FEMA out of money?

According to a report in USA Today (May 27th):

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has $2.4 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund to last through Sept. 30 and is seeking $1.8 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Lawmakers from both parties say those sums are not enough to pay for the billions in damage caused by the extraordinary string of weather-related disasters this spring.

"FEMA will have to stop recovery efforts in 50 states in the spring of 2012" without additional money for disaster relief, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., wrote in a letter to her colleagues. She heads the Senate panel that oversees FEMA finances.

So, how do you feel about that? Some folks have expressed the opinion that FEMA shouldn't do as much as they already do. My question to them is: "Who ya gonna call?"

Govenor's Hurricane Conference - New Orleans

Early next week begins the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (GOHSEP)Hurricane Conference. It's timed perfectly to happen right along withthe beginning of H-Season 2011 - I like that. With luck, all synapses willl be firing properly, allowing everyone to be as mentally engaged as they should be right now. Time to check the BS at the door and get serious about planning and preparedness.

Interestingly, in the 2011 DHS budget, though there are 12 DHS grant programs totaling $2.1 billion to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector, the TOTAL budget was actually REDUCED by $780 million from the FY 2010 enacted level, nearly a quarter of FY 2010 DHS grant funding.

Hmmm...let's review:

 Heightened level of concern of OBL retributions? Check
 Economic impact of the pay of police, firefighters and EMS? Check
 Worst outbreak of tornadoes in history? Check
 Significantly increased threat of 2011 hurricanes? Check
 Border infiltration on the rise? Check
 Elevated concerns about "lone wolf" terrorists? Check

So, sure, why not cut the funding needed to prepare and respond to these challenges? Thanks, Washington, DC, your timing is perfect!

So, how do we do more with less? My suggestion is to develop stronger public / private partnerships. Outsource what you can, without impacting your day-to-day operations, or - most importantly - public safety.

Why?

Top 10 Reasons Organizations Outsource

1. Reduce and control operating costs
2. Improve organizational focus
3. Gain access to world-class capabilities
4. Free internal resources for other purposes
5. Resources are not available internally
6. Accelerate reengineering benefits
7. Function difficult to manage/out of control
8. Make capital funds available
9. Share risks
10. Cash infusion

Source: Survey of Current and Potential Outsourcing End-Users
The Outsourcing Institute Membership, 1998

So, why not consider carefully those elements of preparedness, response and mitigation that you can safely and effectively hand off to a trusted partner? It just makes sense. By establishing pre-event contracts, incorporating your partner into your daily operations and having regular exercises, you KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT when the stuff hits the rotary oscillator.

"It is Wisdom We Need"

In the essay "Open Sesame" by Henry Miller (included in his book "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird"), Mr. Miller makes the statement,"Every great sage has maintained that it is impossible to impart wisdom. And it is wisdom we need, not more knowledge, or even 'better' knowledge. We need wisdom of life, which is a kind of knowledge that only initiates thus far have been known to possess."

Wow, how true is this, particularly in the field of preparedness and continuity planning?

While there are several definitions of the word "initiate", Mr. Miller clearly uses the one which implies, as defined by Merriam-Webster: (noun)a person who is instructed or adept in some special field. I'd even go a step further: A person who is experienced in a special field, gained through living that experience.

Wisdom. Yes, that's exactly what is needed.

And, as long as I'm quoting from great thinkers, try this one on for size:

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain

Business Continuity: Are you REALLY Ready?

The events of this spring have been absolutely mindbending, even for the professionals in this business. Massive tornadoes, distroying entire cities - wow. But, if any good thing can come from all this, it's that dose of reality that we should all be taking right now, regarding the importance of plans and exercises. Are you listening?

I am constantly amazed by the number of organizations that still view business continuity planning as an exercise in compliance. Even those that take the steps to create a plan often don't take the next step, exercising those plans on a regular basis. That, my friends, is a recipe for failure. Moreover, most plans are developed without the input of an expert who has actually "been there, done that." Don't take me wrong, following the guidelines of the standards, such as BS25999, NFPA1600 or ISO31000, using a Certified Professional (CBCP / CBCI / CCM) is the right first step. But, tempering the planning process in the fires of "real world experience" can't be overstated.

I have conducted numerous plan reviews, only to find that, based on my observations in the field, during and immediately following a genuine disaster, many elements would be doomed to fail.

So, get REAL - and GET MOVING!

Self Depolyment or Volunteering?

