U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FEMA REGION III Annual Report Fiscal Year 2007 ON THE COVER: A banner advertises Region III’s Safety and Health Expo, which was held on the historic grounds of Independence Mall in Philadelphia on June 14, 2007. To Our Stakeholders: Nine months ago, I joined the FEMA team as the Regional Administrator of Region III. I arrived amid reorganizations and implementation of the agency’s New FEMA. During the last year, Region III has worked hard to make the vision a reality and to achieve Administrator Paulison’s vision of becoming the Nation’s Preeminent Emergency Management Agency. The region made significant strides in building its readiness capabilities and bolstering the agency’s core competencies. Operational and Planning Capabilities. With an eye on developing stronger operational systems and plans to enhance response and coordination, the Response and Recovery and National Preparedness Divisions led the charge in managing Region III’s Gap Analysis initiative, which we launched in March. By taking a look at the strengths and weaknesses of our hurricane-prone states, we now have a better understanding of what their unmet needs will be during a major hurricane response and how we need to prepare. This initiative has returned great dividends in that it has allowed us to strengthen our local, state and federal partnerships. A pilot planning cell was stood up in our National Preparedness Division to focus on all-hazards planning and to ultimately strengthen the capabilities of the field planning element. Our operational procedures now have a renewed emphasis on the Incident Command System (ICS) principles for crisis management and response. We have found ways to better utilize skilled staff, implementing a specialized planning unit to coordinate contingency planning across the region. Picture 1: Jonathan Sarubbi, Regional Administrator Partnerships. During the past year, we worked hand-in-hand with our partners at every level of government as well as those in the nonprofit and private sectors. Our National Preparedness Division participated in Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and Regional Response Team meetings throughout the region. Participants included federal, state and local agencies from law enforcement, emergency management, homeland security, private industry and the health and transportation fields. To further solidify these relationships, in FY 08 the region will be developing a comprehensive outreach strategy to include law enforcement, the private sector and elected officials. Customer Service. Region III is striving to find new ways to help communities recover after an event strikes by providing a high level of customer service. Through technical support to our states and the District of Columbia, we helped with the development and approval of 1,953 local mitigation plans, which will enable communities to continue to receive pre- and post-disaster assistance funding. With the release of the first Joint Housing Solutions Group (JHSG) report, disaster victims will have greater housing options when displaced from their homes. Our human services branch chief, who was selected to lead the JHSG Steering Committee, led the effort in developing this report. Financial Assistance. More than $10.7 million was awarded in mitigation grants to states and communities while $18.9 million in Public Assistance funding was provided to state and local governments and some private non-profit organizations. Through the Homeland Security Grant Program, $222 million was awarded to Region III jurisdictions. These grants fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training and exercises. Looking Ahead Fiscal Year 2008 will afford Region III the opportunity to finalize its organizational structure, exercise its operational capabilities and increase the level of preparedness in the mid-Atlantic region. Reorganization. We will finalize a revised regional organizational structure, which will include new Disaster Operations and Disaster Assistance Divisions and a significantly enhanced National Preparedness Division. We will hire a Federal Preparedness Coordinator (FPC) who will have overall leadership responsibility for preparedness in our region. The coordinator’s primary role will be to improve the region’s all-hazard preparedness posture by strengthening links with our federal, state, local governments and private sector stakeholders. Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC). We are making technological enhancements to our RRCC that will allow our operations staff to boost monitoring capabilities and situational awareness. Regional monitoring will be expanded to 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Operational Readiness. Three large-scale exercises will be held in FY 08. The Philadelphia Federal Executive Board (FEB) is planning an Inter-Governmental full-scale exercise, Liberty Down 08, for April while the Pittsburgh FEB is working on plans for an Inter-Governmental exercise, Bridges Out 08, for May. Third, the region will be fully engaged in a hurricane scenario in May for the National Level Exercise 02-08, which will require the activation of our Regional Response Coordination Center and the standing up of a joint field operation. For our continued Gap Analysis, we will enter into Phase III in which we will expand the tool to all hazards and all Region III states. Overall, FY 07 was marked by change, but even with all the uncertainty and ongoing restructuring, Region III managed to remain on course. Many thanks to the Region III staff, our states and the emergency management community at large for all you do to protect the citizens of the mid-Atlantic region. -Jonathan Sarubbi Mission The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect our institutions from natural and technological hazards by leading and supporting the Nation in comprehensive, risk-based emergency and consequence management programs of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Region III is striving to establish an allhazards approach to emergency management in the region and to ensure that customers, both public and private, are served well. We assure this through closer working relationships with partners from federal, state and local entities, private industry and local volunteer organizations, as well as through better integration of FEMA’s policies and programs with efficient and effective service delivery. Vision To regain the trust and confidence of the American people, we will transform FEMA into the Nation’s Preeminent Emergency Management Agency. To do this, we must: Strengthen core capabilities, competencies and capacities: Fostering a national emergency management system and implementing a cohesive national preparedness system must begin by strengthening the foundational building blocks of a weakened but venerable agency. The nation needs a strong FEMA; but that cannot be achieved without purposeful new investments. Build strong regions: The region is the essential field echelon of FEMA that engages most directly with state partners and disaster victims to deliver frontline services. It is the region that can build and nurture state and local capabilities across the spectrum of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. And it is the region that will lead the federal response to incidents across the spectrum of all-hazards events. A strong FEMA will rely on strong Regions to regain the trust and confidence of governors, mayors, leaders in the private sector and the citizens of our homeland. Strengthen our partnership with states: Response to disasters and emergencies is primarily a state and local effort. To build and support an effective National system of emergency management, FEMA must have effective partnerships with state and local governments. Professionalize the national emergency management system: The nation’s ability to marshal an effective response to disasters