One of the goals of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) is to encourage design and building practices that address the earthquake hazard and minimize the resulting risk of damage and injury. Publication of this edition of the "NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulation of New Buildings and Other Structures" and its "Commentary" ("FEMA 450-2 / Part 2: Commentary") is a fitting end to the 25th year of the NEHRP and reaffirms FEMA's ongoing support to improve the seismic safety of construction in this country. Its publication marks the sixth edition in an ongoing series of updating of both the NEHRP Recommended Provisions and several complementary publications. FEMA was proud to sponsor the Building Seismic Safety Council for this project and we encourage the widespread dissemination and voluntary use of this state-of-the-art consensus resource document. This edition of the "NEHRP Recommended Provisions" contains several significant changes, including: a reformatting to improve its usability; introduction of a simplified design procedure, an updating of the seismic design maps and how they are presented; a modification in the redundancy factor; the addition of ultimate strength design provisions for foundations; the addition of several new structural systems, including buckling restrained braced frames and steel plate shear walls; structures with damping systems has been moved from an appendix to a new chapter; and inclusion of new or updated material industry reference standards for steel, concrete, masonry, and wood. The "NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and Other Structures" (referred to hereinafter as the "Provisions") present criteria for the design and construction of structures to resist earthquake ground motions. The purposes of these "Provisions" are as follows: 1. To provide minimum design criteria for structures appropriate to their primary function and use considering the need to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public by minimizing the earthquake-related risk to life and 2. To improve the capability of essential facilities and structures containing substantial quantities of hazardous materials to function during and after design earthquakes. The design earthquake ground motion levels specified herein could result in both structural and nonstructural damage. For most structures designed and constructed according to these "Provisions," structural damage from the design earthquake ground motion would be repairable although perhaps not economically so. For essential facilities, it is expected that the damage from the design earthquake ground motion would not be so severe as to preclude continued occupancy and function of the facility. The actual ability to accomplish these goals depends upon a number of factors including the structural framing type, configuration, materials, and as-built details of construction. For ground motions larger than the design levels, the intent of these "Provisions" is that there be a low likelihood of structural collapse. These "Provisions" shall apply to the design and construction of structures-including additions, changes of use, and alterations-to resist the effects of earthquake motions. Every structure, and portion thereof, shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of earthquake motions as prescribed by these "Provisions."

This publication was equally funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which leads the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for the implementation portion of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP). This project was originally undertaken to address the need for guidance on how to build a structure that would be capable of resisting the extreme forces of both a tsunami and an earthquake. This question was driven by the fact that there are many communities along our nation's west coast that are vulnerable to a tsunami triggered by an earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone, which could potentially generate a tsunami of 20 feet in elevation or more within 20 minutes. Given their location, it would be impossible to evacuate these communities in time, which could result in a significant loss of life. This issue came into sharp relief with the December 26, 2004 Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami. While this event resulted in a tremendous loss of life, this would have been even worse had not many people been able to take shelter in multi-story reinforced concrete buildings. Without realizing it, these survivors were among the first to demonstrate the concept of vertical evacuation from a tsunami. Many coastal communities subject to tsunami located in other parts of the country also have the same issue. In these cases, the only feasible alternative is vertical evacuation, using specially designed, constructed and designated structures built to resist both tsunami and earthquake loads. The design of such structures was the focus of the earlier work on this project, which resulted in the FEMA publication, Guidelines for Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation from Tsunamis (FEMA P646). This is a companion publication intended to present information on how vertical evacuation design guidance can be used and encouraged at the state and local level. It is meant to help state and local government officials and interested citizens by providing them with the information they would need to address the tsunami hazard in their community, to help determine if vertical evacuation is an option they should consider, and if so, how to fund, design and build such a refuge.

