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Supporting our partners for 2013 Inauguration

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Posted by: John McGowan, Response Division Director, FEMA Region 3

As you might guess, it takes a high level of coordination and skill to pull off an event where hundreds of thousands of people converge on a small area to watch many of the nation’s political leaders.  Yesterday during President Obama’s public Inauguration ceremony, I jotted down some thoughts about FEMA’s role supporting our emergency management partners:

The President’s Inauguration is on the televisions at the front and along the sides of the room as 25 government employees watch attentively and monitor the situation. We’re here in the FEMA Region III Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Philadelphia, PA supporting the Inauguration and the surrounding events. The RRCC is where we monitor situations, work with our partners, and coordinate our response efforts.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
There were employees here from several government agencies to support the Inauguration.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
Staff members have been communicating with their federal and state partners and other FEMA employees throughout the day so they know what’s happening in DC and if there are any unmet needs.  They’re talking to coworkers who are in the Washington, DC Emergency Operations Center, with the Secret Service, and with the FBI.  They’ve spent months planning for this, for any scenario that could pop up, whether it includes consequence management, food, water, transportation, security or a myriad of other factors and scenarios. Team members include logisticians, planners, response, finance, media monitors and more. Because we train and plan together, serving together is easier.
Now that the preparations have all been made, everyone is able to pay attention to the televisions and listen in as the President is inaugurated and begins his address.  One thing that seems to really hit home for everyone here is the President’s quote, “Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.”
It’s a statement that resonates throughout this room because that, too, is why we’re all here; to care for the vulnerable and protect the population from life’s worst hazards. A lot of people here have only recently returned home, many were deployed to help respond to Hurricane Sandy. These are staff members that have just returned from assisting the people of the affected states.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
Upon hearing the President’s statement, we’re reminded that the sacrifices we make, the long hours we work, and the time away from home is worth it; we are here for the disaster survivors, not for ourselves, and we do it together. We have so many of our partners working with us today:  federal agencies, state and local emergency management agencies, and all of our citizens.  We truly are working to protect our citizens together.

FEMA Blog

United States Harmonizes its Threshold Value for Low Value Commercial Shipments with Canada

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Washington- The United States Government announced that it is delivering on a important commitment beneath the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Action Program by means of the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register titled “Informal Entry Limit and Removal of a Formal Entry Requirement. (far more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

Saving $1 Million on the Waterfront

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Posted by: Michael Byrne, Federal Coordinating Officer, NY

Brian Robbins grandfather, Harry, began producing paper bags with a folding machine in his garage in 1935. As a youngster, Robbins’ father would ride his bicycle to hand out flyers to promote business. In 1940, Harry had the great fortune to meet a wooden pail maker – an individual who produced wooden shipping crates – who introduced him to corrugated boxes.

A lot of years later, the household operation went onto to turn into Cornell Paper &amp Box Firm, a $ 14 million-a-year enterprise positioned on Brooklyn’s historic waterfront in Red Hook. Even on a cloudy day, a single can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, raising her torch in the mist.

The organization no longer manufactures paper items, but buys and distributes corrugated boxes throughout the U.S. Brian has been operating the business for the last 15 years with his father and for significantly of that time has watched nervously as the water, which in some areas is about 15 feet from his 150-year-old brick warehouse, eroded the shoreline. In early 2000, the pier outdoors the warehouse ultimately collapsed.

Brian stated he knew it was a matter of time prior to the erosion would make the building vulnerable to a massive storm, like a Nor’easter. He was concerned that a single of the walls would simply be knocked proper out with the force of a surge.

When Hurricane Sandy inundated Red Hook with floodwaters in October, Robbin’s warehouse took a massive hit – but not as bad had he not initiated a significant mitigation project. 4 years earlier, trucking in 1,500 cubic yards of armored stone, Robbins spent half a million dollars to construct riprap, an embankment of huge stones to stop erosion, and a retaining wall to protect his home. Even though the low-lying land was covered in about five feet of water following Sandy, flooding the warehouse, Robbins says items would have been a lot worse. He had no doubt the outer wall would have been knocked out had he not prevented the erosion from continuing.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 -- Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Company, Inc., stands next to his business which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his property by building a bulk head wall to protect his property from storm surge. Although Robbins building was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that without the mitigation steps, he would have lost his whole building.
Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Organization, Inc., stands next to his company which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his house by building a bulk head wall to protect his home from storm surge. Though Robbins building was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that without having the mitigation measures, he would have lost his complete building.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 -- Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Company, Inc., stands next to his business which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his property by building a stone wall to protect his property from storm surge. Although Robbins building was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that without the mitigation steps, he would have lost his whole building.
Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Company, Inc., stands subsequent to his company which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his property by constructing a stone wall to shield his house from storm surge. Despite the fact that Robbins developing was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that with no the mitigation steps, he would have lost his complete creating.

