**March 27, 2008 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Program
Report**

**(1) Bioterrorism Grant Spending in Massachusetts -- Auditor's
Report:**

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. *Independent State Auditor's Report on
Certain Activities of the Department of Public Health Bioterrorism
Grants July 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005* . Boston, MA: March 24, 2008,
36 pages. At: <http://www.mass.gov/sao/200502903s2.pdf>

**(2) FEMA: Admiral Harvey Johnson Presentation and FEMA Cadre
Workshop:**

Spent the morning in L-Building Auditorium listening to Breakout Group
Reports from the March 25, 27 "FEMA Cadre Manager's Workshop." In a
one-hour group report-out session led by Donna Dannels, there were
reports on the development of Disaster Workforce Task Books,
Credentialing Plans and Qualifying Process, Individual Assistance,
Public Assistance, Logistics and Information Technology, External
Affairs and Training. From notes taken in this session:

FEMA Regions ought to be standardized.

The draft Joint Field Office (JFO) Field Operations Guide (FOG) does not
correlate with the existing FEMA Task Books. See: Department of Homeland
Security. *Joint Field Office (JFO) Field Operations Guide (FOG)*. DC:
DHS, June 2006, 157 pages. At:
<http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NRP_JFO_FOG.pdf>

Request was made that "experienced hands" as well as stakeholders "be
involved in the initial stage of development of documents like the draft
JFO FOG."

The External Affairs report, noting that "External Affairs is the voice
and face of FEMA," noted that External Affairs is about collaboration,
communication, coordination, and consistence. EA would like to see more
reciprocity via the integration of information on the existence and
missions of External Affairs within a broader range of FEMA training
courses -- the Basic and Advanced Public Information Officer courses,
for example.

Then Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer Admiral Harvey E.
Johnson, Jr., spoke for over an hour and then took questions.

Amongst my 10 pages of notes (for the entire morning):

Admiral Johnson is very big on the "New FEMA." Two years ago there was
some concern within the leadership that the concept of a "New FEMA"
would not take hold and be accepted in a post-Katrina environment.
However, he has seen talk converted into "walk," into action, and into
FEMA personnel picking the term up and using it. Admiral Johnson asked
if those in the audience had seen positive change yet. There was a mixed
chorus response of Yes, No, and Not Yet, with the "Not Yet" seeming to
predominate. The right answer, the audience was told, should be, and
needs to be, a resounding Yes. He, too, could be, and at times was, a
skeptic, but his job was to be positive. For the New FEMA to take on
real life the Old FEMA hands will need to make it happen and should not
take umbrage with the new vocabulary of a New FEMA. Today as opposed to
several years ago, the audience was told, it is more common to receive
letters from Congressional delegations thanking FEMA for its good
response to a disaster in their State than complaining about the
response.

The leadership team is quite aware that for the vision of a New FEMA to
really take on a life that outlasts the current leadership team, and to
move beyond words and the encouraging demonstrations of improvement,
FEMA will have to get funding and authorization for new hires from
Congress -- and that can only be done for operational programs once a
year. FEMA is pushing the boundaries on this -- pushing and getting new
funding and pushing perceptions of what can be done with Disaster Relief
Funding -- spending DRF funds to further operational readiness and
disaster logistics capability -- not just on IA and PA. While FEMA is,
understandably, in a post-Katrina environment, emphasizing operational
response personnel new hires, he is well aware of the need for more
staff in many other areas, such as in training where he would like to
see upwards of 25 new staff -- noting that "we really do need 1,000 more
people in FEMA," and that Administrator Paulison "wants 6,000 PFT's."
For disaster response assignments the agency needs more:

CORE two-year appointment positions

DRW's

Local Hires, and

Surge Forces

Related to the staff issue is the coming and going of leadership,
meaning primarily political appointees. Coming from a career in the
Coast Guard, this was quite a culture shock. Within the Coast Guard the
leadership rises from within and there is not all this "constant coming
and going of top management" which he finds "disillusioning." How can
momentum be continued when every few years the current leadership
disappears and a new one comes into being? The current leadership has
decided too address this issue by getting more and seeking more SES'ers
(Senior Executive Service). Leadership is trying to put a well-grounded
SESer as the deputy to every political appointee, so that continuity
will be implanted and momentum carried forward through the next
transition period. The analogy means switching from a football or
baseball view of the world and the closing minutes of a game, to a
mentality of a relay race -- wherein the baton is efficiently passed off
and the mission of pushing forward the concept of a New FEMA and the
ethos that implies, continues.