This document provides program guidance and supporting information for implementation of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) exercise program. It replaces the exercise program document, Exercise Policy and Guidance for Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Exercise (June 19, 2009 with Change 1, October 15, 2009), known as the "Blue Book." This document includes the following information in appendices: After-Action Report/Improvement Plan Processes (AAR/IP) (Appendix A), Public Information Planning for CSEPP Exercises (Appendix B), CSEPP Emergency Response Outcomes and Exercise Evaluation Guides (Appendix C), CSEPP Guide for Exercise Extent of Play Agreements (Appendix D), optional NIMS/ICS/CSEPP Exercise Structure (Appendix E), Background and Overview of CSEPP Remediation and Recovery Outcome Evaluation (Appendix F), Core Capabilities Crosswalk (Appendix G), CSEPP Exercise Program Glossary (Appendix H), Timeline Guidance and Templates (Appendix I). A federally-managed exercise program involving Federal, state, and local agencies and Army installations has been developed as part of the increased emphasis on emergency preparedness under the CSEP Program. The CSEP Program will result in improved preparedness at the remaining U.S. Army installations storing the unitary chemical stockpile and the surrounding civilian communities. The term "CSEPP Community," as used in this document, is the combined area of one military installation, surrounding local jurisdictions/agencies, and the State agencies involved in executing CSEPP for that area. Local jurisdictions are counties and cities within the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ), which encompasses the Immediate Response Zone (IRZ), Protective Action Zone (PAZ), or are designated as "host" jurisdictions. Exercises conducted by the Army and DHS/FEMA will help program managers evaluate the emergency response plans and capabilities of the CSEPP Communities. Under CSEPP, exercises managed by DHS/FEMA and the Army began in 1991. These exercises demonstrate the ability of the communities to respond to a chemical accident/incident (CAI) at an Army chemical stockpile storage site. Participation in exercises includes representatives from the Department of the Army (DA), DHS/FEMA, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, the Army installations, and civilian entities. The purpose of this document is to ensure consistency in planning and conducting the exercises and in evaluating the performance of the emergency response and emergency support personnel (often referred to as "players") in exercises. Some location-specific adaptations may be necessary to accommodate the varied response structures of the CSEPP Communities. If variances from the policy in this document are necessary, approval from the appropriate headquarter agency (DHS/FEMA or the Army) must be sought. In addition to satisfying CSEPP exercise criteria; these exercises satisfy Army regulatory requirements for exercises and the state and local government exercise requirements under the DHS/FEMA Cooperative Agreement (CA), which funds CSEPP and other emergency management activities. The CSEPP exercise approach incorporates the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) methodologies and concepts, as presented in chapter 3. The CSEPP exercise evaluation methodology is organized around a standard set of eight Emergency Response Outcomes (EROs). Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) have been developed for each ERO (see Appendix C). Army and DHS/FEMA exercise management staff will monitor developments in other national exercise programs and will recommend review and revision of the CSEPP exercise methodology as required.

This document updates and consolidates the guidance provided in the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Planning Guidance (2008) and CSEPP Programmatic Guidance (2008) and supersedes these documents. This guidance has also been reorganized into a structure consistent with the CSEPP National Benchmarks. This document provides the basis for Federal, State, and local program managers to implement CSEPP in keeping with the Department of the Army (Army)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) CSEPP Strategic Plan. References have been made throughout this document to the following function-specific guidance documents that serve as its technical companions: Annual CSEPP Cooperative Agreement Guidance; CSEPP Exercise Policy and Guidance (December 2012), (aka The Blue Book); CSEPP Medical Resource Guide; CSEPP Public Affairs Compendium Workbook. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the statutory and programmatic history of CSEPP, the organizational roles and responsibilities, and the management structure. Chapter 2 provides a summary of the hazards and risks associated with the U.S. Army chemical weapons stockpile. Chapters 3-14 provide guidance on each of the twelve CSEPP National Benchmarks. They are intended to provide a description of the critical components of each benchmark to assist program managers at the Federal, State, and local level in assigning responsibilities and developing budgets. Appendices A and B provide a summary of the specific hazard and risk associated with the stockpiles at Blue Grass (Kentucky) and Pueblo (Colorado). Appendix C provides a glossary of the terminology that may be unfamiliar and a list of acronyms. Appendix D explains how the Policy Papers that originally guided the program have been incorporated into CSEPP Guidance.

This Wildfire Prevention Guide is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. This guide is one in a series designed to provide information and guidance for personnel who have interests and/or responsibilities in fire prevention. Each guide in the series addresses an individual component of a fire prevention program. In addition to providing insight and useful information, each guide suggests implementation strategies and examples for utilizing this information. Each Wildfire Prevention Guide has been developed by Fire Prevention Specialists and subject matter experts in the appropriate area. The goal of this series is to improve and enhance wildfire prevention programs and to facilitate the achievement of NWCG program goals. Special mention to the National Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Program and members of the Pacific Northwest Fire Prevention Cooperatives in providing information to this guide. NWCG Wildfire Prevention Guide development: Conducting School Programs (1996); Event Management (1996); Wildfire Prevention Marketing (1996); Wildfire Prevention and the Media (1998); Wildfire Prevention Strategies (1998); Effective Wildfire Prevention Patrol (1998); Recreation Area Fire Prevention (1999); Fire Communication and Education (1999); Fire Education Exhibits and Displays (1999); Industrial Operations Fire Prevention Guide (1999); Establishing Fire Prevention Education Cooperative; Programs and Partnerships (1999).

