Podcasts about Federal Emergency Management Agency

Kathryn Coulter Mitchell (https://www.dhs.gov/person/kathryn-coulter-mitchell), is Acting Under Secretary for Science and Technology (S&T), at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where as the science advisor to the Homeland Security Secretary, she heads the research, development, innovation and testing and evaluation activities in support of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) operational Components and first responders across the nation. The Science and Technology Directorate is responsible for identifying operational gaps, conceptualizing art-of-the-possible solutions, and delivering operational results that improve the security and resilience of the nation. In her former role as the Chief of Staff, Ms. Coulter Mitchell oversaw the operational and organizational needs of the $1 billion, 500-career-employee Directorate. A member of the Senior Executive Service, she was responsible for strategy, policy, organizational development, communications, and planning and she guided the creation of a DHS strategic vision and roadmap for research and development (R&D), the reestablishment of Integrated Product Teams to prioritize and manage DHS R&D investments, and the crafting of strategies for organizational effectiveness. Ms. Mitchell previously served S&T as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Communications Advisor for the Under Secretary and Deputy Under Secretary. Ms. Coulter Mitchell came to DHS after a 15-year career in the private sector and on Capitol Hill. In industry, she provided organizational strategy and communications support to the S&T directorate and the Federal Emergency Management Agency where she authored the communications strategy for the multi-million dollar, multi-agency rollout of Presidential Policy Directive 8 (This directive is aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States through systematic preparation for the threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation, including acts of terrorism, cyber attacks, pandemics, and catastrophic natural disasters.) Prior to supporting the government, Ms. Coulter Mitchell was a senior-level public affairs specialist at a top Washington, D.C. public relations firm. She also served as the Director of Policy for an association of over 350 federal contracting companies. Before joining industry, Ms. Coulter Mitchell spent five years on Capitol Hill leading legislative efforts in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Ms. Coulter Mitchell holds a Master of Arts in Communications from Johns Hopkins University, a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a professional certification in Executive Coaching from the University of Cambridge, U.K.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a new overtime policy aimed at ensuring employees are compensated for extra work. It follows a major settlement over unpaid overtime claims dating back to 2015. Current and former FEMA employees could be eligible for payment. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive to discuss.

As climate change increases the frequency and impact of natural disasters, the consequences of these events are not felt evenly. While disasters are devastating for everyone, they are exponentially worse for already vulnerable populations. In this episode of CNA Talks, CNA's Angie De Groot sits down with Jason Biermann and Jody Ferguson, emergency management professionals from the Pudget Sound region, in Washington. They discuss an innovative approach that priorities getting aid to their most vulnerable citizens, with the help of their private sector partners.   Jason M Biermann is the Director of the Snohomish County (WA) Department of Emergency Management. He has supported the response and recovery efforts to multiple disasters including the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States in January 2020. Jody Ferguson is the Director of Emergency Management for Pierce County Emergency Management, the second-largest county in Washington State and is the Sponsoring Agency Chief for Washington Task Force One, one of FEMA's 28 urban search and rescue teams. Angie De Groot is a senior research scientist with CNA's Institute for Public Research. In 2019, she led the planning for a new emergency support function under the National Response Framework, created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to promote the stabilization of critical lifelines.

PODCAST: This Week in Amateur Radio Edition #1202 Release Date: March 12 2022 Here is a summary of the news trending This Week in Amateur Radio. This week's edition is anchored by Chris Perrine, KB2FAF, Terry Saunders, N1KIN, Dave Wilson, WA2HOY, Don Hulick, K2ATJ, Fred Fitte, NF2F, Eric Zittel, KD2RJX, Will Rogers, K5WLR, George Bowen, W2XBS, and Jessica Bowen, KC2VWX. Produced and edited by George Bowen, W2XBS. Approximate Running Time: 1:3 Podcast Download: https://bit.ly/TWIAR1202 Trending headlines in this week's bulletin service: 1. Axiom Private Astronaut Mission Crew Will Conduct ARISS School Contacts 2. Rapid Development of Satellite Mega-Constellations Risks Tragedies of the Commons 3. ARRL Teachers Institute To Offer Four Sessions This Summer 4. Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Exercise Set for May 14th 5. Volunteer Monitor Program Releases February 2022 Activity Report 6. Successful Emergency Communications Exercise Carried Out on QO-100 Satellite 7. Japan's Ministry of Communications Establishes Advisory Board To Encourage Young People To Become Amateurs 8. Heavenly Water Storm Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service Communications Drill Is Set 9. New FCC Study To Determine A Receiver's Role In Rejecting Radio Frequency Interference 10. Internet Outages Are Affecting West Bengal Radio Amateurs 11. Popular DX'er UR8GX, Ivan Lysenko SK .. AMSAT Pioneer Ray Soifer, W2RS, SK 12. Sea-Pac Convention Registration Is Now Open 13. Radio Society Of Great Britain Looking For Leaders 14. ARRL seeks an exemption from the new proposed US Forest Service Facility Fees. Opens comment period. 15. HamXposition will host the ARRL New England and Hudson Division Conventions and Hamfest 16. The Dayton Hamvention is most definitely on. 17. RSGB Releases Board Minutes and the Legacy Committee will fund 50 MegaHertz meteor scatter beacon 18. Vintage radio collection to be sold at auction in the UK 19. Eliminating radio interference from refrigerator compressors on ships and boats 20. 51 new German radio hams successfully pass exams 21. The Importance of Antenna Height 22. Russian troops using insecure communications 23. Another antenna that 'went the distance' in the VK. Plus these Special Features This Week: * Technology News and Commentary with Leo Laporte, W6TWT, will answer the questions, "How reliable are solid state drives?", and, "What is wear leveling?", Leo will also cover the multiple ways you can back up Windows 10. * Working Amateur Radio Satellites with Bruce Paige, KK5DO - AMSAT Satellite News * Tower Climbing and Antenna Safety w/Greg Stoddard KF9MP, presents part two of his six part series explaining how to get your club meeting or ham fest promoted on local broadcast radio by correctly composing and submitting a Public Service Announcement. * Foundations of Amateur Radio with Onno Benschop VK6FLAB, is very excited in his shack because his latest project, Beeps! * Weekly Propagation Forecast from the ARRL * The latest from Parks On The Air and Summits On The Air (February Report) with Vance Martin, N3VEM * Bill Continelli, W2XOY - The History of Amateur Radio. Bill returns with another edition of The Ancient Amateur Archives, this week, Bill looks at the state of amateur radio in the fabulous fifties, will explain what W-E-R-S, the War Emergency Radio Service was, and will take you back to the beginning of RACES, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, now under the jurisdiction of The Federal Emergency Management Agency. ----- Website: https://www.twiar.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twiari/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/twiar RSS News: https://twiar.net/?feed=rss2 iHeartRadio: https://bit.ly/iHeart-TWIAR Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TWIAR TuneIn: https://bit.ly/TuneIn-TWIAR Automated: https://twiar.net/TWIARHAM.mp3 (Static file, changed weekly) ----- Visit our website at www.twiar.net for program audio, and daily for the latest amateur radio and technology news. Air This Week in Amateur Radio on your repeater! Built in identification breaks every 10 minutes or less. This Week in Amateur Radio is heard on the air on nets and repeaters as a bulletin service all across North America, and all around the world on amateur radio repeater systems, weekends on WA0RCR on 1860 (160 Meters), and more. This Week in Amateur Radio is portable too! The bulletin/news service is available and built for air on local repeaters (check with your local clubs to see if their repeater is carrying the news service) and can be downloaded for air as a weekly podcast to your digital device from just about everywhere, including Acast, Deezer, iHeart, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, iVoox, Blubrry, Castbox.fm, Castro, Feedburner, gPodder, Listen Notes, OverCast, Player.FM, Pandora, Podcast Gang, Podcast Republic, Podchaser, Podnova, and RSS feeds. This Week in Amateur Radio is also carried on a number of LPFM stations, so check the low power FM stations in your area. You can also stream the program to your favorite digital device by visiting our web site www.twiar.net. Or, just ask Siri, Alexa, or your Google Nest to play This Week in Amateur Radio! This Week in Amateur Radio is produced by Community Video Associates in upstate New York, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you would like to volunteer with us as a news anchor or special segment producer please get in touch with our Executive Producer, George, via email at w2xbs77@gmail.com. Also, please feel free to follow us by joining our popular group on Facebook, and follow our feed on Twitter! Thanks to FortifiedNet.net for the server space! Thanks to Archive.org for the audio space.

Breaches of network and internet security are a constant threat to government operations for every agency. Foreign governments, private hackers and many bad actors in between are trying to hack government systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is no different and the task of securing information systems falls to Dr. Gregory Edwards, FEMA's Chief Information Security Officer.  Before his current position, Dr. Edwards joined FEMA in 2020 as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Office of the Chief Information Officer. He previously served as NATO Communications and Information Agency Director Infrastructure Services and Director of Service Operations and before joining NATO, he held executive management positions at the Defense Information Systems Agency. Dr. Edwards joined GovExec Daily to talk about information security in government.

