Dear Colleagues,

I have attached the input being submitted by the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (ICC) to the National Disaster Recovery Working Group. The information and recommendations contained in this document were developed during a working session held on December 2, 2009. This session was co-chaired by the Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The ICC was established to ensure that the federal government appropriately supports safety and security for individuals with disabilities in disaster situations. To learn more about the ICC, please go to: http://www.dhs.gov/files/committees/editorial_0591.shtm

As you know, the deadline for providing input to the National Disaster Recovery Working Group is tomorrow, December 15^th. Please help us to be sure the voice of the disability community is heard by submitting input and encouraging others to provide their input on line or via email. This is a very important opportunity to shape the future of disaster recovery initiatives that successfully integrate the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities and improve outcomes for individuals, families and communities recovering from disasters.

For more information, please visit: http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/ .

In seeking additional input from the disability community, here are some reworked questions that will capture disability specific input (see below). You may use either the standard questions http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/stakeholdersquestions.cfm or these questions. You may also submit any additional input you’d like to give us that will help inform the input to be provided to the President and the development of the National Disaster Recovery Framework.

Disaster Recovery Questions for the Disability Community:

·         How would you define a disaster recovery that successfully integrates the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         Are there clear phases in the disaster recovery process that are useful milestones?

·         What features of Federal disaster recovery assistance are most important to you?

·         How would you measure progress and what specific metrics should be considered for a successful disaster recovery that includes the needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         What are best practices in including disability issues in managing recovery from disasters?

·         What are the appropriate roles for disability community leaders in leading state, local and tribal disaster recovery efforts?

·         How can disability organizations be better integrated into recovery?

·         What are best practices for community recovery planning that incorporates public input from the disability community?

·         How can federal, state, and local disaster planning and recovery processes and programs be best coordinated to integrate the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         As disaster recovery is primarily a state and local leadership issue, what are best practices for the timing (including start and end) and form of federal assistance and coordination as they relate to disability issues?

·         What are the greatest capacity challenges that local and state governments face in disaster recovery and what are the best practices for increasing that capacity?

·         What are best practices for marshaling Federal assistance -- both financial and professional support - to support state and local efforts to meet the disaster recovery needs of children and adults with disabilities, and how can we work together to better leverage existing Federal grant dollars?

·         In addition to what we know about the unmet needs of children and adults with disabilities, what other unmet needs are common to most disasters that do not seem to be adequately addressed under the current systems and programs?

·         What are best practices for integrating economic and environmental sustainability that includes people with disabilities into recovery?

·         What are best practices for integrating mitigation and resilience that include the needs of children and adults with disabilities into recovery?

·         What else would you like us to know?

You can either submit input directly on the website at http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/stakeholdersquestions.cfm or you can send it to me at Marcie.roth@....

Sincerely,

Marcie Roth

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to all who have submitted feedback to the National Disaster Recovery Working Group. Your contributions are invaluable as we work to shape the Report to the President and the National Disaster Recovery Framework. The deadline for input is December 15^th. Please help us to be sure the voice of the disability community is heard by encouraging others to provide their input on line or via email into this important opportunity to shape the future of disaster recovery initiatives that successfully integrate the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities and improve outcomes for individuals, families and communities recovering from disasters.

You can already read some of the input on the website at: http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/ .

You can either submit input directly on the website at http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/stakeholdersquestions.cfm or you can send it to me at Marcie.roth@....

In seeking additional input from the disability community, here are some reworked questions that will capture disability specific input. You may use either the standard questions or these questions. You may also submit any additional input you’d like to give us that will help inform the input to be provided to the President and the development of the National Disaster Recovery Framework.

Sincerely,

Marcie Roth

Disaster Recovery Questions for the Disability Community:

·         How would you define a disaster recovery that successfully integrates the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         Are there clear phases in the disaster recovery process that are useful milestones?

·         What features of Federal disaster recovery assistance are most important to you?

·         How would you measure progress and what specific metrics should be considered for a successful disaster recovery that includes the needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         What are best practices in including disability issues in managing recovery from disasters?

·         What are the appropriate roles for disability community leaders in leading state, local and tribal disaster recovery efforts?

·         How can disability organizations be better integrated into recovery?

·         What are best practices for community recovery planning that incorporates public input from the disability community?

·         How can federal, state, and local disaster planning and recovery processes and programs be best coordinated to integrate the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities?