Admiral Johnson spent a significant amount of time speaking about the
DRW -- FEMA's Disaster Reserve Workforce -- popularly and historically
known as DAE's or Disaster Reservists. -- stating that the DRW is within
his top three priorities. He noted that unlike previous leadership
teams, the one in place now not only values the part-time disaster
reservist but is going to build and prioritize the DRW. The Admiral
noted that FEMA has about 2000+ fulltime PFT's in-place and about
8,000-9,000 DRWs -- which is where FEMA's strength is. The DRW cadres
are going to be treated more like FEMA full-time -- getting sick leave
and holiday benefits that are the same as FEMA full-time staff. They are
going to get better training and credentialing.

Going back to his first point -- asking if the audience saw evidence of
FEMA leadership walking the talk, the Admiral stated that the full
question is not just what can FEMA do for its employees, but what can
the employees do for FEMA. FEMA employees, even the skeptics, need to be
realistic and pragmatic as well, with open-eyes to a positive momentum
that is moving forward. Only by buying into that mindset of progressive
momentum forward, will it be enabled to continue forward.

The Admiral then noted the existence of about 300 colleges and
universities teaching emergency management, homeland security and
related courses within official programs leading to degrees,
certificates, concentrations and the like. One reason for that is that
people who do the hiring today expect more of the people they hire.
That, he observed, was part of the progressive movement of the train
forward and one was either on the train forward or not.

The Admiral closed by stating that the current leadership of the agency
is in agreement on a joint commitment to leave FEMA better than they
found it, and commended the audience to endeavor to do the same in
anything they were or became involved in.

While not getting into detail, for lack of time, amongst other reasons,
this reporter was not aware that the Admiral could be funny and had such
a sense of humor as was demonstrated before a tough audience today,
which included quite a few "old hands."

**(3) Pandemic: HHS Update V**

Department of Health and Human Services. *Pandemic Planning Update V \--
Report from Secretary Michael O. Leavitt*. Washington, DC: HHS, March
17, 2008, 16 pages. Accessed at:
<http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/panflureport5.pdf> Excerpts:

