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
In the January 2009 flood, the small town of South Prairie in east Pierce County was inundated by mud. A local high school initiated an MLK Day service project for its students. Coordinating efforts with the mayor, nearly 75 kids showed up to be a ‘mud brigade,’ shoveling mud out of critically needed roadways, buildings,… 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
I. TITLE: Donated Resources II. DATE OF ISSUANCE: February 26, 2014 III. PURPOSE: Establish the criteria by which applicants will be credited for volunteer labor, donated equipment, and donated materials used in the performance of eligible emergency work – Categories A and B. IV. SCOPE AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCE: This policy is applicable to all major… Read more
Introduction The catastrophic disasters caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created a living laboratory for distilling “best practices” in using volunteers for disaster relief. This manual presents a basic overview of existing literature on the subject, as well as case studies and the on-the-ground experience of organizations working in the Greater New Orleans Area after… 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
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
Stay up to date with all the latest IBTS news.