Robbins began the project in early 2008 and completed by September of 2010. Robbins joked that he had to get approvals from every government agency in existence. In the middle of it, the economic markets crashed and he spoke with his father about no matter whether it was the best time to go forward. But he decided it HAD to be accomplished or he’d be in worse shape, if a significant storm hit.

Even with the mitigation work, one wall of the warehouse sustained a huge crack that will price about $ 270,000 to repair. Cleanup will run one more $ 400,000. In addition, the flooding inundated about $ 900,000 worth of soggy boxes. His flood insurance coverage will cover $ 500,000 to repair the developing and yet another $ 500,000 for damaged inventory. (Flood insurance coverage coverage for organization is various than coverage for individual homeowners, which tops out at $ 250,000 for structures and $ one hundred,000 for contents).

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 -- Workers at local Red Hook business Cornell Paper and Box Company, continue cleanup of boxes inside the warehouse that was flooded during Hurricane Sandy. Business impacted by the storm may contact the Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA business recovery centers.
Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. four, 2012 — Workers at nearby Red Hook enterprise Cornell Paper and Box Organization, continue cleanup of boxes inside the warehouse that was flooded throughout Hurricane Sandy. Company impacted by the storm may speak to the Tiny Company Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA company recovery centers.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 -- Local Red Hook business, Cornell Paper and Box Company, continues cleanup of boxes at the warehouse that was flooded during Hurricane Sandy. Business impacted by the storm may contact the Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA business recovery centers.
Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Local Red Hook company, Cornell Paper and Box Company, continues cleanup of boxes at the warehouse that was flooded for the duration of Hurricane Sandy. Company impacted by the storm may make contact with the Small Organization Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA company recovery centers.

To make up the distinction, he will have to take out a half a million dollar low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Modest Company Administration (which also supplies low-interest loans to home owners to repair disaster harm). It will take a handful of months for Cornell to be in a position to residence the paper inventory needed to bring company back to the way it was. In the meantime, Robbins is trying to make up the loss by renting out emptied areas of his warehouse for storage space, (one particular client is storing his motorcycles exactly where stacks of cardboard typically sit).

Even so, Robbins estimates that if he had not taken the mitigation measures, it would have expense him an additional million dollars out of pocket. Now the program is to bring in yet another 400 tons of armored stone to replace what Sandy took away.

Robbins says that immediately after generating the repairs he’ll be even better protected for an additional storm. And save another million dollars – or far more.

After a presidentially declared disaster, FEMA offers funding to the state for mitigation grants. For far more information on applying for 1, right here is a link to HMGP FAQs.
FEMA Weblog

Combating Human Trafficking, One Step at a Time

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-Posted by the Blue Campaign

Every year, millions of men, women, and children are enslaved in countries around the world, including the United States. Victims are lured with false promises of well-paying jobs or are manipulated by people they trust, ending up forced or coerced into prostitution, domestic servitude, farm or factory labor, or other types of forced labor.

According to the International Labor Organization, an estimated 20.9 million people are victims of forced labor globally. From law enforcement, to educators, to transportation workers, everyone can play a role in combating human trafficking by taking a few minutes to learn the signs of human trafficking and how to report suspected cases of human trafficking.

Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign hosted its bi-annual stakeholder meeting, bringing together academia, healthcare experts, first responders, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and members of the public and private sectors to discuss ongoing efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking. During the meeting, participants discussed efforts to support victims, raise awareness of human trafficking, and increase collaboration on anti-human trafficking initiatives and resources.

DHS launched the Blue Campaign in 2010 to more effectively combat human trafficking through enhanced public awareness, victim assistance, and law enforcement investigations aimed at increasing prosecution.

Want to learn more? Law enforcement and the general public can educate themselves on the indicators of human trafficking through our website: www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking.

If you suspect that a person may be a victim of human trafficking, please call the ICE Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423 or report it online at www.ice.gov/tips.

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

The Blog @ Homeland Security

CBP Increases Worth for the Informal Entry Limit

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Washington – The United States Government announced that it is delivering on a essential dedication below the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Action Program via the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register titled “Informal Entry Limit and Removal of a Formal Entry Requirement,” which will increase the value threshold for expedited customs clearance. (far more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

New York, One Month After Sandy

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Posted by: Michael Byrne, Federal Coordinating Officer

I am a native New Yorker.

I was born in New York City.  I grew up in the city’s Public Housing developments in East Harlem and my Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters still live here.  I worked for the New York Fire Department for 20 years, eventually serving as a Captain.  I worked at the New York Office of Emergency Management and then I joined FEMA.

I’m a proud New Yorker and today, I’m honored to be part of the federal team that is working hard to assist my home city and state.

