**February 6, 2008 FEMA EM-Hi-Ed Program Report**

**(1) DHS OIG Report on Louisiana Grants Mgmt. -- Mostly Investigation
of Witt Contract**

Department of Homeland Security. *Audit of Louisiana State Grant
Management Award, Public Assistance Program*. DC: DHS, Office of
Inspector General Jan 2008, 18 pages. Accessed at:
<http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/auditrpts/OIG_DD-08-01_Jan08.pdf>

\[Excerpt -- first two paragraphs from "Conclusions and Recommendations"
(p. 9): "The magnitude of damages caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
poses an unprecedented challenge for the State to effectively manage its
PA Program. The State has relied largely on the Witt contract to meet
that challenge, but it needs more and better resources to improve the
effectiveness of its grant management activities. The State has awarded
a new contract with reduced hourly rates and better terms and
conditions. However, the State should take additional steps to improve
the quality of services provided to the nearly 1,100 subgrantees
devastated by the hurricanes.

"We cannot conclude that another contractor would have performed better
than Witt. The shortage of qualified personnel in Louisiana after the
2005 hurricanes affected almost everyone, including FEMA, the State,
contractors, and subgrantees. Both FEMA and the State told us that the
quality of Witt's personnel has improved over the last 2 years. However,
many subgrantees do not effectively manage their public assistance
projects or prepare adequately supported claims. They need additional
support and oversight by the State."\]

**(2) Dirty Bomb Detection Equipment and Program -- Risks Not Zero
Defense**

Hsu. Spencer S. "Securing the Cities No Easy Task: Developing System for
Detecting 'Dirty Bombs' Hits Snags, Criticism." *Washington Post*,
February 3, 2008. Accessed at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020202220.html>

\[Excerpt: "At an estimated cost of \$90 million, the Securing the
Cities \[see Terms and Definitions doc on EM Hi-Ed Website\] program
absorbs a small fraction of the Bush administration\'s overall national
security and counter-proliferation expenditures. But critics have raised
questions about its value, noting its rapid growth in the absence of a
specific threat of urban nuclear terrorism, as well as the program\'s
technical challenges and operational limitations.

"Its aims, Senate appropriators warned in a report last year, may be
technologically unfeasible. The attempt to create a detection system in
New York as a model for other cities is based on assumptions \"that run
counter to current intelligence in this threat arena, and has no measure
of success, nor an end point,\" they said.

"Michael A. Levi, a Council on Foreign Relations scholar and the author
of the recently published book \"On Nuclear Terrorism,\" said the
Securing the Cities program may be useful but that its backers should be
more open about its goals and limits. He also worries that too much is
being spent on technology and not enough on coordination.

"Supporters say that however slight the odds, the risks of a
nuclear-related attack on New York or another U.S. city are not zero.
And such an attack\'s consequences on the nation\'s economy, society and
psyche would be too extreme to neglect a goal-line defense, they say."\]

**(3) Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) Meeting Minutes, January
10, 2008:**

Department of Homeland Security. *Meeting of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, Public Session*. 10 Jan 08, 79 pages.
<http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/HSAC_Meeting_Notes_061008.pdf>

\[There is a very general brief on DHS training starting at page 6.
Recommendation: "to clarify the goal of the Chief Learning Officer to
make sure the Department clearly knows about it and understands the role
that the CLO plays. Funding is obviously crucial to everything that\'s
done. The office has not been adequately funded, and that is an issue
that has to be looked at...." (p.8)

At page 13, Dr. Richard Andrews, a former Director of the California
Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and Chair of the HSAC Emergency
Response Senior Advisory Committee/Team begins his report -- which
focuses on implementation on HSPD 8, the Post-Katrina Emergency Response
Reform Act, and the 9/11 Commission recommendations \-- All three of
those efforts have set as a national goal, the development of metrics to
measure preparedness or readiness. This is to be done on a risk based
formula. And it has resulted in a, in a flurry of activity occurring
over the last four years...." Went on to note the good intent behind the
production of the Target Capabilities List which the committee felt was
"rather poorly named" (p.15) Dr. Andrews was critical of the "literally
thousands of capabilities" in the TCL which made it "extraordinarily
difficult even to make your way thorough it" (p.15). In connection with
documents which the HSAC is aware of that are in the revision stage or
development stage, Dr. Andrews notes:

> "Our one concern is, to a considerable extent, the people at the end
> of the food chain who actually have to do these assessments, namely
> the state and local governments, have in a sense, been assessed to
> death over the last four or five years. And there\'s a real push back
> from state and local governments about doing yet another assessment
> based upon another set of criteria. So the committee\'s recommendation
> is essentially that, on a pilot basis, DHS should go forward and work
> with selected local jurisdictions to make sure that these new Target
> Capabilities List not only meet the needs of the state and local
> levels, but are also doable before they roll these out across the
> nation." (p. 17)

Dr. Andrews turned the floor over to HSAC ERSAC member Dr. John F.
Williams to discuss the Hospital and Emergency Medical Services Sectors:

> "We have over 3,000 hospitals in the United States. We have several
> thousands EMS and EMT responders. And yet, none of them can talk
> adequately with each other. Then you throw on top of that, the
> hospital and health community. And we believe that we have a potential
> disaster waiting on our hands. Who\'s going to take care of these
> first responders that get in to trouble?" (p. 20)

**(4) National Response Framework, An Introduction Independent Study
Course (IS 800B)**

Noted yesterday the release of this new IS -- the objectives of which
are for those who take it to be able to describe:

-   The purpose of the National Response Framework.

-   The response doctrine established by the National Response
    Framework.

-   The roles and responsibilities of entities as specified in the
    National Response Framework.

-   The actions that support national response.

-   The response organizations used for multi-agency coordination.

-   How planning relates to national preparedness.

I took it this morning -- did not take long -- certificate is now
electronically produced as well as mailed to the mailing address one
inputs. Recommend taking it -- did not get every answer right.  Go to:
<http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp>.

**(5) Savannah State University--Looking for Good Faculty Member, HS and
EM Program:**

Received the following faculty recruitment notice from Emily Bentley
with the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program at Savannah
State University in Georgia:

*Asst/Assoc/Full Professor Homeland Security and Emergency Management:*

"This full-time faculty position is in the only undergraduate Homeland
Security & Emergency Management degree program in the state of Georgia.
The successful candidate will have research interests and professional
qualifications in emergency management and will teach courses at the
undergraduate level; potential also exists for teaching graduate courses
in public administration or urban studies. Interest and qualifications
to conduct research in and teach disaster policy, research methods,
technology applications, disaster response, hazardous materials policy
and management, public health and disasters, and/or homeland security
preferred.  Doctorate preferred; master's plus appropriate experience
acceptable; understanding of HBCU mission and values important. Review
of applications begins January 31, 2008, and will continue until
filled.  Submit three copies of cover letter, application (available on
SSU web site), vita and three references with contact information to
Chair, HSEM Faculty Search."

Mail to:

Dean of CLASS

Savannah State University

P.O. Box 20059

Kennedy Fine Arts Bldg Room 213

Savannah, GA  31404

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>

**"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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