**April 21, 2008 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Program
Report**

**(1) Children and Disasters**

Received today a note from Lori Peek at Colorado State University,
announcing that a special issue of *Children,* *Youth, and Environments
Journal* devoted to "Children and Disasters" is now on line. Dr. Peek
served as the Guest Editor of this CYE Special Issue (Vol. 18, No. ,
2008), and wrote the Introductory article:

"Children and Disasters: Understanding Vulnerability, Developing
Capacities, and Promoting Resilience -- An Introduction." The abstract
of this article is as follows:

> This comprehensive overview of the literature on children and
> disasters argues that scholars and practitioners should more carefully
> consider the experiences of children themselves. As the frequency and
> intensity of disaster events increase around the globe, children are
> among those most at risk for the negative effects of disaster.
> Children are psychologically vulnerable and may develop post-traumatic
> stress disorder or related symptoms; are physically vulnerable to
> death, injury, illness, and abuse; and often experience disruptions or
> delays in their educational progress as a result of disasters.
> Children have special needs and may require different forms of
> physical, social, mental, and emotional support than adults. However,
> children also have the capacity to contribute to disaster
> preparedness, response, and recovery activities. In order to promote
> children's resilience to disasters, we must improve their access to
> resources, empower them by encouraging their participation, offer
> support, and ensure equitable treatment*.*

Ten other articles plus research notes and reports from the field can be
accessed at: <http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/18_1/index.htm>

While on the topic of children and disasters, recommend checking out the
site noted below:

Federal Emergency Management Agency. *FEMA for Kids: Preparing Kids and
their Families*. Wash., DC: FEMA, April 4, 2008. At:
<http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=43128>

> Play games, enjoy stories, do puzzles, go through mazes, watch
> videos - welcome to FEMA for Kids, the Web site that is all fun and
> games...sort of. Underneath all the fun is a lot of good information
> that makes kids and their families better prepared in the event of a
> disaster. You can even become a Disaster Action Kid and get your very
> own certificate to hang on the wall!\.... Go to
> [www.fema.gov](http://www.fema.gov/) and click on Kids.

**(2) DHS Homeland Security Budget -- Homeland Security Watch
Commentary:**

> "Ever wonder why the perception that every step forward in securing
> the homeland is two steps back in strengthening commerce? Take a look
> at the [fiscal year 2009
> budget](http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_1207933887848.shtm).
> The \$37.6 billion requested by DHS is focused on five objectives:\
> • Protect our Nation from Dangerous People\
> • Protect our Nation from Dangerous Goods\
> • Protect Critical Infrastructure\
> • Build a Nimble, Effective Emergency Response System and a Culture of
> Preparedness\
> • Strengthen and Unify DHS Operations and Management
>
> Based on the details in the budget request, success in three of these
> categories can be measured rather bluntly:\
> • An increase, possibly followed by a decrease, in arrests or denied
> entries\
> • An increase, possibly followed by a decrease, in "no-load" orders
> for shipments from overseas\
> • An increase in high tech equipment and more staff for regulatory
> offices
>
> Building a "culture of preparedness" and investing in more unified DHS
> management functions are goals worth pursuing. However, the bulk of
> the budget request is dedicated to a lop-sided investment in the
> "guns, guards, and gates" paradigm that favors a narrow focus on
> keeping threats at bay, as opposed to reducing overall risk through a
> more strategic approach that considers the broader mission...."

Czerwinski, Jonah. "DHS Requests \$37.6 Bn Budget for a Narrowly Defined
Mission." *Homeland Security Watch*, April 18, 2008. Accessed at:
<http://www.hlswatch.com/>

**(3) FEMA New Independent Study Course -- IS 808, ESF#8, Public Health
& Medical:**

From EMI Website:

> This course provides an introduction to Emergency Support Function
> (ESF) #8 -- Public Health and Medical Services. Support.
>
> *Course Objectives*
>
> At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
>
> •        Describe the overall purpose and scope of ESF #8.
>
> •        Identify the supplemental assistance ESF #8 provides to
> State, tribal, and local governments. 
>
> •        Identify typical actions accomplished by ESF #8 resources and
> teams.
>
> •        Describe the types of partnerships formed between ESF #8 and
> other response agencies and organizations.
>
> *Primary Audience*
>
> This course is intended for government executives, private-sector and
> nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders, and emergency management
> practitioners.  This includes senior elected and appointed leaders,
> such as Federal department or agency heads, State Governors, mayors,
> tribal leaders, and city or county officials -- those who have a
> responsibility to provide for effective response.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. IS-808, *Emergency Support Function
(ESF) #8 -- Public Health and Medical Services*. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA,
Emergency Management Institute. March 27, 2008. Accessed at:
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS808.asp>

