The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed this series of mitigation planning "how-to" guides to assist states, communities, and tribes in enhancing their hazard mitigation planning capabilities. These guides are designed to provide the type of information state and local governments need to initiate and maintain a planning process that will result in safer communities. These guides are applicable to states and communities of various sizes and varying ranges of financial and technical resources. This how-to series is not intended to be the last word on any of the subject matter covered; rather, it is meant to provide easy to understand guidance for the field practitioner. In practice, these guides may be supplemented with more extensive technical data and the use of experts when necessary. The how-to guides cover the following topics: Getting started with the mitigation planning process, including important considerations for how you can organize your efforts to develop an effective mitigation plan (FEMA 386-1); Identifying hazards and assessing losses to your community or state (FEMA 386-2); Setting mitigation priorities and goals for your community or state and writing the plan (FEMA 386-3); Implementing the mitigation plan, including project funding and maintaining a dynamic plan that changes to meet new developments (FEMA 386-4); Evaluating potential mitigation measures through the use of benefit-cost analysis and other techniques (FEMA 386-5); Incorporating special considerations into hazard mitigation planning for historic structures and cultural resources (FEMA 386-6); Incorporating considerations for human-caused hazards into hazard mitigation planning (FEMA 386-7); Using multi-jurisdictional approaches to mitigation planning (FEMA 386-8); and Finding and securing technical and financial resources for mitigation planning (FEMA 386-9). This first guide in the State and Local Mitigation Planning How-to series discusses the activities and issues involved in initiating a hazard mitigation planning process. The topics covered here are presented within the context of the beginning phase of the mitigation planning process, although many of these activities will continue more or less behind the scenes throughout the process. Therefore, the efforts you put into identifying and organizing your resources early on will pay dividends later as you progress through some of the more challenging tasks of mitigation planning. This how-to guide thus covers not only this first phase of the planning process, but also provides snapshots of later phases. You will then be able to begin the planning process knowing ahead of time what types of resources you may need to call upon in the future. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, elected officials, community staff, citizens, and businesses will benefit from the knowledge, organization, positive attitude, and energy that you and your team demonstrate.

The National Mutual Aid and Resource Management Initiative supports the National Incident Management System (NIMS) by establishing a comprehensive, integrated national mutual aid and resource management system that provides the basis to type, order, and track all (Federal, State, and local) response assets. For ease of ordering and tracking, response assets need to be categorized via resource typing. Resource typing is the categorization and description of resources that are commonly exchanged in disasters via mutual aid, by capacity and/or capability. Through resource typing, disciplines examine resources and identify the capabilities of a resource's components (i.e., personnel, equipment, training). During a disaster, an emergency manager knows what capability a resource needs to have to respond efficiently and effectively. Resource typing definitions will help define resource capabilities for ease of ordering and mobilization during a disaster. As a result of the resource typing process, a resource's capability is readily defined and an emergency manager is able to effectively and efficiently request and receive resources through mutual aid during times of disaster.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed FEMA 459, Incremental Protection for Existing Commercial Buildings from Terrorist Attack, to provide guidance to owners of existing commercial buildings and their architects and engineers on security and operational enhancements to address vulnerabilities to explosive blasts and chemical, biological, and radiological hazards. It also addresses how to integrate these enhancements into the ongoing building maintenance and capital improvement programs. These enhancements are intended to mitigate or eliminate long-term risk to people and property. FEMA's Risk Management Series publications addressing security risks are based on two core documents: FEMA 426, Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against buildings, and FEMA 452, Risk Assessment: A How-To Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings. FEMA 426 provides guidance to the building science community of architects and engineers on reducing physical damage caused by terrorist assaults to buildings, related infrastructure, and people. FEMA 452 outlines methods for identifying the critical assets and functions within buildings, determining the potential threats to those assets, and assessing the building's vulnerabilities to those threats. This assessment of risks facilitates hazard mitigation decision-making. Specifically, the document addresses methods for reducing physical damage to structural and nonstructural components of buildings and related infrastructure and reducing resultant casualties during conventional bomb attacks, as well as attacks involving chemical, biological, and radiological agents. FEMA 459 can be used in conjunction with FEMA 452. This manual presents an integrated, incremental rehabilitation approach to implementing the outcomes of a risk assessment completed in accordance with FEMA 452, Risk Assessment: A How-To Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Building. This approach is intended to minimize disruption to building operations and control costs for existing commercial buildings. The integrated incremental approach to risk reduction in buildings was initially developed in relation to seismic risk and was first articulated in FEMA's Risk Management Series in the widely disseminated FEMA 395, Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of School Buildings (K-12), published in June 2003. In 2004 and 2005, FEMA also published Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation manuals (FEMA 396-400) for hospitals, office buildings, multifamily apartments, retail buildings, and hotels and motels. This manual outlines an approach to incremental security enhancement in four types of existing commercial buildings: office buildings, retail buildings, multifamily apartment buildings, and hotel and motel buildings. It addresses both physical and operational enhancements that reduce building vulnerabilities to blasts and chemical, biological, and radiological attacks, within the constraints of the existing site conditions and building configurations.