requires the right people with the right skills. We will work with our partners to build a nationwide system of trained and certified experts skilled in all hazards emergency management – starting right here in FEMA. Focusing on core capabilities and the partnerships and people that comprise the nation’s preparedness and emergency management system will enable us to: Marshal an effective national response We will respond more quickly and effectively, bringing the right people and resources from across federal departments and agencies to bear when and where they are needed. Deliver service of value to the public We will provide timely, compassionate and less bureaucratic disaster assistance to hasten the recovery of individuals and communities while minimizing the opportunity for waste, fraud and abuse. Reduce vulnerability to life and property We will work with our partners to prepare, plan, and mitigate before disaster strikes, and leverage those opportunities to reduce risk and the actual loss of life and property. Instill public confidence FEMA will demonstrate mission effectiveness and efficiency, in proper balance, to regain the trust, faith and confidence of the American public. Organizationally, no asset should be more prized, or more dear when lost, than the confidence of the public we serve. We will work with our many partners to build an Agency the nation can once again look to with pride. Core Competencies Accomplishing our mission and vision requires that we continue striving to sustain and improve essential organizational competencies. Incident Management Instill disaster management competencies at all levels of government. Operational Planning Coordinate, synchronize and integrate the federal capabilities in support of state disaster response requirements. Disaster Logistics Seize the role as overall lead to coordinate end-to-end disaster incident logistics. Emergency Communications Lead the assessment and coordinate attainment of federal and state emergency communications preparedness for disaster response and recovery. Service to Disaster Victims Provide rapid, compassionate, simply accessed assistance to individuals and communities. Continuity Programs Lead agent for the federal continuity of operations and continuity of government programs. Public Disaster Communications Assert leadership role in coordinating development and dissemination of federal all hazard emergency preparedness messaging. Integrated Preparedness Serve as focal point to drive preparedness integration across DHS and across all federal, state, local and private sector stake-holders. Hazard Mitigation Create safer communities by proactively reducing risk and promote disaster resilience by enabling individuals and communities to recover more rapidly from floods and other disasters. STRATEGIC GOAL 1 _____________________ Extend and Enhance FEMA Operational Capability Upgrade and enhance FEMA’s operational capability based on a thorough re-examination of our conceptual approach to federal disaster management. The goal is to improve delivery of disaster services on routine disasters, as well as extend capabilities to handle larger and more complex disasters, including multiple, widespread or simultaneous events. _____________________ At the core of Incident Management is its inherent operational aspect of situational awareness. In FY 07, situational awareness was the driving force behind Region III’s work to enhance its rapid response teams, Regional Response Coordination Center, and disaster operations. Regional Response Teams. For hurricane season, the region prepared both operational plans and staff to react quickly in support of its six jurisdictions in the event of an emergency or a disaster. Leading the charge, the Response and Recovery Division developed the 2007 Hurricane Season Concept of Operations Plan to outline and detail the roles and responsibilities for command structure and coordination points for a hurricane response. State Liaison Officers, who deploy to the region’s states and the District of Columbia immediately following an incident, received training to help them function effectively in their role to coordinate and support states’ needs. Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC). The region is making technological improvements to enhance its ability to coordinate with federal, state and local partners during an incident by upgrading its RRCC. The RRCC is a central location where federal agencies colocate, forming a regional command center to coordinate a regional disaster response. Recent enhancements include an upgraded computer system and extended audio video systems for situational awareness, which increase the reporting capacity throughout the regional office. Video teleconferencing capabilities will be upgraded in FY 08, allowing the FEMA Headquarters’ National Response Coordination Center to connect to the RRCC in real time. Operational Awareness. FEMA’s ability to act swiftly and decisively in notice and no-notice events lies within its capability of establishing around-the-clock operational monitoring. During FY 07, operational personnel served as watch officers to enhance situational awareness and communication among the regional emergency operations centers and fusion centers, ensuring Region III is linked into state and local operations. In addition, the watch officer created daily operational briefings that were given to senior management. Regional monitoring via the RRCC will eventually increase to 24-hours, 7-days a week with the impending addition of watch officers in FY 08. Disaster Response. Unlike previous years, disaster activity was low in FY 07. Two major disasters were declared for Pennsylvania and West Virginia on February 23 and May 11 respectively, making aid available to state and local governments and some private non-profit organizations under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. In support of FEMA Region VII, which had received several back-to-back disaster declarations for severe weather, Region III ran the recovery operation for a major disaster declaration received on September 14 for storms and flooding in the state of Iowa. During hurricane season and times of overwhelming disaster activity, Region III serves as the primary backup to Region VII and vice-versa. DISASTER ASSISTANCE (Public Assistance) State, Disaster, Awarded West Virginia 1696 $7,469,998 Pennsylvania 1684 $11,558,720 Iowa* 1727 $1,700,000 TOTAL - $20,728,718 * Turnkey operation. Amount awarded out of an estimated $7.5 million. Picture 2: FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison (right) swears in Jonathan Sarubbi as FEMA Region III’s Regional Administrator on March 19, 2007 in Washington, D.C. Strong Regional Operations. With the hiring of Region III’s new Regional Administrator and three additional Federal Coordinating Officers, regional operations have been strengthened to provide the full range of incident management support to the states and the District of Columbia. These leaders, having many years of experience in emergency management, will ensure regional programs and partnerships are successfully maintained. Operations Planning The Incident Command System (ICS) is at the forefront of Region III operations. Moreover, this system is helping to reshape the way the region has historically conducted emergency operations. In FY 07, the integration of ICS principles into regional procedures, along with key partnerships and exercises, contributed to the boosting of response and planning capabilities. With a particular emphasis on crisis management and response, an all-risk planning unit was established July 30 within the National Preparedness Division. This unit is coordinating internally and externally in producing operational and contingency plans and managing assessments. Placing the planning unit in the National Preparedness Division will draw on the synergy of the existing Continuity of Operations Program, exercises, National