The purpose of this document is to provide general, consistent and uniform guidance to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) organization for use in conducting its business. The operating principles and guidelines presented in this document are intended to result in predictable and consistent organizational behavior. The principles and guidelines provide the foundation for repeatable business practices shared by all NWCG groups, thus eliminating the inefficiencies of each group developing its own processes. This document will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure the guidance is always timely and relevant to the operations of the NWCG organization. This document is organized around a series of fundamental, organizational management questions and their answers regarding the NWCG organization: Who are we? What should we do? How do we do it? How do we keep things going?

The goal of the Interagency Aerial Supervision Guide (PMS 505) is to promote safe, effective, and efficient aerial supervision services in support of incident goals and objectives. Its objective is to consolidate the Interagency Leadplane Guide, Aerial Supervision Module Guide, and the Interagency Air Tactical Group Supervisors Guide into one document which will: a) State consistent interagency aerial supervision standards and procedures. b) Define the roles, responsibilities, and scope of each aerial supervision position. c) Enhance information sharing between Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGS), Aerial Supervision Modules (ASM), Leadplane Pilots, Airtanker Coordinators (ATCO), Air Tactical Pilots (ATP), Air Tactical Supervisors (ATS), and Helicopter Coordinators (HLCO). d) Provide a common interagency guide, which can be utilized by all members of the aerial supervision community.

This Wildfire Prevention Guide is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. This guide is one in a series designed to provide information and guidance for personnel who have interests and/or responsibilities in fire prevention. Each guide in the series addresses an individual component of a fire prevention program. In addition to providing insight and useful information, each guide suggests implementation strategies and examples for utilizing this information. Each Wildfire Prevention Guide has been developed by Fire Prevention Specialists and subject matter experts in the appropriate area. The goal of this series is to improve and enhance wildfire prevention programs and to facilitate the achievement of NWCG program goals. NWCG Wildfire Prevention Guide development: Conducting School Programs (1996); Event Management (1996); Wildfire Prevention Marketing (1996); Wildfire Prevention and the Media (1998); Wildfire Prevention Strategies (1998); Effective Wildfire Prevention Patrol (1998); Recreation Area Fire Prevention (1999); Fire Communication and Education (1999); Fire Education Exhibits and Displays (1999); Industrial Operations Fire Prevention Guide (1999).

This report presents results based on data from US local fire departments participating in a needs assessment survey. Public Law 106-398, Fire Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, Title XVII - Assistance to Firefighters, recognized that America's fire departments provide service and protection with impact far beyond the borders of the communities that support them. In order to provide this service and protection with the effectiveness, speed, and safety that their home communities and the nation as a whole demand, many fire departments will need to increase their resources, in any of several categories. PL 106-398 created a fund to support worthy proposals to address these needs. But PL 106-398 also recognized that our current understanding of the magnitude and nature of fire department needs is not well defined. Furthermore, the rationale for Federal government assistance to meet these needs is also in need of greater definition, given the normal presumption that routine fire protection is a local function, set to meet locally defined goals and supported by local resources.

