Colorado Division of Emergency Management Weekly Information Report

Rocky Mountain Regional Conference on Biodefense & Emergency Animal Response (BEAR)

This will be the third year for the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference on Biodefense and Emergency Animal Response (BEAR), a program of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Diseases (RMRCE). The RMRCE Specialized Biodefense Training Group is composed of personnel at Colorado State University and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation.

The purpose of this conference is to provide a regional forum for Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming for information on biodefense and emergency issues related animal health, animal welfare, and public health.

This year's BEAR Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn in Grand Junction, Colorado on March 8-9, 2008. Grand Junction provides an idea late winter location in the mesa country of Colorado River valley and is convenient to many Colorado, Utah and Wyoming attendees by car and has a regional airport available for those coming from farther away. The BEAR Conference will provide information on:

Zoonoses worldwide and in our own back yard
California and Utah wildfires in 2007: What can we learn from both the positive and negative elements?
Cleaning and disinfection in animal facilities and in emergency response
Animal issues in the new National Response Framework
Managing local, state, federal and non-governmental animal response resources during disasters.
Mass care: coordinating resources for sheltering, public health, animal heath and animal welfare to meet community needs.
Personal protective equipment use - hands on training
Making biodefense and emergency animal response work at the local level.

The BEAR Conference schedule and registration forms can be accessed online at www.COSART.org/BEAR.htm.

This year we hope to have participation from all six Region VIII states, helping provide a truly regional perspective on these important issues.

This conference will provide critical information for both the seasoned expert and the emerging volunteer. The BEAR Conference offers information appropriate for veterinarians, academicians, animal care and control professionals, public health, agricultural professionals, emergency managers, law enforcement, fire, EMS, voluntary organizations, and individual volunteers.

Registration fees are extraordinarily low for this event thanks to both the RMRCE staff support and funding and the support of our Animal Response Track sponsor, the American Humane Association.

Please join us in Grand Junction for two information-filled days and time to network with others from around the region!

Kevin M. Dennison, DVM
Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation
KevinDennison@colovma.org

FEMA Releases Online Training Course for the National Response Framework

FEMA released the on-line IS-800.B National Response Framework (NRF), An Introduction training course. The NRF, which focuses on response and short-term recovery, articulates the doctrine, principles and architecture by which our nation prepares for and responds to all-hazard disasters across all levels of government and all sectors of communities.

Course Information: The course introduces participants to the concepts and principles of the NRF.

Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to describe:

The purpose of the National Response Framework.
The response doctrine established by the National Response Framework.
The roles and responsibilities of entities as specified in the National Response Framework.
The actions that support national response.
The response organizations used for multi-agency coordination.
How planning relates to national preparedness.

Audience: This course is intended for government executives, private-sector and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders, and emergency management practitioners. This includes senior elected and appointed leaders, such as Federal department or agency heads, State Governors, mayors, tribal leaders, and city or county officials – those who have a responsibility to provide for effective response. Senior leaders, emergency management practitioners, disaster workers, and first responders who have previously completed IS-800 or IS-800A are not required to complete IS-800B as part of NIMS compliance activities. However, FEMA strongly urges emergency management professionals across the nation to complete this new independent study course on the NRF. Additional information on the NRF can be obtained from the NRF Resource Center at www.fema.gov/nrf

Course Completion: This course is available at http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp. When individuals complete the course, they should take the online test, fill out the student information and submit the test for scoring. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s Independent Study office will notify individuals via email of their successful completion of the course and a link will be included to access and print a course certificate.

Questions: Individuals may contact the Independent Study office via email Independent.Study@dhs.gov or contact the call center at 301-447-1200 or toll free at 1-800-238-3358, extension 1200. Independent Study Program office hours are 7:30a.m.-7:30p.m. (EDT).

Course Length: The overall length of the course will vary for each individual. IS800.B takes approximately 3 hours to complete.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) awards 0.3CEUs for successful completion of this course.

Additional NRF training will be released soon highlighting the Emergency Support Function (ESFs), Support and Incident Annexes.

DHS IG Releases Report On Management Challenges

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General released a report identifying management challenges in a broad range of DHS programs and components. Among the findings, the report addressed the major management challenges plaguing DHS and FEMA in preparing to meet future catastrophic disasters. The report also examines how FEMA responded to the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act.

The major management challenges identified are:

Catastrophic Disaster Response and Recovery
Acquisition Management
Grants Management
Financial Management
Information Technology Management
Infrastructure Protection
Border Security
Transportation Security
Trade Operations and Security

The full report may be found at: http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_08-11_Jan08.pdf.

Small Business Disaster Preparedness Guide

The Small Business Administration and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company teamed up to launch a disaster planning guide for small business owners.

The 10-page guide provides information business owners need to develop an effective plan to protect customers and employees in the event of amake additio disaster. The guide provides key disaster preparedness strategies to help small businesses identify potential hazards, create plans to remain in operation if the office is unusable, and understand the limitations of their insurance coverage.

Hard copies of the guide have been distributed by SBA field offices, its resource partners around the country and disaster field offices. Nationwide will

nal copies available to its agents for distribution. An electronic version of the guide will be available online at http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html.

WMD Threat & Risk Assessment
March 31, 2008 – April 2, 2008 (24 hours)
0800 – 1700
Colorado Springs Fire Dept Complex, 375 Printers Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

This course prepares emergency response managers and community leaders to conduct a comprehensive, capabilities-based threat and risk assessment for a weapons of mass destruction (WMD)/terrorism/all-hazards incident. Participant activities focus on the jurisdictional process for determining ability to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) and all-hazards events and the development of the needs assessment to fill gaps identified within the solution areas.