EELP Legal Fellow Hannah Perls speaks with Joel Scata, a Water and Climate Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he works on clean water and climate change adaptation policy solutions. They discuss the ins and outs of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which, for the past fifty years, has helped define floodplain development by issuing federally-backed flood insurance policies to property owners and renters, and setting baseline building, land use and floodplain management criteria. However, many argue the program has failed, accumulating billions of dollars in debt and subsidizing risky development. In this episode, Joel and Hannah review the program's history, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) latest reforms including Risk Rating 2.0, and what challenges remain if the NFIP is to help communities adapt to a climate changed world. For more information on this discussion you can see (links below) NRDC's Climate Adaptation page, NRDC's & ASFPM's Petition for FEMA to update its NFIP Rules (Jan. 8, 2021), and NRDC's Comments responding to FEMA's Request for Information on the NFIP (Jan. 27, 2022). https://www.nrdc.org/issues/climate-adaptation https://www.nrdc.org/resources/nrdc-asfpm-petition https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/comments-nfip-floodplain-mgmt-standards-20220127.pdf To learn more about FEMA's authority to integrate equity considerations into its programs, see EELP's Report on Equitable Disaster Relief. https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/2021/10/equitable-disaster-relief/ Click here for a transcript of this episode http://eelp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Hannah-and-Joel-Scata-transcript.pdf CleanLaw Production Team: Robin Just, Andy Dolph, and Sara Levy

As the third decade of the 21st century approaches, we all find ourselves living in a world we didn’t create and we do not understand. There are too many current challenges to list here, but I suspect many readers and listeners feel a lot of tension about the future. The goal of Charlottesville Community Engagement is to provide a bit of relief in the form of information and context, all with an aim of helping as many people as possible at least try to understand. I’m Sean Tubbs, and that hope is what’s fueled my entire career. Don’t miss an installment or podcast! Sign up! On today’s program:Charlottesville’s Fire Chief gives an update on his efforts to move the Fire Department into the 21st century by playing a major EMS role Dr. Denise Bonds of the Blue Ridge Health District updates City Council on COVID and vaccinations And City Council tells staff to advertise a tax rate increase of ten cents as they build the budget year for fiscal year 2023The first shout-out goes to LEAPWhen you think of romance, you might not immediately think of energy efficiency - but the folks at LEAP think keeping your family comfortable at home is a great way to show you care during the month of love. Your local energy nonprofit wants to make sure you are getting the most out of your home all year round, and LEAP offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If someone in your household is age 60 or older, or you have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!Charlottesville Pandemic updateAll of today’s program focuses on Council and let’s start with the second thing first, followed by the last thing second, and the first thing last. The director of the Blue Ridge Health District appeared before Charlottesville City Council last night for another update on the pandemic. Dr. Denise Bonds reminded Council there’s been a surge of COVID cases since December that is only just now beginning to recede.“This of course represents omicron, the highly contagious variant that causes thousands and thousands of cases across the United States and really the world,” Dr. Bonds said. Today the Virginia Department of Health reports another 4,689 new cases and the percent positivity has further declined to 19.1 percent. Dr. Bonds said there is still a high transmission risk in the community that’s much higher than at most parts of the pandemic. She recommends people continue to be vigilant. “Even though generally omicron is much milder and we have a large percentage of our population that are vaccinated and thus either weren’t infected or didn’t suffer illness that was as serious, there’s a high number of unvaccinated individuals in our community who are still driving very high hospital numbers,” Dr. Bonds said. Dr. Bonds said this surge also saw increases in cases with children under the age of 11, particularly with vaccines still not being authorized for those under 5 but that may happen in the near future. “However the numbers are really still being driven by adults at this point in time,” Dr. Bonds said. So far, Dr. Bonds said the Omicron subvariant has yet to be found in Virginia. She urges people to continue to get vaccinated.“There have continued to be individuals that get their first vaccination and we’re up by almost a thousand individuals since the last time I spoke with you about a month ago so that’s great!” Dr. Bonds said. Dr. Bonds also said it is crucial that people who have not had their booster dose yet to get it as soon as possible. She also encourages people to upgrade their mask from cloth to at least a surgical or medical mask. Yesterday, the Virginia Supreme Court declined to hear a lawsuit filed by parents in Chesterfield County against Governor Glenn Youngkin’s revocation of a mask mandate in public schools. Councilor Sena Magill asked Dr. Bonds her opinion.“The CDC definitely recommends that mask use is an important mitigation strategy for both adults and children in school,” Dr. Bonds said. “I no longer have school age children but if I did have school age children I would have them wear masks in school.” Dr. Bonds said the long-term ramifications of a COVID infection are not yet known because even after nearly two years of a pandemic, the virus is still novel. For a list of places where you can get a vaccine, visit the Blue Ridge Health District website. Council directs staff on tax rate So far this year, Council has had two discussions of the budget for the next fiscal year but they gave their first significant direction Monday night. At their work session last Thursday, Council were told they needed to decide whether they wanted to advertise an increase in the tax rate above 95 cents per $100 of assessed value. For all of that discussion, go back to Saturday’s installment of this newsletter. Senior Budget Analyst Krisy Hammill said that a five-cent increase in the tax rate would not be enough to cover the additional debt service for a capital improvement plan that includes $75 million for renovations to Buford Middle School. Council also wants to honor the goal of putting $10 million toward affordable housing initiative for at least ten years. “In actuality, the five-cent tax increase does not afford the $75 million addition,” Hammill said. Hammill showed a variety of different scenarios, but said five-cents are all that is needed to be dedicated to capital. “Ten cents we don’t need,” Hammill said. “Seven isn’t quite there but seven and a half is a little more than we need so I think we’re somewhere seven and eight cents to comfortably cover $75 million.” The update to Council was not on the agenda for the meeting but was delivered during the report from the Interim City Manager. (February 7 presentation)Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall said comparing tax rates doesn’t tell the whole picture. For instance, Roanoke has a tax rate of $1.22 per assessed value, but there’s a reason. “The average median house cost is $225,000 so when you think of that and a $1.22 tax rate, it’s going to hit a little different than in Loudoun County, where the average median home value is $625,000,” Marshall said. This year, residential assessments went up 11.7 percent and 67 households lost the ability to apply for tax relief because they now exceed the $375,000 cap. The city would have to ask the General Assembly for a charter amendment to increase that amount. Hammill showed a slide that depicted how much of a tax increase would occur. For instance, a hypothetical property assessed at $300,000 paid $3,487 in 2021. That would increase to $3,895 in 2022 without a tax increase. That would increase to $4,305 in 2022 with a ten cent tax increase. Deputy City Manager Sam Sanders said a ten cent tax increase would also allow more funding for the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund to meet the affordable housing fund, a local match to extend a federal grant for firefighters (see below) and more. That had the support of Vice Mayor Juandiego Wade.“I think that at least even though we may not do the whole ten cents to give the staff direction tonight at least to go with that so we know we can’t go higher but we can certainly go lower,” Wade said. Councilor Michael Payne said he would support that rate. “We’re not even having a serious conversation until you begin with a ten cent real estate tax increase because otherwise it is not affordable,” Payne said. “I’m comfortable with advertising that at the rate to start out conversation but I still don’t think that gets us to a point where we are having a realistic conversation about the state of our budget.”Mayor Lloyd Snook said he was concerned about raising the property tax rate this year because of the assessment increase, but called Charlottesville undertaxed. He said he wanted to increase a half-percent raise in the meals tax. That would yield just over $1.25 million according to staff projections. “At meals tax, we are at the moment I believe just a little on the low side and that may give us a little more than a million plus a year,” Snook said. Councilor Brian Pinkston said he supported the advertisement of ten cents.“I’m not personally convinced yet that we need to raise it by a dime,” Pinkston said. “Maybe we do. Maybe it’s seven and a half cents. I’m not sure. Maybe it’s just a nickel but for me it is just for the purposes of this conversation tonight is the advertisement piece.” Councilor Sena Magill took ownership.