> In our last Update, we mentioned many of the important milestones we
> have passed already. We have licensed the first H5N1 influenza vaccine
> for humans and stockpiled enough antiviral medicine to treat 40
> million Americans. We have committed over \$1 billion to diversify
> influenza vaccine production technology. And we have worked with the
> world's leading vaccine companies to accelerate the development of
> cell-based influenza vaccine production to increase the nation's
> domestic vaccine production capacity. We have also invested heavily in
> clinical research and surveillance programs here at home and around
> the world.
>
> We have held flu summits in every State of the Union, plus our first
> on-line "blog summit" last June. We have organized, equipped, and
> trained response teams and begun to modernize the U.S. Public Health
> Service Commissioned Corps to enhance its response capabilities.
>
> Since our last Update, we have entered a new phase in our
> preparations. The milestones are farther apart but no less
> significant. We are now tackling some challenging issues that can only
> be resolved with the collaboration of the full range of stakeholders
> --- State and local officials, public health and medical
> professionals, religious leaders and ethicists, the business
> community, organized labor, non-governmental organizations, and
> individuals from all walks of life....
>
> In December, we launched a public education campaign to encourage
> people to prepare now for a future pandemic. The campaign, titled Take
> the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now, is aimed at community
> leaders such as clergy, employers, and health care providers, and is
> designed to provide them with the information they need to communicate
> the importance of pandemic planning by families and individuals....
>
> "Pandemics are earthshaking events. They reshape societies, they
> reshape economies, and they reshape geopolitics." (HHS Secretary Mike
> Leavitt)....
>
> "In public health, we believe that the community-level direction is
> the best in dealing with public health and medical issues...who knows
> the behavior, the culture, the desire, the priorities of the community
> better than the people who actually live in that community?" (Rear
> Admiral Craig Vanderwagen, Asst. Sec. for Prep and Response)...
>
> HHS has stressed repeatedly in State pandemic influenza summits with
> governors and in numerous other meetings that preparedness for
> pandemic influenza must be a shared responsibility among governments
> at all levels, the private sector, and individuals. To the extent that
> potential partners refuse to apply their talents and assets unless the
> Federal government foots the bill, they are abdicating their
> responsibility and thereby placing their communities at higher risk
> than need be....
>
> In 2007, HHS made available \$75 million to States, territories, and
> four metropolitan areas to help strengthen their capacity to respond
> to a pandemic influenza outbreak. This funding came in addition to the
> \$325 million provided over the past two years....
>
> There are still many in our country whose lives do not fall within the
> traditional public health channels for communicating, and they are
> among the hardest groups to reach. These include the homeless and
> non-English speakers, among other groups. To help remedy this
> situation, HHS has begun a series of activities to ensure that these
> groups are included in the pandemic planning process. A project will
> get underway this year that will first help clarify this audience's
> knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, capabilities and communication message
> needs, especially as they relate to community mitigation
> recommendations. In a second stage, appropriate messages will be
> crafted, tested, and then distributed through non-traditional
> means....
>
> It is very likely that a pandemic flu vaccine would only be available
> four to six months after the start of a pandemic. During that time,
> how could the available vaccines be used most wisely, including the
> so-called "pre-pandemic" vaccines? And who should get the first round
> of available vaccinations?\....
>
> On the basis of experience with seasonal influenza and the three
> pandemics of the 20th century, medical experts expect that infants,
> young children, and the elderly would be among those facing the
> highest mortality risk during the next pandemic. This consideration
> alone would justify placing elderly individuals within the highest
> priority strata for immunization. Yet, several senior citizens stated
> that they willingly would give up their place in line if that would
> ensure that their grandchildren were protected first. Other seniors
> went further to include the parents of these grandchildren, arguing
> that to do otherwise would be to risk having a generation of pandemic
> orphans.
>
> Based on these dialogues and the thoughtful input of so many segments
> of society, a working group of government officials is in the process
> of refining the allocation plan with the goal to release the plan in
> the coming months."

**(4) Pandemic: New U.S. Government Guidance to States, Territories and
DC:**

United States Government. *Federal Guidance to Assist States in
Improving State-Level Pandemic Influenza Operating Plans*. March 11,
2008, 132 pages. Accessed at:
<http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/guidance031108.pdf> Excerpts:

> As did the guidance for the first round of assessments, this revised
> guidance focuses on operating plans -- that is, plans that manifest a)
> clear-cut operating objectives, b) definitive implementation
> strategies, c) unequivocal specification as to which organizations or
> individuals are responsible for which elements, and d) measurable
> performance objectives. A defining characteristic of an operating plan
> is that, in whole or in part, it readily lends itself to
> evidence-based evaluation using the results of discussion-based
> exercises, operational-based exercises, or performance measurements
> obtained in the course of responses to actual incidents....
>
> An operating plan for combating pandemic influenza should address at
> least the three strategic goals listed below. The goals provide an
> overarching framework for the various functions of State government
> during an influenza pandemic. This framework acknowledges the fact
> that the State government is simultaneously striving to continue its
> basic operations, respond to the influenza pandemic, and facilitate
> the maintenance of critical infrastructure.
>
> [The Strategic Goals]{.underline}
>
> Strategic Goal A, "Ensure Continuity of Operations of State Agencies
> and Continuity of State Government" focuses on the role of State
> government in as an employer (i.e., looking inward). State governments
> are "large employers" and as such need to consider how they will
> continue to function during the pandemic. Continuing critical services
> and lifelines that many State citizens rely on for survival (e.g.,
> Medicaid, newborn screening, safe food and unemployment insurance) is
> paramount. If State governments fail to prepare themselves by
> developing, exercising, and improving comprehensive operating plans,
> then they will fail in their abilities to meet the other two strategic
> goals, which focus on external functions (i.e., responding to the
> event and helping to maintain critical infrastructure).
>
> Strategic Goal B, "Protect Citizens," reflects the role of the State
> government as a responder in to the influenza pandemic. During a
> pandemic, the State government is conducting business as usual (and
> perhaps with more intensity) with functions such as disease
> surveillance and is altering the way the State conducts its business
> to delay the introduction, slow the spread, or lessen the severity of
> pandemic influenza (e.g., advising that sick people stay home, banning
> public gatherings, dismissing students from schools).
>
> Strategic Goal C, \"Sustain/Support 17 Critical Infrastructure and Key
> Resource Sectors\" (CIKR), focuses on the State government\'s role
> with respect to sustaining its publicly- and privately-owned critical
> infrastructure. Note that infrastructure includes not only physical
> plants associated with it but also the processes, systems and
> information that support it.
>
> States are responsible for developing and implementing Statewide CIKR
> protection programs that reflect and align with the full range of
> homeland security activities presented in the National Infrastructure
> Protection Plan (NIPP). The 17 CIKR sectors are: Agriculture and Food;
> Banking and Finance; Chemical; Commercial Facilities; Commercial
> Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste; Dams; Defense Industrial Base;
> Drinking Water and Water Treatment; Emergency Services; Energy;
> Government Facilities; Information Technology; National Monuments and
> Icons; Postal and Shipping; Public Health and Healthcare;
> Telecommunications; and Transportation Systems. (2-3)...
>
> **Keys for successful preparation**
>
> **1. Involve State and local Leadership**. At the federal government
> level, the White House Homeland Security Council coordinates the work
> of the Departments, Independent Agencies, and other White House
> offices. We urge you to identify a coordinator from the Governor's
> Office to coordinate your State's integrated planning activities and
> include coordination with local government pandemic planning to ensure
> that all communities in the State will have a plan. In addition to
> consistent, strong leadership from the Governor's Office, there should
> be a senior level official designated as the pandemic influenza
> coordinator for the State.
>
> **2. Treat Pandemic as an All-Sectors** (Community-Wide) Issue, not
> just a Health Issue. The USG views the threat of pandemic influenza as
> not just a health threat but as a threat to all sectors of our
> society. The USG has committed to using all instruments of national
> power against the threat. We urge you to address the threat of
> pandemic with all instruments of State power. This guidance document
> reinforces this message by identifying State entities that should be
> involved in specific areas of planning.
>
> **3. Collaborate with neighboring and distant States.** Promising
> practices abound. We urge you to connect with planners in neighboring
> and distant States to share promising practices and lessons learned.
>
> **4. Collaborate across society at the State level.** Local
> governments, faith- and community-based organizations, philanthropic
> organizations, and the business community are critical partners for
> State government. We urge you to engage with them early and often as
> you develop and refine your plans.
>
> **5. Collaborate with regional Principal Federal Officials.** To
> coordinate the USG's responses to pandemic influenza, the Department
> of Homeland Security has divided the nation into 5 regions and
> designated a Principal Federal Official (PFO) for each region. The
> Department of Health and Human Services has enlarged the expertise
> available to the PFOs by designating 5 corresponding medical
> professionals, called Senior Federal Officials for Health (SFOs). You
> should make contact now and ensure that you understand the channels of
> communication and the roles of the federal officials. Please note that
> these officials are listed in the Annex. (p. 7)

\[Note: See, also: FEMA, *\"Determined Accord\" Increases Pandemic
Influenza Preparedness*. 22 Sep 2007. At:
<http://www.fema.gov/government/coop/pandemic.shtm> \]

**(5) Email Backlog:** 574 in the am, 623 in the pm.

**The End**

B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM\
Higher Education Program Manager\
Emergency Management Institute\
National Emergency Training Center\
Federal Emergency Management Agency\
Department of Homeland Security\
16825 S. Seton, K-011\
Emmitsburg, MD 21727\
wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov\
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu>

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