So, I had an interesting "dialogue" today, via Facebook pposts, on the topic on "self deploying" to Joplin (or any other disaster). It's always true that people want to help in the aftermath of a crisis, for a variety of reason: pure, unselfish compulsion to help; guilt for not doing enough; and, yes, self-glorification. But, the question is, should you just rush in?

Let's begin by acknowledging that every disaster is, at first, a local event. And, we should recognize that, in almost every case, the true "first responder" is Joe (or Joan) Citizen. He or she is right there, as, or shortly after, the "thing" happens. God bless those people! Many a person has been saved because somebody ACTED instead of WAITED. I'm all about that. But, as good as you may be at CPR, when the Thoracic Surgeon arrives, you need to step politely aside. That's where we draw the line.

In every disaster that I've been involved in, there have been hordes of folks streaming in to help. Tons of ice, thousands of bandaids, gazillions of stuffed animals - all delivered from the heart. In the course of delivering them, however, the cars and trucks have clogged the limited thoroughfares needed for ambulances, police cars, firetrucks and utility vehicles (themselves staffed with volunteers, in many cases).

Don't take me wrong - I was born with the heart of a volunteer. I honor that spirit more than I can express. What I'm saying is, take that wondrous spirit and TRAIN IT, by becoming a member of your local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), or volunteer EMT, or volunteer firefighter. Then, affiliate yourself with a mission-oriented team. That way, when the "bad thing" happens, you can become a part of an organized response fabric.

In every emergency, everyone involved, victim or responder, have needs that must be filled - food, shelter, medical care, emotional care. Unless you are part of the organized effort, working toward the goals of the greater mission, then you are a part of the problem. The responders will likely wind up having to worry about you, along with the primary victims of the event.

Please don't let that happen. Get involved - but first, get organized! Until then, let the professionals do their work.

Joplin

Our thoughts are with the people of Joplin this morning. Unless you've seen it, you simply can't imagine the devastation that a tornado such as this can cause. Tuscaloosa was easily as severe as any damage I have ever witnessed - this one in Joplin seems equally as bad.

If any good thing can come from situations like this, it can oly be the opportunity to learn. Learn to react when warnings are given - most people don't. Learn to plan ahead for what to do when a situation turns dire. Learn to be prepared.

Most of all, learn to be compassionate - do all you can to help your neighbors in need, even if they are a country away.

Haiti - is it any better?

Well, the short answer is: no.

Last week, I attended a conference in San Juan, PR, on the topic of investment in haiti. One of the key speakers was former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), spokesman for the Clinton Foundation.

It has been nearly a year and half since Haiti was devastated by an earthquake, but Meek said local companies are still in time to do business in Haiti because the recovery project, described as “massive,” is only now just getting under way and is expected to last 10 to 20 years.

“The boat has not left, it hasn’t even been launched yet in Haiti,” Meek said.

I have personal friends and business contacts in Haiti, who agree. With the caveat that it won't be easy. Still, having been there, I can tell you that the need is significant. People are still living in "tent cities" - even that term glorifies the conditions in which many are living.

As we enter the 2011 Hurricane Season, let's hope that Haiti's new government will get agressive in finding ways to protect the lives of the displaced. Let's hope that the money donated - in the billions of dollars - will finally start to flow towards the good of the country.

The Morning After

Good morning! Here we are on the morning after the beginning of the end of the world. Or not. I'm not going to get into that whole thing, except to say that all of us should be sensitive to the fact that we now have in our midst a lot of VERY unsettled people, who have given away or forsaken everything they own. Folks like that can be dangerous. Awareness is important.

Now, back to reality...

Today is May 24th. We are one week from the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is predicted to be quite active. According to NOAA:

12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:
6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:
3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)

Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

“The United States was fortunate last year. Winds steered most of the season’s tropical storms and all hurricanes away from our coastlines,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “However we can’t count on luck to get us through this season. We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook.”

So, the question is, are you ready? What have you done to prepare?

After two "safe" years, people will have become complacent...not a good thing. Don't be one of them...preparedness is NOT paranoia!

Reflections? Memories? PTSD?

The other night, after returning from our mission in Tuscaloosa, as I sat with my wife, watching some really stupid movie, my mind just drifted. As it always seems to after being involved in a new crisis, the thoughts came vividly and intensely.

PTSD? Maybe. If so, I welcome it. I welcome it because it won't let me forget. Forgetting would be unforgivable.

Tonight, I thought about a powerful moment (well, actually, longer than a "moment"), at a food distribution we did about 5 days after the earthquake in Port au Prince, at a "Parc" in Petionville. This encampment had around 9,000 "residents".