“I support advertising it,” Magill said. “It was my idea.” With that, the recommendation was officially made and check the classified section of the Daily Progress this weekend. The unscheduled conversation took an hour. At this point in mind, do remember that advertising a tax rate is not the same as adopting one. There are a lot more variables that may come into play between now and April. Some other budget items that were brought up include the potential of using $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to pay back the general fund for the use of FY21 surplus money to pay COVID-related bonuses to employees. The school system is also hoping to use up to $8 million in ARPA funding toward school infrastructure above and beyond school reconfiguration. “That’s still a number which is not in any of the scenarios that I presented to you,” Hammill said. Hammill said the budget staff is anticipating a surplus in FY22 as well as in previous years. “A lot of our big revenues, they are performing better than we had originally projected as we continue to recover from COVID,” Hammill said. Shout out to the Sisters Project Peru:In today’s second subscriber-supported public service announcement, this Friday an art auction will be held at the Fry’s Spring Beach Club to help raise funds for a sustainable medical clinic in rural Peru. The Sisters Project Peru was created to increase access to to healthcare in order to improve quality of life and empower women in Huacahuasi, a rural village in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The art auction will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with light refreshment and live music. Covid protocol is in effect and masks are required. Learn more at SistersProjectPeru.com. Registration in advance is required. Fire Chief Smith presents 21st century vision for the Charlottesville Fire DepartmentIn the early part of the City Council meeting, Fire Chief Hezedean Smith has a long conversation with the five-elected officials. Smith has been in the position since December 2020 and he wanted to reflect on the time so far. “There’s been a lot of tragedy within our community and fortunately our firefighters, they remain committed in terms of serving the community to their fullest, in spite of COVID and in spite of all the other challenges that they face,” Smith said. Last year, a structure fire on Cherry Avenue killed two people, the first fatalities from a fire since 2010. Smith said another challenge was the fire on January 13 at the Charlottesville Towers apartment complex in North Downtown. No one was killed, but many residents were displaced and returned to smoke-damaged units. “We’re committed and we’re embracing the forces that are impacting the 21st century fire and emergency services in our community, certainly in alignment with what’s going on across the United States, “ Smith said. “Charlottesville is no stranger to multiple all-hazards type of incidents that we have to be prepared to respond to.” During his time, the Fire Department has adopted a strategic plan which is “employee-driven.” Chief Smith said the goal is to become a “21st century fire service” as defined by a white paper issued by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. (read the white paper) (EMS Agenda 2050)“And alongside that, there’s an EMS agenda for the future which kind of looks at how you should prepare yourselves now as we move forward into the future and what are the elements related to an EMS system?”  Smith asked. “Fortunately for us we are a fire-based EMS system service model which is a little bit different than it was years ago when we were just focused only on fire. We are an all-hazards department.”Before Smith arrived, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded Charlottesville a nearly $3.5 million grant under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program. That allowed the fire department to hire 15 additional personnel. Last year the dispatch system was changed in order to speed up response times. “About eight minutes, ideally,” Smith said. “That’s the framework that we have established and ultimately we have demonstrated through a GIS analysis to confirm that we should be able to arrive at an incident within that period of time.” That dispatch system also matches the system used by Albemarle County in order to help regional cooperation and mutual aid. “And we are just basically trying to align our protocols and our response model to meet the needs of our community so at any one time we know where all of our units are located in the city,” Smith said. Smith said that later this month the Fire Department will release an app called PulsePoint to alert people to others who are having cardiac arrests nearby in the hopes of getting cardio-pulmonary resuscitation happening as early as possible. “We provide CPR training, we identify neighborhoods that are at risk, and education them on proper living and things of that sort,” Smith said. “It’s not just about running with lights and sirens to medical calls and car accidents and things of that nature. It’s actually becoming more engaged in our community and educating our community and hopefully they can recognize early signs and symptoms of strokes, heart attacks, and things of that sort.”Smith said data shows that the 10th and Page neighborhood in particular is first in cardiac arrests and third in diabetic emergencies.  Last year, representatives from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS) complained to Council that the new dispatch system shuts them out of service calls. Smith said he has since met with their chief and other top officials and said they will play a role in the future. “One of their goals, goal 3, looks at mobile integrated health, exploring roles of the providers with mental health,” Smith said. “CARS’ community involvement, CPR training, stop-the-bleed training, all of those things are of essence for us,” Smith said. Smith’s appearance before Council came at the same time the budget for FY23 is being put together, including the five-year capital plan. The draft budget shows an additional spending of $1.2 million for a replacement for the bypass fire station, for a total of $4.2 million in authorization for bonds that have not yet been issued. Smith hopes Council will continue to support this expenditure and consider others in the future. “It’s dilapidated, it’s sad,” Chief Smith said. “I don’t know if you’ve been in there but it’s unfortunate that our firefighters have to live there. Ultimately the Ridge Street fire station also has to be on the roadmap as well because that is just as old if not older with cracks in the wall that we’ve been monitoring for a number of years.”The Ridge Street station was built in 1959. The bypass station was built in 1950, according to the city’s property records. Senior Budget Analyst Krisy Hammill said that additional money should fully fund the project. Chief Smith also said firefighters also have to be paid more and said they are not making as much as those in Albemarle. “I am pleading with you to support our firefighters because it ties in with retention, it ties in with recruitment, it ties in with their families,” Smith said. “I can probably count on one hand how many of them live in the city of Charlottesville. They travel for hours sometime to come and serve this community.” Support the program!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week we are excited to welcome Dr. Sian Proctor, Inspiration4 Mission Pilot, to the Weekly Space Hangout. On September 16, 2021, the Inspiration4 all-civilian orbital mission to space launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A atop a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and astronaut. She is also an analog astronaut and has completed four analog missions including the all-female SENSORIA Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat, the NASA funded 4-months Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a 2-weeks Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and a 2-weeks Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat. Through art and Space2inspire (https://myspace2inspire.com/) Sian encourages people to use their unique, one-of-a-kind strengths, and passion to inspire those within their reach and beyond. Her goal is to help create a Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive space (J.E.D.I. space) for all of humanity as we advance human spaceflight. Sian spent 21 years as a professor teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science at South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently the Open Educations Resource Coordinator for the Maricopa Community College District. Sian has a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education. She recently finished a sabbatical at Arizona State University's Center for Education Through Exploration creating virtual field trips. She did her 2012-13 sabbatical at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute developing their science of disasters curriculum. She has appeared in multiple international science shows and is currently on A World Without NASA and Strange Evidence. You can learn more about Sian by visiting her website (http://www.drsianproctor.com/). To view (and purchase) Sian's art, visit Space2inspire (https://myspace2inspire.com/). And of courdse be sure to follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Sian.Proctor/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/drsianproctor), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drsianproctor). **************************************** The Weekly Space Hangout is a production of CosmoQuest. Want to support CosmoQuest? Here are some specific ways you can help: ► Subscribe FREE to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/cosmoquest ► Subscribe to our podcasts Astronomy Cast and Daily Space where ever you get your podcasts! ► Watch our streams over on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/cosmoquestx – follow and subscribe! ► Become a Patreon of CosmoQuest https://www.patreon.com/cosmoquestx ► Become a Patreon of Astronomy Cast https://www.patreon.com/astronomycast ► Buy stuff from our Redbubble https://www.redbubble.com/people/cosmoquestx ► Join our Discord server for CosmoQuest - https://discord.gg/X8rw4vv ► Join the Weekly Space Hangout Crew! - http://www.wshcrew.space/ Don't forget to like and subscribe! Plus we love being shared out to new people, so tweet, comment, review us... all the free things you can do to help bring science into people's lives.