This primer, FEMA 429, Insurance, Finance, and Regulation Primer for Terrorism Risk Management in Buildings, is a part of the Multihazard Risk Management Series of publications that addresses terrorism risk in buildings. The objective of this primer is to introduce the building insurance, finance, and regulatory communities to the issue of terrorism risk management in buildings and the tools currently available to manage that risk. Insurance, finance and regulation are considered the 'change levers' of the built environment. They are the principal mechanisms for the evaluation and management of risk exposure in buildings. These change levers play a critical role in introducing and maintaining standards for risk management and public safety.

Earthquakes are a serious threat to safety in retail buildings, be they malls or single tenant buildings, and pose a significant potential liability to retail building owners. Retail buildings in 39 states are vulnerable to earthquake damage. Unsafe existing buildings expose retail building owners and tenants to the following risks: Death and injury to tenants, occupants, shoppers, and visitors; Damage to or collapse of buildings; Damage to and loss of furnishings, equipment, merchandise, and other building contents; Disruption of sales functions and building operations. The greatest earthquake risk is associated with existing retail buildings that were designed and constructed before the use of modern building codes. For many parts of the United States, this includes buildings built as recently as the early 1990s. Although vulnerable retail buildings should be replaced with safe, new construction or rehabilitated to correct deficiencies, for many building owners new construction is limited, at times severely, by budgetary constraints, and seismic rehabilitation is expensive and disruptive. However, incremental seismic rehabilitation, proposed in this manual, is an innovative approach that phases in a series of discrete rehabilitation actions over a period of several years. It is an effective, affordable, and non-disruptive strategy for responsible mitigation action that can be integrated efficiently into ongoing facility maintenance and capital improvement operations to minimize cost and disruption. This manual and its companion documents are the products of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project to develop the concept of incremental seismic rehabilitation-that is, building modifications that reduce seismic risk by improving seismic performance and that are implemented over an extended period, often in conjunction with other repair, maintenance, or capital improvement activities. It provides owners of Class A, B, or C retail buildings, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings.

This manual is intended to assist office building owners' personnel responsible for funding and operating existing office buildings across the United States. This publication and its companion documents are the products of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project to develop the concept of incremental seismic rehabilitation-that is, building modifications that reduce seismic risk by improving seismic performance and that are implemented over an extended period, often in conjunction with other repair, maintenance, or capital improvement activities. The manual was developed after the project team analyzed the management practices of office building owners of varying sizes located in various seismic zones in different parts of the United States. It focuses on the identified concerns and decision making practices of owners and managers of Class A, B, or C buildings, be they REITs, pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other types of owners. Earthquakes are a serious threat to office safety and pose a significant potential liability to office building owners. Office buildings in 39 states are vulnerable to earthquake damage. Unsafe existing buildings expose office building owners and tenants to the following risks: Death and injury of tenants, occupants, and visitors; Damage to or collapse of buildings; Damage to and loss of furnishings, equipment, and other building contents; Disruption of office functions and building operations. The greatest earthquake risk is associated with existing office buildings that were designed and constructed before the use of modern building codes. For many parts of the United States, this includes buildings built as recently as the early 1990s. Although vulnerable office buildings need to be replaced with safe, new construction or rehabilitated to correct deficiencies, for many building owners new construction is limited, at times severely, by budgetary constraints, and seismic rehabilitation is expensive and disruptive. However, incremental seismic rehabilitation, an innovative approach that phases in a series of discrete rehabilitation actions over a period of several years, is an effective, affordable, and non-disruptive strategy for responsible mitigation action. It can be integrated efficiently into ongoing facility maintenance and capital improvement operations to minimize cost and disruption. The strategy of incremental seismic rehabilitation makes it possible to get started now on improving earthquake safety in your office building inventory. This manual provides owners of office buildings, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings.

