UMGC EMAN600 Assignments Latest 2021 JULY (Full)

EMAN600 Comprehensive Crisis and Emergency Management

Essay 1

PILOT PROJECT WEATHER EVENT STATUS

The National Hurricane Center has confirmed that Tropical Storm Lani has exceeded the minimum Category 1 threshold criteria to become Hurricane Lani with sustained wind speeds averaging 60-65 miles per hour (mph). Since the last previous report, Hurricane Lani’s path has been in a gradual northwesterly direction. This has resulted in the Caribbean areas surrounding Guadalupe, Anguilla, and British Virgin Islands to avoid any major hurricane damage other than some gusty winds creating minor damage and some minor flooding. Hurricane Lani is now approximately 230 miles northeast of Puerto Rico and moving in a more north-northwest direction; continuation along this path should enable Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos Islands to avoid any major hurricane damage.

National Hurricane Center modeling continues to show Hurricane Lani making a U.S. east coast landfall. However, the most likely area of impact has narrowed to between Kitty Hawk, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC.

BACKGROUND

Last week, FEMA’s Congressional Affairs Division within the Office of External Affairs hosted a group of congressional staffers representing various congressional members from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Homeland Security. Such meetings are common throughout government and serve to provide the latest and most accurate information possible on any topic of interest to Congressional members and/or their staffers. This recent meeting provided the staffers with a series of briefings presenting background information across a wide range of topics including FEMA’s organizational structure, roles and responsibilities, major policies, upcoming budget submissions, ongoing initiatives, etc. Subsequently, the staffers have come back to FEMA with a set of numerous questions requesting further information and/or clarification associated with a variety of different FEMA offices.

One of the congressional staffer requests for further information is associated with the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team initiative. The staffers expressed great interest in this pilot project and their intent to maintain a situational awareness regarding the initiative’s progress, especially in light of the recent National Hurricane Center’s designation of Hurricane Lani and projected U.S. east coast landfall.

Of particular interest to some of the congressional staffers is the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team’s approach to the Team’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Specifically, the congressional staffers were extremely interested in EMRAAS Pilot Project Team feedback/comments regarding their preference(s) and associated rationale with the three structural EOP format options within FEMA’s draft Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 dated November 2020, Version 3.0 (draft v0.5). (Note that this draft will eventually be a replacement for the same titled document dated November 2010.)

The three structural EOP formats options within Chapter 4 of the above referenced draft document as follows:

•             Functional EOP

•             Emergency Support Function EOP

•             Agency/Department Focused EOP

The congressional staffers intend to use EMRAAS Pilot Project Team feedback/comments to help guide the draft document’s final version regarding these three structural EOP format options.

As a result, the Congressional Affairs Division has forwarded this congressional staffer request for further information to the OPPA Associate Administrator’s office. Subsequently, the OPPA Associated Administrator’s staff has tasked the congressional staffer request to the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team with a suspense date of no later than the end of Week 4.

Therefore, I’d like our Team to discuss this congressional staffer request. I’ll use your feedback/comment inputs to develop our EMRAAS Pilot Project Team point paper back to the OPPA Associate Administrator’s staff, who will review and then forward the Team’s point paper to the Congressional Affairs Division for action closure.

SHORT-TERM ANALYTIC STUDY #1 TASKER

The three EOP structural format options can be found in Chapter 4 of the draft Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 dated November 2020, Version 3.0 (draft v0.5). The complete draft document can be found in the same tasking folder as this memorandum; the associated link is cited below.

After reviewing the three EOP format options outlined within Chapter 4 of the above referenced draft document, briefly yet succinctly provide your feedback/comments to these three EOP format options from the context of enabling the best possible support by the emergency management community in a disaster-related environment.

•             What are the similarities and/or differences between the three EOP format options?

•             Are there any specific noteworthy strengths and/or weaknesses that you see associated with one or more of these three EOP format options?

•             Do you believe having these three EOP format options “makes sense”? Or do you believe there is some other approach – such as an additional fourth EOP format option or just a single EOP format option – that would better serve the emergency management community?

•             Do you believe the referenced draft document provides clear and succinct guidance that provides sufficient guidance to the emergency management community when it comes to selecting one of three available EOP format options as a “best” option while planning for a specific disaster-related event? Or is such specific guidance necessary?

•             Any additional feedback/comments that you think should be communicated to the congressional staffers.

Potential references to use or at least get you started include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

a)            Chapter 4 of the draft Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 dated November 2020, Version 3.0 (draft v0.5) … draft update of same existing document dated 2010

Link: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/fema_comprehensive-preparedness- guide_11-17-20.pdf

b)            Emergency Support Functions (ESF) [FEMA website] … provides an overview for each of the 15 ESF sectors

Link: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national- preparedness/frameworks/response#esf

SUBMISSION GUIDANCE

Your completed individual Short-Term Analytic Study #1 assignment should be submitted as a single Word document in accordance with the following guidance.