Coney Island, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2012 -- Aerial view of damage and debris on Coney Island, New York. Storm surge from Hurricane Sandy caused flooding ...
Coney Island, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2012 — Aerial view of damage and debris on Coney Island, New York. Storm surge from Hurricane Sandy caused flooding and power outages throughout the island.

Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2012 -- Cars were buried in sand from Hurricane Sandy. The storm surge created widespread flooding, power outages and devastation on Long Beach, New York. FEMA is working with state and local officials to assist residents who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2012 — Cars were buried in sand from Hurricane Sandy. The storm surge created widespread flooding, power outages and devastation on Long Beach, New York. FEMA is working with state and local officials to assist residents who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Even before the storm, FEMA was preparing. We prepositioned food, water and blankets at two incident support bases in New York. FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT), trained to quickly coordinate federal resources to support the state were on the ground days before landfall.  We also started calling in the cavalry, everyone from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We even had the Marines land on the beach in the Rockaways.

In the response phase of a disaster like this, it is critical that we focus on what I like to call the “four Ps” – “People, Power, Pumping and Pick-it-up.”

People always come first. The very first thing we did was get life-saving commodities out to the people.  Within 24 hours we supplied more than a million liters of water and more than a million shelf ready meals  to the New York National Guard and Voluntary Agencies throughout the city – who quickly distributed them to the New Yorkers in need.  The third day after the storm, we were set up in all the affected areas.

New York is an amazing place, made up of different people from all over the world. Every neighborhood is distinctly unique, with different traditions, dialects and sense of community. But most of all, New York is made up of neighborhoods.

For example, you look on a map and see the Rockaways.  But there are really four different Rockaways.  You have Far Rock, Rockaway Beach, Belle Harbor and Breezy Point.  Each neighborhood is different.

We set up Disaster Recovery Centers, where people can meet and talk about assistance face-to-face.  I was out at the center in Rockaway Beach and there were tons of people waiting to be seen.  Everyone had a number and I talked to a guy that had number 245.  The center was on number 150.  I told him we had heated buses that would take people to the Breezy Point center, but he wanted to stay with his neighbors and wait.  That’s New York.

Today, we have 34 centers throughout damaged areas, covering the neighborhoods that have had the most damage.  Over 56,000 New Yorkers have visited these centers.  And we plan to open more.

Far Rockaway, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2012 --FEMA Corps personnel assist disaster survivors at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Far Rockaway, New York. FEMA and the State set up the center to assist the needs of hurricane survivors.
Far Rockaway, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2012 –FEMA Corps personnel assist disaster survivors at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Far Rockaway, New York. FEMA and the State set up the center to assist the needs of hurricane survivors.

Far Rockaway, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2012 -- FEMA Community Relations specialist, Teisha Jeeter draws pictures with young disaster survivor, Luna Natalia Voss at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Far Rockaway, New York. The center was set up to assist the needs of Hurricane Sandy survivors.
Far Rockaway, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2012 — FEMA Community Relations specialist, Teisha Jeeter draws pictures with young disaster survivor, Luna Natalia Voss at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Far Rockaway, New York. The center was set up to assist the needs of Hurricane Sandy survivors.

The New York metropolitan area has over 15 million people and this is a city that is built vertically.  We knew immediately that having enough people would be a huge challenge. We had over 1200 people out in the field, going door-to-door in the damaged areas.  We had to activate the Department of Homeland Security surge capacity force to have enough people to do these sweeps.  This “surge force” consisted of over 1,100 employees from the agencies that make up DHS, such as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard.  They are spending the nights on Merchant Marine training ships so we don’t take hotel rooms from survivors. I have been out to the ships and the sleeping conditions are austere, but the food is good.

A little over a week after the storm, on Nov. 6th, FEMA had received over 135,000 applications and approved almost $ 185 million in housing assistance to disaster survivors. We also had over 1,000 housing inspectors in the field who had completed over 17,000 inspections.

 Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2012 -- FEMA Housing Inspector, Bill Gay inspects a home in Long Beach for Hurricane Sandy related damages. The FEMA Individual Assistance program provides financial assistance for temporary housing and minor housing repairs.
Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2012 — FEMA Housing Inspector, Bill Gay inspects a home in Long Beach for Hurricane Sandy related damages. The FEMA Individual Assistance program provides financial assistance for temporary housing and minor housing repairs.

In addition, we have employed a diverse outreach approach to make sure the word gets out amidst New York’s multicultural mosaic. When our community relations members come in contact with people who are have limited English proficiency, we have translators and materials in 21 different languages to ensure they get assistance.

