Personal Radiation Detector – Train-the-Trainer” (PRD T-t-T) course at the Nevada Test Site. The students who took the course were already qualified training instructors for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Now that their instructors have taken the PRD T-t-T course, NYPD’s training department now has their own completely autonomous capability to replicate this training for their own personnel. The overwhelmingly positive response from participants indicates that the training was a resounding success. Lt. Stephanie Clark, head of the NYPD’s elite Counter Terrorism Unit, also made the trip as an observer because she wanted to see firsthand the PRD T-t-T training program in action. Dennis Dugan, the CTOS Program Manager, said, “Having Lt. Clark join us was invaluable. She witnessed firsthand the complicated logistics and source requirements associated with the PRD course, and how each of her excellent instructors performed in the classroom. We are encouraging other jurisdictions interested in the training to send their leaders because of the value they add.” Because this course was the first of its kind, the CTOS instructors informed the NYPD students that their input was vital to future training classes. Dennis Dugan commented, “We needed the instructors and the students to provide us constructive feedback so we could truly get the course right. We received some excellent ideas and will incorporate them into future iterations.” Avian Influenza Training Provided by the AgPreparedness Center, Kirkwood Community College, Put to the Test Last March the AgPreparedness Center at Kirkwood Community College conducted Avian Influenza Response Training that included veterinarians and emergency response coordinators from Departments of Agriculture across the country, such as the Assistant State Veterinarian from Arkansas. Some months later, Arkansas had an outbreak of Avian Influenza that required this Assistant State Veterinarian to put his training to the test and provide field training to his staff of veterinarian responders. During the course of the response, the situation required that this field training be extended to agriculture response personnel across the state. Additionally, the state vet was running into difficulty emailing the materials because of the file sizes and limitations on recipients’ email boxes. Under these circumstances, the electronic materials were simply not accessible to many of the responders, and time was definitely a factor. Because of the relationship established with the AgPreparedness Center, the Assistant State Veterinarian contacted staff with his problem. Within 20 minutes, we were able to post a special web link for use by Arkansas responders so they could access all of the Just-In-Time training materials required to effectively respond to the outbreak. This ensured that all participants received the training materials in a timely manner and reduced their potential exposure to Avian Influenza. Training feedback from AI Course: “Thank you for the excellent training last week. You and your colleagues exceeded my expectations in enthusiasm, professionalism and quality of presentation materials. I have received many wonderful comments about the course. I look forward to having your group out again for the Foreign Animal Disease course when my budget and your schedule allow it. Together our mission continues to remind everyone about the importance of protecting our food supply and how to prepare for the worst and safely respond should it happen.” -Mary Jane Lis, MS, DVM, PhD State Veterinarian Connecticut Department of Agriculture 20 Training feedback from New Mexico Tech Course: “...Two weeks after my Sheriff and I got back from PER 230-1 we knocked over a meth lab with a drawer full of pipe bomb components!” - A.K. Rosenhan Oktibbeha County, MS Course feedback on Agroterrorism at University of Tennessee’s Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness: “Nicely prepared scenarios and practical exercises. The hypothetical production facilities were well thought out and contained relevant information...I have taken several Homeland Security courses and this one was one of the best using the group exercises.” Training feedback from TEEX Course: “My name is Mark Herrick I work for the Town of Windsor here in Colorado. On May 22, 2008 we were hit by a tornado. I attended your class in March, and I am so thankful I did. Everything you said would happen did. As I went from sewer lift station to lift station checking the status, little things from the class kept coming back to me. It really helped me get through all of this. I realize now how much you helped me not only do my job, but help the residents of Windsor. In closing, keep doing what you’re doing, you have helped a lot of people and WILL help so many more.” - Mark Herrick, Town of Windsor, CO, Collections System Specialist TRAIN Playas Training and Research Center at New Mexico Tech Officials with the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT) acquired the Playas Training and Research Center (PTRC)—further strengthening and diversifying TEI’s educational resources for emergency responders. The PTRC is the principal training venue for an NMT-sponsored course entitled “Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents,” which is funded by TEI and is the only DHS- approved training course that addresses the threat of suicide bombings against American lives and interests. The training is conducted at the PTRC two weeks per month, and features two classes (each with 35 students). Graduates (law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and emergency managers) return to their agencies with advanced skills—enabling them to prepare their agencies to prevent and rapidly respond to a suicide bombing. Agro-terrorism Training Course Update The Nation’s agriculture and food supply is one of our most precious resources—which makes them an especially desirable target for attack. To help communities and industry prevent a catastrophic event, TEI’s training partner, the University of Tennessee’s Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness, created a training course entitled “MGT 332: Agriculture and Food Vulnerability Assessment.” The two and a half day course introduces assessment methodologies that can be used to evaluate vulnerabilities in agriculture, food systems, and individual facility analysis. The course features hands-on training, case studies and practical exercises where participants can choose from the topics of crops, animal facilities, or food processing. To learn more about the PTRC, visit NMT’s Web page on www.nmt.edu/. 