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Supporting Legislative Efforts to Recognize the Sovereignty of Tribal Governments When Emergencies or Disasters Strike

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Posted by: Craig Fugate, Administrator, FEMA

In my December blog, I expressed the Obama Administration’s support for amending the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized tribal governments to make a request directly to the President for a federal emergency or major disaster declaration. Under current law, only States, through the Governor, can make such requests.

I’ve re-emphasized my support for amending the law by sending letters to Congressional Committee Chairmen to offer FEMA’s support for S. 2283. A change to the Stafford Act would enhance our ability to respond directly to tribal governments’ declaration requests regardless of State or county boundaries or jurisdictions. I’m giving my firm commitment to actively work with Indian Country and Members of Congress to support and facilitate the passage of this legislation.

Specifically, the letters I sent today are recommending that Congress take swift action to pass this legislation. If Congress passes and the President signs such legislation into law, my office will act promptly in the development of appropriate regulations and policies for implementation.

Through the years, I’m proud of the close working relationships we developed at FEMA with recognized tribal governments across the country, especially as it relates to disaster response, recovery and mitigation activities. Based on these experiences, I’ve seen great success and some challenges. I believe that amending the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized tribal governments to make a request directly to the President for a federal emergency or disaster declaration, will only improve our coordination efforts and build stronger more resilient communities.

The U.S. Government has a unique government-to-government relationship with federally recognized tribal governments based on the U.S. Constitution, statutes, regulations, treaties, executive orders, executive memoranda and policies. Amending the law would acknowledge the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes, enhance FEMA’s working relationship with tribal governments, and improve emergency and disaster responsiveness throughout Indian Country.

I’m looking forward to the day when the changes I have communicated here are made law and we are better situated to improve our coordination efforts with tribal governments and Indian Country. Visit fema.gov/government/tribal for additional information.

We will continue to follow the progress of this legislation closely and I’ll keep you posted on developments.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

Establishing Joint Port Operations Committees at Eight Canadian Airports

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-Posted by Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin

This week, the United States and Canada announced the establishment of Binational Port Operations Committees at eight Canadian airports that provide a U.S. preclearance service, as part of their commitment under the Beyond the Border Action Plan for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness released by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama.

These eight bilateral committees will help facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and travel and promote collaboration on overall port management. In addition, each Binational Port Operations Committee has developed an action plan that includes specific initiatives to improve border management and efficiency.

Committees have been created at the following eight Canadian airports:
  • Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta
  • Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton, Alberta
  • James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario
  • MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Ontario
  • Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, Montréal, Quebec
  • Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Beyond the Border Action Plan, released in December 2011 by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama, lays out specific steps that both counties will take to facilitate legitimate trade and travel, while simultaneously ensuring security. The action plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

Take Action & Pledge this National Hurricane Preparedness Week

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Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs

hurricane winds

This week, we’re kicking off National Hurricane Preparedness Week! After once more, we’ve teamed up with our partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to encourage all Americans to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which officially begins this Saturday, June 1 and lasts till November 30. Above all, hurricanes are potent forces of nature that not only cause damage to coastlines, but also hundreds of miles inland as effectively simply because of flooding.

The effect of Hurricane Sandy was felt in Puerto Rico, Florida and other components of the East Coast, and this video shows just how significantly harm Hurricane Sandy caused in the Northeast:

All week lengthy we’ll be posting hurricane security sources and information, encouraging every person to take two simple actions:

  • Pledge to prepare – It’s an simple step as you take action to prepare your home, family, and enterprise against hurricanes and other serious climate. By taking this pledge, you are taking the very first step in making sure you are ready for serious climate.
  • Share your pledge with someone you know – When you pledge, encourage other loved ones members, pals, and neighbors to take the pledge and prepare for hurricane season. We hope you join us in spreading the word this week and encouraging everybody you know to prepare. Possessing a program and becoming ready for can make a globe of difference throughout an emergency and serious weather.

And in case you missed it, you can also receive hurricane safety tips directly to your phone, by texting HURRICANE to 43362 (4FEMA).&nbsp And of course, standard message and information prices apply.

I hope you will join us in sharing hurricane safety this week!
FEMA Blog

What We’re Watching: five/17/13

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Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs
 
At the end of each week, we post a “What We’re Watching” blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Severe weather forecast
For those of you in the Plains and the Midwest, the National Weather Service is forecasting potentially severe weather over the weekend and possibly into next week.  The storm system may bring large, damaging hail and strong winds, with tornadoes possible on Sunday and Monday.  Here’s a piece of the forecast from the National Weather Service: “It is important to note that due to the slow moving nature of this system, the areas affected through Monday may include locations that already had severe weather occur earlier in the period.”

If severe weather is possible in your area, remember to:

  • Closely follow your local forecast through the National Weather Service website, mobile site, or through local TV & radio reports
  • Listen to the direction of local officials.  If they advise people to find shelter because of an upcoming storm, do so immediately
  • Double check your family’s emergency kit to make sure you have supplies to sustain you and your family for at least 72 hours
  • Make sure your family knows what to do in case severe weather strikes – talk about where to take shelter at home, or how you can stay safe if you’re traveling

For more tips on staying safe before, during, and after severe weather, check out Ready.gov or FEMA’s mobile site.