As most of our distribution missions, this one started out fairly organized. Lines were orderly, people were grateful for food. As the lines began to flow through, a small cihld came up to me, trying his best to communicate to me that he had been "marked" by our person responsible for ensuring that folks didn't get more than their fair share of the limited rations. Unfortunately, there were always scammers. After a few minutes of insistant tugging at my arm, spewing plaintive Creaole at me (my French sucks, my Creole worse), I grabbed the kid's arm and took him to the front of the line to where our contoller was. She told me, "Yes, I remember this little guy!"

Well, if you could have seen the eyes of that kid! His English was worse than my Creole, but he surely understood THAT acknowledgement!

With that confirmation, recognizing that he had been pushed aside by the "big guys" in the line, I figured I had to work this out. I took him to the head of the food line.

Now, here's this kid - about 7 or 8 years old - determined to get food for his family. What we were handing out was 50lb. bags of rice. Do the math. The term "NFW" comes to mind, right? Imagine your 7 year old kid lugging a 50lb bag of anything around. So, I grabbed a bag of rice, threw it over my shoulder and pointed to the encampment - the kid got the idea. He looked up at me with a smile that will light my life forever, took my hand, and into the enclave we went.

Before we had travelled 10 yards, my life changed forever.

The encampment was - physically speaking - nothing more that a knit-together canopy of plastic tarps, bed sheets, blankets and poles. But, beyond the physical was the real glue of this fabric - hope.

As this boy led me deeper and deeper into this place, I saw, first hand , the desperate attempt of these people - no less human than you, me or your family - to establish a sense of PLACE. Each small living area, a home. Individualism, as best it could be expressed, was evident in every small "house" under this patchwork canopy.

The boy led on...

After the most impactful ten minutes of my mature life, we arrived at this young man's (and MAN he was!) "home". His mother and younger sister, first completely shocked by the sight of
"Le Blanc" carrying this bag of rice to them, came to me with hugs and expressions of thanks. And then there was the boy. He stood before me with the pride of a warrior, looking me dead in the eyes, shaking my hand as well as any man ever has. He didn't shed a tear.

But I did.

Well, there I was, inside this maze of humanity, no freakin' idea as to how to get out. But, as Daniel Boone is quoted to have said, "I've never been lost. I have been a might bewildered for two or three days, but never lost." Inside this mess, all you could see was the canopy and the walls in front of you (note: several UN troops watched me go in...several world press photogs used half their memory cards with pix of me holding hands with that kid...NO ONE followed us in...). I meandered about for a bit, interacting with the people living there. AT NO TIME did I feel in the least bit threatened. I only felt guilty. Guilty for not having the strength to carry 1000 lbs of rice into that compound.

I still feel both the sense of accomplishment for helping that one small man...and the guilt of not being able to do more.

I love PTSD. It is, in my opinion, nothing more than an exhibition of conscious...embrace it.

Emergency Managers - Strategic Asset or Necessary Evil? : How to Change Your Value to Leadership

Disasters happen. They always have, and they always will. In fact, the frequency and intensity of disasters are expected to rise. Yet, Emergency Managers are still considered, in many organizations, functionaries. They serve an important purpose, but most still fight tooth and nail for every penny of their budget, every year.
So, how do we change that? Consider the path of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the private sector. There are some important corollaries that should not be ignored.
The role of “CIO” is a relatively new one in the corporate world. Sure, there has been a leadership role in Information Technology (IT) for decades, but not that of a CIO. That function began to appear only around 20 years ago. In the beginning, the role was filled by “techies”, and typically reported to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as did most IT organizations. The role itself was responsible for managing the flow of reports to the business operators, and to ensure that the “best” systems were in place to support the strategies of the organization. Trouble was, most CIO-types weren’t involved in helping to set those strategies. Decisions were often made based on limited support or input from the business leaders. Sometimes the results were not good at all. So prevalent was this that the acronym “CIO” picked up a new definition – “Career Is Over”.
But then, about ten or so years back, a new breed began to emerge. The “new” CIO’s began to speak the language of The Business. To communicate the benefits of their strategies in the lingua franca: financial impact on the business. Many of this “new breed” were not thirty-year mainframe veterans or “heads-down” applications developers, but rather savvy businesspeople with an understanding of the value of technology, expressed in terms that really mattered to the folks on Mahogany Row. Now, the CIO is considered one of the most important members of the executive committee – a true Trusted Advisor.
So, how does that apply to Emergency Managers? How you are perceived is directly related to how you communicate your mission. Understand the persuasive art of the “Consultative Sale”. In order to succeed, the art of persuasion is crucial. To persuade, it’s important to position your desired outcome in the context of your target audience’s needs and interests. Rather than ask for systems and headcount directly, take a look at a more strategic initiative, such as your organization’s Continuity of Operations / Continuity of Government (COOP / COG) Plan. For the Emergency Manager, it is a wealth of opportunity. After all, in order to ensure that the COOP/COG Plan is executable, it will no doubt require – you guessed it – systems and headcount.
Continuity Planning is a discipline. It should be based upon a methodological approach. Demonstrating that you understand that approach will increase your value proposition.
Continuity Planning includes:
• Risk Management –
o This step is where the threats of a disaster, existing vulnerabilities and potential impacts of disaster are identified. It is also where controls to prevent or reduce the impact of disasters are identified and implemented.

