Preparedness Grants can Fund Maintenance and User Fees

Did You Know that FEMA Grant Funds Extend Beyond Equipment Purchases?

Last November, Timothy Manning, FEMA’s Deputy Administrator of the National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) announced that preparedness grant funds can be used for fees associated with equipment purchases.

An excerpt from the FEMA Grants Program Directorate’s bulletin released by his office:

“Effective [November 2o, 2009], the use of FEMA preparedness grant funds for maintenance contracts, warranties, repair or replacement costs, upgrades, and user fees are allowable under all active and future grant awards, unless otherwise noted.”

How Does FEMA Define User Fees for Preparedness?

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Let the (Disaster) Games Begin

Now surely you’ve never thought to make a game of disaster preparedness!? Well … 2010 may be a good time to rethink your approach to improving your business continuity readiness.

Games are essential to our human experience and they form a part of every culture.

Defined as structured activities undertaken for fun, games are more and more being used as educational tools. By making aspects of education and work fun through games, attention and retention among participants can be greatly enhanced. The defense industry has understood this for many years – investing heavily in gaming software to enhance soldier training.

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Operable or Interoperable Communications? The Chicken or the Egg?

Operable or interoperable – which came first? A few definitions to get you thinkin’:

• Communications = a process of transferring information from one entity to another
• Operable = able to operate/perform your duties
• Interoperable = able to exchange and use information
• Interoperability = ability to work with each other

With all the talk of communications interoperability and all the money we’ve spent since 9/11, you’d think this problem has been solved. Perhaps it has in some specific cases, but for the majority of U.S. communities – despite the best of intentions – interoperability as well as basic communications operability is still lacking as a fundamental cornerstone of our local, regional, and national preparedness.

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Comments Due on Private Sector Preparedness Standards

The Department of Homeland Security is soliciting comments – by January 15 – on their proposed standards for the new Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). Recommended by the 9/11 commission, PS-Prep was developed for private entities to receive certification for emergency preparedness from DHS.

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility and everyone—including businesses, universities and non-profit organizations—has a role to play,” said Napolitano when announcing the proposed standards in October. “Ensuring our private sector partners have the information and training they need to respond to disasters will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of preparedness nationwide.”

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Communications Portability

Much like having no potable water, having communications assets that aren’t portable is not all that useful. Imagine if your cell phone were the size of your suitcase (or even as small as your laptop). Just how useful would that be?

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Are We Prepared? Why Bother?

Did  you ever think to ask your local first responders (fire, police, emergency management)  how prepared we are for natural disasters?

Is your local community sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of you and your neighbors when a disaster strikes? Do you know who is responsible, what resources they can access, and how quickly they can respond?

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Timely Connections for Uncertain Times

OODAkits provide global Internet access and phone service – with power – to a small team.