·         As disaster recovery is primarily a state and local leadership issue, what are best practices for the timing (including start and end) and form of federal assistance and coordination as they relate to disability issues?

·         What are the greatest capacity challenges that local and state governments face in disaster recovery and what are the best practices for increasing that capacity?

·         What are best practices for marshaling Federal assistance -- both financial and professional support - to support state and local efforts to meet the disaster recovery needs of children and adults with disabilities, and how can we work together to better leverage existing Federal grant dollars?

·         In addition to what we know about the unmet needs of children and adults with disabilities, what other unmet needs are common to most disasters that do not seem to be adequately addressed under the current systems and programs?

·         What are best practices for integrating economic and environmental sustainability that includes people with disabilities into recovery?

·         What are best practices for integrating mitigation and resilience that include the needs of children and adults with disabilities into recovery?

·         What else would you like us to know?

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Thanks to our FEMA Region VI partners for sharing this new Accessible Emergency Information website;

www.accessibleemergencyinfo.com. 

“The website was funded by the Northeast Texas Public Health District, but they intentionally did not brand the site so other groups/agencies across the nation could use it (at no cost) to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in emergency preparedness and health related topics.  On the website are videos with ASL interpreters advising how to prepare for 18 topics.  The videos also have an audible voice over and text appearing alongside the interpreter.  Along with the videos is the Emergency Preparedness Guide formatted in Braille, large print, and regular font for download.  All of the information is free for public use.  To support future improvements of the site, they have included a discussion page and two surveys for those viewing the information to assess preparedness levels before and after viewing the material.  The intent was to create a website to assist at risk populations and serve other organizations as a tool to become prepared for all hazards.”

A POC for the site is:

Stephanie Walker

Northeast Texas Public Health District, Anderson County Coordinator

Office 903-729-7780

Mobile 903-948-9242

Fax 903-729-7786

accessibleemergencyinfo@...

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.

Dear Colleagues-

Please see the letter below from Bryan Vaughn, Executive Director of the FL Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.  The Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and the FL Division of Emergency Management want to work with their counterparts in other states. Bryan wants to identify the senior point of contact for emergency management and disability issues for every state (and territory). Please send the name and contact information for the person in your state who you believe to serve in this role to bryan.vaughan@....

Please copy me on your response at Marcie.roth@.... We would prefer multiple responses over no response, so if you have this information, please provide it.

Thanks!

Marcie

Dear Ms. Roth,

The Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and the Florida Division of Emergency Management are collaborating to improve the Emergency Management process for persons with disabilities.  In this effort, we have identified an issue we would like your assistance on.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Florida and other states received numerous survivors from the affected areas.  Many of these survivors were persons with a variety of disabilities.  Assistance for these persons was hampered by the lack of information concerning their identity, disability, medical records, etc..  In an effort to ensure this situation does not reoccur, we would like to work with other state department’s of emergency management to design a process or strategy to enable better mutual assistance for persons with disabilities and their families in time of disaster or crisis.

In order to begin this effort, we request a listing of points of contact who are assigned to coordinate emergency management and disability issues in the other 49 states.  With this information, we would like to invite as many states as may be interested to work in collaboration with Florida to ensure persons with disabilities and their families are included as part of the community as a whole and not as “special needs” citizens.  We hope this is the spark that ignites a national fire of public awareness and cooperation to guarantee that past failures are not repeated.  We appreciate any assistance you are willing to provide.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (850) 921-0241.

Sincerely,  

Bryan F. Vaughan 

Bryan F. Vaughan

Executive Director

Governor's Commission on Disabilities

4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 260M

Tallahassee, Florida  32399

(850) 487-3423

(850) 414-8908 fax

bryan.vaughan@...

WEBSITE: http://dms.myflorida.com/other_programs/commission_on_disabilities

For information regarding the Florida Discount Drug Card visit:   www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com.

P Before printing, please think about the environment

Colleagues-

I have attached the just released After Action Report of the Listening Session on At-Risk Individuals in Pandemic Influenza and Other Scenarios which was held on August 14, 2009 at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

Here are great new resources on H1N1 for children and adults with disabilities from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Disability and the Centers for Disease Control.

Persons with Disabilities and the Flu http://www.hhs.gov/od/

You may also go directly to flu.gov Persons with Disabilities and Flu, by following this link http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/healthconditions/disabilities/index.html

To be taken directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published  2009 H1N1 Flu Information for People with Disabilities and Their Caregivers or Personal Assistants, please follow this link  http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/disabilities/

Please disseminate widely.