• Impact Analysis –
o This step involves definition of critical versus non-critical functions. This will direct the work going forward towards the most important functions.
o How long can critical functions be down? This is expressed as the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD). The answer to this may have a direct impact on the budget for your organization.

• Continuity Strategy Development –
o Here, the requirements and options for recovery of critical resources and processes are identified and assessed.
o Understanding and participating in these steps and the ones beyond, will increase your “credibility capital.”
This has been but one example of a way to structure your needs within those of your leadership. It’s not a shell game; it’s a meaningful way to demonstrate the value of your organization, and you as a leader, within the construct of the Big Picture.
By addressing your needs in a manner that is both meaningful to, and a part of, an initiative that is important to your leadership, you’ve demonstrated that you understand their needs. You’ve already demonstrated that you are the “Go-To Person” when the stuff hits the fan. Now you’re crossing over into that rarified status of Trusted Advisor. Once that has been attained, future requests from you will be viewed with a different eye.

True Tales of a Major Evacuation Effort

In one of my early posts, I described solutions for evacuation management that were developed through first-hand experience in New Orleans. My team and I were instrumental in the development of the post-Katrina City Assisted Evacuation Plan. The one that was put to the test , and passed, in the face of Hurricane Gustav, three years after Katrina.

But, “passed” is a relative statement.

We designed and implemented a system of systems, through which people and pets could be processed, tracked and then reunited, using relatively simple technologies. At the time we put all this together, we were “required” by the Louisiana Department of Social Services to use a database solution from a “favorite vendor”. This solution (I won’t name it cause I’d rather save my legal defense fund for something better), only worked due to the application of brute force, put on by my team – some of the sharpest technologists in the country. We made the point then that this solution would never work under real pressure.

Over the next couple of years, based on what we learned, I drove the development of a much more robust and reliable alternative to the cobbled solution we were forced to use in 2006. We presented a live, operating demo of this solution to numerous senior leaders in New Orleans, the local UASI (Urban Area Security Initiative), the head of Emergency Medical Service for the State of Florida and others. We presented the solution and it’s significance in The Netherlands and again in France to audiences of international disaster management experts. I published the solution in a leading periodical, RFID Product News. (also on this blog). What happened? Bupkus.

In February of 2008, the Louisiana DSS issued Solicitation Number 2223171, Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the Purchase of Evacuee Tracking System. In Attachment I of that document, under the heading of Software Specifications, was the following statement: “DSS wishes to acquire EWA Phoenix or equivalent…”
This is the same system that we struggled with in developing the CAEP in 2006! Hmmm…
Next, they also state that the “budget” for this system was $75k. You can’t wipe your…well, let’s just say that any system worth it’s salt would cost substantially more than that. Especially one with all of the significance of an Evacuee Tracking Solution.

It’s lives, people!

We did respond with our solution. Our bid was just over $1 million. A very reasonable price for a very comprehensive system – THAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK!

Zoom to New Orleans, Union Passenger Terminal, August 29th, 2008. The Gustav evacuation is in progress. What you read in the paper was, in effect, good news – NOLA got the folks out. My own team was there, actually carrying people onto the busses. Col. Jerry Sneed and the entire New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness did what can only be called a stellar job in making sure that the citizens who were counting on them were evacuated as promised. I cannot say enough good about that krewe.