The course delivery combines lecture, small group discussions, participant activities, and multimedia scenarios to improve the multidisciplinary emergency team’s capability to prevent, protect, respond to, or recover from CBRNE/all-hazards mass casualty events.

Intended Audience: Awareness-level personnel who will plan for/respond to a CBRNE/terrorism incident. Course participants include responders from the following disciplines/functional areas:

♦ Law Enforcement	♦ Public Works
♦ Fire Service	♦ Emergency Management
♦ Emergency Medical Service	♦ Private Sector
♦ Hazardous Material	♦ Military
♦ Health Care	♦ Private Sector
♦ Governmental Administrative	♦ Personnel Required to Conduct Vulnerability Assessments
♦ Public Health

Registration:
www.co.train.org, Course ID: 1011433
For additional information contact: Jim Barrentine at 719.385.7320 or barrenja@ci.colospgs.co.us

Click here for flyer.

OSDFS Announces More New Emergency Response & Crisis Management Publications Online

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is pleased to share with you newly released Helpful Hints publications to support your school emergency management efforts in 2008. Helpful Hints publications provide a quick overview of school emergency preparedness topics that are frequently the subject of inquiries. The topics were selected based on feedback and suggestions during the past calendar year.

The latest issues are as follows:

Volume 2, Issue 6, Emergency Management Planning for Institutions of Higher Education: http://rems.ed.gov/views/documents/HH_Vol2Issue6.pdf
Volume 2, Issue 7, Families as Partners in School Emergency Management: http://rems.ed.gov/views/documents/HH_Vol2Issue7.pdf
Volume 2, Issue 8, Establishing and Developing Strategic Partnerships with Media Representatives: http://rems.ed.gov/views/documents/HH_Vol2Issue8.pdf

Also:

Lessons Learned Publication - Volume 2, Issue 6, Responding to and Recovering from an Active Shooter Incident that Turns into a Hostage Situation:http://rems.ed.gov/views/documents/HH_Vol2Issue8.pdf
REMSExpress Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 6, Beyond the School Walls: Community Events and Their Impact on Schools:
http://rems.ed.gov/views/documents/ERCMX_Vol3Issue6.pdf

These and additional titles are each accessible on the U.S. Department of Education's Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center Web site: http://rems.ed.gov

The Future of Forest Biomass in Colorado
February 21, 2008 - Fort Collins

Colorado 's forest health, energy issues and opportunities will be discussed at "Can Forests Meet Our Energy Needs? The Future of Forest Biomass in Colorado," from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Feb. 21 in the Lory Student Center Theater on the Colorado State University campus. The conference is open to the public but registration is required.

Current and future trends in biomass utilization as they relate to energy are the focus of the conference. Additionally, presenters will explore how woody biomass, removed from Colorado's forests to improve forest health and mitigate the threat of wildfires, also can be used as a viable, renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels.

Registration and other conference details are available on Colorado State University's website.

Contingency Planning & Management presents Strategies for Resilience
CPM 2008 Conference
May 20 - 22, 1008
Las Vegas

Registration for CPM 2008 WEST is open! CPM is dedicated to the convergence of business continuity/COOP, emergency management and security, enabling you to prepare a comprehensive and effective plan to maintain a resilient organization. This leading training event provides you with a complete education in all aspects of risk management and an abundance of networking opportunities with your professional peers.

Choose from sessions such as:

Resiliency Finally Defined!
Conformity Assessment: Can You Prove You're Compliant?
Infrastructure Vulnerabilities: Risk Assessment Considerations

and many more; over 60 sessions in all! Professionals in business continuity, security and emergency management attend CPM for the best industry training.

Incident Command System Forms, Plans & Position Checklists – One Day Workshop
February 22nd, 2007 Hosted by the South Central All Hazards Region
375 Printers Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Or
March 10th, 2007 Hosted at the HSAC North Arapahoe County Training Room
7770 E. Iliff Avenue, Unit “G” Denver, Colorado

Since the beginning of 2007, Homeland Security Analysis and Consulting (HSAC) contract instructors have been delivering the ICS Forms, Plans and Checklist workshop with great success. Participants have ranged from military installation commanders to public health leaders and some of the most progressive first responder leaders from Colorado’s largest municipalities. This workshop allows participants to work through a single custom all hazards scenario, which is based on the official DHS national planning scenarios. The workshop immerses the participants in the process of using, communicating and understanding the ICS forms, plans and, position checklists.

This workshop is based on and builds on the concepts of NIMS and the new all hazard curriculum and is instructed by state certified type III all hazard personnel that hold roster positions on formalized incident management teams. Although referred to as a workshop, the day is focused on the concepts of scenario based training as a building block to handling real world events. The Forms workshop in addition to using the 15 National Planning Scenarios from the Department of Homeland Security also ties directly to the Target Capabilities List and the Universal Task List. Lastly, the workshop in 2008 now features a computerized interactive classroom trainer component and custom scenario table for the most advanced student learning.

Click here for the flyer with registration information.

WMD Incident Management Unified Command for CBRNE Terrorism Incidents
April 29th, 30th, and May 1st
Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility
9008 N Hwy 85, Littleton, CO 80125

This is a 3-day course intended to assist in a multi-discipline response to a complex incident using a Unified Command structure. It focuses on using All Hazards command and management used in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). There will be table top and hands-on exercise.

Target Audience: Supervisory personnel in Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS (or hospital), Emergency Mgt, HazMat, Public Works, Public Health, and/or Emergency Response, Support, volunteer personnel.

Prerequisites: NIMS/ICS training, I-1oo, I-200, I-700, or equivalent. Preferred WMD

Click here for the course flyer.