**(4) Minneapolis, MN I-35W Bridge Collapse and Response FEMA/USFA
Report:**

Federal Emergency Management Agency. *I-35W Bridge Collapse and
Response, Minneapolis Minnesota* (USFA-TR-166). August 2007, 60 pages.
Accessed at:

[Interstate 35W (I-35W) Bridge Collapse and Response Technical
Report](http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr_166.pdf)

Excerpts from Chapter VII. Lessons Learned and Best Practices:

> The citizens of Minneapolis and government officials gave the rescue
> and recovery effort high marks and praised the emergency services
> community for an admirable performance. Why those accolades are
> deserved is outlined in this chapter. At the same time, our
> after-action analysis identified a few problem areas. The purpose of
> an after-action analysis is to recognize not only the strengths of a
> response, but to identify areas in which improvements can be made.
>
> It is important to note that most of the concerns identified in this
> chapter have been recognized by the City of Minneapolis through
> departmental hotwash processes conducted shortly after the event.
> Corrective actions have been addressed by the relevant agencies and
> jurisdictions, but the problems are nevertheless mentioned for the
> sake of lessons learned that can be shared with others.
>
> **Problem Areas and Lessons Learned**.
>
> 1\. Fire and police did not initially operate from a Unified Command
> Post, but managed their operations from separate Command Posts....
>
> 2\. Although Command personnel showed the proper regard for safety, no
> formal Safety Officer or Assistant Safety Officers were appointed....
>
> 3\. The EMS Branch Director did not have enough staff support to enact
> the EMS (Multicasualty) Branch fully. Critical incident planning
> should cover how to access EMS resources quickly suf­ficient to handle
> a mass casualty incident.
>
> 4\. Multiple transportation groups were established, making the
> distribution of patients harder to track....
>
> 5\. Triage ribbons and tags were not used universally, which
> compromised the identification of patients and hospital destinations.
> Injured victims from the collapse were treated and transported via
> dif­ferent modes, and the standard triage identification system was not
> observed....
>
> 6\. Well-intentioned rescuers need to keep their own safety in
> mind....
>
> 7\. An EMS official should have been part of the Emergency Operations
> Center...
>
> 8\. The EOC was of insufficient size to manage a major event....
>
> 9\. The 9-1-1 EOC notification and callup
>
> did not occur as it should have because the center was overwhelmed
> with calls for assistance, and call lists were not updated.
>
> 10\. The West Metro Medical Resource Control Center...was not able to
> complete its mission, primarily because EMS personnel used cell phones
> to contact hospitals directly....
>
> 11\. For the first several hours there was confusion about which
> agency was the lead agency and what the roles were at the Family
> Assistance Center (FAC). There were problems in administration and in
> communication with the EOC, though services to the families were not
> compromised. Even at the Federal level, organizational guidelines for
> FACs are lacking. It is advisable for all levels of government to
> address how FACs should be managed and the criteria to be considered
> in locat­ing, staffing, and managing this resource, including the use
> of volunteers.

**(5) National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Draft
Strategic Plan:**

From NEHRP Website:

> 2008 Public Review and Comment on the Draft Strategic Plan
>
> The [Draft Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards
> Reduction Program Fiscal Years
> 2008-2012](http://www.nehrp.gov/pdf/NEHRP_StrategicPlan_Draft.pdf)
> (PDF 1.4MB) is now available for public review and comment. Comments
> received after 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 9, 2008 will not be
> considered.
>
> To ensure that your comments are properly considered, submit the
> following information through the [2008 Comment Submission Form for
> the Draft Strategic
> Plan](http://www.nehrp.gov/plans/publiccomment/PublicComment.htm) on
> the NEHRP web site by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 9, 2008

Some Excerpts:

**NEHRP Vision:** "A nation that is earthquake-resilient in public
safety, economic strength, and national security." (v)

**Mission:** "To develop, disseminate, and promote knowledge, tools, and
practices for earthquake risk reduction -- through coordinated, multi
disciplinary interagency partnerships among the NEHRP agencies and their
stakeholders -- that improve the nation's earthquake-resilience in
public safety, economic strength, and national security."