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you received a letter from FEMA Administrator Fugate about the National Disaster Recovery Framework last month. Some of you have been invited to participate in stakeholder meetings in communities across the country and now everyone’s voice is needed to guide this process!

Please participate in the development of the National Disaster Recovery Framework. Please visit the web site to learn more about this initiative being led by the White House, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Please go to www.DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov  for more information and to http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/questionnaire to provide your guidance to the process by entering your information on the website.

Thank you for helping ensure a very big response. Everyone has something to add. Please forward this to others who may be interested in having their voice heard as the National Disaster Recovery Framework is developed.

Sincerely,

Marcie Roth

http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/10736/149

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Friends,

As a part of FEMA’s ongoing effort to maintain an open line of communication before, during and following disasters, we will be holding a conference call tomorrow, October 9^th at 7pm EDT, to give a situational update on American Samoa and the assistance that is available to those who have been impacted by the disaster.  If you have constituencies in American Samoa, we invite you to join the conference call to learn about what assistance is available, who is eligible, and how to apply for and receive assistance.

Due to a limited number of call-in lines, we encourage you to only join the call if you have affected constituents in American Samoa. 

The call in information is below.

1-800-860-2442 

Guest Pin:    0128

Captioning available at: 

http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1431572&CustomerID=321

Thank you,

Alison

Alison Schwartz

Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

202-646-7906 Direct

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Friends,

FEMA will hold a conference call on the Georgia floods to give a situational update and provide another opportunity to ask questions for those who have interests in the affected area.  The call will be on October 7, 2009 at 3pm EDT. 

Call-in number 1-800-860-2442 

Guest Code: 0830

Every effort has been made to provide captioning, but due to the short notice on the call, we cannot guarantee captioning will be available.  Should we get confirmation, log-in information is below:

http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1431571&CustomerID=321

Thank you,

Alison Schwartz

Alison Schwartz

Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

202-646-7906 Direct

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Friends,

FEMA will be hosting a conference call to give a situational update on response activities in American Samoa as well as an update on how FEMA is preparing for the Typhoon nearing the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.  Below is the conference call information and date and time information for appropriate time zones – please note the time zone and date difference for NMI/Guam.

October 2, 2009

7pm EDT

4pm PDT

1pm Hawaii

12pm American Samoa

October 3, 2009

9am Northern Mariana/Guam

Call-in number 1-877-317-6701, International call-in 412-317-6701

Guest code is 4285

Every effort has been made to provide captioning, but due to the short notice on the call, we cannot guarantee captioning will be available.  Should we get confirmation, log-in information is below.

http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1430881&CustomerID=321

PIN: 1430881

Alison Schwartz

Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

202-646-7906 Direct

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

American Samoa Tsunami Response

Situational Overview—10/01/09

The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today updated information on the continuation of federal support to American Samoa.

FEMA and its federal partners continue to work closely with Governor Tulafono to respond in areas of American Samoa impacted by the tsunami.  The FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) and the FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Region IX have been operating around the clock since Tuesday. FEMA deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) as well as a Planning and Response Team (PRT) to American Samoa to provide direct support and response. Kenneth R. Tingman, the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for federal response and recovery operations has toured the affected areas with the Governor of American Samoa. 

Reuniting Families

Supplying the Island

C-130 Flights:

A United States Coast Guard C-130, from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif. arrived at 7 a.m local time (2 p.m. EDT) on September 30^th in Pago Pago, American Samoa. This flight carried Governor Tulafono, who was in Hawaii at the time of the tsunami, the initial response team of 50 personnel including Federal Coordinating Officer, Kenneth J. Tingman, Defense Coordinating Officer Col. James George, as well as team supplies for seven days.

A second United States Coast Guard C-130 from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Calif. arrived in American Samoa at approximately 7 p.m. on September 30^th, (2 a.m. EDT, October 1^st). This flight included additional commodities and FEMA personnel including the Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT), a regionally-based incident ‘strike team’ and the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), medical expert volunteers that are part of the National Disaster Medical System.

C-17 National Guard Flights:

A Hawaii National Guard C-17 cargo flight from Honolulu arrived in American Samoa at 1 a.m. local time (8 a.m. EDT) on October 1^st. This flight included over 40 National Guard personnel, four vehicles, hazmat materials, communications equipment, cots, blankets, food and water.

