Resources

Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS): A Guide for Key Decision Makers

This guide provides a step by step summary of the components of the  system, its primary data requirements, primary recommendations and key decision points. It also outlines the type of health and safety reports that the ERHMS system can provide to decision makers.   Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS): A Guide for Key… Read more

U.S. DOL Incident Command System (ICS) Activity Log

Download this fillable Activity Log (ICS 214) from the to record details of notable activities at any ICS level, including single resources, equipment, task forces and more. The logs provide basic incident activity documentation and a reference for any . Completed logs are submitted to supervisors, who forward them to the documentation unit.   FEMA… Read more

Communications in the Incident Command System

This Issue Brief presents background on communications within the and its Incident Command System (ICS). It examines the role of communications within these constructs, as well as in the context of multiagency response to disasters and emergencies. It concludes with operational best practices for effective use of incident communications units.   Communications in the Incident… Read more

Virginia: Elected Officials’ Guide to Emergencies and Disasters

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) created this guide to inform elected officials about emergency management. VDEM is the lead agency at the state level that protects the lives and property of Virginia’s citizens from emergencies and disasters by coordinating the state’s emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery efforts.    Virginia: Elected Officials’ Guide to… Read more

Washington State: Elected Officials’ Guide to Emergency Management

This guide is designed to provide Chief Elected Officials (CEOs) and their department heads with an overview of emergency management roles, responsibilities, and operations. It highlights the critical roles for which CEOs, as chief executives, are responsible.    Washington State: Elected Officials’ Guide to Emergency Management

Central Speaks Newsletter: Flood Recovery Edition

After historic flooding devastated the city of Central, Louisiana in August 2016, the city’s local media outlet, Central Speaks, released a flood recovery edition of their newspaper. From public and private school updates, to mold cleanup steps and the FEMA application process, use this publication as an example of the information residents impacted by flooding need… Read more

What Preliminary Damage Assessments Really Mean

Following a disaster, a governor requests preliminary damage assessments (PDAs) as the first step in the declaration process. Federal representatives, including the U.S. Small Business Administration, join state, tribal, and local officials to form “PDA teams” responsible for surveying damages in designated counties by going city-by-city, street-by-street, door-to-door, until impacted areas identified by state and… Read more

Tips for Homeowners: Understanding the NFIP

  After a flood, homeowners often struggle to understand the requirements and procedures of the , presenting unexpected challenges in an already dire situation. Homeowners must have a clear understanding of the detailed rules and processes of the NFIP — especially the concept of  — to accurately assess damage and know what actions will be required as… Read more