COVID-19 Self-Care: IAEMstrong | Webinars | CDC | HHS | WHO
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Messages to IAEM Members:

• IAEM-USA Addresses Support for PPE and Disinfectants to Remain Covered Under Public Assistance for COVID-19 (31 Aug 2020) The International Association of Emergency Managers USA Council (IAEM-USA) President Teri Smith, CEM, CPM, sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Pete Gaynor on Aug. 31, expressing IAEM-USA concerns about reports that FEMA intends to eliminate personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants as eligible reimbursable expenses under Public Assistance for COVID-19. Supporting a previous Aug. 25 letter from other emergency management related organizations, the IAEM-USA letter states that “PPE is a fundamental need for all COVID-19 related operations and is the definition of an ‘emergency protective measure.’ Shifting policy guidance in the middle of a pandemic is impractical, causes confusion, and disrupts operations in states and localities. It also imposes significant bureaucratic and administrative burdens at a time when state and local resources are critically strained. IAEM-USA maintains its long-standing request that FEMA waive the state cost share for COVID-19 assistance, which has not been addressed.” The association called on FEMA to retain its current guidance on emergency protective measures, while requesting clear guidance on eligibility of funding streams across the federal government.
• Letter from FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor to U.S. Emergency Managers (June 1, 2020) The letter highlights the approach to the three-month mark of U.S. response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins. In this letter, Administrator Gaynor addresses: the importance of all-hazards preparedness in a COVID-19 environment; the forecast for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season; the release of the COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season; the release of the All-Hazards Preparedness in a Pandemic Exercise Starter Kit along with the recently released Exercise Starter Kit for Reconstituting Operations;as well as the use of Fiscal Year 2020 Emergency Management Performance Grant Program (EMPG) funds and Supplemental funds.
• IAEM-USA President's Statement on the IAEM-USA Annual Conference 
  (May 4, 2020)
• Please share this complimentary issue of the IAEM Bulletin on "Black Swan Events: Pandemics" with your EM colleagues! Download: IAEM Bulletin (April 2020) 
• Letter from FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor to U.S. Emergency Managers (Apr. 16, 2020) FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor's Apr. 15 letter to the nation's emergency managers outlines lessons learned from the first 30 days of FEMA leading the "Whole-of-America" response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his letter, he addresses preservation and prioritization of scarce resources; use of data-driven decision making; utilization of key federal medical staff, Federal Medical Stations (FMS) and Large-Format Alternative Care Sites (ACS); mitigation efforts to flatten the curve; strengthening the supply chain; and the importance of busting myths. 

• Message to IAEM Members Regarding Dues During COVID-19 Response (Apr. 9, 2020)

FEMA PrepTalks on Pandemics

• FEMA PrepTalks Partners with IAEM on PrepTalks. Here are two talks on the topic of pandemics:

• PrepTalks: John M. Barry: The Next Pandemic: Lessons from History
• PrepTalks: John M. Barry The Next Pandemic: Lessons from History Audience Q&A
• Discussion Gaterials

Emergency Preparedness Against COVID-19

(June 24, 2020) This National League of Cities (NLC) document, Emergency Preparedness Against COVID-19: A Guide for Local Governments, is supported by IAEM. As local governments grapple with the COVID-19 challenge, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other disasters continue to threaten communities across the United States. Learn how local leaders can keep residents safe and prepare for these hazards amidst a global pandemic that requires physical distancing and other precautions.

Novel Coronavirus Hotspot Illness Radar

The Novel Coronavirus Hotspot Illness Radar was created by IAEM member Eric Kant, Kant Consulting Group, with capability donated by Sitscape, Sickweather and SABER, in partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), the National Emergency Management Association, and UCF Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab. Daily visitors are 35,000+.

• The portal is updated regularly with the latest trending illnesses and information relative to the COVID-19 outbreak, including a real-time illness monitor; COVID-19 FAQ, which charts cases; and COVID-19 GIS Hub.World Health Organization (WHO). The portal is already on Version 3.0. 
• Thanks to SABER who added some new data fields, the portal has a fully interactive page. Click on any element, chart, graph to sort or filter all three data sources. 
• A short video tutorial demonstrates how the site provides value to users. 
• Questions about the portal may be directed to UnitifedPortal@TrustedOps.com.