21 EXERCISE Preparedness in the Face of Technological Hazards Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Six U.S. Army depots in the United States store our Nation’s stockpile of chemical weapons. The Army is destroying the stockpile at four of the sites, while disposal facilities are under construction at the remaining two depots. Until the stockpile is completely destroyed, FEMA’s Technological Hazards Division, Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) is helping communities surrounding the depots prepare for, respond to, and protect residents in the unlikely event of an incident involving the stockpile. Since 1989, FEMA has collaborated with the U.S. Army and State, local and tribal partners to provide grants (cooperative agreements), technical assistance including training and exercises, and an array of preparedness products to the affected communities. FEMA Administrator David Paulison honored CSEPP on October 22, 2008 with a special award recognizing the program’s twenty year success promoting integrated preparedness. The Army has safely destroyed two stockpiles in the continental United States at Aberdeen, MD and Newport, IN. The last VX nerve agent in Newport was destroyed on August 8, 2008, and FEMA is currently assisting the Indiana community to close out the remaining CSEPP grant. Although the destruction process is complete in Aberdeen and Newport, preparedness continues with robust emergency management capabilities. Until the remaining stockpiles are destroyed, FEMA will continue to work closely with its partners to ensure that unique emergency management capabilities are maintained and the communities carefully plan for the eventual closeout of the program. In 2008, CSEPP conducted six exercises at CSEPP sites to ensure high levels of preparedness. The Umatilla, OR, CSEPP site participated in the NLE 2-08 exercise (see page 24). Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) In addition to chemical hazards, NPD and FEMA also prepare for radiological threats and hazards. In 2008, the Technological Hazards Division released the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program Manual (RPM), which is designed to be the primary source that defines standards, procedures, and methodology for determining ‘reasonable assurance’ that areas surrounding nuclear power plants are fully capable of meeting the unique challenges of a potential radiation release mission. The RPM is based on and is a companion to regulatory requirements articulated in FEMA and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guidelines. The contents of this manual guide includes activities of REPP, and its purpose is to aid State, tribal, and local governments as well as FEMA staff in planning, training, exercising, and other emergency preparedness activities in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant. 22 EXERCISE Hostile Action-Based/Exercise Scenario Enhancements In response to the NRC Bulletin 2005-02 titled Emergency Preparedness & Response Action for Security-Based Events, on July 18, 2005 REPP partnered with the NRC and formed the Hostile Action-Based (HAB) Scenario Task Force. The HAB Task Force is comprised of staff from both FEMA REPP (Headquarters and Regional) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and initially convened in December 2007. The task force made a key proposal to introduce hostile action-based scenarios into the exercise cycle used in the REPP “reasonable assurance” program concluding a range of inspections, planning, and activities that validate preparedness. The task force is focusing on two areas for potential improvement: the reduction of response organization’s exercise “pre-conditioning” and the enhancement of response to hostile-action based events. A New Alert & Notification System for Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant In response to a statutory requirement mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Nuclear Corporation has replaced the sirens at their Indian Point Energy Center nuclear power plant location. The new sirens meet a Confirmatory Order issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The Confirmatory Order requires that Indian Point provide a back-up power system on all of the Alert & Notification System sirens in place to provide emergency notifications for people in the 10 mile Emergency Preparedness Zone (EPZ). FEMA’s role is to review and approve design, installation, and testing of the system to ensure it meets regulatory and policy requirements. In conjunction with the NRC, FEMA approved the proposed system for a one-year testing period on August 14, 2008, and continues to monitor the new system for viability, while the existing system is preserved to ensure continuous coverage in support of the people residing and conducting business in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, and Putnam counties in New York. The new system is equipped with a back-up power supply and incorporates use of Tone Alert Radios (TARs) to supplement areas where the siren coverage is known to be less than desired. Additionally, the counties affected use a reverse 9-1-1 system to provide emergency notification to those households identified as needing auxiliary notification. The radios were set in place on November 1, 2008. 