This document provides guidelines on developing emergency operations plans and promotes a common understanding of the fundamentals of community-based, risk-informed planning and decision making. The guide will help planners examine a threat or hazard and produce integrated, coordinated, and synchronized plans.
Nationwide, there are more than 91,000 dams, levees, and other water retention structures protecting homes and businesses, delivering electricity, and providing recreation and transportation. In 2018, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) became the newly formed Department of Homeland Security component responsible for Dams Sector security and resilience. This report makes five recommendations that, when implemented, will improve dam security and resilience.
Protecting communities from natural hazards is increasingly important in the United States. When flooding, seismic events, wildfires, hurricanes, typhoons, and other events strike, buildings and homes must be able to withstand these forces as much as possible. Retrofitting structures is one way to save lives and prevent widespread damage to property and the economy. Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 9 created this Natural Hazard Retrofit Program Toolkit to help state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions shape a retrofit program that meets their specific needs.
The Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide (PDA Guide) — a standard framework for how emergency management officials conduct preliminary damage assessments (PDAs) following a disaster—will be effective starting 1 October 2021.
During 2020, the nation faced unprecedented challenges, including COVID-19 and other concurrent disasters and emergencies, that required coordinated local, regional, and national responses. This inaugural annual report shares how each of the Health Care Readiness Programs was activated in 2020 to build the preparedness and response capabilities of the U.S. health care system.
Key Planning Factors and Considerations for Response to and Recovery From a Chemical Incident is written for response and recovery planners at the regional, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels. A coordinated response and recovery effort will include all levels of government in addition to the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and, potentially, international partners. Planning for a chemical incident requires additional considerations beyond all-hazard preparedness planning, so this document includes strategic and operational issues for consideration when developing response and recovery plans for a chemical incident.
The guide provides best practices for jurisdictions to establish and maintain a private-public partnership (P3) to help coordinate mitigation, response & recovery planning, and preparedness. P3s also increase community resilience.
Millions of miles of pipelines stretch across the United States, transporting hazardous materials through thousands of communities. The National Volunteer Fire Council and the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration want to help fire departments prepare for pipeline incidents. The Fire Department Pipeline Response Emergency Planning & Preparedness (FD PREPP) Toolkit is a free resource designed to help departments conduct pre-incident planning, increase preparedness, and improve response.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) resource management guidance enables many organizational elements to collaborate and coordinate to systematically manage resources – personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, and supplies. The NIMS Guideline for Resource Management Preparedness supplements the NIMS Resource Management component by providing additional details on processes, best practices, authorities, and tools.
The National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC), comprised of 22 associations representing state, local, and private-sector professionals responsible for the nation’s security, released their COVID-19 Pandemic After-Action Report. This report looks at the problems and issues throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and provides corresponding recommendations and best practices.
