**March 28, 2006 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project
Activity Report**

\(1\) CATASTROPHE READINESS AND RESPONSE \-- COLLEGE COURSE DEVELOPMENT
CONTRACT:

Learned today that contract paperwork was approved and funded at FEMA
HQ, and that the approved contract package is now in intra-agency mail
back here for processing in the NETC Procurement Office, where a Request
for Proposals will be generated. Expect to have a contract award by end
of Spring/early Summer.

\(2\) ELMIRA COLLEGE, NY \-- EMERGENCY-DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MANAGEMENT
MASTERS CONCENTRATION:

Drafted letter of support for the Elmira College Proposal to the New
York State Department of Education for approval of the implementation of
an \"Emergency-Disaster Preparedness Management\" Concentration within
the Elmira Master of Science Degree, and forwarded draft to Elmira Dean
of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies, Glenn F. Fried. For
additional information Dean Fried can be reached at: <gfried@elmira.edu>

\(3\) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & HOMELAND SECURITY/DEFENSE HIGHER EDUCATION
CONFERENCE:

Learned today that the last of the 30 seats for the pre-conference
workshop on GIS in Emergency Management and Homeland Security has been
assigned. Participation is limited to 30 in that the computer lab to be
used sits 30 participants. The workshop is on June 5th, with the
conference itself following on June 6-8, 2006. Also informed that 29
applications for the Workshop on \"Designing, Developing and Teaching a
College Course on Catastrophe Readiness and Response\" have been
processed.

\(4\) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM \-- NATIONAL VERSUS FEDERAL:

Carafano, James Jay and Richard Weitz. \"Learning From Disaster: The
Role of Federalism and the Importance of Grassroots Response.\"
Washington, DC: Heritage Foundation, Backgrounder #1923, March 21, 2006.
Accessed at:
[[http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/bg1923.cfm]{.underline}](http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/bg1923.cfm)

\[Note: Begins by writing that in reaction to \"unsteady\" response to
Katrina, \"some argued to give the federal government a much more
intrusive role in meeting future catastrophic emergencies.\" This, the
authors write (and for what it is worth, I concur), \"is a terrible
idea\" \-- \"The worst reaction to the aftermath of Katrina would be to
adopt a more heavy-handed federalized approach, which would undercut the
very kinds of responses that proved the most effective.\" BWB:
Nonetheless, this is, I fear, just the direction we are moving.\]

\(5\) IAEM BULLETIN \[INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS\]:

The electronic version of the IAEM Bulletin (Vol. 23, No. 4, April 2006)
became available today \-- scroll down on the IAEM Homepage (right side)
or go to:

<http://www.iaem.com/publications/bulletin/documents/200604bulletinonline.pdf>

Lead article is on \"Local Emergency Managers Take Issue With DHS on
EMPG\" (Emergency Management Performance Grants).

See, also, \"IAEM Responds to White House Report on Lessons Learned From
Hurricane Katrina;\" and

\"Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina: Preparedness of Team Members
and Community,\" by Lt. Kenneth C. Rost of the Douglas County
Sherriff\'s Office (Castle Rock, CO). IAEM has posted a journal kept by
Lt. Rost relating to his deployment to New Orleans following Katrina on
the IAEM website \-- accessible via tab directly below the tab that
links to the April Bulletin.

Also of note is that in the New Members from February 16 to March 15,
2006 section, that out of 144 new members, 41 (or 20%) were in the
Emergency Management Student Region (12) category.

\(6\) KATRINA:

Fellowes, Matt and Amy Lie. \"Federal Allocations In Response to
Katrina, Rita and Wilma.\" Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, March
21, 2006. Accessed at:

\<[[http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/200603_katrinafactsheet.htm]{.underline}](http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/200603_katrinafactsheet.htm)\>

\[Note: As J.R. Thomas at Columbus State College noted when sending me
this report, such statistics make the case for mitigation funding prior
to events.\]

Jonsson, Patrik. \"Katrina Survivors Play Defense Against Looting.\"
Christian Science Monitor, March 28, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0328/p01s02-ussc.html]{.underline}](http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0328/p01s02-ussc.html)

Lakoff, George, and John Halpin. \"Framing Katrina - Hurricane Katrina
Revealed the Failure of Conservative Philosophy; Liberals Need To Stand
Up For Their Approach To Governing.\" American Prospect Online, October
7, 2005 \[Missed it at the time \-- go figure\]. Accessed at:
[[http://www.prospect.org/web/printfriendly-view.ww?id=10391]{.underline}](http://www.prospect.org/web/printfriendly-view.ww?id=10391)

New Orleans Times-Picayune. \"Remodelers To The Rescue\" \[Editorial\].