Incident Management System, and agency grant programs that form the core components of regional preparedness. The overall emphasis of this team will be on all-hazards planning and will produce a more robust field organization with increased capability to deliver frontline services. Coordination with External Partners. Through its many partnerships, Region III has been able to increase its state of readiness and operational awareness to better prepare for disasters. The following are FY 07 highlights: • Rear Admiral Cynthia A. Coogan, the 2007 hurricane season pre-designated Principal Federal Official for the mid-Atlantic region, visited the regional office on July 26 for a briefing on regional operations. • In an effort to strengthen relationships, state homeland security advisors visited the regional office on February 21 for an orientation and New FEMA briefing. They returned to the regional office on May 5 for a special meeting with state directors. • Federal and state officials, who are actively involved with response, recovery and mitigation operations, attended the semi-annual Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) meeting and Response & Recovery/Mitigation Summit on May 1-3. RISC members represent the agencies that would respond to a major disaster under the National Response Framework. • National Preparedness staff participated in Delaware Valley Fusion Center meetings. Once established, the center will be a central location where critical information and data can be collected, analyzed and disseminated among public and private sectors. Region III anticipates having a seat on the Executive Steering Committee, supporting the center and linking the Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) into its operations for intelligence sharing and situational awareness. Picture 3: Administrator Sarubbi addresses the homeland security advisors and state directors in Philadelphia on May 5. Picture 4: Rear Admiral Cynthia Coogan comments during a Gap Analysis meeting on July 26 in the regional office. Picture 5: Senior Federal Coordinating Officer Tom Davies discusses New FEMA with Brigadier General Mark Graham, Army North Deputy Commanding General, on March 28. Picture 6: The Defense Coordinating Element holds a briefing during an exercise in the District of Columbia. Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) Activities. FEMA and the Department of Defense have taken major strides to ensure that federal and military response is coordinated and seamless, especially at the regional level. Region III’s DCE serves as the single point of contact for the coordination and validation of civilian requests for Department of Defense support and for the command and control of active duty forces assigned to response operations. As part of its FY 07 planning initiatives, the DCE established a structured oncall schedule to enable Department of Defense personnel to accompany Region III’s Emergency Response Teams. The DCE, which is prepared to deploy within three to four hours upon notification, has provisions for the regional emergency preparedness liaison officers to man or augment the RRCC. The DCE, in conjunction with its emergency preparedness liaison officers, conducted a total of 29 regional Base Support Installation visits, educating garrison commanders on Defense Support to Civilian Authorities (DSCA) operations and the potential requirements for Federal Operating Staging Areas and mobilization sites in Region III. In support of DSCA operations, the DCE participated in 14 training events within the region including Capital Shield in the National Capital Region, Vigilant Guard in Virginia, and Red Rose in Pennsylvania. Nationally, they participated in Ardent Sentry in Indiana and Rhode Island as well as Golden Guardian in California. These events allowed personnel to hone their skills as a supporting agency to FEMA. Readiness Exercises. FEMA Region III’s exercise officer coordinated participation in all federal, state and local exercises, as well as handled the assistance to other agencies in the planning, execution and evaluation of their exercises. Region III has participated in and facilitated many all-hazards exercises, including oil and hazardous materials spills, agro-terrorism, terrorism, and Pandemic Flu planning. • In preparation for hurricane season, a hurricane preparedness exercise was conducted in coordination with hurricane exercises in the National Capital Region and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The exercise was designed to allow regional staff, along with federal partners and state governments, to evaluate response concepts, plans, procedures, and capabilities during a response to a major hurricane. Exercise play focused on a sixhour period, roughly two days after landfall. The RRCC was activated to monitor the exercise events and to simulate the provision of resources to the affected areas. In addition, an emergency response team was deployed to the Commonwealth of Virginia, which was the most severely impacted state in the exercise scenario. • A two-day exercise that involved the RRCC and the Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) site was held on July 31 - August 1. Principal Federal Official Rear Admiral Cynthia Coogan and her staff as well as the region’s Emergency Support Functions were participants. All regional staff traveled to the COOP site, where a briefing was held on the region’s COOP procedures. For the RRCC exercise, the 2007 Hurricane Concept of Operations Plan was tested along with the handling of mission assignments in response to state requests for assistance. Picture 7: Regional staff strategizes during a hurricane preparedness excercise on April 26 in the regional office. Emergency Communications As part of the agency’s leadership role in facilitating national disaster emergency communications, Region III’s Information Technology (IT) team engaged the hurricane prone states to establish and assist in assessing emergency communications capabilities. Through regular visits to Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia in FY 07, IT staff evaluated risks to their communications systems to determine the communications capabilities needed after an incident. Critical missions were reviewed, including evacuation, shelter operations, search and rescue, and distribution of commodities. The goals are to determine what communications equipment and systems are needed, what is available from local and state government agencies, and what is required of FEMA. The overall goal is to build interoperability between the federal agencies and the state and local first responder community. Disaster Logistics For aid to be effective, FEMA must be able to get what is needed at the right place at the right time. With training in the operation of key components of a full asset visibility program, Region III focused on becoming familiar with the system and partnering with various jurisdictions to preposition containers of supplies. Total Asset Visibility. Region III logistics personnel were trained to operate two components of a new system called Total Asset Visibility, which will enable them to submit requests for resources and to track the location of shipments. Staff can now request all commodities and staffing while generating reports on the status of requests. They can also monitor in-transit shipments. State Commodity Staging. The Pre-positioned Disaster Supplies program was developed to position life-sustaining disaster equipment and supplies in state locations near a potential disaster site. During hurricane season, Initial Response Resources and Home Recovery Kits were positioned in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The District of Columbia and Pennsylvania will obtain supplies in FY 08. Service to Disaster Victims Region III has significantly contributed to the agency’s vision of developing a National Disaster Housing Strategy by leading the Joint Housing