This manual is intended to provide guidance for engineers, architects, building officials, and property owners to design shelters and safe rooms in buildings. It presents information about the design and construction of shelters in the work place, home, or community building that will provide protection in response to manmade hazards. The information contained herein will assist in the planning and design of shelters that may be constructed outside or within dwellings or public buildings. These safe rooms will protect occupants from a variety of hazards, including debris impact, accidental or intentional explosive detonation, and the accidental or intentional release of a toxic substance into the air. Safe rooms may also be designed to protect individuals from assaults and attempted kidnapping, which requires design features to resist forced entry and ballistic impact. This covers a range of protective options, from low-cost expedient protection (what is commonly referred to as sheltering-in-place) to safe rooms ventilated and pressurized with air purified by ultra-high-efficiency filters. These safe rooms protect against toxic gases, vapors, and aerosols. The contents of this manual supplement the information provided in FEMA 361, Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters and FEMA 320, Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your House. In conjunction with FEMA 361 and FEMA 320, this publication can be used for the protection of shelters against natural disasters. This guidance focuses on safe rooms as standby systems, ones that do not provide protection on a continuous basis. To employ a standby system requires warning based on knowledge that a hazardous condition exists or is imminent. Protection is initiated as a result of warnings from civil authorities about a release of hazardous materials, visible or audible indications of a release (e.g., explosion or fire), the odor of a chemical agent, or observed symptoms of exposure in people. Although there are automatic detectors for chemical agents, such detectors are expensive and limited in the number of agents that can be reliably detected. Furthermore, at this point in time, these detectors take too long to identify the agent to be useful in making decisions in response to an attack. Similarly, an explosive vehicle or suicide bomber attack rarely provides advance warning; therefore, the shelter is most likely to be used after the fact to protect occupants until it is safe to evacuate the building. Two different types of shelters may be considered for emergency use, standalone shelters and internal shelters. A standalone shelter is a separate building (i.e., not within or attached to any other building) that is designed and constructed to withstand the range of natural and manmade hazards. An internal shelter is a specially designed and constructed room or area within or attached to a larger building that is structurally independent of the larger building and is able to withstand the range of natural and manmade hazards. Both standalone and internal shelters are intended to provide emergency refuge for occupants of commercial office buildings, school buildings, hospitals, apartment buildings, and private homes from the hazards resulting from a wide variety of extreme events. The shelters may be used during natural disasters following the warning that an explosive device may be activated, the discovery of an explosive device, or until safe evacuation is established following the detonation of an explosive device or the release of a toxic substance via an intentional aerosol attack or an industrial accident. Standalone community shelters may be constructed in neighborhoods where existing homes lack shelters. Community shelters may be intended for use by the occupants of buildings they are constructed within or near, or they may be intended for use by the residents of surrounding or nearby neighborhoods or designated areas.

When disaster strikes, will you be ready? Patrol level public safety officers rarely receive training in disaster response. This book fills that void by providing valuable information every first responder should know. Learn what to expect before, during and after a disaster and how you can better prepare. Whether you are a Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff, CSO, Security Officer or other Public Safety Officer, you need this book. Material in this book is based on the Responding to Disaster training seminar presented by Marty Augustine.

Many people put the advocates of emergency preparedness into the "fringe lunatic" category, associating them with everything from domestic terrorists to religious fanatics. That is not a correct assumption. Emergency preparedness actually means that someone is prepared to meet all kinds of emergencies from sudden unemployment to the arrival of a hurricane. It also covers a wide variety of levels of preparation from a minimal 72 hour preparedness to those who are prepared for a full year of adversity. It isn't easy to be prepared for anything and everything a family might encounter in terms of adversity and emergencies. Being Prepared Without Being A Kook is your handbook to getting started down the emergency preparedness path without feeling like you have signed up for a crash course in how to join the fringe lunatic with easy to follow instructions on figuring out what you really need and why.

Legal governance of disaster brings both care and punishment to the upending of daily life of place-based disasters. National states use disasters to reorganize how they govern. This collection considers how law is implicated in disaster. The late modern expectation that states are to care for their population makes it particularly important to point out the limits to care-limits that appear less in the grand rhetoric than in the government reports, case-level decisionmaking, administrative rules, and criminalization that make up governing. These insightful essays feature leading scholars whose perspectives range across disasters around the world. Their findings point to reconsidering what states do in disaster, and how law enables and constrains action. The chapters are:

Introduction (Susan Sterett) 1 Uncertain Governance and Resilient Subjects in the Risk Society (Pat O'Malley) 2 Land Use Planning and Disaster: A European Perspective from Spain (Juli Ponce) 3 Law, State and the Politics of Catastrophes: A Critical Perspective on Epiphanies of Injustice and the Need for Protection (Valerio Nitrato Izzo) 4 The Comparative Jurisprudence of Wildfire Mitigation: Moral Community, Political Culture, and Policy Learning (Lloyd Burton) 5 Transboundary Impacts of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Disaster: Focus on Legal Dilemmas in South Florida (Alka Sapat & Ann-Margaret Esnard) 6 Disaster Mythology and Availability Cascades (Lisa Grow Sun) 7 The Role of Law in Engineering "Natural" Disasters (Arthur F. McEvoy) 8 Multi-level Governance in Environmental Risk Management (Petra Hiller) 9 Internal Environmental Displacement: A Growing Challenge to the U.S. Welfare State (Michelle A. Meyer) 10 Long Term Recovery in Disaster Response and the Role of Non-Profits (Victor B. Flatt & Jeffrey J. Stys) 11 Disasters, Focusing Events, and Sociolegal Studies (Thomas A. Birkland)