Earthquakes are a serious threat to safety in multifamily apartment buildings and pose a significant potential liability to building owners. Multifamily buildings in 39 states are vulnerable to earthquake damage. Unsafe existing buildings expose multifamily building owners and tenants to the following risks: Death and injury of tenants, occupants, and visitors; Damage to or collapse of buildings; Damage to and loss of furnishings, equipment, and other building contents; Disruption of rental and occupancy functions and other building operations. The greatest earthquake risk is associated with existing multifamily buildings that were designed and constructed before the use of modern building codes. For many parts of the United States, this includes buildings built as recently as the early 1990s. Although vulnerable multifamily buildings need to be replaced with safe, new construction or rehabilitated to correct deficiencies, for many building owners new construction is limited, at times severely, by budgetary constraints, and seismic rehabilitation is expensive and disruptive. However, incremental seismic rehabilitation, proposed in this manual, is an innovative approach that phases in a series of discrete rehabilitation actions over a period of several years. It is an effective, affordable, and non-disruptive strategy for responsible mitigation actions that can be integrated efficiently into ongoing facility maintenance and capital improvement operations to minimize cost and disruption. This manual and its companion documents are the products of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project to develop the concept of incremental seismic rehabilitation-that is, building modifications that reduce seismic risk by improving seismic performance and that are implemented over an extended period, often in conjunction with other repair, maintenance, or capital improvement activities. It provides owners of Class A, B, or C multifamily buildings, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings.

The area within the Central United States (CUS) (i.e., Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee) known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is at risk for experiencing a major earthquake. Although the CUS is not traditionally thought of as an earthquake-prone zone, the scientific community agrees that this area is a seismically active zone. To educate the residents of these states, the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), conducted six months of outreach from December 2010 to May 2011. This outreach (collectively referred to as ''Earthquake Outreach'') comprised several major initiatives, such as the anniversary of the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes, the first Great Central U.S. ShakeOut and the 2011 National Level Exercise (NLE). The outreach from all these initiatives is collectively referred to as ''Earthquake Outreach'' throughout this report. To measure the effectiveness of this outreach, to gauge residents' current preparedness behaviors and attitudes regarding the risk of experiencing an earthquake and to provide recommendations for increasing preparedness, FEMA's National Preparedness Assessment Division developed the 2011 FEMA Central States Disaster and Earthquake Preparedness Survey (2011 FEMA CUS Earthquake Survey). FEMA administered the 2011 FEMA CUS Earthquake Survey to 3,211 respondents from the CUS states through a telephone interview, asking respondents about the following areas of interest: Perceptions of the likelihood of an earthquake; Participation in earthquake preparedness drills and discussions about earthquake preparedness; Preparedness for an earthquake; Awareness of earthquake preparedness activities and events; and Understanding of the protective actions to take during an earthquake. Enclosed is a summary of the findings as well as recommendations for future outreach efforts. The findings are broken down into six basic sections. Several of these sections include comparisons between different groups, with the most prevalent being respondents who were aware of Earthquake Outreach (Outreach Aware) compared to those respondents who were not aware of Earthquake Outreach (Not Outreach Aware). Residence within and residence outside of the NMSZ are also used as comparison groups, as this comparison provides the unique opportunity to assess the preparedness of those individuals who are in the area most at risk of an earthquake. In addition, several of the questions included in the 2011 FEMA CUS Earthquake Survey were also in the 2011 and 2009 FEMA National Household Surveys. Where available, comparisons to these data are made, as well.

This Annex to the 2012 Federal Interagency Response Plan - Hurricane, describes a concept of operations implementing a paradigm shift for response and recovery operations which focuses on transitioning 500,000 eligible households from sheltering to temporary housing and support for their transition to sustainable housing following a catastrophic hurricane. The concepts and options found in this Annex focus on increasing capacity and adjusting timelines to improve efficiency of transitioning households out of congregate and noncongregate sheltering to temporary housing or directly into long-term sustainable or permanent housing. This Annex also identifies the considerations necessary to implement options in the most efficient and effective manner possible by working with the whole community as described in A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action. Emphasis of recovery support will initially be conducted in the least impacted areas and progress inward toward the most heavily impacted area as accessibility allows. Recovery support for survivors living in the most heavily impacted area will emphasize sheltering/temporary housing solutions provided in locations outside of the impacted area. Life-sustaining support for essential personnel performing critical functions and recovery operations will be provided in all areas. This Annex is currently built around FEMA's plans to increase its housing capabilities. Implementation of the concepts presented in this document will be coordinated with external partners for continued development. The information presented in this Annex provides the foundation for Phase I and sets the stage for Phase II catastrophic planning. Phase I encompasses mass care and sheltering. Phase II will focus on the Whole Community, including other Federal agency participation, resources, and authorities, in the development of a plan to provide long-term sustainable or permanent housing. These Phases are illustrated in Figure 4 on page 14. The planning concepts and options provided herein are guidelines only. Every disaster will be unique in scope and magnitude. The needs of a particular community will drive the response and recovery actions.