Solutions Group. Joint Housing Solutions Group (JHSG). Since the inception of the JHSG in September 2006, Region III’s human services branch chief has led its Steering Committee, working to achieve the following goals in FY 07: • Develop a systematic process to evaluate and rate various disaster housing options • Identify viable alternatives to FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes • Recommend improvements for conducting disaster housing operations With the group’s recent release of its first report, FEMA now has an established and effective process for identifying and evaluating disaster housing alternatives to travel trailers and manufactured homes. The report documents those procedures and also presents the results of about 25 alternatives already tested. The JHSG will continue to seek and test housing alternatives while focusing on improving FEMA’s administration of disaster housing. The work of the JHSG is a good example of an effective collaborative effort among FEMA, the National Institute of Building Sciences and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Evacuees. Approximately 308 families, living throughout Region III, are still receiving rental assistance. Many of them have found employment, enrolled children in local schools and intend to make the mid-Atlantic region their permanent home. Throughout the year, the region has participated in case management consortiums where available federal resources are shared with evacuees. In addition, Human Services staff has worked with HUD, which will begin administering the housing program for evacuees in December 2007, on each family’s needs for continued rental assistance. STRATEGIC GOAL 2 _____________________ Build Capability and Readiness for Catastrophic Disasters Truly catastrophic disasters require that we build a “next level” set of national capabilities to ensure we are prepared for the extraordinary or unique requirements of disasters of this magnitude. _____________________ In close coordination with the states, the District of Columbia and local jurisdictions, Region III helped initiate the development of several planning projects and employed innovative methods to increase readiness. Operations Planning Gap Analysis. A major initiative at the core of hurricane season planning was Gap Analysis, a tool used to evaluate the strengths and vulnerabilities of 11 hurricane-prone states. The focus was on debris, interim housing, sheltering, evacuation, commodity distribution, medical, communication and fuel. In Region III, this initiative was launched in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. With Federal Coordinating Officers leading teams of subject matter experts in these jurisdictions, the region was able to work with its counterparts to validate data while collectively identifying and resolving gaps. These teams forged new relationships with state agencies outside of emergency management. Also, they encouraged emergency management agencies to host meetings with other state agencies to identify critical statewide issues, to assign lead state agencies to address these concerns, and to begin coordinating to address gaps. This strategy provided, for the first time, access to information and coordination opportunities resulting in a true joint local, state, and federal response planning effort. Partnerships have been crucial throughout this initiative. • Region III’s Defense Coordinating Element supported the effort, providing subject matter experts in medical, operations, communications, and logistics that enhanced the planning and analysis phase. • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) handled the medical portions of the analysis and identified and resolved special medical needs. • The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers provided modeling for 14 storm tracks. This information will assist in the identification of vulnerable facilities and populations, ensuring shelters and staging areas are in safe locations throughout the region. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia identified the locations, staffing and equipment for the operation of their Points of Distribution, which is where supplies are distributed to disaster victims. These locations have been plotted in Geographical Information Systems. In the area of debris removal, just 41 percent of jurisdictions in May reported having a debris removal plan and even less reported having identified pre-approved disposal sites. By July, these percentages had increased. By providing one-on-one support and debris planning workshops, all Region III hurricane-prone states can now handle debris within the first 72 hours of an incident. Throughout the Gap Analysis assessments, significant state accomplishments were achieved. Below is a snapshot of them: • Pre-identified Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) locations and staffing as well as preliminary damage assessment support • Developed a donations management plan • Held a Point of Distribution Sites (PODS) exercise to test the Army Corps of Engineers PODs model, to familiarize the local staff with the procedures and to produce a training video for statewide use. • Received a “StormReady” three-year designation from the National Weather Service for 14 communities and counties for having the capability to quickly inform the public about impending inclement weather. • Prepared a request for proposal to solicit bids for debris removal statewide, with the anticipation that the bids will enable state agencies, counties and cities to use the contracts. Since the start of the Gap Analysis, the region’s relationships with state agencies have strengthened tremendously, resulting in greater traction in identifying capabilities and shortfalls. Pennsylvania and West Virginia will be engaged in the FY 08 assessments when the initiative is expanded to include all hazards and all jurisdictions, which will be discussed at Region III’s Gap Summit in December 2007. Incident Planning in the National Capital Region (NCR). Recognizing the need for a regional effort that includes all Region III states and not just the official NCR area of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, a kick-off evacuation planning conference was held in February. Representatives from the entire Region III jurisdiction attended the conference, initiating the start of a long planning project. Coupled with this project will be the region’s support to Pennsylvania and West Virginia to determine the scope of potential evacuations into these states from the NCR in a possible terrorist event. Catastrophic Evacuation Planning. Although all disasters are managed locally, the state and federal governments have crucial roles in providing life saving and life sustaining support when needed. To meet the needs of local citizens, both must initiate strategic and tactical level planning to meet the potential resource requirements well before an incident occurs. In FY 07, meetings were conducted to identify the potential level of support required for hurricane evacuations from Region III coastal states and to evaluate the potential resource requirements. In addition, transportation requirements prior to and during an evacuation were discussed. In formulating each jurisdiction’s plans, each reported being able to handle necessary evacuations with their own assets. In the event additional help is required, plans have been formulated to address each individual situation. Although Region III jurisdictions are not likely to be subjected to mass medical evacuations, even smaller scale medical evacuations will have significant obstacles. The region has established a working group to develop a tactical medical evacuation plan for the Tidewater region of Virginia, which will be led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with representatives from other agencies. One of the products from this planning effort will be a timeline that identifies when assets, such