The authors analyze sociological and legal issues surrounding disasters and catastrophic events in their many forms: natural, man-made, environmental, human, local, and global. The project was developed as part of the the Onati Socio-legal Series supported by the Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law, and is now presented by Quid Pro Books in the "Contemporary Society Series."

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast regions and much of the Southeast, causing roughly $100 billion worth of damage in the process - the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Seven states were affected by the storm including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition to these, Kentucky and Ohio were also affected due to floods on the Mississippi River. The most damage occurred in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It produced catastrophic damage -estimated at $75 billion in the New Orleans area along. For years, mitigation has proven one of the best measures for reducing damage and the costs of disasters. Across Louisiana, successful mitigation efforts are being achieved through the ongoing collaboration and cooperation between local, state and federal partners. Residents are also taking a proactive role in safeguarding lives and property. "Best Practices: Promoting Successful Mitigation in Louisiana - Post Hurricane Katrina" represents a sampling of mitigation activities resulting from lessons learned, after action reports and identified needs. The stories in this book provide insight on mitigation projects that have been executed in southern Louisiana in preparing for future disasters. The contents focus on fostering the journey in rebuilding safer and stronger and protecting life and property. It is an invaluable resource to: Communicate the importance of identifying hazard risks and ways to minimize risks; Identify mitigation ideas to show how mitigation is effective and affordable; Demonstrate how mitigation makes communities more stable and productive.

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.

This rapid visual screening procedure has been developed for use in assessing risk of terrorist attack on standard commercial buildings in urban or semi-urban areas, but it is also intended to be applicable nationwide for all conventional building types. It can be used to identify the level of risk for a single building, or the relative risk among buildings in a portfolio, community, or region as a prioritization tool for further risk management activities. The information gathered as part of this screening procedure can also be used to support and facilitate higher level assessments by expert investigators performing building-specific evaluations of threat, consequences, and vulnerability. Implementation of FEMA 452, Risk Assessment, A How-to Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings, has demonstrated the need for a preliminary procedure to assess the risk of terrorist attack that is quick and simple to use. It has also shown that such a procedure needs to be usable by screeners who are knowledgeable about building systems, but not necessarily experts in anti-terrorism or structural design. This will reserve the use of experts for higher risk buildings requiring more detailed assessment when resources are limited. In this document, the concepts for rapid visual screening are combined with a risk-based procedure for manmade threats defined in 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, from the FEMA Risk Management Series of publications. This handbook outlines a rapid visual screening procedure that quantifies the risk to a building due to a terrorist attack that is capable of causing catastrophic losses in terms of fatalities, injuries, damage, or business interruption. The primary purpose of this screening procedure is to prioritize the relative risk among a group of buildings in a portfolio or community but it can also be used to develop building-specific risk information. It is intended to be the first step in a tiered assessment process that includes successively more refined analyses when more detailed information is needed. Three generic types of terrorist threat are considered in this procedure. These include intrusion into the building, a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), and a chemical, biological or radiological (CBR) release. Quantification of relative risk is based on the methodology outlined in FEMA 426, in which risk is characterized as the product of three factors: consequences, threat, and vulnerability. In this rapid visual screening procedure, these three factors are evaluated using a Data Collection Form based on checklists and worksheets contained in FEMA 426 and FEMA 452. To make the screening procedure rapid, the assessment is limited to the most dominant features governing the overall risk to a building given a terrorist attack. In this procedure there is an emphasis on the vulnerability factor, due in part to the relatively significant level of control that the owner has with respect to this factor for a given building compared with the other two factors: threat and consequences.