An additional Hawaii National Guard C-17 cargo flight arrived at 4 a.m. (11 a.m. EDT) on October 1^st in American Samoa. This flight included 20 additional National Guard personnel, five vehicles, hazmat materials, communications equipment, cots, blankets, food and water. 

A third National Guard C-17 from McChord AFB in Bothell, WA is scheduled to arrive late tonight, local American Samoa time. This flight includes FEMA and National Guard personnel including National Guard CERF-P Search and Rescue teams, vehicles, trailers and cargo.

USS Ingraham:

FEMA Partners Respond

·          U.S. Coast Guard: Assisting with flights to deploy teams to the American Samoa and disaster relief supplies; conducting shoreline cleanup and assessments; deployed team to inspect vessels and regulated facilities; developed a plan to re-float two large fishing vessels;

·          U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Deploying Disaster Medical Assistance Teams to provide medical support to survivors; a public health official has been deployed along with other support staff including public health experts; providing medical and pharmaceutical equipment and supplies;

·          U.S. Department of the Interior: Deploying National Park Service (NPS) specialists to assess damage to NPS facilities and resources and assist with ongoing recovery efforts; deployed staff to conduct a needs assessment with the local fire department; Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Anthony Babauta and the Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Nik Pula are departing to American Samoa to coordinate with FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer and American Samoa’s Governor;

·          U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): At present time, USACE is deploying the 249^th Engineering Battalion to support emergency power needs for critical public facilities; deploying subject matter experts in debris management, water/wastewater, and power to assist in response efforts;

·          U.S. Department of Defense (DOD):  Defense Coordinating Officer has been deployed;

·          U.S. Pacific Command (DOD): Providing refrigeration support to operations; USS Ingram prepared to assist with equipment and supplies;

·          National Guard Bureau: Deployed personnel including those with medical and search and rescue experience and disaster relief supplies; deploying specialized communication gear and support staff;

·          Small Business Administration (SBA): Deploying approximately 40 assistance workers to assist in recovery efforts; SBA customer service representatives will issue disaster loan applications, answer questions about the loan program, explain the process and answer questions;

·          Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Victims of the recent tsunami in American Samoa may qualify for tax relief from the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is postponing certain deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For details and additional information please visit www.irs.gov, use keyword American Samoa Tsunami;

·          American Red Cross: Deployed special liaison to American Samoa; dozens of volunteers on the ground in American Samoa providing food and supplies in affected areas; a leadership team of approximately 50 volunteers is on its way to the island to supplement the local Red Cross workforce;  providing cots, flashlights, cooking supplies and clean-up supplies.

Disability Community Update:

·          FEMA: A member of the FEMA External Affairs team is on the ground on the island and is the designated point of contact to direct disability issues back to the FEMA Senior Advisor, Disability Issues at Headquarters. The Senior Advisor is also working closely with the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities (ICC), US Department of Health and Human Services, National Council on Disability, American Red Cross and disability community leaders from around the country who are knowledgeable about the disability community on the Island.

·          The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): NDRN has heard from their Protection and Advocacy affiliate on the Island and they are “back at work, assessing the damage and trying to contact their constituents to ascertain their needs.”

·     Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities (ICC): The US Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in its role as Chair of the ICC has reached out to the Federal partners and information about disability related issues is being shared among the members.

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Dear Community Leaders:

As a part of FEMA’s ongoing effort to maintain an open line of communication before, during and following disasters, FEMA will be holding a conference call today, September 30^th, to discuss the disaster declaration and ground situation in American Samoa. If you have constituencies in American Samoa, we invite you to join the conference call to get an update on the ground situation and any next steps.

Due to a limited number of call-in lines, we encourage you to only join the call if you have affected constituents in American Samoa. 

The call in information is below.

September 30, 2009

7pm EDT

4pm PDT

1pm Hawaii

12pm American Samoa

Call-in:  866-843-0890

Code:  83838

International call-in:  412-317-9250

Every effort to provide captioning for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing has been made for this call. Due to the short notice on this call, availability has not yet been confirmed, below is the link if we are able to confirm.