•             Length = minimum expectation of at least 4 full pages of text

•             The following do not “count” towards a written Word document receiving 100% credit for the Length criteria: title page, table of contents (not required), abstract (not required), executive summary (not required), illustrations (tables, figures, graphs, pictures, etc. …all not required), appendices (not required), or reference list

•             References = at least 5 high-quality “external” references (i.e., not part of the class required readings)

•             Paragraph = 2.0 (double-spaced) … no right-margin justification

•             Font = 11- or 12-point

•             Margins = 1-inch

Post your individual Short-Term Analytic Study #1 essay response to this tasker along with supporting in-text citations and reference list (in APA 7th edition format) to your applicable personal Assignment folder as a single file.

As always, let me know if you have any questions about this tasker.

// signed //

EMRAAS Pilot Project Team Lead

 

EMAN600 Comprehensive Crisis and Emergency Management

Essay 2

PILOT PROJECT WEATHER EVENT STATUS

The latest National Hurricane Center update places Hurricane Lani at approximately 125 miles slightly southeast of the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area. Hurricane Lani is now a classified as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 115-120 miles per hour.

Based on the current forecasts, the National Hurricane Center projects that the “eye” of Hurricane Lani will make landfall between Wilmington NC and Myrtle Grove, NC (just south of Wilmington city proper). A storm surge of 18-20 feet is projected. Landfall is expected between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. East coast time.

BACKGROUND

Several weeks ago, FEMA’s Congressional Affairs Division within the Office of External Affairs hosted a group of congressional staffers representing various congressional members from the

U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Homeland Security. Based on this meeting, the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team received a tasking to address the Team’s approach to an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). According to FEMA’s Congressional Affairs Division, the staffers were extremely pleased with the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team’s initial approach to an EOP.

Since the staffers have maintained a situation awareness of the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team initiative and the tracking of Hurricane Lani, the staffers have subsequently submitted a new tasking for the Team to address.

Specifically, with the pending landfall of Hurricane Lani, the staffers would like to see the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team approach to our Emergency Operations Center (EOC). At this point, the staffers are satisfied with a “big picture” reply rather than a voluminous document. The staffer rationale for this four-page or so EOC description is so they can have an idea of how the EOC was intended to operate compared to how the EOC actually did operate as Hurricane Lani unfolded. This information will be used as an additional data point for the staffers to evaluate how successfully the overall EMRAAS Pilot Project Team initiative turned out and, more specifically, how well the Team’s EOC was structured to carry out its mission roles and responsibilities.

As a result, the Congressional Affairs Division has forwarded this congressional staffer request for further information to the OPPA Associate Administrator’s office. Subsequently, the OPPA Associated Administrator’s staff has tasked the congressional staffer request to the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team with a suspense date of no later than the end of Week 8.

Therefore, I’d like our Team to discuss this congressional staffer request. I’ll use your feedback/comment inputs to develop our EMRAAS Pilot Project Team point paper back to the OPPA Associate Administrator’s staff, who will review and then forward the Team’s point paper to the Congressional Affairs Division for action closure.

SHORT-TERM ANALYTIC STUDY #2 TASKER

Discuss your concept of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that’s relevant to the projected landfall of the Category 3 Hurricane Lani along the U.S. East coast between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Grove, NC.

Note that the Congressional staffers are only seeking a “big picture” perspective with this tasker. Therefore, it is acknowledged that some details are not necessary at this time. Rather, your response should be one of providing a general overview of how the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team intends to “stand up” its EOC relevant to the unique challenges associated with the Hurricane Lani event.

Part 1: Briefly discuss the role of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as it pertains to disastrous events requiring emergency management community support. From a “big picture” perspective”, what is the overarching mission of an EOC?

Part 2: Specific to the impending landfall of Hurricane Lani along the U.S. East coast between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Grove, NC:

•             Are there any overarching policy documents that you’re relying upon to structure your EOC?

•             Who leads your EOC?

•             What are the functional roles and responsibilities associated with your EOC management structure?

•             Who are the primary external stakeholders (i.e., not part of the EOC government structure) that you intend to rely upon?

•             Who are the primary EOC functions and/or agencies/stakeholders that you would depend upon for advice/guidance when it comes to major decisions?

•             Which specific Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) are designated as “most important” as associated with the Hurricane Lani incident?

•             How are the inevitable limited resources being adjudicated between various offices/stakeholders?

•             How does the EOC plan to “message” both within the EOC structure, internal FEMA organization, relevant external stakeholders (both oversight and support), and local community?

•             How do you intend to ensure your logistics – to include supply chain – are maintained throughout the response and recovery phase?

•             Anything else you believe should be communicated to the Congressional staffers to provide them with an adequate “big picture” of the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team’s approach to a functional EOC in support of the conditions posed by Hurricane Lani?

There is no template for your proposed EOC structure, roles, responsibilities, etc. There is no “right” template; rather, your EOC response should be would you believe to be appropriate based on the specific instance of Hurricane Lani making landfall in the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area.