This document provides State and Major Urban Area fusion center and EOC officials with guidance for coordination between fusion centers and EOCs. It outlines the roles of fusion centers and EOCs within the fusion process and provides steps by which these entities can work together to share information and intelligence on an ongoing basis. This guide supports the implementation of the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers and, likewise, assists EOCs fill their missions in both steady state and active state emergency operations, as supported by the CPG 601: Design and Management of Emergency Operations Centers. This CPG provides guidance on the broad capability requirements of an EOC. Fusion centers and emergency operations centers (EOCs) should become familiar with each others' roles and capabilities to facilitate successful interfacing and cooperation between them. In addition, it is imperative that the two develop a solid relationship in order to effectively work together to achieve their respective objectives. The relationships forged between these two entities will allow them to have continuous, meaningful contacts, which will enhance their ability to share information and intelligence regardless of the activation status of the EOC. Mutual trust and respect must guide interagency collaboration policies and protocols, allowing for effective and consistent collaboration during the steady state or during an emergency. Comprehensive Planning Guide (CPG) 502 focuses on this critical partnership and the exchange of information between these entities. Effective prevention, protection, response and recovery efforts depend on the ability of all levels and sectors of government, as well as the private sector, to collect, analyze, disseminate and use homeland security- and crime-related information and intelligence. In support of this, the National Strategy for Information Sharing calls for a national information sharing capability through the establishment of a national integrated network of fusion centers. To facilitate the development of a national fusion center capability, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) and the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have partnered to develop the Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program. The Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program has also been developed to directly support the implementation of the Fusion Center Guidelines and the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers. In constructing the Fusion Center Guidelines, Global engaged diverse representation from the public and private sectors, melding emergency management and law enforcement expertise. The process of creating guidance for the operation of fusion centers has evolved through the development of the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers. This document identifies the baseline capabilities for fusion centers and the operational standards necessary to achieve each of the capabilities. The sustained Federal partnership with State and major urban area fusion centers is critical to the safety of the nation. The baseline capabilities recommend developing processes that govern official outreach with leaders and policymakers, the public sector, the media and citizens. These capabilities also recommend development of a plan to promote awareness of the fusion center's purpose, mission and functions which, in turn, enhances partnership with the EOC), as well as ensure a common understanding of roles and responsibilities.

A NO-NONSENSE EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND GUIDE ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR, AND SURVIVE, AN URBAN DISASTER. We live in a very dangerous and unpredictable world. All it takes is one natural or manmade crisis to seriously disrupt the fragile infrastructure that supports our modern way-of-life. Whether it's a storm, a terrorist attack, an economic meltdown, or a pandemic, you need to be prepared. During any major crisis there will be two groups of people, the prepared, and the unprepared. After a few days without food, water, medical attention, or vital public services the world around you will begin to look dramatically different than anything you could ever have imagined. Staying safe and avoiding the chaos will require thoughtful preparations and advance planning. In this book, you get: A Step-by-step guide to help you prepare to survive an urban disaster. A simple and easy-to-understand approach to help you plan for a potential crisis. Strategies to help you secure the core survival elements - food, water, first aid, security and sanitation. Tips on when to stay put, and when to get out. Tactics to keep you and your family stay safe during a crisis. Extensive shopping lists for survival products and supplies. When the moment comes you will either be prepared, or you won't; the choice is yours.

This book is intended to acquaint the public with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Despite the highly technical nature of the Program, there has been a deliberate effort to minimize the use of technical terms. This publication is designed for readers who do not need a detailed history or refined technical or legal explanations, but who do need a basic understanding of the Program and the answers to some frequently asked questions. Readers who need legal definitions should refer to the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) and to NFIP and related regulations. The information provided herein is as current as possible, but changes in the NFIP are made periodically. Readers can obtain the most up-to-date insurance data by using the contact information at the back of the book. The NFIP is a Federal program created by Congress to mitigate future flood losses nationwide through sound, community-enforced building and zoning ordinances and to provide access to affordable, federally backed flood insurance protection for property owners. The NFIP is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to meet the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods. Participation in the NFIP is based on an agreement between local communities and the Federal Government that states that if a community will adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses. For decades, the national response to flood disasters was generally limited to constructing flood-control works such as dams, levees, seawalls, and the like, and providing disaster relief to flood victims. This approach, however, did not reduce losses, nor did it discourage unwise development. In some instances, it may have actually encouraged additional development. To compound the problem, due to its high risk and seasonal nature, insurance companies were not able to provide affordable flood insurance coverage. In light of mounting flood losses and escalating costs of disaster relief to the taxpayers, the U.S. Congress created the NFIP. The intent was to reduce future flood damage through community floodplain management ordinances, and provide protection for property owners against potential losses through an insurance mechanism that requires a premium to be paid for the protection.