Assistance to those affected by Illinois flooding & storms
Last week, President Obama declared a major disaster for 11 counties in Illinois, making federal assistance available to individuals and families impacted by the recent flooding and severe storms.  We’ve been working hard to encourage impacted residents to apply for assistance.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are in neighborhoods damaged by the storms and floods, going door-to-door letting people know how to apply for assistance and answering any questions about the application process.  We’ve also opened several disaster recovery centers in impacted areas. These centers provide a place for people to talk face-to-face with staff from FEMA and our emergency response partners about the assistance that is available.

For the latest information on FEMA’s role in Illinois, check out the disaster-specific webpage. And if you’re on Twitter, check out our Region 5 Twitter account – it’s been posting great updates like:

A challenge for “hackers”
I’m talking about hackers who hack for good!  I am very excited that FEMA is one of the 19 government partners for the National Civic Day of Hacking, coming up June 1-2. The event will bring together citizens, software developers, entrepreneurs and government agencies across the nation to solve challenges relevant to America’s neighborhoods, cities, and the country.  To give you a scale of the event, there are 87 locations across the U.S. that will participate and work on over 37 data sets and resources.  FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration submitted its own challenge for the event – use our wealth of fire incident data and build an online visualization tool that brings the data to life.

Check out the National Civic Day of Hacking website for more info and spread the word about our challenge!

Photos of the week
To round out the week, here’s one of my favorite recent photos from the FEMA photo library:

Bay Head, N.J., May 14, 2013 --A construction crew rebuilds one of several concrete walkways for beach access in Bay Head as part of the rebuilding and recovery process following Hurricane Sandy.
Bay Head, N.J., May 14, 2013 — A construction crew rebuilds one of several concrete walkways for beach access in Bay Head as part of the rebuilding and recovery process following Hurricane Sandy.

Have a safe weekend!
FEMA Blog

United States and Republic of Nigeria Sign Customs Mutual Help Agreement

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Washington- On behalf of the United States and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Winkowski and Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller Basic Abdullahi Dikko Inde signed a Customs Mutual Help Agreement (CMAA) right now, which marks a considerable milestone in collaboration among the two countries. (much more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

CBP to Begin Rollout of Automated Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record

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Washington- U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced that the automation of Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is now effective which will streamline the admissions process for individuals lawfully visiting the United States. Form I-94 provides international visitors evidence they have been lawfully admitted to the U. (more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

CBP and French Customs Officials Seize Controlled Substance

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Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Center for Excellence and Expertise (CEE) in New York City along with the French Fake Medicines Observatory intercepted a shipment, 400 tablets, of Carisoprodol, a Schedule IV controlled substance. “The collaborative efforts of CBP’s Pharmaceuticals, Overall health & Chemical compounds CEE and the French Customs Fake Medicines Observatory (FMO) demonstrates that international partnerships are a force multiplier in the battle to avert the importation of hazardous pharmaceutical items,” stated David J. (far more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

Assisting Firefighters By means of Grants – FEMA’s Function For the duration of Wildfires

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Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs, FEMA

Over the past few weeks firefighters from local, state, and federal agencies have been tirelessly operating to battle a number of large fires across the country. Most importantly, we want to recognize their sacrifice and determination to protect lives and house. Thousands of very first responders from all levels of government have come collectively to bravely fight the blazes on the front lines.

FEMA continues to coordinate closely with our state, nearby, and tribal partners as the fire fight continues. In ten instances considering that June 1, FEMA has made economic help offered to support the firefighting efforts for fires in Montana, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. This assistance is offered by way of Fire Management Help Grants (FMAGs).

FMAGs provide economic help so firefighters and 1st responders can concentrate all their efforts on decreasing the negative impacts of the fire. An FMAG authorization makes FEMA funding offered to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting fees, beneath an authorized grant structure.

Products eligible for FMAGs can contain expenses for field camps equipment use, repair and replacement mobilization and demobilization activities and tools, supplies and supplies.

In case you are interested in the specifics, the program allows for the “mitigation, management, and control” of fires burning on publicly or privately owned forest or grasslands which threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. FMAGs are provided via the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and produced accessible by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to trigger a significant disaster.

A note on FMAGs: These grants do not provide assistance to individual property or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure harm triggered by the fire.

Other federal partners, such as the U.S. Forest Service and Division of Interior, are operating by way of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to provide the required assets such as fire engines, helicopters, air tankers and military support to assist suppress the fires. You can find a lot more about the federal government’s part at inciweb.org.

Due to summer season temperatures and dry conditions, the threat of wildfires will probably continue in the coming weeks and months. If you’re in an area that may possibly be impacted by wildfires, keep in mind these safety suggestions:

  • Generate a emergency kit and plan to ensure your home, family members, or enterprise is prepared for wildfires.
  • Listen to and stick to the guidance of state and regional officials. If authorities order an evacuation, leave immediately, adhere to evacuation routes announced by regional officials.
  • Produce an location of “defensible space” around your house. Clear things that will burn from around the property, which includes wood piles, lawn furnishings, barbecue grills, tarp coverings, and so on.
  • If you’re caught in the open in the course of a wildfire, the ideal temporary shelter is in a sparse fuel location. Clear fuel away from the area although the fire is approaching and then lie face down in the depression and cover your self. Remain down till following the fire passes.

For a lot more suggestions on staying protected before, throughout and after a wildfire, check out Prepared.gov/wildfires and our mobile website (m.fema.gov).

Published by the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Safety