23 EXERCISE Report on the National Integration Center (NIC) Assistant Administrator, Steve Saunders National Exercise Division Year in Review The true report card for preparedness is how well we respond during a disaster. If the report card is effective response, then the final exam for disaster preparedness are well constructed and well-conducted preparedness exercises. NPD’s National Exercise Division (NED) helps its Federal, regional and State partners create exercises that lead to improved operational performance. The past year has been one of great strides for NED and our partners. It was the year when the National Exercise Program came of age, with literally thousands of preparedness exercises and exercise oriented events entered into the National Exercise Scheduling calendar. It was the year that NED was able to offer a comprehensive set of support tools on the Internet to all who need them. Finally, it was a year in which the concept of a National Exercise Simulation Center (NESC) moved from the drawing board to a functioning facility. At the national level, NED took the guidance provided by the Secretary, the Administrator, Homeland Security Council (HSC), HSPD-8, and PKEMRA to guide a comprehensive National Exercise Program (NEP), complete with a 5-year plan of National level (Tier I and Tier II) exercises and activities. Beyond the National level focus, NED also began a review and update of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). NED created an HSEEP Working Group to guide this review. To make sure the HSEEP meets the needs of all jurisdictions, the work group includes a mix of 80 state and regional exercise officials, State homeland security officials, and representatives from Federal interagency partners. The year also saw significant improvement and new tools added to the HSEEP Web site. Each of these is designed to strengthen local, State, regional, tribal and National level exercise planning and execution. HSEEP is also aligned with the US Coast Guard, Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP), and Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP). Together, the NEP and HSEEP provide the foundation for a more synchronized approach to all jurisdictions interested in maximizing the investment they make in conducting exercises. The NED Exercise Operations Branch facilitated one National Level Exercise (NLE), 8 senior official, and 5 terrorism prevention exercises. At the same time, the operations branch provided planning assistance to 76 regional exercises. To support these exercises, NED also conducted 26 exercise planning sessions and supported 38 exercise coordination activities. The exercise operations branch played a significant role in helping Federal, State and local entities prepare for both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and NED was involved in assisting with the transition of government as the incoming and outgoing administrations complete their handoff and assumption of authority. A long held vision to create a NESC came to life late this year. The NESC received funding in 2007 with the mission of providing live, virtual, and constructive support to Tier I – Tier IV exercises. The doors to this exciting addition to our exercise support capability opened in January 2009. Working with the National Response Coordination Center, the NESC was used for the first time to support the January 20, 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. NED will use the NESC so that it can fully support NLE 09 in July. The NESC will ultimately provide a host of services ranging from modeling and simulation of events to “Red Teaming” and “Universal Adversary” planning and support to terrorism prevention activities. 24 EVALUATE and IMPROVE Target Capabilities List (TCL) TCL Implementation Project Recognizing that preparedness at all levels will require a synchronized yet flexible approach to capability-based planning, NPD has embarked on an effort to enhance the TCL. Known as the TCL Implementation Project, the initiative is designed to enable all levels of government to answer fundamental preparedness questions: How prepared are we? How prepared do we need to be? What should we do to close the gaps? The TCL was released in September 2007 and defined 37 specific capabilities that communities, the private sector, and all levels of government should possess to effectively prevent, protect, respond to and recover from disasters. The project will update the 37 existing target capabilities to provide more user-friendly, accessible, and credible capability targets in order to link all activities performed in the preparedness cycle, as described in the National Preparedness Guidelines. Creating More Usable Capability Frameworks A focus of the Implementation Project is to enhance the usability of the TCL by building individual Target Capability Frameworks for each of the 37 capabilities. These frameworks, which are being developed in collaboration with National policy experts, field practitioners, and industry leaders, will establish measurable performance objectives for jurisdictions of different scales and complexity. The Frameworks will also be designed to account for varying risks and complexities inherent to specific jurisdictions. Over the next three years, NPD will organize each of the target capabilities in terms of three interrelated aspects that define: • Performance Classes – organizes entities into classes based on various risk factors, such as population and population density (this avoids a “one size fits all” approach) • Performance Objectives – provides measurable, outcome-oriented performance objectives for each class • Resource Elements – identifies planning resources, standards, and guidance, such as the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Maintaining Close Ties with the User Community The TCL project is engaging stakeholders through the following channels: National stakeholder technical working groups, briefings, small-group meetings, and virtual conferences. To date, the TCL project has held 12 Technical