Beverly Bell, an activist and award-winning writer, has dedicated her life to working for democracy, women's rights, and economic justice in Haiti and elsewhere. Since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake of January 12, 2010, that struck the island nation, killing more than a quarter-million people and leaving another two million Haitians homeless, Bell has spent much of her time in Haiti. Her new book, Fault Lines, is a searing account of the first year after the earthquake. Bell explores how strong communities and an age-old gift culture have helped Haitians survive in the wake of an unimaginable disaster, one that only compounded the preexisting social and economic distress of their society. The book examines the history that caused such astronomical destruction. It also draws in theories of resistance and social movements to scrutinize grassroots organizing for a more just and equitable country.

Fault Lines offers rich perspectives rarely seen outside Haiti. Readers accompany the author through displaced persons camps, shantytowns, and rural villages, where they get a view that defies the stereotype of Haiti as a lost nation of victims. Street journals impart the author's intimate knowledge of the country, which spans thirty-five years. Fault Lines also combines excerpts of more than one hundred interviews with Haitians, historical and political analysis, and investigative journalism. Fault Lines includes twelve photos from the year following the 2010 earthquake. Bell also investigates and critiques U.S. foreign policy, emergency aid, standard development approaches, the role of nongovernmental organizations, and disaster capitalism. Woven through the text are comparisons to the crisis and cultural resistance in Bell's home city of New Orleans, when the levees broke in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately a tale of hope, Fault Lines will give readers a new understanding of daily life, structural challenges, and collective dreams in one of the world s most complex countries."

Hurricane Sandy caused extensive human suffering and damage to public and private property. In response to this catastrophic event, Congress considered legislation to provide supplemental appropriations to federal disaster assistance programs. In addition, Congress considered revisions to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288 as amended), which is the primary source of authorities for disaster assistance programs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a result, Congress passed the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, which was included as Division B of the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2). Division A of P.L. 113-2 provided a $50.7 billion package of disaster assistance largely focused on responding to Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, Congress increased the National Flood Insurance Program's borrowing authority by $9.7 billion (from $20.725 billion to $30.425 billion) (P.L. 113-1). Both of these supplemental relief law are discussed separately in CRS Report R42869, FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Disaster Relief. This report analyzes the provisions of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. In general, these provisions amend the Stafford Act with a stated goal of improving the efficiency and quality of disaster assistance provided by FEMA. Briefly, the amendments to the Stafford Act include: Establishing a new set of alternative procedures for administering the Public Assistance Program, which provides assistance for debris removal and the repair and restoration of eligible facilities (Section 1102 of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013); Authorizing FEMA to enter into agreements with private owners of multi-family rental properties to expand post-disaster housing resources (Section 1103); Revising the administration of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to include a possible advancement of 25% of grant funds (Section 1104); Directing the establishment of alternative dispute resolution procedures (including binding arbitration), building on FEMA's current appeals process, to resolve federal and state disagreements on costs and eligibility questions (Section 1105); Directing the creation of a joint process for environmental and historical review for disaster recovery projects with the goal of increasing the speed of the process (Section 1106); Directing FEMA to study, and report to Congress, whether it is appropriate to increase the dollar size of "small projects" eligible for simplified procedures (Section 1107); Including child care as an eligible expense under the "other needs assistance" provided in certain disasters (Section 1108(a)); Specifically authorizing the reimbursement of the base wages of government employees providing emergency work under certain circumstances (Section 1108(b)); Directing FEMA to update the factors considered when assessing the need for Individual Assistance in the declaration process (Section 1109); Authorizing the chief executive of a tribal government to directly request disaster or emergency declarations from the President, much as a governor can for a state (Section 1110); and Directing FEMA to create a comprehensive national strategy for reducing the cost of future disasters (Section 1111). Prospectively, the changes in law apply to disasters declared on or after the date of enactment, January 29, 2013. Further, support can be found in the text and legislative history of the bill for applying at least some of these amendments retrospectively to Hurricane Sandy-related disaster declarations. However, it is less clear whether, and to what extent, some of these revisions will apply to disasters declared before Hurricane Sandy.