March 28, 2006. Accessed at:
<http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1143532037207810.xml>
\[Note: A critical assessment of the Katrina \"Lessons Learned\" report
released last week (March 20) by the Louisiana State Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness.\]

\(7\) PANDEMIC:

Bird Flu\'s Possible Impact On Humans Debated \[DHS News Briefing\]. In

six-article feature package, the New York Times examines several of the
key issues surrounding the avian flu and its potential impacts on
humans. The New York Times (3/28, McNeil, 1.19M
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/health/28worr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>)

reports Dr. David Nabarro, chief avian flu coordinator for the United
Nations, \"has become gun-shy about making predictions\" on the possible
spread of the virus, but \"describes himself as \'quite scared,\'
especially since the disease has broken out of Asia and reached birds in
Africa, Europe and India much faster than he expected it to.\" Like
early AIDS, he warns that the disease has still \"too many unanswered
questions.\"

On the other side of the argument, the New York Times (3/28, Rosenthal,
1.19M
\<[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/health/28skep.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/health/28skep.html)\>)

reports Dr. Jeremy Farrar, who has spent time researching and treating
patients with avian influenza in Vietnam, \"thinks it is unlikely that
the virus is poised to jump species, becoming readily transmissible to
humans or among them. Nor does he believe the mantra that a horrific
influenza pandemic is inevitable or long overdue.\" Dr. Farrar believes
the world \"should prepare,\" but finds the \"doomsday\" predictions
\"unhelpful, more fantasy than fact.\"

In a third article, the New York Times (3/28, Altman, 1.19M

\<[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/health/28docs.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/health/28docs.html)\>)
examines the public health \"dilemma\" about issuing pandemic warnings
to the general population. For example, \"If officials do issue early
warnings, and nothing happens, they stand to lose credibility among
people who say that scientists promoted the worst possibilities to grab
more grants and waste taxpayer dollars. If officials do not issue early
or timely warnings, and a pandemic occurs, critics will say the public
was not informed and protected in time.\"

Separately, the New York Times (3/28, Grady, 1.19M) \<
[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28viru.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28viru.html)\>
reports that researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in Atlanta are \"studying the transmission and virulence of
bird flu \... trying to understand how a virus can be wildly contagious
among birds but almost impossible to spread in mammals \-- and what type
of mutation could change that.\" Other articles report on the flu\'s
impact on the global bird population
\<[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28bird.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28bird.html)\>

and lessons that may be learned from the 1918 flu epidemic.
\<[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28flu.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28flu.html)\>

\(8\) PREPAREDNESS (PLANNING):

Shuler, Marsha. \"Nursing Home Evacuation Plan Pushed.\" Baton Rouge
Advocate, March 28, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/2532531.html]{.underline}](http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/2532531.html)

Ziegler, Mollie. \"Planning For The Next Disaster - After Katrina,
Recovery Plans Focus On Finding, Housing Employees.\" Federal Times,
March 27, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=1642122]{.underline}](http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=1642122)

\(9\) WAR ON TERROR:

Associated Press. \"Rumsfeld Grades U.S. Poor in Global Debate.\" March
27, 2006. Accessed at:
<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060327/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rumsfeld;_ylt=App4cWhJumkffFxsOdenPaRp24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA-->

Scarborough, Rowan. \"Rumsfeld Sees No Victims In Al Qaeda.\" Washington
Times, March 28, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060327-103241-4032r.htm]{.underline}](http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060327-103241-4032r.htm)

B. Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

\(301\) 447-1262, voice

\(301\) 447-1598, fax

wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov

[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)

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