Working Group sessions across the country, attended by nearly 250 of the top experts in their fields. At least one working group was held in each of the ten FEMA regions. This National collaboration has resulted in the creation of six draft Target Capability Frameworks: • Animal Disease Emergencies • Multi-Agency Coordination/Emergency Operations Center Management • Intelligence • Mass Transit Protection • On-Site Incident Management • Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/ Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Rescue 25 EVALUATE and IMPROVE EVALUATE and IMPROVE Assessing Preparedness Activities: An Integrated and Comprehensive Approach Federal Preparedness Report NPD drafted the first annual Federal Preparedness Report (FPR) in 2008. The FPR highlights the progress achieved by the national homeland security community over the last five years and provides a snapshot of current National preparedness levels in planning, organization, equipment, training, exercises, and evaluation. The Report is the first comprehensive review of the combined preparedness efforts of Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial homeland security partners. This FPR is the first in a series of annual preparedness reports that sets a baseline for routine reporting on all aspects of the national preparedness system. Over the last year, NPD collected data and coordinated with more than 50 different preparedness program areas. NPD will work with Federal partners to institutionalize the routine collection and systematic analysis of essential data. NPD has established a goal of integrating FEMA’s multiple preparedness reporting requirements, as specified by PKEMRA, into a single National Preparedness Report. This effort will ease the burden on stakeholders at all levels of government, and provide a definitive account of homeland security preparedness across all parts of the Federal Government, as well as across State, local, tribal, and territorial governments. State Preparedness Reports In 2008, FEMA NPD collected the first series of State Preparedness Reports (SPRs) from all 56 States and territories. All States and territories receiving Federal preparedness assistance are required to submit annual reports assessing their overall level of preparedness. These reports provide NPD with annual State data on capabilities and the requirements to enhance these capabilities to specified levels. The SPR is the primary mechanism through which FEMA NPD is collecting capability data directly from State governments. NPD is in the process of completing its first analysis of these reports and developing a SPR Analysis and Findings Report. This will provide aggregated State data on efforts to meet each of the eight National Priorities, funding levels, and expected funding requirements to meet established capability targets in each priority area. NPD is also designing individual State overviews for States, Federal Preparedness Coordinators and other FEMA Regional staff to provide high-level information on each FEMA Region. In the current fiscal year, NPD is asking States to provide updates to their reports rather than entirely new reports to reduce user-burden and avoid duplicative reporting requirements. In the current fiscal year, these efforts will include developing State-specific overview documents for each capability to facilitate the integration of SPR data into the Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) which is under development. This will also result in the development of a new format for the SPR to integrate the SPR with CAS methodology, further reducing user burden. 26 EVALUATE and IMPROVE Comprehensive Assessment System NPD is integrating assessments and reducing the burden on State and local stakeholders through the development of the Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS). The purpose of the CAS is to integrate assessments, streamline reporting requirements, and enhance the quality of preparedness information. In 2008, the CAS project analyzed six major preparedness assessment systems developed by DHS/ FEMA in the last decade to develop recommendations for a single, nationally-integrated system. Furthermore, NPD has started identifying and collecting preparedness data from a range of FEMA programs. For example, NPD established an Assessment Working Group comprised of representatives from more than 20 program offices across FEMA to coordinate data collection and CAS outreach. When complete, in 2009, the CAS will function as a central repository for national preparedness data. In its first iteration, the system will integrate data from prior reports and legacy assessment systems to reduce the need for duplicative data calls. NPD will continue to coordinate with preparedness programs at all levels to identify and collect a comprehensive set of preparedness data to analyze and determine gaps in the existing data sources. Identified data gaps will be used to develop a CAS State Survey to be distributed in the summer of 2009. This first survey will address questions about current capabilities not already answered through other assessments and reports, focusing on key measures drawn from the 37 capabilities set forth in the Target Capabilities List (TCL) 2.0. The survey will be web-based, using the National Incident Management System Compliance Assistance Support Tool (NIMSCAST). NIMSCAST is a nationally-used online assessment tool, with which most respondents will already be familiar. State survey inputs will be combined with the analysis of existing data to determine a national baseline of capabilities and will be used to write the National Preparedness Report. NPD also intends to brief the CAS at various stakeholder conferences and highlight CAS in homeland security newsletters and periodicals to garner support and familiarize stakeholders across all levels of government. 27 National Preparedness Directorate 500 C Street SW Suite 726 Washington, DC 20472 202-646-3100 http://online.fema.net/npd/