You are here

Home

Disaster Response

2014-2018 FEMA Strategic Plan

Tue, 2014-07-15 20:34 — Kathy Gilbeaux

fema.gov

The 2014 - 2018 FEMA Strategic Plan reflects objectives the Agency will accomplish to provide the best possible support to the American people before, during, and after disasters. It sets forth the strategies FEMA will employ to accomplish the objectives and also establishes measurable outcomes to achieve. This Strategic Plan was developed through the involvement of hundreds of FEMA employees and many external stakeholders who contributed to generating our objectives, strategies, and outcomes, and who are now working to execute this Plan. 

The Strategic Plan provides a strategic lense to focus FEMA's efforts and guide the allocation of resources over the next four years. The FEMA Strategic Plan supports the Department of Homeland Security's 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Mission 5 (Strengthen national preparedness and resilience) and is built on five strategic priorities and two strategic imperatives outlined in the Fiscal Year 2015-2019 Administrator's Intent:

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Disaster Risk Reduction
Emergency Management
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Situation Report

House Passes Homeland Security Legislation on Chemical Facility Security, Border Security and Emergency Communications

Wed, 2014-07-09 21:22 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Albert Gomez        

              

homeland.house.gov - July 8, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4007, H.R. 4263, H.R. 4289 and H.R. 3488 - bipartisan legislation to enhance the security of chemical facilities and ports of entry and improve emergency communications.

Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX): “The ability of our first responders to communicate with each other and with the public during a terrorist attack or natural disaster is imperative. I am pleased the House passed H.R. 4263 and H.R. 4289 to ensure that our first responders are able to communicate with each other via interoperable communications systems and with the public via social media during times of crisis.

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Communication
Disaster Response
Disaster Risk Reduction
Emergency Management
Policy
Security
Technology
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Situation Report

Red Cross: How We Spent Sandy Money Is a Trade Secret

Sun, 2014-07-06 17:19 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

(Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

The charity is fighting our public records request for information on how it raised and spent money after the superstorm.

propublica.org - by Justin Elliott - June 26, 2014

Just how badly does the American Red Cross want to keep secret how it raised and spent over $300 million after Hurricane Sandy?

The charity has hired a fancy law firm to fight a public request we filed with New York state, arguing that information about its Sandy activities is a "trade secret."

The Red Cross' "trade secret" argument has persuaded the state to redact some material, though it's not clear yet how much since the documents haven't yet been released.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
US - NorthEast
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Economics
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Problem
Situation Report

Proposed Bill Would Provide Secret Fracking Data To First Responders

Tue, 2014-05-27 19:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Firefighters have worried that in the event of a fracking chemical spill, without information on the chemicals they would not know the best way to respond. Photo courtesy Kaye Bewley, flickr creative commons

Legislators are pushing for a rule that would require fracking operators to provide information about the chemical contents of fracking fluid in the event of a spill.

northcarolinahealthnews.org - by Gabe Rivin - May 16, 2014

North Carolina - First responders are applauding a recent legislative proposal that would allow state officials to retain confidential information about hydraulic-fracturing chemicals, with the intention that the information reach those first responders quickly during an emergency.

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
US - East
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Emergency Management
Energy
Environment
Pollution
Water
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Situation Report

This is Extreme: Wildfires Strike Early, Hard in Southern California

Thu, 2014-05-15 18:40 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

A house is consumed by a wildfire in San Marcos, California, on Wednesday, May 14.  Wildfires have forced evacuations in San Diego County after a high-pressure system brought unseasonable heat and gusty winds to the parched state.

cnn.com - by Greg Botelho, Michael Martinez and Paul Vercammen - May 15, 2014

Carlsbad, California (CNN) -- Thousands of homes, a university campus, a nuclear plant, a Legoland and parts of one of the military's biggest and busiest bases: All have been evacuated due to a rare confluence of fast-moving wildfires scorching Southern California.

Cal Fire Division Chief Dave Allen said nine fires have burned 9,095 acres.

The Golden State has seen many such blazes before. But these are different because they sprung up so quickly, spread so fast, and hit months before the traditional height of wildfire season, making them menacing in the short- and long-term.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Country / Region Tags: 
US - West
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Emergency Management
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Problem

Mississippi State University Student-Athletes Respond in Tornado Relief

Wed, 2014-04-30 15:38 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

MSU student-athletes set up a tornado relief shelter on Tuesday. (PHOTO CREDIT: Megan Bean)

hailstate.com - April 30, 2014

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A day after destructive tornadoes swept through the state of Mississippi, Mississippi State student-athletes from all sports responded as volunteers in the relief efforts.

MSU student-athletes, graduate assistants, athletic department staff, weight room staff and equipment staff quickly set up a tornado relief center and shelter in the parking lot of the Palmeiro Center on the MSU campus. The relief center is being coordinated by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

(ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLE HERE)

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Education
Resilience
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions

Life-Threatening Flooding Submerges Pensacola, Florida

Wed, 2014-04-30 10:09 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

Photo - @TWCBreaking

nbcnews.com - By Alastair Jamieson and M. Alex Johnson - April 30, 2014

Torrential rainfall and “life-threatening" flooding turned deadly in Florida’s panhandle late Tuesday - the latest fallout from a monster weather system that has killed at least 35 people in six states. . .

. . . More than two feet of rain fell in a 26-hour period in Pensacola, Fla. according to one rain gauge, washing away bridges and closing mile after mile of highways across the region, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded for hours. . .

. . . More than five inches fell on Pensacola in the single hour between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. CT (10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET) Tuesday, the NWS said.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Disaster Response
Emergency Management
Extreme Weather
Flood
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Problem

Mississippi Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources - (Tornado)

Mon, 2014-04-28 23:26 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

(THE U.S. RESILIENCE SYSTEM IS ASSISTING WITH RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THIS DISASTER THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION OF A FACEBOOK PAGE TITLED "Mississippi Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources".
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE "Mississippi Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources" FACEBOOK PAGE.)

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) - News

FEMA - Resources - Mississippi - DR-4175

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
US - South
General Topic Tags: 
Communication
Disaster Response
Emergency Management
Extreme Weather
Resilience
Technology
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem
Situation Report

Alabama Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources - (Tornado & Flood)

Mon, 2014-04-28 21:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

(THE U.S. RESILIENCE SYSTEM IS ASSISTING WITH RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THIS DISASTER THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION OF A FACEBOOK PAGE TITLED "Alabama Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources".
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE "Alabama Severe Weather Alerts & Disaster Resources" FACEBOOK PAGE.)

State of Alabama - Emergency Management - Situation Reports

Alabama Emergency Management Agency

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
US - South
General Topic Tags: 
Communication
Disaster Response
Emergency Management
Extreme Weather
Resilience
Technology
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions
Problem
Situation Report

Infographic: Social media's impact on natural disasters

Sat, 2014-04-19 10:41 — Maeryn Obley

Infographic: Social media's impact on natural disastersImage: Infographic: Social media's impact on natural disasters

thedrum.com - April 14th, 2014 - Ishbel MacLeod

Tsunami warnings were issued over the weekend following an earthquake on the Solomon Islands, leading to over 15,000 tweets mentioning the warnings. So, how does social media impact weather warnings?

Last year, Twitter launched an alerts system, which allows users to get notifications directly to their phones during emergencies whenever a credible organisation account - such as police or the fire brigade - marks a tweet as an alert.

(VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE)
(VIEW INFOGRAPHIC)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Citizens
Communication
Disaster Response
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Other

Pages

Subscribe to Disaster Response
howdy folks