as buses, ambulances, oxygen bottles, and other medical supplies, should be requested and received to have the greatest positive impact. In addition to working with Region III coastal states, meetings were also conducted with the City of Philadelphia’s Emergency Preparedness Review Committee, which reviews plans and capabilities to identify and address the city’s vulnerabilities. The region assisted the committee in developing overall recommendations. As the city works through more than 200 recommendations, the region will continue to offer technical assistance and training. Continuity of Operations The changing threat environment has shifted awareness to the need for Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) capabilities that enable agencies to continue their essential functions across a broad spectrum of emergencies. Inherent in that role is FEMA’s responsibility to formulate guidance for agencies to use in developing viable, executable plans. In an effort to assist all levels of government with their plans, the region worked with a wide range of groups to host or participate in COOP and Pandemic Flu exercises, including Liberty Down and Determined Accord. Liberty Down. One of the most visible and successful exercises was the 2007 Liberty Down. On February 8, Region III joined the Philadelphia Federal Executive Board and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Counter-Terrorism Task Force to host Liberty Down, an interagency COOP exercise designed to test and evaluate the ability of organizations to activate their continuity of operations plans during a natural emergency. The exercise focused on the capability of the federal community to communicate and work effectively with various state and local agencies responsible for emergency services and safety. Approximately 600 participants from 102 local, state, and federal agencies, and the private sector participated in this event – one of the nation’s largest and most successful COOP exercises. The scope of the exercise included organizations participating as “Continuity of Operations Teams” responding to the scenario together as an agency, along side other agencies exercising under the same general scenario. The exercise participants worked towards achieving several objectives, including the testing of agency orders of succession, interoperable communications, delegations of authority, internal and external communications. Pandemic COOP Tabletops. To prepare governments and private sector organizations for the significant threat of Pandemic Flu, Region III’s outreach activities focused on presenting the agency’s guidance tools and technical assistance. Armed with FEMA’s disaster assistance policy, the region supported the efforts of local communities and organizations by participating in Pandemic Flu training events and exercises. Staff worked along side Federal Executive Boards to host the Determined Accord tabletop exercises in Maryland, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Integrated Preparedness Region III supports the agency’s efforts to build a culture of preparedness across the nation. Through grants, training, exercises and strategic tools, the region is equipping its states and the District of Columbia to attain their preparedness goals. National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide approach so responders from different jurisdictions and disciplines can work together better to respond to natural disasters and emergencies, including acts of terrorism. In assisting its jurisdictions with NIMS implementation, Region III provided technical assistance and guidance. While implementation is a challenge for jurisdictions, all have active programs. In FY 07, these challenges were addressed by increasing outreach efforts and participating in Preparedness Strategic Grant Monitoring visits. Regional Advisory Council (RAC). The newly formed Regional Advisory Council, created as a result of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, will hold its inaugural meeting in FY 08. The council will bring together a diverse group of leaders with knowledge and experience in emergency management and law enforcement to emergency response providers from all levels of government, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations. With a focus on improving disaster preparedness and response in the mid-Atlantic region, the Council will ensure effective and ongoing coordination of activities involving federal preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation for natural and manmade disasters. The Council will also advise the Regional Administrator on all aspects of emergency management. As of November 2007 Citizen Corps Activities. Throughout FY 07, Region III supported state and local Citizen Corps efforts. In the region, there are 144 Citizen Corps county councils and 60 local councils. Outreach was conducted at county and safety fairs, expos, and school open houses, with audiences ranging from Chambers of Commerce to Girl and Boy Scouts and senior centers. Region wide, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and Maryland were among the top ten states in the country participating in National Preparedness Month in September. Region III held a total of 222 events. NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH EVENTS Delaware 5 District of Columbia 47 Maryland 46 Pennsylvania 86 Virginia 20 West Virginia 18 Total 222 Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program. Established to ensure the public health and safety of citizens living around commercial nuclear power plants, the program focuses on the review and evaluation of offsite radiological emergency response plans of state and local governments. Regional REP staff evaluated these plans during four plume exercises in FY 07, including Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station and Limerick Generating Station in Pennsylvania, Surry Power Station in Virginia, and Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland. Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The AFG, authorized by Congress, has been in existence since 2001 to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. The program consists of three types of grants: AFG, Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S), and Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response (SAFER). In FY 07, more than $85 million was distributed to 877 first responder organizations through these grants. Region III held workshops to help fire organizations and departments prepare their grant proposals. ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT PROGRAM Awarded Delaware $973,954 District of Columbia $883,640 Maryland $10,695,000 Pennsylvania $56,658,419 Virginia $9,357,364 West Virginia $7,119,474 Tota; $85,687,851 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). The Homeland Security Grant Program is a primary funding mechanism for building and sustaining national preparedness capabilities. HSGP is comprised of five separate grant programs: Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP), Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), and Citizen Corps Program (CCP). The chart below shows the amount of FY 07 funding disbursed in Region III for these various programs. (A brief description of each program is on the next page.) HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM Program Funding Citizen Corps Program $1,491,087 Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program $42,340,000 Metropolitan Medical Response System $2,323,306 State Homeland Security Program $69,310,000 Urban Areas Security Initiative $107,200,000 Total $222,664,393 • CCP brings community and government leaders together to coordinate community involvement in emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery. • SHSP provides funds to build capabilities at the state and local levels through planning, equipment, training and exercise activities. • LETPP