If you've been told it's too late to start prepping ... If you've been told it's too expensive to start prepping ... If you think most prepping guides are too complicated ... If you have little ones, not just yourself to think of ... If you think most preppers seem, well-a little obsessive ... THIS is the prepping guide for you PREPPER PARENTS is a brief, easy-to-understand guide designed to walk you through preparedness for everything from short-term natural disasters to long-term economic collapse. This guide uses flagged action items as well as common sense tips to help you decide on a plan for you and your family. You'll see checklists to follow for getting a bug-out bag stocked on a budget, defense, heat and shelter, medical and dental supplies, personal hygiene, finance and bartering and much more Chapters on food and water will teach you quickly how to achieve a clean, drinkable water supply and which food items taste best, carry lightest and store longest. Filled with special ideas for parents with children, this guide is your starting place for common sense readiness.

Few natural disasters come bigger than the 2004 tsunami. It left a trail of destruction from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other. Hardest hit was Aceh in Indonesia's west where the tsunami killed almost a quarter of a million people and left half million homeless as it smashed into a strip of coastline 800 kilometres long and several kilometres wide. The global community rallied to help in the largest military deployment since World War II. It then spent billions rebuilding Aceh in one of the most challenging reconstruction programs of its kind. "Tsunami Chronicles: Adventures in Disaster Management"tells the inside story of recovery. Written by the Indonesian Government's senior advisor for tsunami recovery, Bill Nicol, it lays bare the tectonic political and managerial forces that swept along the rebuilding program with no less force than the tsunami itself. This is a powerful, first-hand narrative from a highly experienced journalist, author and consultant who played a pivotal role in the recovery operations. A series of six books in one book, "Tsunami Chronicles" offers rare and unique insights that will annoy some, anger a few, excite others and inspire many. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in international development and disaster recovery-humanitarian volunteers, aid workers, consultants, engineers, agency staff, institutional managers, policy makers and political leaders-as well as academics, students of management, business leaders and the general public.

Beverly Bell, an activist and award-winning writer, has dedicated her life to working for democracy, women's rights, and economic justice in Haiti and elsewhere. Since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake of January 12, 2010, that struck the island nation, killing more than a quarter-million people and leaving another two million Haitians homeless, Bell has spent much of her time in Haiti. Her new book, Fault Lines, is a searing account of the first year after the earthquake. Bell explores how strong communities and an age-old gift culture have helped Haitians survive in the wake of an unimaginable disaster, one that only compounded the preexisting social and economic distress of their society. The book examines the history that caused such astronomical destruction. It also draws in theories of resistance and social movements to scrutinize grassroots organizing for a more just and equitable country.

Fault Lines offers rich perspectives rarely seen outside Haiti. Readers accompany the author through displaced persons camps, shantytowns, and rural villages, where they get a view that defies the stereotype of Haiti as a lost nation of victims. Street journals impart the author's intimate knowledge of the country, which spans thirty-five years. Fault Lines also combines excerpts of more than one hundred interviews with Haitians, historical and political analysis, and investigative journalism. Fault Lines includes twelve photos from the year following the 2010 earthquake. Bell also investigates and critiques U.S. foreign policy, emergency aid, standard development approaches, the role of nongovernmental organizations, and disaster capitalism. Woven through the text are comparisons to the crisis and cultural resistance in Bell's home city of New Orleans, when the levees broke in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately a tale of hope, Fault Lines will give readers a new understanding of daily life, structural challenges, and collective dreams in one of the world s most complex countries."

On September 22, 1992, at the request of the Mayor of Kauai County, the Federal Coordinating Officer for the Iniki disaster tasked the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) to assemble a team of experts to assess the performance of buildings. The team was tasked with surveying the performance of primarily residential structures under wind and water forces generated during Hurricane Iniki. The goal of this effort is to provide guidance and offer recommendations for reducing damage from future hurricanes. This goal is best met through learning from both failures and successes of building performance. During the field assessment, the team investigated primarily structural systems (i.e., systems in a building that resist lateral and vertical forces. For all buildings, the performance of exterior architectural systems, such as roofing, windows, and doors was analyzed. The analysis also included the effects of windborne and waterborne debris and the quality of construction and materials. The majority of building types observed were one- and two-story, wood-frame, single-family and multi-family residential structures. However, pre-engineered steel commercial and industrial buildings, as well as resort hotels and condominiums constructed of reinforced concrete and masonry, were also examined. This report includes detailed engineering discussions of building failure modes and successful building performance. It also provides detailed recommendations for enhancing building performance under hurricane and flood conditions.