The American Red Cross is the nation's largest nonprofit organisation involved in disaster relief. The organisation provides services such as sheltering and food assistance, and it has a leadership role in the federal disaster response framework. However, questions have been raised over its ability to respond effectively to large disasters. This book addresses the key factors affecting the nature and extent of the Red Cross's disaster services; how it coordinates with the federal government on disaster assistance; and what external oversight exists of its disaster services. Furthermore, the book provides a brief history of the charter of the American National Red Cross (ANRC); describes the recent congressional interest in the ANRC's governance, operations, and charter; reviews the ANRC's governance audit report and proposal to amend its charter; and describes recent congressional proposals to amend the charter.

In October 2010, nine months after the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, a second disaster began to unfold-soon to become the world's largest cholera epidemic in modern times. In a country that had never before reported cholera, the epidemic mysteriously and simultaneously appeared in river communities of central Haiti, eventually triggering nearly 800,000 cases and 9,000 deaths. What had caused the first cases of cholera in Haiti in recorded history? Who or what was the deadly agent of origin? Why did it explode in the agricultural-rich delta of the Artibonite River? When answers were few, rumors spread, causing social and political consequences of their own. Wanting insight, the Haitian government and French embassy requested epidemiological assistance from France. A few weeks into the epidemic, physician and infectious disease specialist Renaud Piarroux arrived in Haiti.In Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs tells the story of the epidemic-of a French disease detective determined to trace its origins so that he could help contain the spread and possibly eliminate the disease-and the political intrigue that has made that effort so difficult. The story involves political maneuvering by powerful organizations such as the United Nations and its peacekeeping troops in Haiti, as well as by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Frerichs explores a quest for scientific truth and dissects a scientific disagreement involving world-renowned cholera experts who find themselves embroiled in intellectual and political turmoil in a poverty-stricken country.Frerichs's narrative highlights how the world's wealthy nations, nongovernmental agencies, and international institutions respond when their interests clash with the needs of the world's most vulnerable people. The story poses big social questions and offers insights not only on how to eliminate cholera in Haiti but also how nations, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and CDC deal with catastrophic infectious disease epidemics.

For the first time, the truth about who blew "Pan AM 103" out of the sky over Lockerbie Scotland, is revealed by the man who risks all to tell. Find out how and why the United States, Great Britain and Scotland have conspired to cover-up the true identities of those responsible for one of the most heinous terrorist attacks against innocent civilians. Dr. Chasey was contracted to normalize relations between the United States and Libya. He tells about his secret meeting with two of the world's most wanted men. He introduces us to the two Libyan intelligence officers accused of blowing up "Pan AM 103". He details his meeting with Col. Muammar Qadhafi, the man Time Magazine called, "the most dangerous man in the world". Chasey names the terrorists actually responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. This book is packed with political intrigue and reveals an FBI sting operation designed to destroy Chasey's reputation and life. Learn why Dr. Chasey says, "I love my country, but I fear my government".

Not many people realize it, but the world is coming apart-and it's probably not going to get better anytime soon. Terrorism, natural disasters, economic collapses, riots, and civil unrest continue to spread throughout cities, states, and nations. It's more important than ever to prepare to survive such events.

David Browne, a Vietnam veteran who was assigned to the CIA and flew out of Udorn Thailand along the Ho Chi Minh trail with Air America, relies on his experiences during the war and after to help you survive the tough times ahead. As the former operator of Pioneer Survival School, he has lived "off the grid" with his family for twelve years, and he's an expert on survival.

This guidebook to family preparedness can teach you how to survive riots and civil unrest; decide when to ignore governmental orders; plan an escape from the city where you live; and protect your family even when you don't have guns.

You'll also learn what foods and other tangible goods to have on hand in order to keep yourself and your loved ones alive. When the going gets tough, this guide can help you to survive this new millennium.