ICE PROMPTS NO-NOTICE COOP ‘Episodic’ Telecommute Tested...Again On Wednesday, Mother Nature staged another no-notice continuity of operations (COOP) activation for Region II:  Ice, sleet and hazardous conditions stranded many employees at home…where they logged in and continued working. “Over the past two years, we’ve worked hard to build and prepare our telework infrastructure,” said Russell Fox, Continuity of Operations Manager for Region II. “We’ve tested and tweaked the system, but it is the no-notice, ‘real time’ events that truly test resiliency success.  Tuesday’s weather reports about ‘the storm of the century,’ and Wednesday’s hazardous weather enabled us to activate our plan on short notice, and it went off flawlessly.” The episodic telecommute plan is designed to provide staff with the ability to perform Region II mission essential functions in times of crisis, be they natural or manmade. Since the blizzard of December 26th, the plan has been activated four times, Fox says, noting that telework will become an increasingly important with the upcoming closure of the Ft. Monmouth COOP facility in July.  The Regional continuity plan is currently under review, and a series of annual continuity trainings will be sponsored in each division in preparation for the annual continuity exercise this June.  As a reminder, aII staff are required to complete two EMI Independent online COOP classes: IS-546 Continuity of Operations Awareness Course, and IS-547 Introduction to Continuity of Operations. “Wednesday’s activation was our most successful to date,” Fox said. “But despite our success, I was pleased to hear the groundhog didn’t see his shadow, and is predicting an early spring.” ` Program Analysts Kevin Malone ,above, and Mark Feeley, right, worked from home this week in a successful activation of the Region’s episodic telecommuting plan this week. NEW JERSEY GETS DECLARATION 13 Counties Eligible for Public Assistance REGION 2 BI-WEEKLY Vol. 3 Issue 2 February 4, 2011 ******************** DAE CARRIES IT ON External Affairs DEA Dr. Jacqueline McBride, far left, was honored by her home county of Atlantic, NJ, at its 24th Annual MLK Commemorative Birthday Celebration last month. Co-recipient Turiya Raheem is with her. Both women were honored for living the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who envisioned a color blind society and an end to all forms of discrimination through non-violent activism. The blizzard of December 26, 2010 netted the Region its first Presidential disaster declaration of 2011. William Vogel has been named Federal Coordinating Officer for this disaster, DR-1954. (See file photo below.) Federal funding will be available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm and snowstorm in 13 counties: Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, and Union. In addition, assistance will be available to the state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including snow assistance, for a continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period, which ran from December 26 through 27th. All of New Jersey’s 21 counties will be eligible for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is designed to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards. ` Unusually, the Region got word of the declaration early on Friday afternoon, prompting Deputy Regional Administrator Mike Moriarty to alert his managers: “Heads up Team, POTUS has signed the NJ Major Disaster Declaration this morning for 13 counties as recommended. Bill Vogel is FCO. Governor Christie's office has been notified. Start your engines! “ It is anticipated that the JFO will be at Fort Monmouth. *** MITIGATION SEEKS INTEGRATION POINTS Dr. Sandra Knight, FEMA’s Deputy Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administrator - Mitigation visited Region II last week to meet with Regional Administrator Lynn Canton, senior staff and the entire Mitigation Division. Dr. Knight is above left, standing with R-II Mitigation Division Director Tim Crowley, center. DR. Knight’s discussions with senior staff centered around the successes of the FIMA Strategic Plan, the much anticipated roll-out of Risk Map, and how both of these initiatives will change the way the Mitigation Division conducts its business. She also discussed “touch points” for integration between programs, soliciting ideas on how to support integration across the divisions. At an All-Hands gathering with staff, Dr. Knight encouraged involvement in strategic planning, the National Flood Insurance Reform effort, and the implementation of Risk Map. Mitigation’s Senior Planner Cathleen Carlisle and her team were honored for their work developing and implementing the Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan Review, and for ensuring that the State of New York’s Statewide Hazard Mitigation Plan was reviewed and approved before it expired. IMAT, DCE GETTING READY... Braving the snow and ice, Region II’s IMAT team and its Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) convened at NJ’s Regional Operational & Intelligence Center Wednesday to prepare for their annual Operational Readiness Exercise and External Evaluation. Region II’s IMAT team is evaluated each year by its HQ colleagues to ensure its’ equipment functions properly and that it is truly ready for deployment. In photo upper right, IMAT staff check out their equipment. By convening an exercise concurrent with DCE, the group seized the opportunity to train together and integrate operations, walking through the New Jersey facility and identifying operating space. They also addressed some basic logistical issues, pre-identifying the means and routes needed to run cables from their satellites into the building to where the teams will be setting up the Initial Operating Facility. The next day, the full IMAT and DCE deployed to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn to test their satellite and air card capabilities. IMAT team lead Tom Fargione, standing in photo lower right, gave a presentation on the ICS planning cycle that FEMA uses, providing an overview of how the teams will operate on field deployments READY IN THE USVI FEMA’s campaign, Resolve to be Ready in 2011, arrived on St. Croix last week, when the Chief of Staff of DR-1948 addressed second graders about how they can help their families prepare for an emergency. Ida M. White also reminded the children that their pets need to be included in their preparedness plans. After the presentation, the students received FEMA’s Ready…Set…Prepare! activity books, see left. Resolve to be Ready in 2011 is a national preparedness campaign, led by FEMA's Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council. It sponsors outreach events nationwide.