**Goals and Objectives:**

Goal A: Improve understanding of earthquake processes and impacts.

> Objective 1: Advance understanding of earthquake phenomena and
> generation processes.
>
> Objective 2: Advance understanding of earthquake effects on the built
> environment.
>
> Objective 3: Advance understanding of social, psychological, economic
> factors linked to implementing risk reduction and mitigation
> strategies in the public and private sectors.
>
> Objective 4: Improve post-earthquake information management.

Goal B: Develop cost-effective measures to reduce earthquake impacts on
individuals, the built environment, and society-at-large.

> Objective 5: Assess earthquake hazards for research and practical
> application.
>
> Objective 6: Develop advanced loss estimation and risk assessment
> tools.
>
> Objective 7: Develop tools to improve seismic performance of
> buildings, other structures.
>
> Objective 8: Develop tools to improve the seismic performance of
> critical infrastructure.

Goal C: Improve the earthquake resilience of communities nationwide.

> Objective 9: Improve accuracy, timeliness, content of earthquake
> information products.
>
> Objective 10: Develop comprehensive earthquake risk scenarios and risk
> assessments.
>
> Objective 11: Support development of seismic standards and building
> codes and advocate their adoption and enforcement.
>
> Objective 12: Promote implementation of earthquake-resilient measures
> in professional practice and in private and public policies.
>
> Objective 13: Increase public awareness of earthquake hazards and
> risks.
>
> Objective 14: Develop the nation's human resource base in earthquake
> safety fields. (**NEHRP**, *Strategic Plan for the NEHRP Fiscal Years
> 2008-2012*, April 2008 Draft, p. v)

**(6) North Dakota State University Student Testimonial:**

We have received another "Testimonial" -- this time from a current
student in the Emergency Management Program at North Dakota State
University. We intend to upload Ms. Neipert's in the near future to a
soon-to-be-created "tab" or section of the EM Hi-Ed Program website to
be entitled "Student's Corner." We are soliciting electronic photos of
graduated emergency management students as well to include with their
testimonial -- particularly if the photo ties-in with an emergency
management related job.

> I am writing to share my thoughts about North Dakota State
> University's Emergency Management Program. As a graduate student who
> will soon earn her Master of Science degree, I feel our program has
> become a welcoming place for students from a variety of backgrounds.
> The faculty and the curriculum rise to the somewhat difficult
> challenge of preparing students to be practical scholars and scholarly
> practitioners.
>
> The program is neither strictly practitioner-driven, nor wholly the
> fodder of the traditional academe, but rather it has become an
> amalgam---one that is driven by the professional and personal
> diversity represented in its student body. Simply put, we have a
> voice. If there is a particular subject area we would like to learn
> more about or a research area we have an affinity for, the program
> makes every effort to enable each of us to pursue these interests in
> concert with more traditional graduate coursework. I cannot imagine a
> more supportive environment.
>
> A review of my transcripts is a testament to the department's
> willingness to support the interests of its students. Alongside a
> year-long practicum creating a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan
> for the university, lies coursework in risk communication, global
> infectious disease, ArcGIS, social theory, social research methods,
> emergency management theory, and advanced exercise design, to name but
> a few. I was recently hired by FEMA and am certain that the
> well-balanced graduate education I received at NDSU was influential in
> their decision to hire me.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jeanine Neipert

<jeanine.neipert@ndsu.edu>

**(7) U.S. Northern Command -- Missed This When It Was First Posted:**

United States Northern Command. *Statement of General Victor E. Renuart,
Jr., USAF, Commander United States Northern Commands and North American
Aerospace Defense Command, Before the Senate Armed Services Committee.*
Washington, DC: March 6, 2008, 29 pages. Accessed at:
<http://www.northcom.mil/News/Transcripts/index.html>

**(8) Email Backlog:** 628 in the am, 434 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\
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu>

**"Please note: Some of the Web sites linked to in this document are not
federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the
same laws, regulations, and policies as federal Web sites."**

EMI, the nation's pre-eminent emergency management training
organization, offers training at no charge to emergency managers and
allied professions through its resident classes in Emmitsburg, MD, its
online courses <http://training.fema.gov/IS/> and through development of
hands-off training courses.  To access upcoming resident courses with
vacancies <http://training.fema.gov/EMICCourses/>. 

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