https://youtu.be/lQ0-s-Zsdoc [I still don't know why we have audio dropouts. I'm totally baffled. Bandwidth issues, probably, but that's just a wild arse guess! It's ones & zeros all the way down! - Rich] Host: Fraser Cain ( @fcain )Special Guest: This week we are excited to welcome Dr. Sian Proctor, Inspiration4 Mission Pilot, to the Weekly Space Hangout. On September 16, 2021, the Inspiration4 all-civilian orbital mission to space launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A atop a Falcon 9 launch vehicle.   Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and astronaut. She is also an analog astronaut and has completed four analog missions including the all-female SENSORIA Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat, the NASA funded 4-months Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a 2-weeks Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and a 2-weeks Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat.   Through art and Space2inspire (https://myspace2inspire.com/) Sian encourages people to use their unique, one-of-a-kind strengths, and passion to inspire those within their reach and beyond. Her goal is to help create a Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive space (J.E.D.I. space) for all of humanity as we advance human spaceflight.   Sian spent 21 years as a professor teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science at South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently the Open Educations Resource Coordinator for the Maricopa Community College District.   Sian has a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education. She recently finished a sabbatical at Arizona State University's Center for Education Through Exploration creating virtual field trips. She did her 2012-13 sabbatical at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute developing their science of disasters curriculum.   She has appeared in multiple international science shows and is currently on A World Without NASA and Strange Evidence.   You can learn more about Sian by visiting her website (http://www.drsianproctor.com/).   To view (and purchase) Sian's art, visit Space2inspire (https://myspace2inspire.com/).   And of course be sure to follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Sian.Proc...), Twitter (https://twitter.com/drsianproctor), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drsianproctor). Regular Guests: Dr. Nick Castle ( @PlanetaryGeoDoc ) C.C. Petersen ( http://thespacewriter.com/wp/ & @AstroUniverse & @SpaceWriter ) Dave Dickinson ( http://astroguyz.com/ & @Astroguyz ) This week's stories: - Dark voids and solar flares! - SpaceX booster is gonna hit the Moon! - Mars, Mars and more Mars! - Earth's 2nd Trojan asteroid, 2020 XL5. - A cool mission on SLS/Artemis 1. - Is there life on Mars?   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's recovery efforts for Marshall Fire survivors in Boulder County. We also hear about a $40 million plan to save a fork in the Republican River. And, we talk about the effects of a freeze on new building permits in Severance.

