God Bless you all in your numerous ideas in making an effort to utilize your experience and share your perspective, however we are morally and financially broke and this “Chicago city street slicker” and his dedication to the ideals held by Marxist and socialists and his mentors, Frank Marshall, Bill Ayers, Hussein Obama, Ungor, Said and others…well, his – whispers – to the “KGB Putinites” are head loudly and very soon, right after the first of the year, tens of thousands of lay-offs and a certain recession and eventual Depression and calamity for whether a liberal or conservative, despite how bright and articulate you are, it is Fredwrick Douglas who addresses the woes we confront not only during emergency crisis at the hands of Mother Nature’s wrath, but:

“Find out just what People will submit to, and you have found the exct amount of injustice and wrong whcih will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both” -

God Bless America!

It is no longer about the emergency crisis and how we will address for shortly w/budget deficit to spiral with all intent of this WH to some $20 trillion and a WH which Congress should hold in – breach of faith – towards citizen and soldier – treason – “I Shout Treason and Shame on You I Say” in sitting back and just watching the “Benghazi Massacre” – How dare you?

Christopher Tingus
PO Box 1612
Harwich, MA 02645 USA
chris.tingus@gmail.com

Emphasis on local hires is a statutory mandate for those employed in Stafford Act activities. Perhaps unemployed police, fire service, and public safety types can be introduced to EM. After all FEMA now headed for 1/2 decade by former Fire Chiefs.

And Phil, given your location perhaps a standby generator operating not on diesel or gasoline but propane is in order.

Our times seem especially inclined to hyperbole. We (I) overstate, over-simplify (see immediately above), and constantly operate on a kind of over-drive. There was probably some accounting reasons that made sense to add my county to the Virginia total in order to generate truly needed support for elsewhere (and probably help pay for damages to the local middle school gym). Governor Cuomo is working to maximize what he can generate to address very real needs both immediate and long-term. In each case — and many other cases — spreadsheets are generated that, while not untrue, are certainly less than rigorous. I’ve done it too. But along the way expediency is trumping thinking… again and again and again.

Meanwhile I was on a teleconference earlier today where a major jurisdiction reported having difficultly staffing what is needed to simply administer the multiple disasters and emergencies that they currently have in effect. Among other implications: expertise that might be applied to strategic tasks is deployed to more spreadsheeting.

I am increasingly concerned that the biggest threat to solving our most critical challenges is all the “noise” that makes it difficult to reasonably focus on the key problems.

Evidently the churlishness continues.

Phil

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Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2011: Trends and Analyses, and Implications for Congress

Congressional Research Service (August 31, 2012)

The discussion is followed by an analysis of each type of declaration that has been issued, and
denied from 1953 to 2011. The analysis concludes that:

• from 1953 to 2011 major disaster declarations averaged roughly 35 per year. However, the number of declarations being issued each decade has been
increasing, particularly in last two decades. From 1990 to 1999 there was an average of 46 major disasters declared each year, and from 2000 to 2009, there was an average of 64 per year;

• from 1974 to 2011 there has been an average of 8.4 emergency declarations issued each year. Emergency declarations have also increased in the past two decades. From 1990 to 1999 there was an average of 6 emergency declarations issued each year, and from 2000 to 2009, there was an average of 15 issued per
year;

• from 1970 to 2011 the average number of Fire Management Assistance Grants issued was 19. From 1990 to 1999 the average issued each year was 21. This average grew over the next decade to 54;

• most disaster declarations are for flooding, storms, hurricanes, and winter storms;

• most emergency declarations are for snow related events, followed by hurricanes, droughts, and fires;

• there is a slight increase in the number of declarations issued in presidential election years, but the number is not significant enough to draw a decisive conclusion regarding their use as a political tool.

The analysis is followed by a discussion concerning the possible causes for the increase, including federal policy changes, increases in severe weather incidents, population growth, and development.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R42702.pdf

Some other recent interesting CRS related reports:

Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries (August 10, 2012)

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL31734.pdf

Congressional Primer on Major Disasters and Emergencies (May 23, 2012)

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R41981.pdf

Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities,
and Funding (June 7, 2011)

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33053.pdf

Considerations for a Catastrophic Declaration: Issues and Analysis (July 6, 2011)

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R41884.pdf

Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries (March 14, 2011)

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31734.pdf

“Recovery Mission Area: The Recovery mission area core capabilities center on helping disaster-affected communities rebuild infrastructure, provide adequate long-term housing, preserve community services, restore health and social services, promote economic development, and restore natural and cultural resources. Until recently, the Recovery mission area lacked the national structure and cohesive planning approaches employed across other mission areas, such as Protection and Response. As seen in the summary of SPR results (Figure 1), three of the four lowest-assessed capabilities fall within the Recovery mission area—Economic Recovery, Natural and Cultural Resources, and Housing. States indicated that they were less than halfway to achieving their desired capability levels in these three critical recovery functions. The recent release of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is an important milestone in enhancing the national approach to long-term recovery. The NDRF defines how federal agencies will more effectively organize and operate to promote effective recovery and support states, tribes, and other jurisdictions affected by a disaster.” Extract from page iii!

Personally with two potential 2016 Presidential candidates as Governors Hurricane Sandy relief could be a major show lasting through the conventions in 2016! Both Governor Christie and Cuomo will be bringing their A games to the response and recovery and mitigation effort. Should be one to watch as their top operatives learn the ropes of FEMA and disaster relief for the first time.

I expect the first round battle will be over cost share with both Governor’s seeking 100% Federal outlays due to the scope of the damages and losses.

Time will tell! Also you can bet that the Congressional delegations of NY and NJ will be seeking to get the broadened appeal rights now confined to the Gulf states broadened to include Hurricane Sandy or even just made permanent nation wide.

Those appeal rights have now been locked in as a de novo review not just a review of the entirety of the administrative record so that a whole new lawyers relief act may become emplaced in the scheme of disaster outlays.

Hope this discourse helps and of course given that Phil is I am sure well insured he probably will not benefit at all from federal disaster outlays personally because of the provision against duplication of benefits in the Stafford Act! Sorry Phil!

Answer is NO! First there has to be a FEMA/State MOU called the Federal/State agreement and often customized for each disaster. So the FEMA Virginia agreement should be perused for an interesting details or anomolies. Disasters are declared by geographic areas, usually counties, and who knows wht FEMA actually recommended for Virginia’s disaster declaration request since the packages have been labeled not subject to FOIA and not available to GAO or Congress as being within the provisions of the so-called “deliberative process privilege” that theoretically allows the President to get unvarnished advice. So for all I know FEMA might have opposed VA’s request but the President decided to reward a “blue” state.