At the start time of the event, please login to the event by clicking on the link below:

http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1430608&CustomerID=321

Event Confirmation Number: 1430608

Thank you,

Alison Schwartz

Director, Intergovernmental Affairs

FEMA

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

500 C St, SW

Washington, DC 20472

FEMA

September 16, 2009

Dear Disability Community Leader:

I am pleased to announce the launch of the development of a National Disaster Recovery Framework.  The Northridge Earthquake, Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as other disasters, provided valuable lessons in how communities can renew and rebuild, but also identified critical challenges that we must address as a Nation to ensure that the necessary resources and capabilities are in place.  Our goal is to create a comprehensive coordinating structure that will enhance our ability to work together and effectively deliver recovery assistance.  This is a major undertaking, the success of which will hinge on the active engagement of our stakeholders nationwide.  Though the issues we face together may be national in scope, ultimately, disaster recovery happens because of the hard work and dedication of organizations like yours in communities across the country.

Our critical first step is to invite our customers and partners to participate and provide input.  During the months of October and November, FEMA will conduct a comprehensive stakeholder dialogue regarding the nation’s approach to managing disaster recovery.  FEMA’s Senior Advisor for Disability Issues will be in touch to coordinate with you as the dialogue begins.  Our website, www.fema.gov, also will have details and schedule information about this process. 

I have asked Elizabeth A. Zimmerman, Assistant Administrator of the Disaster Assistance Directorate, to lead this effort, enabling us together to build, sustain, and improve the recovery component of our mission to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.  As the former Assistant Director of Recovery for the State of Arizona, she brings a wealth of recovery expertise and experience to FEMA.  We look forward to hearing from your membership throughout this process.  Please do not hesitate to contact Marcie Roth, Senior Advisor, Disability Issues at marcie.roth@... if you have any questions about this important initiative.

Sincerely,

W. Craig Fugate

Administrator

www.fema.gov

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Hello everyone,

One of the most important steps we as a nation can take to defend ourselves against the next disaster is ensuring that the general public is prepared. To this end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is doing extensive outreach to all constituency groups to ensure that this critical message of preparedness is reaching every community.

The truth is; our success is directly tied to the preparedness of the public. Personal and family preparedness not only helps make sure that people have the resources they need immediately following a disaster, but also ensures that the vital resources available during a disaster go to our most vulnerable citizens, instead of those who could have prepared but chose not to.

New FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate comes to the position with over 25 years of experience in disaster management in Florida. Administrator Fugate understands from experience that emergency management is a team effort, and that a successful team must include community leaders, federal, state, local and tribal governments, representatives from the private sector and, most importantly, the American people.  All disasters are ultimately local, and FEMA is dedicated to working with, respecting and supporting our local communities. 

That is where you come in.  As a leader in your community whose voice can move thousands, we are asking you to please help us to educate all of America about what FEMA does and how we can better work together as a team to prepare for, respond to, and recover from any and all disasters we may face.

In an effort to make sure information is getting to all communities in a disaster, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will be holding a conference call on September 24th at 2pm EST to introduce himself to community leaders across the country and explain his vision for FEMA.  We would like to invite you to be a part of this call.

Please RSVP to Alison Schwartz to receive the call in information - Alison.Schwartz@... <mailto:Alison.Schwartz@...>.  I strongly encourage you to be on this call and learn more about FEMA's activities.

FEMA is also putting together an email list of leaders like you across the country so that we can better communicate in the case of an emergency and make sure that no one is left behind.  Alison Schwartz, the agency's Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, will be your point of contact at FEMA.  Alison can be reached at 202-646-7906 or Alison.Schwartz@... <mailto:Alison.Schwartz@...>.  Please email the following information to her to get on the email distribution list:

Name (whomever you would like to be your organization's point of contact)

Organization

Title

Phone

Email

In case Alison is not available, you can also speak with Brent Colburn, Director of External Affairs.  Brent can be reached at 202-646-3010 or Brent.Colburn@... <mailto:Brent.Colburn@...> .

FEMA is committed to including all of our constituencies. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and wish to join the call via real-time captioning, please let Alison or Brent know when you RSVP and you will be provided with instructions for joining the call.

I encourage you to reach out to Alison to learn more about how you can get involved with emergency preparedness in your community and bring your constituency to the table so we are all better prepared should disaster strike.

Sincerely,

Marcie Roth

Marcie Roth
Senior Advisor, Disability Issues
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA

202.212.1537 (office)

202.285.9231 (cell)

marcie.roth@...

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve  our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”