Duke Speed is an accomplished leader with 40-plus years of experience making critical decisions in a variety of high-stress, globally sensitive positions and 20-year active duty veteran (retired) of the U.S. Marine Corps. He also has additional 10-plus years of federal service divided between the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and the Federal Aviation Administration. He has also been an Independent Contractor for the U.S. Department of State Worldwide Protective Services (WPS) program, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Navy. Duke is a published author of the Advance Agent Planning Guide - The Executive Protection Agent's Guide for Planning Advance Operations. https://duke-speed-books.sellfy.store/ Duke Speed is a living legend. Everywhere I've gone and every time I've heard his name it's always been with respect and equity. This has always impressed me and so I was honored the first time I met him at my first Protector Symposium. He's had an amazing career and has succeeded in many different areas for extended periods of time. Men like him always fascinate me and so I love to study them to see what exactly makes them special and helps them succeed. What I continue to find is a simple set of values and fundamentals that anyone can implement but that place a demand on the individual the few people are usually willing to pay at first. Over his career, Duke Speed has been to many places but the executive protection industry is and has been very lucky to have him. His brand of leadership, work ethic, and humility is truly a formula for success that can make us all better in many areas of life. This interview will give you insight into what it truly takes to succeed long-term in the executive protection industry… ENJOY! To know more about Duke, visit https://www.aus.com/executive-protection-and-intelligence-services Protector by nature and by trade Byron Rodgers

Episode 501:  For today's Unscripted interview, we want to introduce you to some of the NAMIC advocates on the ground in states nationwide standing up for insurers' interests.  NAMIC CEO Neil Alldredge kicks off this new series with three Regional Vice Presidents to discuss some of the major issues facing the insurance industry in state legislatures this year.

The final week of 2021 begins with a slight pause on government meetings at the local and state level, but there’s always something to document in every edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. What phrase would you use to describe the week between Christmas and New Year’s? Boxing Week? Witching Week? Charlottesville Community Engagement is looking for a few more subscribers, each and every day! Sign up for free and decide later how you might want to contribute! On today’s program:A lawsuit has been filed to stop a Confederate statue from being given to the Jefferson School Center for African American HeritageScottsville and Charlottesville have both received additional funding from a cap and trade program to pay for flood programs The Nelson County Board of Supervisors hires a consultant to help update the Comprehensive PlanAlbemarle County offering seven drop-off locations for Christmas tree recyclingIn today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out:Winter is here, and now is the time to think about keeping your family warm through the cold Virginia months. Make sure you are getting the most out of your home with help from your local energy nonprofit, LEAP. LEAP wants you and yours to keep comfortable all year round, and offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!Pandemic updateAs the week begins, the Virginia Department of Health reports the seven-day average for positive tests has climbed to 14.5 percent this morning and a seven-day average of 6,307 new cases. On Christmas Day, the VDH reported 8,609 new cases and 5,432 cases on Boxing Day. More on the pandemic tomorrow. Statue lawsuitTwo organizations that bid to receive the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee have filed suit in Charlottesville Circuit Court to prevent it from being awarded to the Jefferson School Center for African American Heritage. The center plans to melt the statue down and made into a new public work of art. The petition for injunction filed December 22 on behalf of the Trevillian Station Battlefield Foundation and the Ratcliffe Foundation argues that City Council overstepped its authority when it voted 4-0 in the early hours of December 7 to choose the center. “The City can legally remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the Lee monument, but the General Assembly denied the City authority to alter or destroy,” reads the argument, which also names the center as a defendant. “A foundry is not a museum, historical society, government, or military battlefield, which are the only lawful recipients for placement of a relocated monument.”The plaintiffs seek voidance of the award and to prevent the Center from submitting another one. Alternatively they seek damages or restoration of the statue. The suit claims the city broke the Freedom of Information Act and its own procurement rules. (read the petition here)The 2020 General Assembly passed legislation allowing localities to decide for themselves if they wanted to remove war memorials, which had been protected by state law. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled in April that that state law did not apply to either the Lee statue or another Confederate statue that formerly stood in a city park. (April 1, 2021 opinion in City of Charlottesville v. Payne)Belmont Bridge updateCrews working on the replacement of the Belmont Bridge will take a break today, Thursday and Friday. The Caton Construction Group has been working on removing the eastern span of the bridge, but will take some time off for the holiday, according to a press release from the city. However, work on a waterline between East South Street and Old Avon Street will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The work began this past summer after several years of planning and after Council agreed to spend $7.5 million in capital improvement funds to make up a cost over-run. Learn more at the project website at belmont-bridge.com. In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out:Algorithms know how to put songs and artists together based on genre or beats per minute. But only people can make connections that engage your mind and warm your heart. The music on WTJU 91.1 FM is chosen by dozens and dozens of volunteer hosts -- music lovers like you who live right here in the Charlottesville area. Listener donations keep WTJU alive and thriving. In this era of algorithm-driven everything, go against the grain. Support freeform community radio on WTJU. Consider a donation at wtju.net/donate.Nelson County Comprehensive PlanFans of Comprehensive Plan reviews can rejoice now that Nelson County has hired the Berkley Group of Bridgewater to conduct the first update of their plan since 2014. Dylan Bishop is the county’s director of planning and zoning. They’ll be paid $160,000 for the work. “When I first accepted this position two and a half years ago, I was aware that the Comprehensive Plan update was on the horizon,” Bishop said. “Over the last couple of years there have been a few roadblocks with that but it’s also given me a good opportunity to become familiar with the current Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinance, and subdivision ordinances.”The current plan was written by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission with an entity at the University of Virginia known as the Design Resources Center. (read the 2014 update)Bishop said the current plan does not lead the county’s land use and development decisions, and that that occurs now in the zoning ordinance.“When it’s done correctly, it should be an economic development tool,” Bishop said. “It’s often used as reference for grant applications such as Smart Scale, Virginia Outdoors Foundation grants, when you have something to point to that says our county already supports this.” Nelson County sent out a request for proposals this fall and receive three submissions. Two of the firms were interviewed and staff chose the Berkley Group. Public engagement will begin with a meeting in January.  “Once the final plan is adopted, they will follow it up with another diagnostic of the zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinances,” Bishop said. “They’ll generate recommendations that will make it consistent with our Comprehensive Plan. That will be the enforcement tool to set the vision of the comp plan as the years go on.” The Berkley Group is currently working on the Comprehensive Plan updates in Richmond County and Greensville County. They’ve recently concluded work in Northampton County and the city of Lexington. (Watch the Nelson BOS meeting)Charlottesville, Scottsville, receive flood-prevention funds Governor Ralph Northam has awarded an additional $24.5 million to help Virginia localities prepare for weather events associated with a changing climate. The money comes from Virginia’s proceeds from participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has said he would end through an executive order after he takes office. In the meantime in this round, Charlottesville will receive $94,276 for “resilience planning and staff training” and the town of Scottsville will receive $123,346 for a planning study. Both communities were among 30 applicants for the second round of the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. In October, Charlottesville was awarded $153,500 in the first round for a project to create a two-dimensional model for the Moores Creek watershed. (Charlottesville awarded $153K for flood study from RGGI funds, October 6, 2021)Virginia became the first southern state to join RGGI in 2020 and has received $227,636,583.52 in the four auctions it has been a part of so far. Utility generators have to purchase credits to exceed a certain threshold of carbon emissions. Forty-five percent of the proceeds go to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. According to their application, the city will put the money towards a Charlottesville Resilience Plan that will include taking an inventory of existing plans, identifying hazards and threats, and assessing vulnerabilities. “The City is applying for these grant funds to contract with an expert consultant to facilitate planDevelopment,” reads the application. “The consultant will co-create the plan at facilitated workshops with the City’s Resilience Team staff to increase staff expertise and capabilities.” The schedule anticipates the plan will be ready in mid-April. Scottsville will use the plan to develop to modernize its plans for dealing with floods. According to the application, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a levee project in 1988 after a series of devastating floods in the mid-20th century.“This project connects to the town’s history and its future, assuring the continued safety from flooding, and laying the groundwork for new economic development,” reads the project narrative. The document goes on to state the town would like the Federal Emergency Management Agency to adjust the floodplain map to remove the designation for the former Kyosung tire factory in order to make it more attractive to redevelopment. They also want a new hydraulic model for downtown Scottsville. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will need to approve both documents. Resources:Charlottesville’s applicationScottsville’s applicationFull list of recipients on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s webpageAlbemarle tree recyclingBeginning today, Albemarle’s Parks and Recreation Department will operate seven places where county residents can drop off Christmas trees for recycling. People are asked to remove all decorations, lights, stands, and nails before they are added to the pile. The trees will be chipped and converted into mulch. That mulch will be available beginning January 24 at both Darden Towe Park and Claudius Crozet Park. The locations:McIntire Recycling Center* – 611 McIntire Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22902Claudius Crozet Park – 1075 Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet, VA 22932Greenwood Community Center – 865 Greenwood Rd. Crozet, VA 22932Chris Greene Lake Park – 4460 Chris Greene Lake Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22911Darden Towe Park – 1445 Darden Towe Park, Charlottesville, VA 22911Scottsville Community Center – 250 Page St. Scottsville, Va 24590Walnut Creek Park – 4250 Walnut Creek Park North Garden, VA 22959Community members are asked not to bring any other yard waste, and are warned that the McIntire Recycling Center may be congested. Support the program!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The National Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System (the System), established under the authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1989, is a framework for organizing federal, state, and local partner emergency response teams as integrated federal disaster response task forces. The System's 28 US&R task forces can be deployed by FEMA to a disaster area to provide assistance in structural collapse rescue, or they may be pre-positioned when a major disaster threatens a community.The System is a vital federal asset to support the continuous operation of critical government and business functions that are essential to human health and safety or economic security.The task forces are equipped and ready to deploy within six hours in various response models. When federal support is anticipated prior to an event such as a hurricane, System resources are often pre-positioned along with other federal responders to expedite support following the disaster.Each NIMS Type 1 US&R task force is composed of 70 members specializing in search, rescue, medicine, hazardous materials, logistics, and planning, including technical specialists such as physicians, structural engineers, and canine search teams. Joe HernandezWeb - https://www.disastermedicalsolutions.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/joehern08071488Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/usarmedic/LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hernandez-56269852/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/CrushMedicineTodd De VoeWebsite - https://toddtdevoe.com/Website- www.crisis-cafe.comSpeak N Spark-https://bit.ly/3sTVUfrLinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3sVHL1gEM WeeklyWebsite - https://bit.ly/3jj5ItlTwitter - https://bit.ly/31z8MeXFacebook - https://bit.ly/3dMlbRPLinkedIn - https://bit.ly/34mXyfzYouTube - https://bit.ly/2FQDhWdSponsorsDoberman EMG-https://www.dobermanemg.com/The Readiness Lab-https://www.thereadinesslab.com/If you would like to become a sponsor or advertiserCall Jon Fontane (203) 970-8042

