From the FEMA website: The Community Recovery Management Toolkit (CRMT) is a compilation of guidance, case studies, tools, and training to assist local communities in managing long-term recovery post-disaster. This toolkit is managed by Community Planning and Capacity Building Recovery Support Function (CPCB RSF).
An article in the WashPost reviewed this paper from MIT: A Structured Approach to Strategic Decisions, by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo, and Olivier Sibony
It covers Leadership, Strategy, Leadership Skills, Developing Strategy, Executing Strategy. Reducing errors in judgment requires a disciplined process.
FEMA ‘major privacy incident’ reveals data from 2.5 million disaster survivors
The Federal Emergency Management Agency shared personal addresses and banking information of more than 2 million U.S. disaster survivors in what the agency acknowledged Friday was a “major privacy incident.”
The data mishap, discovered recently and the subject of a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, occurred when the agency shared sensitive, personally identifiable information of disaster survivors who used FEMA’S Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, according to officials at FEMA. Those affected included the victims of California wildfires in 2017 and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, the report said.
In a statement, Lizzie Litzow, FEMA’s press secretary, said, “FEMA provided more information than was necessary” while transferring disaster survivor information to a contractor. “We believe this oversharing has impacted approximately 2.5 million disaster survivors,” said a Department of Homeland Security official who asked for anonymity to provide background information beyond the official FEMA statement.
Thanks to Bill Nicholson for the citation.
From the GAO: 30 Years after Exxon Valdez, 9 Years after Deepwater Horizon
It is unusual for a government agency to do a long-term review of disasters. These two are important examples.
Christchurch, once ravaged by quakes, is re-traumatized by mosque shooting
The Diva remains amazed at the depth and length of U.S. press coverage for the NZ shooting. It is most unusual for a foreign disaster event to get this much attention, but the tragedy and the government response remain of keen interest to Americans.
Not Trusting FEMA’s Flood Maps, More Hurricane-Hit Cities Set Their Own Rules. A growing number of cities are looking beyond the usual 100-year floodplain and requiring more homes to be built higher for their own protection.
From Homeland Security Today: PERSPECTIVE: The Lingering Scars of the Government Shutdown on Contractors
There was a time when the government was seen as the most stable customers that any company could possess. While not always timely or efficient, government still operated with regularity and dependability. But that is no longer true. Reliable budget and appropriation cycles no longer occur as continuing resolutions and short-term funding bills increasingly provide incremental “pay as you go government.” That’s a dreadful enough environment to operate in as a government but it’s even more precarious if you’re a government contractor who is dedicated to supporting that customer.
DHS has long been a mixed bag in terms of being a dependable customer. While certainly funded with deep pockets for most of its operations, poorly defined requirements, procurement operations challenges, frequent leadership vacuums and less than stellar engagements with the private sector have made DHS a customer with which many companies are refraining from doing business. Add to those conditions the prospect of being obligated to perform government support functions, and then not get paid because the administration and Congress can’t fulfill their budgetary responsibilities, and you can understand why there is a bitter taste in their mouth.
The Diva would add that recent threats to holding back promised federal funds for recovery in Puerto Rico and the CA wildfires, to name just two major disasters, is another reason why the federal government is not a reliable partner.
FEMA now has a webpage devoted to explaining the new act.
