Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) from non-departmental reserves to the Office of Emergency Services (OES) in the total amount of $35,000, allowing 70 Countywide personnel to attend the Integrated Emergency Management Course, E910 Earthquake Preparedness & Response at the National Emergency Training Center, located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
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The National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, offers the finest in educational resources. The 107-acre campus is shared by the United States Fire Administration (USFA), the National Fire Academy (NFA), the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), the Field Personnel Operations Division, and the Satellite Procurement Office. All these components are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one of the four directorates in the Department of Homeland Security.
Through its courses and programs, EMI serves as the national focal point for the development and delivery of emergency management training to enhance the capabilities of federal, state, local, and tribal government officials, volunteer organizations, and the public and private sectors to minimize the impact of disasters on the American public. EMI curricula are structured to meet the needs of this diverse audience with an emphasis on how the various elements work together in emergencies to save lives and protect property.
Instruction focuses on the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. EMI develops courses and administers resident and non-resident training programs in areas such as natural hazards (earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, dam safety), technological hazards (hazardous materials, terrorism, radiological incidents, chemical stockpile emergency preparedness), professional development, leadership, instructional methodology, exercise design and evaluation, information technology, public information, integrated emergency management, and train-the-trainers.
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The Integrated Emergency Management Course, E910 Earthquake: Preparedness and Response, scheduled March 6 through 10, addresses preparedness and response in emergency situations based on an earthquake. This exercise-based course is conducted for participants all from one community, which places public officials and other key community leaders in a disaster simulation allowing everyone to work together in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) setting addressing overall issues that will be faced in a real life earthquake situation.
The course methodologies of classroom instruction, planning sessions, and exercises, allow for structured decision making in a learning, yet realistic, environment. A significant outcome of this is additional planning needs are identified, providing the opportunity to enhance overall preparedness. The exercise scenario for the Earthquake: Preparedness and Response not only focuses on earthquake response but also identifying additional planning needs to prepare for an earthquake response.
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The approximate total cost of this training is $35,000. The Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services will arrange the airfare and lodging for all participants. All lodging and transportation expenses will be reimbursed by FEMA. The County and participating cities will be responsible for reimbursement of meals and ancillary expenses.
The Sheriff’s Office is seeking approval to establish an appropriation through an ATR from non-departmental contingencies in the amount of $35,000. Upon completion of the training, the check from FEMA for partial reimbursement (airfare and lodging) will be deposited back into non-departmental revenues.
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