There are days in the past and days in the future, but there’s only one day at a time. This edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement is specifically tied to December 22, 2021, a particular 24-hour period filled with equal parts anticipation, dread, potential, and other pensive emotions as the holiday of Christmas approaches. Stay safe! Charlottesville Community Engagement is free to read or listen to and it’s my hope that you’ll sign-up. In today’s edition:Governor-elect Youngkin appoints a veteran banker to serve as his finance secretaryA trade publication names Virginia as having the best business climate in the nationA bridge in western Albemarle is shut down before repairs begin A study is underway on where to locate a train station in the New River ValleyCharlottesville City Council holds first reading on the use of a $5.5 million surplus, defers action on Lewis, Clark and Sacagewea statue and a rezoning on Nassau Street Today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: Code for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department, and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects. COVID updateThe Virginia Department of Health reports another 5,972 new cases of COVID-19 today, and the percent positivity for PCR has risen to ten percent. Today’s case number is the highest it’s been since the last week of January. The highest one day total of the pandemic to date is 9,914 recorded on January 17. On this day a year ago, there were 3,591 cases reported. A hundred and nine of today’s cases are in the Blue Ridge Health District. Virginia reports another 50 COVID deaths today, with one of those in the Blue Ridge Health District. The University of Virginia will require students, faculty, and staff to receive booster shots in order to be on Grounds next semester. According to a page on the Human Resources website, faculty and staff must get the shot by February 1 if they are eligible. If not, they must demonstrate proof of a shot 30 days after eligibility. Students must upload their proof by February 1. Visit that website for more information. Bridge closureA small bridge in western Albemarle County that carries about 560 vehicles a day has been closed due to significant deterioration. Engineers with the Virginia Department of Transportation have been inspecting the bridge on Burch’s Creek Road across Stockton Creek due to known concerns and have decided to close the road until repairs are made. “VDOT bridge inspectors determined today that its condition was not safe for continued use,” reads the statement. “During the closure, traffic should detour around the bridge from U.S. 250 to Route 824 (Patterson Mill Lane) to Route 688 (Midway Road) and back to Route 689.” Repairs will take place between now and January 7 when the bridge is expected to reopen. Virginia business awardA trade publication that writes about economic development and site selection has named Virginia one of its states of the year. Business Facilities named Virginia, Tennessee, and Massachusetts in their annual contest. Specifically, Virginia was named the Overall Business Climate. Massachusetts was honored with Best Workforce / Educational System. Tennessee was given the Best Dealmaking award. A press release in advance of their next publication states that Virginia was selected “because of the steps many economic development councils in the commonwealth, both local and statewide, are taking to make the area more attractive.” The release cites the state’s low unemployment rate, successful workforce development programs such as the Virginia Talent Acquisition Program and Fast Forward Virginia. According to an article on Virginia Business, Virginia last won this award in 2018. New Finance SecretaryFor the third day in a row, Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has named a member of his cabinet. Stephen Emery Cummings will be the next Secretary of Finance. Cummings is a veteran of several financial institutions, including a tenure as global head of corporate and investment banking at Wachovia. According to a release, he has recently served as the President and CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. “Steve shares my vision of respecting Virginians’ hard-earned tax dollars and ensuring the Commonwealth’s budget is managed effectively and efficiently, and he has the skill set and leadership qualities that our team needs to make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Youngkin said in a statement. Yesterday Youngkin announced Caren Merrick will serve as Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Several outlets report that Youngkin founded the nonprofit Virginia Ready Initiative that Merrick  has run since it was formed last summer during the pandemic. On Monday, data consultant Aimee Rogstad Guidera was named Education Secretary. Inauguration Day is January 15.NRV Train StationThe Virginia Passenger Rail Authority has launched a website for a feasibility study for where to locate a train station to serve the New River Valley. Earlier this year, outgoing Governor Ralph Northam announced an agreement with Norfolk Southern to extend passenger service from Roanoke to the valley for the first time since 1979. The state of Virginia will purchase 28.5 miles of track from Norfolk Southern. The feasibility study is examining four locations. A community meeting will be held sometime this winter and an initial survey is available. Go back and listen to the May 6, 2021 installment of this newsletter and podcast to hear a segment from when Northam signed legislation authorizing an authority to raise funds for the future station. (May 6, 2021: Green Business Alliance forms to advance emissions reductions; Northam signs legislation for New River Valley train station)There’s also another study underway to determine if Amtrak service should stop in Bedford. That town is between Roanoke and Lynchburg and on the route of the Northeast Regional service that will eventually be expanded to the New River Valley. You can go back and listen to that, too. (October 30, 2021: DRPT report states Bedford train stop won’t delay freight; a briefing on the hotel industry in Albemarle/Charlottesville)In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out: The Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign  an initiative that wants you to grow native plants in yards, farms, public spaces and gardens in the northern Piedmont. Winter is here, but spring isn’t too far away. This is a great time to begin planning for the spring. Native plants provide habitat, food sources for wildlife, ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate change, and clean water.  Start at the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Facebook page and tell them Lonnie Murray sent you!Public hearing held for FY21 surplus, transfers Council has held the first of two readings and a public hearing on a mandated review of the city’s budget for fiscal year for 2021, which ended on June 30 of this year. There’s a $5.5 million surplus as well as a $6.7 million reserve fund of cash set aside for COVID. The latter was not tapped. Christopher Cullinan is the city’s Finance Director. “The audit has been completed and to close out the city’s financial records for fiscal year 2021, several year-end adjustments require City Council action,” Cullinan said. “These adjustments are to carry over unspent funds from the last fiscal year to the current fiscal year.” Cullinan said one the two main recommendations are to put the COVID reserve into the city’s Capital Improvement Program contingency fund. The other is to put the $5.5 million toward employee compensation. That includes both a bonus and an across-the-board salary increase of six percent for all employees with benefits. “This is a market adjustment that recognizes the need for the city to retain and recruit qualified employees,” Cullinan said. This would happen before the results of a study on compensation is completed. Ashley Marshall is one of two deputy city managers currently running the city. “But what we do know is that the six percent is inadequate to raise us up to where we should be for equitable and appropriate pay,” Marshall said. “So we know that we’re not going to find out later on nine months from now that six percent was too much. That’s not going to be the answer.” Five people spoke at the public hearing.“I just want to say that I would like to see a lot of this money, a good portion of it, be used toward the affordable housing fund to shore that up and get that going toward the goal you indicated previously that you’d like to have ten million dollars [a year],” said Mark Kavit. Both Kimber Hawkey, Martha Smytha and Tanesha Hudson agreed with that position, and said the city should spend money for housing on more than just Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. “I think that there’s things the city could also do with purchasing land space and building things themselves as well,” Hudson said. “That’s something that they need to work towards.” Hudson said the cost of living adjustment should also extend to hourly employees as well. Rosia Parker, a newly appointed member of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, said more of the funding should go to affordable housing, especially for programs to address homeless. “There are a lot of homeless people that are out here,” Parker said. “You see them when you sit in front of City Hall. You see them as you walk up and down the mall. You see them as you drive up and down the different corridors of Charlottesville. Homelessness is a very threatening danger to people’s lives. Mentally, physically and emotionally.” Capital discussionAfter the hearing was closed, outgoing Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said she wanted the $6.7 million to be used for a different purpose than putting it in the CIP contingency fund. The next Council will decide how that funding would be used, but Walker will not get a vote. “If we just simply transfer it to the CIP and then we have those asks that are just presented to Council randomly based on whatever’s on the funded or what makes it from the unfunded to the funded list, I don’t think that serves us,” Walker said. Vice Mayor Sena Magill supported the transfer to the CIP due to a long list of capital needs. “Because if we don’t work on some of the basic infrastructure needs of our city as well,” Magill said “That’s where we pay for a lot of the affordable grants is through the CIP and we’re looking at $75 million for just one school.” Cullinan said the idea of a contingency fund is to be ready for unforeseen events or cost over-runs.“I think the the critical thing is that it gives you choices and its cash which is easily accessible and you can make fairly quick decisions as opposed to a bond issue which takes time and effort,” Cullinan said. Council would have to approve any use funds from the CIP contingency. The second reading will be held at the next City Council meeting on January 3. Nassau Street rezoningA proposal to rezone land on the eastern half of Nassau Street in the Belmont neighborhood did not move forward on Monday. Developer Nicole Scro and engineer Justin Shimp are seeking a rezoning from R-2 to R-3 on about a half acre of land. Several members of the public asked Council to deny the request due to the property being located within a floodplain as governed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Magill said she wanted more information from staff about the issue. “I am concerned about the floodplain issue and I am concerned about the design that is being submitted in a flood plain,” Magill said Several other buildings have been constructed on that side of the street in recent years including structures built by the Piedmont Community Land Trust. That project received $240,000 in funding from the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund. City Councilor Lloyd Snook also said he wanted more information about the floodplain. “We’re not required to act on this tonight,” Snook said. “I would like to defer it and ask the staff to give us real feedback on what the flood danger is. The one thing I don’t want to do is end up saying we’re going to put in affordable housing but we’re going to put it in the floodplain.”In recent years, Shimp successfully petitioned FEMA to lower the elevations shown in the floodplain map by four feet. Tony Edwards is a development services manager in the city’s public works department. The foundation must be above the where FEMA establishes the 100-year floodplain. “This is the basis that we need to use because we follow the same methodology that FEMA provides and this is what’s been approved through FEMA,” Edwards said. James Freas, the city’s director of neighborhood development services, also weighed in.“We know the flood plain legally has been defined where it is now based on the amended flood maps in the process that Mr. Edwards described,” Freas said. “So that’s legally the location of the floodplain and defines the elevation at which the building has to be built. In terms of what can happen in an actual flood? We can be less clear about that. That’s less predictable.” Freas said the question before Council was the appropriate density at the location. By-right structures could be built. One in the 900 block constructed in 2018 is built on stilts to raise it out of the floodplain. Snook wanted more information.“I’d like to have more expertise than I can bring to bear and take a look at it and tell me whether I’m all wet,” Snook said. “Pardon the expression.” Shimp said any further review would prove his assertion that building in the location would be safe. The item will be deferred until the second council meeting in January. Outgoing Mayor Nikuyah Walker said she would have voted against the request. Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea statue decision deferredCouncil spent nearly an hour and a half discussing the terms on how a statue removed from West Main Street will be treated in the future. Several parties agree that the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center should receive the statue for its continued display at their location in Darden Towe Park. However, details about how the story of Sacagawea’s involvement were not resolved during the conversation. Center officials and descendants of Sacagawea will continue negotiations. “We are definitely willing to do that,” said Alexandria Searls, the center’s director. “We are invested and no matter what, even without the statue, we want relationships with them. The relationships are more important than the statue. We’re willing to walk from the statue if we have to.” The hiring of the Robert Bobb Group to run the cityAs mentioned at the top of yesterday’s newsletter, Council has hired the Robert Bobb Group to perform the functions of the city manager. Council spent their closed session negotiating with the two firms that responded. Lisa Robertson is the city attorney. “The fact that using an outside firm on a contract basis to provide these types of services, while it’s not the normal manner in which the services are delivered, it’s not unheard of,” Robertson said. “This type of contract has been used on occasion in other places including other places in Virginia.” The contract still has to be finalized after being written up. There was no little discussion of the merits of either proposal. In the resolution, Councilor Hill said “the firm made the best proposal and offer” with regards to price and quality. Walker abstained based on a sense that Council should not vote to award the contract until it is written. Update!According to City Council Clerk Kyna Thomas, Council will not need to vote on the contract as it can be signed by the Mayor. However, Council will interview specific individuals that will be suggested by the firm. There is no public knowledge yet about how much the Robert Bobb Group will be paid. Here are some other news articles about other work the firm has done:Robert Bobb back in business with new venture, Washington Business Journal, December 9, 2011Robert Bobb Group outlines goals for Petersburg, WRIC, October 26, 2016Cash-strapped Petersburg spent about $1 million on turnaround services from Bobb Group, forensic audit, Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 4, 2017 Durham leader calls criticism of consultant a lynching, a charge with political history, Raleigh News and Observer, North Carolina, March 10, 2021Black community questions motives behind some Durham commissioners rejection of minority-owned firm proposal, ABC 11, March 25, 2021Firm being paid $16K a month to provide city with financial services, Rocky Mount Telegram, North Carolina, August 13, 2021Charlottesville hires firm to perform interim city manager duties, Walker and Hill bid farewell, Daily Progress, December 21, 2021Support the program!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

