The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and its offshoot discount incentive program, the Community Rating System (CRS), help communities get back on their feet in the wake of flooding incidents by providing affordable insurance to property owners and encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations. The program, managed by the Federal Emergency Management… Read more
Mutual aid agreements and other types of assistance agreements facilitate the rapid sharing of emergency aid and resources among governments and organizations at all levels. These can involve pre-existing agreements like the or may require the creation of new instruments to address emerging events or parties outside of existing compacts. Depending on the nature and… Read more
The Synergy of Structure and Good Intentions When disaster – natural or man-made – strikes a community, specific emergency management and nonprofit organizations automatically respond according to a pre-established plan. Each of these designated organizations has a specific role to play in ensuring an effective response to and recovery from the disaster’s devastation. Yet one… Read more
This application guide contains the forms and necessary information required for submission of the 2015 /CERT Program Subgrant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Program. The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015, includes provisions for providing funding assistance to… Read more
Volunteers are often a valuable resource following a disaster, but only if managed properly. To avoid a potentially chaotic volunteer situation during or after a disaster, localities should factor volunteer engagement into their disaster planning process. Localities can start by identifying which localities and volunteers are available to help in a disaster event. This process… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, however they come with a big caveat – when not managed properly, they can escalate an already dangerous and chaotic situation by overwhelming first-responders and putting themselves and others in danger. Public information officers can play an important role in helping… Read more
Taking a centralized approach to managing volunteers can help localities maximize the potential of volunteers and leverage the efforts of enthusiastic community members. IBTS subject matter experts and community emergency management professionals share their experiences and lessons learned in how to centralize volunteers. The Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) is a designated location used to connect… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, however they come with a big caveat – when not managed properly, they can escalate an already dangerous and chaotic situation by overwhelming first-responders and putting themselves and others in danger. Public safety officials can relieve some of the resulting… Read more
Volunteer credentialing is a required component of utilizing volunteers in any disaster scenario for all localities, even at the most basic level. An effective credentialing system allows management to triage and use volunteers properly during response and recovery from a disaster. Yet this process starts well before a disaster hits. Engaging volunteers throughout preparation and planning… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, but it is impossible to predict exactly to what extent volunteers and resources will be affected by a disaster. Accordingly, city managers and county administrators must be prepared to call on help from surrounding communities by having mutual aid agreements… Read more
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