provides resources to law enforcement and public safety communities to support critical terrorism prevention activities, including establishing and enhancing fusion centers. • MMRS program supports local preparedness efforts to respond to all-hazards mass casualty incidents, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or High-Yield Explosive (CBRNE) terrorism, epidemic disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. • UASI supports the unique planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs of highthreat, high-density urban areas. Public Disaster Communications In keeping with the vision for New FEMA, External Affairs actively engaged the agency’s stakeholders and the public to contribute to the region’s preparedness objectives for catastrophic disasters. Public Risk Communications. Understanding that assistance may be several days away after a catastrophic disaster, now more than ever, citizens have an important role in preparing for the first 72 hours following an incident. Region III has emphasized individual preparedness in press releases, congressional advisories, Public Service Announcements (PSA), and region wide displays in libraries. Three key points were stressed: Be informed about the types of emergencies that could occur, assemble an emergency supply kit and have a family communication plan. An innovative approach to disseminating hurricane preparedness material was successfully launched with the help of Cox Communications and Comcast Cable and public libraries in coastal communities. Cox Communications placed FEMA’s PSAs on cross channels over their 44 networks in Virginia and incorporated messages from their general managers into the outreach effort. In total, nearly 175,000 cable customers had access to the hurricane preparedness messages. Executive Directors of the Association of Counties distributed hurricane preparedness messages to their 122 County Administrators for further distribution to county residents. The Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Comcast Cable forwarded preparedness information to their affiliate locations in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. for use on their cable stations. A total of 39 public libraries in coastal communities in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia distributed more than 35,000 hurricane preparedness publications through displays, special presentations and handouts at their locations. Building upon the “Get Ready ’07" hurricane awareness campaign, Region III held a Safety and Health Expo on June 14 on the historic grounds of Independence Mall in Philadelphia, bringing together more than 40 vendors from federal, state and local agencies as well as the private sector. Many businesses from the surrounding community were on hand – Home Depot, Aetna, Citizens Bank, Bally Total Fitness, Rite Aid, and more. The expo provided an opportunity for the public to obtain information on safety, health and citizen preparedness. In addition to large displays from the Philadelphia fire and police departments, FEMA Water Aquifers drew interest by demonstrating the technology used to produce water from the atmosphere, which can help fill the immediate need for water during major disasters. Employee Communications. As part of the agency’s initiative to train senior leadership on conducting media interviews and public presentations, External Affairs coordinated and held spokesperson training in February for Region III senior management. During the training, participants were taught interview tips and techniques, which were applied during on-camera interviews. This media training helped to achieve FEMA’s goal of fostering an agency culture of transparency and communication by empowering employees to discuss program information and initiatives for which they are responsible. Similar training was presented to regional staff to educate them on the agency’s new media relations policy. In keeping with a proactive internal communications effort that promotes understanding and commitment to the agency’s mission, vision, and competencies, External Affairs enhanced the effectiveness of the region’s intranet site. The front page, in particular, allows viewers to keep abreast of regional news and information, providing quick links to several agency newsletters. Partnership Management. Building relationships should occur prior to a disaster, not during or after. The region continues to build effective relationships with elected officials. In concert with this effort, External Affairs traveled to the offices of the newly elected senators and congressmen throughout February and March. The staffs were provided with background information on FEMA’s disaster operations, recovery programs and organizational structure. These visits established a dialogue between federal stakeholders in a manner that informs while encouraging participation in the disaster assistance process. Region III hosted its first congressional visit from a staff member representing the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Homeland Security. During the visit, which was the staffer’s first to a regional office, there were operational briefings and a tour of the office as well as the Regional Resource Coordination Center. In September, Region III’s Regional Administrator testified on regional preparedness at a field hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members of the committee were presented an overview of Region III, legislative reforms that have strengthen the agency, and specific regional preparedness activities. Picture 8: Administrator Sarubbi testifies on regional preparedness before a field hearing of the House Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response in Bethlehem, Pa. on September 10. Picture 9: Diane Faso passes out raffle tickets at the region’s Safety and Health Expo in Philadelphia on June 14. Picture 10: Drenan Dudley (left), a staffer from the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, sits in on a state directors’ conference call during her visit to the regional office on July 2. Picture 11: A record-breaking number of participants engage in the Liberty Down Continuity of Operations Planning exercise in Philadelphia on Febuary 8. Picture 12: The retail giant, Home Depot, was just one of the many vendors participating in the region’s Safety and Health Expo. Picture 13: Robert Welch, Region III’s National Preparedness Division Director, discusses regional hurricane preparedness efforts during a radio interview with Maryland’s WYPR-FM 88.1 on June 6. STRATEGIC GOAL 3 _____________________ Optimize Insurance and Mitigation Programs Integrate and improve our mitigation and flood insurance activities to create a coordinated set of programs that result in efficient business operations and motivate sound decision making at the individual and local levels to reduce the potential loss of life and property. _____________________ Change and resilience best describe FY 07 for Region III’s Mitigation Division. During this period, Mitigation continued to build upon its assistance to the region’s states and the District of Columbia by streamlining processes for its many programs. At the same time, the division worked to support the aggressive restructuring initiative led by FEMA Headquarters. Organizational Change. The division underwent a major reorganization on May 1, which resulted in the renaming of the division from “Federal Insurance & Mitigation” to simply “Mitigation.” The restructuring will enhance the management of the full range of mitigation programs and allow the organization to effectively fulfill its disaster response duties. Consequently, there are now three branches in Region III: Risk Analysis, Floodplain Management and Insurance, and Hazard Mitigation Assistance. This realignment met several goals: • Provide the structure and, in time, the staff needed to successfully implement and manage the full range of Mitigation programs