At the top of our midweek show, nearly 800 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the state in the last 24 hours, there will be a runoff for the GOP nomination for State Senate seat seven, and two teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are to begin assessing damage today in northeast Arkansas from last weekend's devastating tornadoes.

What promises to be a long accounting for the federal response to the pandemic, it's already underway. One agency that was called to respond early is FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A recent report from the Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found a mixed bag. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the DHS deputy inspector general for audits, Bruce Miller.

Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are going to be deployed across Wisconsin to assist local hospitals in dealing with COVID-19 Patients. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:17).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-26-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of November 29, 2021.  This episode is part of a series this year of winter-related episodes. MUSIC – ~10 sec – instrumental. That excerpt of “Mid-winter Etude,” by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, Va., opens our annual episode on winter preparedness.  This coincides with Virginia Winter Weather Awareness Week, which is being observed this year from November 29 to December 3, according to the Wakefield, Va., National Weather Service office. In 2021, winter astronomically begins in Virginia on December 21 at 10:59 a.m.  That's the Eastern Standard time of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, when that hemisphere is at its maximum annual tilt away from the sun. At its beginning, middle, or end, winter can bring cold temperatures, hazardous roads, power outages, and fire hazards.  To help you be prepared, here are 10 tips compiled from information provided by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.1. Avoid traveling in winter-storm conditions if you can. If you must travel, get road conditions from the Virginia 511 telephone system, Web site, or app.   And have an emergency kit for your vehicle, including jumper cables, water, non-perishable food, blankets, a flashlight, and other items.2. Have battery-powered sources of lighting and information, particularly weather information, along with enough batteries to last through a power outage of several days.  Whenever possible, use flashlights and not candles during power outages.  If you do use candles, put them in safe holders away from anything combustible, and don't leave a burning candle unattended.3.  Make a family emergency plan that covers sheltering; evacuation from your area; escape from a home fire; emergency meeting places; communications; a supply of food, water, and medications; and other factors specific to your circumstances; and practice your plan. 4.  Get fireplaces, wood stoves, and chimneys inspected and cleaned.5.  Install a smoke detector in every bedroom and on every floor level, test them monthly, and replace the batteries at least annually. 6.  Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home and check or replace the battery every six months.7.  If you use space heaters, make sure they'll switch off automatically if the heater falls over; plug them into wall outlets, not extension cords; keep them at least three feet from combustible objects; don't leave heaters unattended; and check for cracked or damaged wires or plugs. 8.  Generators, camp stoves, and other devices that burn gasoline or charcoal should be used outdoors only.9.  Learn where to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts. And 10.  Be careful of overexertion during snow shoveling. More information on preparing for winter weather, fires, and other emergencies is available online from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, at vaemergency.gov.Next time the forecast calls for snow, freezing rain, or other wintry weather, here's hoping that you can stay warm, dry, and safe.Thanks to Timothy Seaman for permission to use this week's music, and we close with about 25 more seconds of “Mid-winter Etude.”  MUSIC – ~28 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Midwinter Etude,” from the 1996 album “Incarnation,” is copyright by Timothy Seaman and Pine Wind Music, used with permission.  More information about Mr. Seaman is available online at http://timothyseaman.com/en/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 561, 1-25-21. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com.IMAGESSnow and ice on a seasonal pond at Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., December 26, 2020.Snow along Toms Creek at Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., December 26, 2020.Ice hanging from tree twigs at Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., February 20, 2021.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS AND FIRE SAFETY On Winter Weather Preparedness The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), “Winter Weather,” online at https://www.vaemergency.gov/winter-weather/, accessed 11/29/21.Winter storms can range from freezing rain or ice, to a few hours of moderate snowfall, to a blizzard that lasts for several days.  Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures, power outages and unpredictable road conditions.  Before, during, and after a winter storm, roads and walkways may become extremely dangerous or impassable.  Access to critical community services such as public transportation, child care, healthcare providers and schools may be limited.  Preparing your home, car and family before cold weather and a winter storm arrives is critical. Overview for Dealing with a Winter Storm*During a winter storm, stay off the roads as much as possible and only drive when absolutely necessary.  Always give snow plows the right of way. *Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning device inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any other partially enclosed area. *Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks!  Always avoid overexertion when shoveling. *When severe weather occurs, plan to check on elderly or disabled neighbors and relatives. *If you must travel, know road conditions before you leave home.  Visit 511Virginia.org or call 511 for road condition updates. *Protect yourself from frostbite!  Hands, feet and face are the most commonly affected areas so wear a hat, mittens (which are warmer than gloves) and cover your mouth with a scarf to reduce heat loss. *Keep dry!  Change out of wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. *Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer or heavy clothing.Prepare Your Home *Make sure your home is properly insulated. *Check the weather stripping around your windows and doors. *Learn how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts. *Have additional heat sources on hand in case of a power outages. *Keep a fire extinguisher accessible. *Replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector annually. Prepare Your Car *Batteries lose power as temperatures drop, be sure to have yours tested. *Check your car's antifreeze level. *Have your radiator system serviced. *Replace your car's windshield wiper fluid with a wintertime mix. *Proactively replace your car's worn tires and wiper blades. *To help with visibility, clean [snow or ice] off your car entirely, including your trunk, roof, windows and headlights. Did You Know?*Dehydration can make you more susceptible to hypothermia.*If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pet!  Don't leave pets outside for prolonged periods of time and have plenty of fresh, unfrozen water on hand.*Each year, snow, sleet, slush and/or ice on the road leads to approximately, 537,000 crashes, 136,000 injuries, and 1,800 deaths.*It can snow at temperatures well above freezing*Temperatures do not have to be below zero degrees to cause harmOn Fire SafetyThe following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), “Fires,” online at https://www.vaemergency.gov/fires/, accessed 11/29/21. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening.  In just five minutes, a home can be engulfed in flames. Learn About Fires *Fire is FAST!  In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames.*Fire is HOT!  Heat is more threatening than flames. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin.*Fire is DARK!  Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness.*Fire is DEADLY!  Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio. Create and Practice a Fire Escape Plan*In the event of a fire, remember that every second counts, so you and your family must always be prepared.  Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly.*Twice each year, practice your home fire escape plan.  Some tips to consider when preparing this plan include:*Find two ways to get out of each room in the event the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke.*A secondary route might be a window onto a neighboring roof or a collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows.*Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly, and that security bars can be properly opened.*Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.*Teach children not to hide from firefighters.  Smoke Alarms*A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.*Install both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms, OR dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.*Test batteries monthly.*Replace batteries in battery-powered and hard-wired smoke alarms at least once a year (except non-replaceable 10-year lithium batteries).*Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, both inside and outside of sleeping areas.*Replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8-10 years or according to manufacturer's instructions.*Never disable a smoke alarm while cooking – it can be a deadly mistake. Smoke Alarm Safety for People with Access or Functional Needs*Audible alarms for visually impaired people should pause with a small window of silence between each successive cycle so that they can listen to instructions or voices of others.*Smoke alarms with a vibrating pad or flashing light are available for the hearing impaired. Contact your local fire department for information about obtaining a flashing or vibrating smoke alarm.*Smoke alarms with a strobe light outside the home to catch the attention of neighbors, and emergency call systems for summoning help, are also available. During a Fire*Crawl low under any smoke to your exit – heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling.*Before opening a door, feel the doorknob and door. If either is hot, or if there is smoke coming around the door, leave the door closed and use your second way out.*If you open a door, open it slowly. Be ready to shut it quickly if heavy smoke or fire is present.*If you can't get to someone needing assistance, leave the home and call 9-1-1 or the fire department. Tell the emergency operator where the person is located.*If pets are trapped inside your home, tell firefighters right away.*If you can't get out, close the door and cover vents and cracks around doors with cloth or tape to keep smoke out.  Call 9-1-1 or your fire department. Say where you are and signal for help at the window with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight.*If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll – stop immediately, drop to the ground, and cover your face with your hands.  Roll over and over or back and forth until the fire is out.  If you or someone else cannot stop, drop, and roll, smother the flames with a blanket or towel.  Use cool water to treat the burn immediately for 3 to 5 minutes.  Cover with a clean, dry cloth.  Get medical help right away by calling 9-1-1 or the fire department. Fire Escape Planning for Older Adults and People with Access or Functional Needs*Live near an exit. You'll be safest on the ground floor if you live in an apartment building. If you live in a multi-story home, arrange to sleep on the ground floor, and near an exit.*If you use a walker or wheelchair, check all exits to be sure you get through the doorways.*Make any necessary accommodations, such as providing exit ramps and widening doorways, to facilitate an emergency escape.*Speak to your family members, building manager, or neighbors about your fire safety plan and practice it with them.*Contact your local fire department's non-emergency line and explain your special needs. Ask emergency providers to keep your special needs information on file.*Keep a phone near your bed and be ready to call 911 or your local emergency number if a fire occurs. After a Fire – The following checklist serves as a quick reference and guide for you to follow after a fire strikes.*Contact your local disaster relief service, such as The Red Cross, if you need temporary housing, food and medicines.*If you are insured, contact your insurance company for detailed instructions on protecting the property, conducting inventory and contacting fire damage restoration companies.  If you are not insured, try contacting private organizations for aid and assistance.*Check with the fire department to make sure your residence is safe to enter. Be watchful of any structural damage caused by the fire.  The fire department should see that utilities are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site.  DO NOT attempt to reconnect utilities yourself.*Conduct an inventory of damaged property and items.  Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made.  Try to locate valuable documents and records.*Begin saving receipts for any money you spend related to fire loss.  The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company and for verifying losses claimed on income tax.*Notify your mortgage company of the fire. Cooking*Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.*Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.*Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet around the stove.*Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Smoking*Smoke outside and completely stub out butts in an ashtray or a can filled with sand.*Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.*Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.*Be alert – don't smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first. Electrical and Appliance Safety*Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is led by administrator Deanne Criswell, who is from Manistee. We caught up with Criswell to ask how she sees FEMA's mission at a time that every state is under an emergency declaration because of COVID-19, the role of climate change in weather-related disasters, and making federal emergency help easier to get.

 This episode mentions child abduction, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. These words are used in context to describe support services provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.Today, we will discuss the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the amazing work the Center does to support families, law enforcement and the community. If you are anything like me when someone says NCMEC you think of age progressions and missing person's posters. But the truth is NCMEC does so much more. Join me as I talk with John Bischoff, Vice President- Missing Children Division, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Discover the role NCMEC plays when a child goes missing, their relationship with law enforcement, how they turn data into solutions and the support they offer families. Don't miss this episode.  As Vice president, John oversees all US missing children's cases, both in the states and abroad.  He also manages the  (1-800-THE-LOST®) tipline and call centers. For those of you who might be wondering...John began his career in cyber security at America Online. After 13 years at AOL, John accepted a position at the Federal Emergency Management Agency in mass care and emergencies. At FEMA, John was responsible for post disaster family reunification.  After a couple of years at FEMA, John took a position at the National Center for Missing and Exploited children. If you are interested in learning more about John's credentials you can read his bio here.This episode is dedicated to Adam Walsh and his parents, Reve and John. Adam was born on November 14, 1974.  4 months and 13 days before his 7th birthday,  Adam was abducted and murdered. Over the past 47 years, Reve and John Walsh have been advocating for missing children. Their unwavering determination to enact change, led to the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Since its inception in 1984, NCMEC has helped law enforcement recover over 355,000 missing children.Special thanks to John Bischoff for sharing his time and knowledge me, so that I could share it with you.Sources:National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenFor NCMEC's Forensic Artists, Every Face Tells A Story, Every Child Has A NameMusic: Seedy Streets and Come Out and Play written and performed by the very talented Darren Curtis at DarrenCurtisMusic.com

Nkeki Obi-Melekwe is taking over the role of Tina Turner in the award-winning musical of the same name. We speak about the show with her and co-star Daniel Watts, who plays Ike Turner. And, the U.S. is on record to break 2020's record of 22 natural disasters. The increasing cost and destructiveness of these events pose a growing risk to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We speak with Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator, about the impact of climate change on these disasters.

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how resilient communities need public-private partnerships to survive. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: Public/Private Partnerships – An overview Blog Post: Resilient Communities Need Public/Private Partnerships to Survive Episode #79: The Bryghtpath Global Security Framework Episode #99: Hurricane Season 2020 Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast, this is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And this week in our episode, I’d like to talk about public-private partnerships, that in my belief that resilient communities need public-private partnerships in order to survive. I’m taken back to October 29th, 2012, when Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey. It was a strong, slow-moving category one hurricane at the time, I was the head of Global Crisis Management and Business Continuity for one of the world’s largest retailers. In Sandy’s path, that day were more than 200 of my stores, multiple distribution centers, and two data centers that powered our eCommerce website. More importantly to me, tens of thousands of our employees were in harm’s way as the storm rushed to shore. But I knew even though I worked for a private sector organization, that I was not in this fight alone. Over the previous decade, I think we’ve come to realize that for a community to truly be resilient against a natural disaster or another emergency or crisis, that public and private sector entities must work together and share information in a collaborative and transparent manner. For the three years leading up to Hurricane Sandy, local State and Federal Emergency Management agencies had begun to embrace outreach and joint planning with the private sector. The private sector, particularly retail and utilities, had embraced this new approach with open arms. That resulted in a strong set of partnerships between the public and private sector that was apparent throughout the preparation, response, and recovery for Hurricane Sandy. For example, for several days prior to landfall, public and private sector entities were exchanging information through predefined channels. Emergency management agencies were sharing situational updates, storm path updates, and plans for road closure and evacuations long before landfall. Private sector companies were sharing their plans for facility closure, employee evacuations, positioning of recovery supplies, and post-landfall response plans. This collaborative and transparent approach provided broader situational clarity for the public and private sectors, and it helped avoid confusion later during the more chaotic response phase of the situation. As Hurricane Sandy began to dissipate and its impact in New Jersey and New York and other states became clearer, public and private center entities remain in close contact. The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA had activated their new national business emergency operations center as a component within FEMA’s National Response and Coordination Center or NRCC. The NRCC consolidated a number of federal and state agency reports into one easy-to-read report for the private sector to digest. At the same time, private sector entities were sending information to the NBEOC that were consolidated and shared at the highest levels of state and federal government. This information h

The western wild fires have caused a lot of headaches for agencies like FEMA who must respond. But house fires remain the most common form of fire each year, and FEMA keeps close track on house fires too. Joining the Federal Drive with some recent statistics and how the agency gathers it, the acting U.S. Fire Administrator, Tonya Hoover.