Coney Island, N.Y., Nov. 25, 2012 -- FEMA Community Relations Limited English Proficiency (LEP) specialists, Eric Phillipson and Rossy Rey assist Russian hurricane survivor, Knana Letner with her special disaster related needs. The LEP strategic strike team was assigned to the Russian community in Coney Island, New York in response to Hurricane Sandy.
Coney Island, N.Y., Nov. 25, 2012 — FEMA Community Relations Limited English Proficiency (LEP) specialists, Eric Phillipson and Rossy Rey assist Russian hurricane survivor, Knana Letner with her special disaster related needs. The LEP strategic strike team was assigned to the Russian community in Coney Island, New York in response to Hurricane Sandy.

As for power, FEMA established a National Power Restoration Taskforce to cut through the red tape, increase federal, state, tribal, local and private sector coordination and restore power and fuel to people as quickly as possible.  The Defense Logistics Agency delivered more than 2.3 million gallons of fuel to distribution points in New York and New Jersey. The U.S. Air Force transported equipment and supplies for power restoration efforts, including 69 vehicles belonging to the Southern California Edison utility company. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed 177 generators to sites throughout New York including apartment buildings managed by the New York City Housing Authority.

Pumping was a modern technological miracle.  We had subway tunnels full of water.  The Hugh Carey Tunnel (it will always be the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to me) was full to the roof.  I was there and saw it, and I will tell you, I thought it would take months to get those tunnels pumped out.   The Army Corps pumped out over 470 million gallons of water in less than two weeks.

The final P is “pick-it-up”.  I’m talking about debris.  A storm like this one generates a ton of debris and picking it up is always a challenge.  The President signed an order saying we could pay for straight time for 30 days for debris pickup. Normally, we just pay for overtime, but being able to pay for all of the hours worked is a huge incentive to get the debris picked up and puts much needed money back into jurisdictions.  It also incentivizes them to pick up the debris fast, because we only do this for 30 days.  So far, we have picked up over 1.4 million cubic yards of debris.

We’ve done a lot, but, as long as there are people without power and in need of shelter, I am not satisfied. That’s why we came up with an innovative housing program called Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP).  This program is designed for people who have power to the street, but cannot connect it to their houses.  These are temporary repairs that are designed to let a family “shelter-in-place” while permanent repairs are made to their homes.  We do this by making minor repairs to meters and panels to restore temporary power. The program also pays for other temporary housing repairs, such as covering windows, roofs and exterior doors. These repairs are meant to allow residents to return to safe and livable homes.

If you live in the five boroughs of New York City, call 311 to access information about the program. For those in Nassau County, call 1-888-684-4267 and if you live in Suffolk County, call 2-11. Your county or city will decide what elements of the STEP Program are available for your residence.

Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 24, 2012 -- Electricians installing a heat register as part of the FEMA STEP Program. FEMA in conjunction with state, local and tribal partners, is implementing a Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Program to help people get back into their homes quickly and safely. STEP assists State, local and tribal governments in performing work and services essential to saving lives, protecting public health and safety, and protecting property. The program funds certain necessary and essential measures to help restore power, heat and hot water to primary residences that could regain power through necessary and essential repairs. STEP can help residents safely shelter-in-place in their homes pending more permanent repairs. FEMA is working with many partners including federal, state, local and tribal governments, voluntary faith-based and community-based organizations along with the private sector to assist residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
Long Beach, N.Y., Nov. 24, 2012 — Electricians installing a heat register as part of the FEMA STEP Program. FEMA in conjunction with state, local and tribal partners, is implementing a Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Program to help people get back into their homes quickly and safely. STEP assists State, local and tribal governments in performing work and services essential to saving lives, protecting public health and safety, and protecting property. The program funds certain necessary and essential measures to help restore power, heat and hot water to primary residences that could regain power through necessary and essential repairs. STEP can help residents safely shelter-in-place in their homes pending more permanent repairs. FEMA is working with many partners including federal, state, local and tribal governments, voluntary faith-based and community-based organizations along with the private sector to assist residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

We have more work to do. When President Obama visited New York and toured the damaged areas, he looked directly in my eyes and said “stay on it.”

We’d like the New York Hurricane Sandy page to inform survivors of our future plans. I have over 3,000 staff here and I am working hard to hire locals – New Yorkers – to help with the recovery.
We plan to share stories and updates as the rebuilding process continues. And, of course, you will hear from me.  I love to tell stories and I think this recovery might be one of the greatest stories of our time.

FEMA Blog

New psychological 1st aid guide to strengthen humanitarian relief

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16 August 2011 — Humanitarian emergencies – like earthquakes, intense drought, or war – not only affect people’s physical well being but also their psychological and social well being and well-being. A new guide makes positive that very best practices are regularly applied in humanitarian settings to improve the mental health of disaster affected populations.

Emergencies and disasters