required by the various governing statutes • Help regional managers ensure staff and work plans are in direct alignment with FEMA strategic goals • Enhance Mitigation disaster response capabilities The realignment of the Mitigation Division also meant the hiring of critical staff. In FY 07, this translated into the addition of a branch chief for the Risk Analysis Branch, an insurance specialist and a second senior engineer. Current plans for FY 08 include the hiring of a planning specialist and a disaster and cadre management specialist. In the end, these changes will advance FEMA’s priorities and aid in the agency’s mission to prepare for all hazards and to effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following regional disasters. As these changes were being implemented, Mitigation pressed forward to meet the region’s priorities in the areas of Risk Analysis, Risk Reduction and Flood Insurance. Risk Analysis Risk analysis promotes disaster resilience by enabling individuals and communities to recover more rapidly from floods and other disasters through effective risk analysis and hazard mitigation planning. The region supported these efforts through the Flood Map Modernization program and Section 322 and Enhanced Plans. Flood Map Modernization. The Flood Map Modernization (Map Mod) program is a five-year, $1 billion initiative and collaborative effort between FEMA and its partners to modernize existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps. These flood maps are used to identify and manage flood risk. The goal is to map the areas where 92 percent of America’s population lives – covering 65 percent of the land area in the United States. In this ongoing process, 39 percent of the counties and independent cities in Region III have new or effective flood maps. Remapping projects have been fully completed in both Delaware and the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, the completion rate varies for the remaining states, ranging from 54 to 20 percent complete. Plans call for the completion of all remaining flood maps by 2010. Another aim of the Map Mod program is the conversion of existing paper flood maps to new, technologically advanced digital flood maps. Currently, 58 percent of the region’s maps have undergone this conversion, meaning more accurate risk assessments and a more reliable tool for the region’s citizens. Picture 14: A Clinton County, Pa., official confers with a FEMA engineering contractor on the release of new preliminary flood maps during a final meeting on April 24. MAP MODERNIZATION PROGRAM Number of Counties, Counties with Maps % Completed Delaware 3 3 100 District of Columbia N/A N/A 100 Maryland 24 5 21 Pennsylvania 67 21 31 Virginia 114* 62 54 West Virginia 55 11 20 Total 149 102 39 * This includes 101 counties and 13 independent cities. Local & Enhanced Mitigation Plans. Throughout FY 07, Region III continued to provide technical assistance to its states and the District of Columbia by conducting risk assessments to evaluate all hazards impacts on communities. These risk assessments are key in supporting components of local and state mitigation plans, which raise risk awareness as well as enable state, and local officials to take advantage of mitigation resources and post-disaster assistance. These plans also help the region’s jurisdictions comply with Section 322 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which requires each state to have an approved hazard mitigation plan to receive Hazard Mitigation Assistance. All Region III states and the District of Columbia have approved 322 mitigation plans. Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have Enhanced Plans. At the beginning of the fiscal year, the region had a total of 1,358 approved local plans. During the year, the region added another 594 new plans, bringing the total to 1,953 approved plans, which is 61 percent of the 3,186 communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. APPROVED MITIGATION PLANS Plan Type, Local Plans Delaware Standard 60 District of Columbia Standard 1 Maryland Enhanced 135 Pennsylvania Enhanced 1,221 Virginia Enhanced 254 West Virginia Standard 282 Total 1,953 Risk Reduction Risk reduction creates safer communities by proactively reducing risk and enhancing the capability of states and local communities to reduce their risk from natural hazards. FEMA has authority for five Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs with unique statutory authorities, program requirements and triggers for funding. The programs are the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL), and Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC). They all share a common goal—to assist state and local communities in their efforts to reduce the loss of life and property from future natural hazard events. 0 In FY 07, the city of Chesapeake, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, was the recipient of $1,230,578 in RFC funding - the third largest award in the nation. Chesapeake was the only entity in the region to be awarded funding from the $10 million that Congress authorized in FY 07 for the RFC program. The city will use the funding to acquire three homes located in a flood plain and return the land to open space. The following chart illustrates the recipients and the amount awarded in each of the above mentioned programs. MITIGATION GRANTS AWARDED BY PROGRAM (Regional Total) FMA $1,422,508 HMGP $21,176,062 PDM $2,907,476 RFC $1,230,578 Total $26,736,624 Flood Insurance Flood insurance is recognized as one of the agency’s main hazard mitigation objectives in that it reduces the financial impact on states and local communities. The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) encourages these communities to become involved in developing extra measures to minimize the impact of flooding. Region III stressed the importance of flood insurance and the benefits of the CRS program throughout FY 07. As of August 31, a total of 284,100 NFIP policies were in force in Region III, with an insured value of nearly $158 million. This total reflects a 5.88 percent increase from the previous year, which had just over 268,000 policies in force. The following chart provides a detailed breakdown by territory: NFIP POLICIES IN FORCE FY 06, FY 07, % Change Delaware 21,722 23,645 8.85 District of Columbia 1,444 1,558 7.89 Maryland 62,949 65,233 3.63 Pennsylvania 63,180 68,239 8.01 Virginia 97,927 103,823 6.02 West Virginia 21,090 21,602 2.43 Totals 268,312 284,100 5.88 Community Rating System (CRS). The Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community flood management activities that exceed minimum NFIP requirements. Region III began FY 07 with 44 communities participating in the CRS program. Four other communities joined later in the year: Jefferson County and the City of Buckhannon in West Virginia, the Borough of Danville in Pennsylvania and Falls Church, Virginia. With a Class 8 rating, Buckhannon and Falls Church policyholders are now eligible for a 10 percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums by participating in the flood plain management measures encouraged by the NFIP. The same reduction will be applicable to Danville premiums. For Jefferson County, West Viginia, a Class 9 rating will mean a 5-percent reduction of flood insurance premiums. In the CRS, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s actions in meeting three goals of the CRS: reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings, and promote the awareness of flood insurance. Regional Insurance Activities. FEMA ensures insurance agents, who sell standard flood insurance policies issued through the NFIP, are trained and educated in accordance with the Flood Insurance Reform Act (FIRA) of 2004. Nearly all Region III state insurance departments have established specific NFIP training requirements for their licensed agents in response to the FIRA. Throughout FY 07, the region assisted its states in