Changes are coming to the way flood insurance rates are determined under the Federal Flood Insurance Program, which could raise rates significantly for some policy owners. The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the program for the Federal government and they contend that changes to the pricing method will mean that policy prices will be more … Continue reading "Federal flood insurance rates changing and policy owners could feel the pinch"

Eight counties in Western Washington State have banded together to do regional planning. The effort has been funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant (RCPG)  A 2019 grant is being administered for the region by Snohomish County's Department of Emergency Management  Jason Biermann, Director for the county is interviewed in this podcast about how the RCPG grant process works for the eight counties and then he provides details on the CPODs project itself. They are employing GIS extensively to map population islands that will need supporting. Equity is one of the criteria they are using to determine where needs will be greater. Dynamis, a leading provider of information management software and security solutions, is a sponsor of this podcast.

Let's Go Brandon and more on today's CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief. I'm Toby Sumpter and today is October 12, 2021. What do you do when you're a Christian University -- say Liberty University -- and you really want to join in the trend, but you're a Christian University? Play during opening music: 0:00-0:06 FEMA Failed to Investigate Half of the Sexual Misconduct Allegations https://justthenews.com/accountability/watchdogs/federal-sexcapades-fema-failed-properly-investigate-half-its-sexual Turns out FEMA is like the worst youth group missions trip on steroids. The U.S. government's disaster recovery agency received more than 300 allegations of workplace sexual misconduct and harassment from 2012 to 2018 and failed to properly investigate more than half of them, according to an internal watchdog report. This article says that the report “exposes the limits [of] the #MeToo movement has met inside the federal bureaucracy.” The limits of the #metoo movement… The article continues: The Federal Emergency Management Agency's problems extend beyond proper handling of complaints, as a survey of its workforce exposed a potentially pervasive hostile work environment, according to a report issued this month by the Homeland Security Department's inspector general. "One-third (255 of 765) of the employees who responded to our questionnaire indicated they had experienced sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, but they did not report it because they did not believe the allegations would be investigated," the inspector general reported. "Unaddressed sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the workplace can have negative effects on employees, including decreased performance, low morale, and increased turnover," the report added [stating the screaming obvious.] They also noted that if you can't breathe it is not conducive to a long life. Also from the report: "The agency mustered a poor response to the flood of allegations," investigators said. These people are hilarious. Get it? Flood of allegations? FEMA? Hurricanes and floods and... "We were unable to determine whether FEMA properly handled 153 of these allegations, because it could not provide complete investigative and disciplinary files," the report said. "For allegations that had complete files available, at times we were unable to determine whether FEMA conducted an investigation. Finally, we found FEMA did not document whether it reviewed some sexual harassment-related Equal Employment Opportunity complaints to determine whether potential employee misconduct occurred." Look, I don't really trust the report -- since I have little confidence that biblical standards for evidence, testimony, and witnesses were follwed , but I do know that we live in a debauched culture, where public school sex education courses encourage pagan kids to do whatever feels good, and then we are somehow shocked when they grow up and do just that. I mean is Darwin right or not? Are we just highly evolved animals or not? 1:11-1:18 But of course rather than completely defunding FEMA as we ought to and letting the states and counties take care of themselves, we will no doubt create another government agency that is tasked with studying the sex habits of government employees. I actually do think this is tied to youth group mission trip culture. While I don't object to very carefully crafted mission trips, I'm generally against the whole lot because I think there's a high degree of likelihood that a bunch of hormonal teenagers can actually do a lot more harm than good. And I also think that those who are most invested in a community are in the best position to help their own communities. They have to live with the results of all their help. I mean I really do feel for Haiti-- for example. But we should all be looking at Haiti as a cautionary tale. How many millions were poured into that country after the earthquakes? And how's it doing? A complete mess? Right. Ditto for FEMA. Guitar AD Have you always wanted to play guitar but didn't know where to start? Learning to play the guitar can be a lonely, confusing and expensive experience. But it doesn't have to be that way. Fight Laugh Feast member David Harsh has created a unique, online monthly membership, that has community, a clear success path, and it's super affordable. 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Head on over to GuitarSuccess4U.com to start your guitar journey. That's Guitar Success, the number “4” and the letter “U,” dot com. Doug Wilson Responds to the Maricopa County Audit https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/maricopa-pudding.html “So I will look sideways—squinty-eyed and scowling—at this particular election to my dying day. And I will do so with sunshine in my conscience. Anomalies do require explanation. As Thoreau once put it, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk.” You know, like a turtle on top of a fence post. When you are driving down a country road, and you happen to see a turtle on top of a fence post, the situation is clear, and the first thing that comes to mind is President Biden. You understand he didn't get there by himself, he really doesn't belong there, he doesn't know what to do as long as he's up there, and all you want to do is help the poor little guy get down. This election in Maricopa is like that. Not everything in this mess goes together. It is like you went to dig into your vanilla Maricopa pudding, made fresh just this morning, and you discover that it is resting on a bed of cole slaw.” Pastor Wilson also linked to this doozy of a conversation that happened in Maricopa County regarding the deleted/archived files from the voting machines that audit did not have access to. Play Audio: 0:00-1:54 When the voting machine records were subpoenaed, they just deleted/archived certain files and figured that the subpoena didn't apply to those records. Bring back my laugh track: HAHAHAHA! Former Pentagon Softwar Chief Says China Has Won the Tech War https://nypost.com/2021/10/11/pentagon-software-chief-nicolas-chaillan-resigns/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow From the New York Post: The Pentagon's former software chief said he quit because China has already won the tech war guaranteeing global dominance — with some US government systems mere “kindergarten level” in comparison. Nicolas Chaillan, 37, told the Financial Times on Sunday that there is “good reason to be angry” at the US failing to rise to China's cyber threat, even fearing that it puts his children's future at risk. “We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it's already a done deal; it is already over, in my opinion,” Nicolas Chaillan, 37, told the paper. Chaillan — who was the Pentagon's first chief software officer — said China will dominate the future of the world by controlling everything from media narratives to geopolitics. He claimed that the US, like Beijing, should have prioritized artificial intelligence, machine learning and cyber capabilities over traditional military spending like building new fighter jets. “Whether it takes a war or not is kind of anecdotal,” he told the paper of his prediction of China's route to future world dominance. He attacked Google for not working on AI with the US Defense Department, while Chinese companies are obliged to work with Beijing. The US is also wasting time debating the ethics of AI while China makes “massive investment” and eschews such concerns, he said. Some US government cyber-defense systems are so dated, they are merely at “kindergarten level,” he insisted. “While we wasted time in bureaucracy, our adversaries moved further ahead,” Chaillan wrote in a scathing letter on LinkedIn last month when first announcing his resignation. “At this point, I am just tired of continuously chasing support and money to do my job,” he said of the pioneering Pentagon job that was “probably the most challenging and infuriating of my entire career.” Chaillan told the Financial Times that he plans in the coming weeks to testify to Congress about the Chinese cyber threat to US supremacy, including in classified briefings. [This] comes as a new poll shows that about 9 in 10 Americans are at least somewhat concerned about hacking, while about two-thirds say they are very or extremely concerned. The poll by the Pearson Institute and the Associated Press shows that roughly three-quarters also eye the Chinese and Russian governments as major threats to the cybersecurity of the US government. I mean, if we put this together with what we've already covered on today's newsbrief, there are troubling trends. Maricopa county voting officials have no concerns about deleting (I mean archiving) files before turning them over to an audit. And our Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot even manage the emergency of sexual misconduct in its own ranks. Put that together, and how likely does it seem that some of our governmental tech programs are kindergarten level compared to China? I would say the chances are pretty high. Remember Solomon: when he went in for all the sex, he had to build altars and shrines for all the gods of his wives and concubines. Instead of using his strength to continue to build productive and useful things, his strength was used to destroy his family and nation. Is America strong? Sure. But we are pouring our strength down the tubes. But let's not end on a sour note. Remember God is God, and this is His world. China's so-called strength isn't real strength either. As it happens, pure coercive power will crush LGBT flower power every day of the week, but both are false versions of power. Neither will ultimately work. Both are parasitic on Christian virtues. Both have to assume certain creational realities are real and true. They have to deny Darwin and believe that there is order and goodness in the universe in order to maintain a semblance of coherence. Psalm of the Day: Psalm 20 0:00-0:57 Remember you can always find the links to our news stories and these psalms at crosspolitic dot com – just click on the daily news brief and follow the links. This is Toby Sumpter with Crosspolitic News. A reminder: if you see news stories and links that you think we should cover on the daily news brief, please send them to news @ crosspolitic.com and don't forget to check deft wire dot com where we are constantly posting all our stories. Support Rowdy Christian media, and share this show or become a Fight Laugh Feast Club Member. You always get a free Fight Laugh Feast t-shirt with a membership and remember if you didn't make it to the Fight Laugh Feast Conferences, club members have access to all the talks and lots more. Join today and have a great day.