I’m proud to present March’s monthly Emergency Management Newsletter. Spring has officially arrived and with it a host of new programs and educational opportunities.
The Master Exercise Practitioner Program will once again be soliciting for applicants, as well as the EMPP Academies, and don’t miss one of the upcoming collaborative Science of Disaster courses! August’s EMSC FOC still has open seats, and our office is feverishly working to release a whole new Emergency Management Credential. See OEM-1’s page for these and even more opportunities. The EMMs are also getting a facelift, with Vol I Change 1 on the streets and Vol III in the operating room now.
OEM-2 has two EPLO training opportunities, along with several virtual sessions you can select to attend, including the ICS Coordinator Webinar and the EM Webinar (formerly the IMP Webinar), presented this month by Sector Houston-Galveston on Port Readiness.
OEM-3 is on track to release the COVID Phase II AAR in April with another slew of interesting, beneficial, and relevant best practices and trending lessons learned. Remember to continue to notify CGSAILS if you have to change or cancel an exercise or planned RWE because of the pandemic.
Enormous strides are also being made in the Alpha testing of the newly redesigned CPS—it’s looking really good! I also want to note that all of the photos featured throughout this edition are field-submitted, showing the real operations you guys are undertaking daily and are eager to share. It’s exciting to see how enthusiastically our planners and emergency management community members are to share what they’ve been up to the past month—keep it coming!
Our Facebook page (@uscgoem) also continues to grow in breadth of reach and depth of saturation, great news for building EM branding familiarity. Friends, we’re aiming aggressively high, and the payoffs will benefit Coast Guard readiness for years to come! – Ms. Caryn Margita, CG-OEM Deputy.
Here are some of the highlights from OEM’s March newsletter (CAC Required). To get the newsletter in your inbox once a month, please email Ronald.F.Pigeon@uscg.mil.
News from OEM-1: Emergency Management Plans and Exercises Division
Policy Updates
CIM 3010.11E EMM Vol I: Emergency Management Planning Policy has been released. Please see ALCOAST 026-21_ACN for details. POC: Mr. Steve Maynard. CIM 3010.13D CPPM (now EMM) Volume 3: Exercises are being updated. This will include changes brought about by the recent update to HSEEP 2020. The document will soon enter the final clearance phase: sequential clearance. For further information, please contact Mr. Rob Gore. Target: Q3 FY21
Exercise funding
OEM has released the FY21 CG Integrated Preparedness Plan (CG IPP). After thorough review by District, Area, and CGHQ staffs, CG-OEM intends to distribute $1,981,229 to the Areas in FY21 for 234 exercises. To date OEM has provided $1,299,054 in funding to both Areas to fund exercises through the current Continuing Resolution.
Training Announcements
EMI Application Season: The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will soon open its application season for MEPP, and the EMPP Academies (Basic, Advanced, and Executive). All offer excellent PRODEV opportunities for EM personnel! Members must follow the CG process for applying to these programs. For program details and application instructions, visit this OEM Portal page. POC: LCDR Kristi Butler
K0102 Training Opportunity: CG-OEM is partnering with D5 and EMI to host 2 upcoming virtual convenings of K0102 - Science of Disaster. For program details and application instructions, visit this OEM Portal page. May is full, but there are a few seats left for the June session. Interested members please email LCDR Butler by COB 15 April.
Training Updates
CG-OAR18: The OAR18 (Emergency Management Specialist) Office Specialty Code (OSC) was recently updated and is now in effect. The new version can be found on the OPM-3 OSMS Portal Site. General OSC/OSMS questions should be directed to OPM-3. For questions on OAR18, please contact LCDR Kristi Butler.
EMSC: Seats are still available for the 6-8 Aug EMSC (facilitated online) CCVN. ETRs due in DA by 25 May. Course code: 100362. POC: LCDR Kristi Butler
Coast Guard Emergency Management Credential (CG EMC): This CG EMC is for CG members who have achieved a superior standard of knowledge and experience in the field of EM. While we await launch, please feel free to start the application process. Check out the CG EMC Jumpstart Guide. POC: Steve Maynard
OEM-2: Incident Management and Disaster Response Division
ICS Coordinators’ Corner
⦁ The 2020/2021 ICS Certification Board results are expected to be released mid to late-April pending CG-5RI’s approval.
⦁ The most current list of CG-5RI incident typing determinations has been posted to our CGPortal Page including routed memos.
⦁ AFC-56 funds have been made available to pay for travel costs associated with attending FEMA alternative ICS courses. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO RESERVISTS, THEY USE AFC-90 FUNDS. Prioritize your IMT/AC billeted members that are confirmed not enrolled in the required CG course in FY21. Then, identify the appropriate FEMA alternative, confirm enrollment, and send an email to amber.l.larson@uscg.mil with the following: Member’s name, EMPLID, unit, course code, course dates, and location. ETQC will issue orders once FORCECOM approves CG-OEM’s list. This opportunity is only valid through September 2021 (FY21).