implementing their programs by providing expertise in flood insurance training program content. The main goal was to provide agents a basic understanding of the NFIP as well as access to NFIP training modules and materials. A total of 1,591 insurance professionals were trained. Of these 1,435 were agents and 156 were lenders, community officials and realtors. The following chart reflects the number of regional training activities. NFIP TRAINING AND EDUCATION Agents Others Delaware 262 - Maryland 125 7 Pennsylvania 681 103 Virginia 367 46 Total 1,435 156 Photo 15: West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin (center) and Jimmy Gianato (fourth from left), Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, pose for a photo with county officials on August 14 during a plaque presentation commemorating Buckhannon’s acceptance into the NFIP’s Community Rating System. STRATEGIC GOAL 4 _____________________ Transform FEMA’s Culture to Maximize Mission Performance Implement risk-based decision making and performance-based management, with a shared commitment to supporting our mission and achieving results. _____________________ In alignment with FEMA’s priority to build a workforce for the future, Region III has worked steadily to fill vacant positions and to provide employee development opportunities that will help strengthen the agency’s core competencies. Hiring Initiatives. The region supported FEMA’s 95/95 hiring initiative to fill 95 percent of its permanent fulltime vacancies within 95 days. The chart below shows the results of efforts to fill 12 positions that were allocated to the region in the fourth quarter. Overall, 26 employees were hired in FY 07. Essential positions were filled to improve the region’s operational capability. With the addition of emergency response operations and planning staff, Region III will greatly enhance its situational awareness and planning capability, as regional monitoring via the Regional Responce Coordination Center (RRCC) will be increased to 24-hours, 7-days a week. A civil engineer and environmental protection specialist were brought on board, improving the region’s percentage of effective flood hazard maps and the oversight of the environmental and historic preservation regulations. Other positions have boosted productivity throughout the region in National Preparedness, Response and Response, Mitigation and Administrative and Resource Planning (ARP). Recruitment. The ARP Division worked to spread the word of regional vacancies and to generate interest in FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Employee (DAE) program. Staff participated in a job fair held for civilian and military personnel of the 913th Airlift Wing located at the Willow Grove Air Reserve Station in Willow Grove, Pa., on July 13. Full descriptions of full-time positions were provided along with brief explanations of disasteroperations, preparedness, and grants positions. The DAE program was fully explained, along with the specific cadres seeking applicants. Training. The region implemented a robust training plan for FY 07, offering staff, including disaster assistance employees, critical developmental opportunities in the core competencies of incident management, operational planning and integrated preparedness. Priorities focused on two areas: increasing the technical skills of all regional employees and developing the permanent workforce to meet the region’s future leadership needs. Opportunities included incident management courses, which focused on building skills within the planning section of the RRCC in support of regional exercises. Regional staff attended Emergency Management Institute courses to strengthen their program skills and knowledge to enhance assistance to disaster victims and to provide communities mitigation solutions. To develop the permanent workforce, the region focused on ensuring access to FEMA’s Professional Development Program, providing equal opportunity and diversity training for the management team, increasing level of awareness to the legal, regulatory, and policy requirements of the region’s Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives, and meeting the unique critical training needs of the region’s divisions. Photo 16: Region III’s summer aides pose for a photo: Ben Brennan, Matthew McCullogh, Maurice Seawright and William Melville. Photo 17: Administrator Sarubbi presents Steve Hardegen with a commemorative clock for being named “Employee of the Quarter.” Photo 18: Employees gather for breakfast during the the region’s “Employee Appreciation Day,” on March 22. Photo 19: Administrator Sarubbi poses with promoted staff, (from left) David Odegard, Ralph Caputo, Nikki Roberts, Tracy Hehmeyer and Jon Janowicz. Supporting FEMA’s Mission. To meet the agency’s priority of enhancing the disaster closeout process and the rate of closures, Region III focused on attaining its two-year closeout objectives. With the hiring of disaster closeout Cadre of Response Employees (COREs) in Mitigation and Response and Recovery, the region received additional support that was instrumental in achieving these goals. FY 07 was a stellar year. The region worked diligently to close the remaining major declarations targeted in 2005 while also focusing on closing the Hurricane Katrina emergency declarations within two years. These actions resulted in the region closing a total of 14 FEMA-State Agreements (FSAs), 11 major declarations and three emergency declarations. In the area of disaster closeout, the region closed 82 percent of its projected FSAs, 64 percent of projected mission assignments, and 81 percent of the projected disaster programs. The 14 closed FSAs resulted in an overall closure rate of 82 percent, which is a major improvement over the FY 06 closure rate of 45 percent. A dramatic increase in the closure percentage rate for the disaster programs was realized, rising to 81 percent in FY 07 from the FY 06 rate of 54 percent. This overall disaster closeout success is the result of a collaborative regional team effort and reflects positively on Region III as being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. ACRONYMS ARP Administration and Resource Planning CCP Citizen Corps Program COOP Continuity of Operations Planning CORE Cadre of Response Employees CRS Community Rating System CWG COOP Working Group DAE Disaster Assistance Employee DCE Defense Coordinating Element EHP Environmental Historic Program EMA Emergency Management Agency EMI Emergency Management Institute EOC Emergency Operations Center ERT Emergency Response Team ERT-A Emergency Response Team - Advance Element ESF Emergency Support Function FCO Federal Coordinating Officer FEB Federal Executive Board FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FMA Flood Mitigation Assistance FY Fiscal Year HHS Health and Human Services HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program HPE Hurricane Preparedness Exercises HRK Household Repair Kit ICS Incident Command System IRR Initial Response Resources IT Information Technology JFO Joint Field Office LETPP Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program MERS Mobile Emergency Response Support MAP MOD Map Modernization MMRS Metropolitan Medical Response System NFIP National Flood Insurance Program NIMS National Incident Management System NP National Preparedness PDA Preliminary Damage Assessments PDM Pre-disaster Mitigation PFO Principal Federal Official PFT Permanent Full Time PSA Public Service Announcement RADM Rear Admiral RFC Repetitive Flood Claims R&R Response and Recovery RISC Regional Interagency Steering Committee RRCC Regional Response Coordination Center RRT Regional Response Team SEPCTTF Southeastern Pennsylvania Counter-Terrorism Task Force SHSP State Homeland Security Program UASI Urban Areas Security Initiative One Independence Mall Sixth Floor 615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404 215-931-5608 www.fema.gov/about/regions/regioniii/index.shtm