What you DID NOT read in the papers was that the “tracking system” was a complete failure. So much so that the Governor demanded that the process be stopped. People were NOT tracked. Nor were their pets. There were no manifests of the AMTRAK trains leaving the city. In fact, AMTRAK actually refused to leave with evacuees, but were ultimately ordered to do so by government officials. Once they did leave the station, they once again were halted, because the Governor of Mississippi would not allow the trains to cross the state line WITHOUT A MANIFEST! That one had to be resolved at the highest levels of government, too. They probably had other things on their mind at the time…

After the storm, Governor Jindal was very critical of the DSS response. In fact the DSS Director “resigned”. BUT THERE WAS STILL NO MENTION OF THE EVACUATION TRACKING SCREW-UP!

Frankly, this whole thing pisses me off. At this juncture, it doesn’t matter that the system we forged from the fires of reality was chosen or not (well, it sorta does…). What is most important, though, is that a solid, functional system be implemented before it’s needed yet again. Sour grapes? Maybe a few. Anger over the blatant disregard of the work of serious, concerned, dedicated professionals?

You bet your sweet derriere!

Availability is NOT a Skill Set

Availability is NOT a Skill Set
Edward Minyard, CRISC, CISM, CBCI, CCM, ITIL

Over the course of time, I have been involved in numerous major incidents and/or disasters. From the Terrorist Attacks of 9/11 through this most recent one, the BP Oil Spill. Those of us who live in this world of “response” know that one thing will always be present when we show up- chaos. And when things wind down, in many cases, political “BS” will rear its ugly head. The art of managing through all that, still remaining effective as a responder, is what it takes to make a difference. And, why it takes a professional emergency manager to do it properly.
The Incident Command System (ICS) has evolved over the course of more than thirty years. As a command structure, it has proven itself, time and again, to be a solid approach to managing crises, large and small. In 2004, the United States Department of Homeland Security, in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5), directed the adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The combination of NIMS and ICS have given emergency managers a comprehensive set of guidelines and frameworks to work with. Further, mandating their adoption at the local, state, tribal and federal level has ensured that, in the face of a large, complicated incident, we all have a common methodology from which to operate. (HSPD-5 states that: "Beginning in Fiscal Year 2005, Federal departments and agencies shall make adoption of the NIMS a requirement, to the extent permitted by law, for providing Federal preparedness assistance through grants, contracts, or other activities. The Secretary shall develop standards and guidelines for determining whether a State or local entity has adopted the NIMS.")
One of the things to always remember about disasters is, they’re always local first. The true “First Responder” is usually a regular citizen, who happens to be right there, right then. Most of the time, in my experience, people will try to assist others, to the best of their abilities. Thank goodness for that. Then, the professionals show up and the untrained “responders” step back and let them get on with their work. Even then, if that “regular citizen” turns out to be a highly-qualified subject matter expert, they may still be incorporated into the response. Not to run the overall mission, but to do and / or advise on the elements for which they are the most qualified.
In the recent Gulf Oil Spill response, we’ve seen a significantly different approach to incident management. Sure, there have been offices established, calling themselves “Unified Command”, but the reality is, it just ain’t so. What we saw in our Branch and what we’ve heard from others across the multistate response area was, British Petroleum retirees, brought back into service, placed into Incident Command leadership roles. In many cases, these individuals were direct replacements of qualified NIMS / ICS-trained operators. The results were not always pretty. In most of our After Action Reports, the primary challenges described were directly related to a breakdown of the ICS command principals.
So, what’s the answer? I’d suggest that we begin with a more aggressive adoption of NIMS / ICS in the private sector. Organizations such as Home Depot, WalMart, Accenture, Fidelity and others have done so, with great results. Should it not be mandatory for EVERY private sector organization which operates elements of Critical Infrastructure? Certainly, this would be in line with the National Response Framework and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. The result of such an effort could be an improved, more effective response to the next “Big Event”.
As a professional and self-confessed NIMS / ICS bigot, I can’t express enough how frustrating it’s been to watch excellent subject matter experts attempting to lead a major incident response. As a businessman, I recognize that a solid manager can learn to lead almost any initiative. But, learning to fix the engine on a 747, while in flight, is not a good idea. No matter how many great managers you have on the bench, it’s always best to put the best people for the job, in the job. Remember…
Availability is NOT a Skill Set!

Ed Minyard is the CEO of ResponseForce1 Corp. He has been involved in numerous disasters, including 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav and Ike, the H1N1 Outbreak in Mexico City and the Haitian Earthquake, the Japan Tsunamiand the Tornado in Tuscaloosa. From April of 2010 through November, 2010, his company was supporting response efforts in St. Bernard Parish, LA and in Alabama.