⦁ The next ICS Coordinator Webinar is Tues, April 27 at 1400 EST.
⦁ Expect an ALCOAST announcing the removal of ICS-430 as a pre-requisite for AOBD & ISC as well as ICS-351 from PROP & FACL
ICS Training Program
⦁ April’s rosters for FOT sessions are final and can be located on the ICS Coordinator Page.
⦁ CG-OEM continues to slate all FY21 courses early to take advantage of FEMA alternatives.
⦁ Substitutions cannot be made within 5 business days of any ICS course session.
⦁ The ICS-358 Pilot, previously scheduled 23-26 August, is moving up to 12-15 July instead.
⦁ The ICS-430 FOT is shifting to 23-26 August rather than its original date of 21-24 June.
⦁ ICS-404 session 0026 is converting to ICS-345 session 0023.
Training Opportunities
⦁ Emergency Management (EM) Webinar Series: The next webinar is scheduled for April 21st from 1400-1530 EST with representatives from Sector Houston-Galveston discussing Lessons Learned in Port Recovery Efforts. EM Webinar topic suggestions and/or feedback forms may be submitted to IMPwebinar@uscg.mil.
⦁ Incident Management Software System (IMSS): IMSS Computer Based Training (CBT) is available. It consists of 9 modules and will take approximately 2 hours to complete. To access online training, please visit the IMSS homepage.
Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO) – Training Opportunities!!
⦁ Emergency Management Institute’s E/L 0348: Orientation to Mission Assignments for FEMA Staff and Interagency Partners dates are as follows: 23 – 25 Mar, 20 -22 April, 18-20 May, and 8-10 June. Check out EMI’s website for details!
⦁ Joint EPLO Proficiency Course (JEPLOPRO) is now virtual via Microsoft Teams! Check out dates and prerequisite training requirements on the JEPLOPRO Website!
OEM-3: After Action Reporting & Analysis Division
AAR Highlight: The AAR highlight this month is “Sec Corpus Christi Prep RWE Tule Lake Channel Fire 2020”, credit for COE # 8879. This timely and relevant AAR recounts a RWE gas pipeline explosion during dredging ops in the Port of Corpus Christi, TX and sinking of dredging barge WAYMON BOYD, along with the lengthy associated response and ICP stand-up, taking place 21 AUG - 19 SEPT 2020 right in the thick of COVID. The AAR details the multi-mission response covering SAR, marine firefighting, oil recovery, and salvage operations. Pay attention to the particularly germane Lessons Learned “Expert assessment and involvement from the onset”, “COVID-19 Safety Protocols”, and “Remote connectivity”. Thanks to MSTCS Eric Rocklage and LT Michael Griffin for preparing and submitting this AAR.
Lesson Learned of the Month: This LL highlight comes from the AAR “Sector Mobile Hurricane Sally COOP RWE 2020 (FOUO)”, associated with COE #9209. The issue, RAI #12655, “Improve App - Pollution Mitigation Efforts”, discusses post-storm response to SALLY with special emphasis on ESF-10 pollution mitigation. A timely & creative suggestion reads, “Units should exercise the MER portion of post-storm response in preparation for large scale OSLTF mission for understanding and potential decision making on criteria for mitigation, scope of work, oversight, and state/local derelict vessel authorities and capacity...The immediate use of a data management system such as the Collector App is critical for the next steps in assessing the targets based on imagery and rapid pollution assessments.” Thanks to LCDR Erica Brewton, Sector Mobile, for capturing this lesson learned!
RAMP Funding Program: Get your FY21 RAMP Funding Requests in to us ASAP! Info regarding the FY21 program is available within the “RAMP Funding Request Template for FY21.xlsx” on the RAMP Funding Portal Site. (POC: Ms. Jae-Won Jones)
Sample Objectives: Like Mad Libs for your Exercise Development Meetings. Additional Sample Objectives documents hot off the press have been posted to our OEM-3 Portal page! HSEEP-worthy examples to fire up your objective development brainstorming sessions and help keep them grounded and focused. Explore both discussion- and operations-based exercises in the contingencies of ASHER (A/S), COOP, Hurricane/Heavy Weather, MOL, MRO, and PREP, with more contingencies in the works. And don’t forget the Addendum—How to Write a SMART and Testable Objective—for a quick down-and-dirty summary of FEMA’s HSEEP objective writing guidance.
Resources
⦁ For the entire newsletter, please go here (CAC required).
⦁ To get the newsletter in your inbox once a month, please email Ronald.F.Pigeon@uscg.mil.