During severe winter weather events, the public has an undying need for information — when will their roads be plowed, will schools shut down, is more snow expected? Providing them with constant updates is essential to set clear expectations about your municipal snow removal agency’s capabilities during a given storm. Use these tips to… Read more
After “Snowzilla” dumped more than 26 inches of snow on Arlington County, Virginia in January 2016, the county had to supplement their 40-pieces of snow removal equipment with 200 pieces of contracted equipment to keep up with storm. Mike Moon, deputy director of operations for Arlington County, Virginia, Environmental Services, was tasked with coordinating… Read more
Reimbursement for snow assistance and winter storms requires highly-specific documentation, often for specific time periods or completing certain tasks. FEMA typically reimburses for a continuous 48-hour period of the storm, and for specific tasks like making two lanes passable on an arterial roadway. Use these tips to ensure your locality’s snow removal agency has proper… Read more
On March 22, 2014, groundwater saturation triggered a 4,400-foot-wide landslide near the town of Oso, Washington. Considered the largest and most destructive landslide in U.S. history, the event caused 43 fatalities, swallowed 49 homes and shut-down a portion of State Route 530 – giving the catastrophe its official name, the SR 530 Landslide. Search and… Read more
Planning for temporary housing assistance can be one of the most difficult aspects of preparing for a natural disaster due to the unpredictability of a storm’s impact on a locality’s housing stock. Likewise, each community has unique risks and resources when it comes to temporary housing — there is no “one-sized-fits-all” approach. Local, state… Read more
Long-term, widespread power outages can cause a plethora of unexpected communications challenges. IBTS spoke with Monroe County, New York, Emergency Manager Tim Kohlmeier about his experiences communicating with stakeholders and his constituents after a severe wind storm — coupled with sub-zero temperatures — hit the county in March 2017, causing multi-day power outages for more than 125,000.… Read more
Having a social media presence is a must for emergency management agencies today, however many localities struggle to build the large following that allows social media to be effectively used to communicate with constituents and stakeholders during a natural disaster. IBTS spoke with Washington Emergency Management Digital Media Specialist Steven Friederich about the strategies… Read more
Review the Contract in a Face-to-Face Meeting. Bring all stakeholders, including the contractor and your agency’s designated compliance administrator, together to ensure all parties have a clear understanding of the contract. At this time, it’s important to: Clarify the language in the contract and coach all parties through their questions and common mistakes. Ensure they… Read more
A PowerPoint presentation from that reviews the four keys to effective grant management — assessing capacity, procurement, monitoring and financial controls and procedures. Keys to Effective Grant Management
Keeping a constant stream of communications with homeowners throughout the pre-construction process is important both to ensure homeowners are satisfied with program results and that program administrators and subcontractors are compliant with program, state and federal rules and regulations. Use the following tips when communicating with homeowners about the nuts and bolts at different points… Read more
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