Potential references to use or get you started include, but are not limited to, the following. Note that hardcopies are provide as a separate folder within the tasking folder.

a)            FEMA EMI IS-2200, Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions dated May 17, 2019 Link: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-2200

b)            National Incident Management System (NIMS) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) How-To Quick Reference Guide [Draft]

Link: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_eoc-how-to-quick- reference_guide_0.pdf

c)            FEMA Operations Center Toolkits, December 14, 2020 to include Senior Leaders Toolkit link [FEMA website]

Link: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/nims/components/emergency-operations- center

d)            NIMS EOC Senior Leader Toolkit Brief, Summer 2019

Link: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/nims/components/emergency-operations- center

e)            NIMS EOC Senior Leader Toolkit Department Head, n.d.

Link: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/nims/components/emergency-operations- center

f)             NIMS EOC Senior Leader Toolkit Elected Officials, n.d.

Link: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/nims/components/emergency-operations- center

SUBMISSION GUIDANCE

Your completed individual Short-Term Analytic Study #2 assignment should be submitted as a single Word document in accordance with the following guidance.

•             Length = minimum expectation of at least 4 full pages of text

•             The following do not “count” towards a written Word document receiving 100% credit for the Length criteria: title page, table of contents (not required), abstract (not required), executive summary (not required), illustrations (tables, figures, graphs, pictures, etc. …all not required), appendices (not required), or reference list

•             References = at least 5 high-quality “external” references (i.e., not part of the class required readings)

•             Paragraph = 2.0 (double-spaced) … no right-margin justification

•             Font = 11- or 12-point

•             Margins = 1-inch

Post your individual Short-Term Analytic Study #2 essay response to this tasker along with supporting in-text citations and reference list (in APA 7th edition format) to your applicable personal Assignment folder as a single file.

As always, let me know if you have any questions about this tasker.

// signed //

EMRAAS Pilot Project Team Lead

 

EMAN600 Comprehensive Crisis and Emergency Management

Capstone Project

BACKGROUND

While the Hurricane Lani weather event does not pose any more danger to populated areas, attention is primarily now being focused on long-term recovery and potential mitigation actions. In addition, attention is also being generated to quickly understand any lessons learned gleaned from the Hurricane Lani weather with the purpose to support a continuous process improvement effort that can potentially be implemented to various sectors within the emergency management community’s actions in support of similar future weather events.

Not unexpectedly, FEMA’s Congressional Affairs Division within the Office of External Affairs has received several external requests for preliminary lessons learned from the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team in association with the Hurricane Lani weather event. Recognizing this intense interest associated with Hurricane Lani-related lessons learned, the FEMA Administrator has requested that any preliminary lessons learned identified by the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team initiative in associated with the Hurricane Lani weather event be first reviewed internally within FEMA – to include the Chief Counsel – prior to approval for distribution external to the FEMA organization.

Therefore, the FEMA Administrator has tasked the OPPA Associate Administrator to develop a brief point paper that highlights preliminary Hurricane Lani lessons learned by the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team. The preliminary lessons learned are understood to not be “final” but, rather, initial observations – along with any accompanying recommendations – from the time the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team was formed to any actions being taken to date. The FEMA Administrator has given the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team the flexibility to submit the Team’s preliminary lessons learned in whatever format deemed appropriate to ensure the “message” is received.

Therefore, I’d like our Team to individually develop your preliminary thoughts on Hurricane Lani lessons learned in response to this FEMA Administrator request. I’ll use your feedback/comment inputs to develop our consolidated EMRAAS Pilot Project Team point paper back to the OPPA Associate Administrator’s staff, who will review and then forward the Team’s point paper to the FEMA Administrator’s staff for action closure.

LONG-TERM ANALYTIC STUDY TASKER

To help ensure the Team’s various inputs are somewhat consist, your response to this tasker should be focused based on discussing a minimum of at least three (3) of the following category topics that were addressed over the last ten or so weeks from the perspective of the Hurricane Lani weather event.

•             Public-Private Partnerships

•             Processes

•             Planning (to include Emergency Operations Plans [EOP])

•             Interest Groups, Non-Profit Organizations, and Media

•             Preparedness

•             Response (to include Emergency Operations Centers [EOC])

•             Recovery

•             Mitigation

•             International Emergency Management

•             Wild Card: anything else that you’d like to address

Your discussion should address your thoughts, ideas, concerns, etc. regarding potential lessons learned when responding to the tasks assigned to the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team in association with the Hurricane Lani weather event.

For each category from the above list that you elect to respond to include the following.

Part 1: Category Overview

Describe the roles, responsibilities, functions, stakeholders, etc. from a generic “emergency management” perspective. What do you want senior leadership to know about each of your chosen categories regarding its importance to “emergency management support” in response to a disastrous event? What stands out as the top two aspects within each category in terms of providing emergency management support before, during, and/or after a disastrous event?

Part 2: Category Lessons Learned from Hurricane Lani

Within each of your category discussions, address the following from the perspective of Hurricane Lani.

•             What is a minimum of at least two (2) strengths you think senior leadership should understand about your category from a capability perspective before, during, and/or after a disastrous event like Hurricane Lani?

•             What is a minimum of at least two (2) limitations and/or weaknesses that you think senior leadership should be aware of that potentially negatively impacts this category’s performance in terms of delivering emergency management support before, during, and/or after a disastrous event like Hurricane Lani?

•             What might be some initiatives you’d recommend to senior leadership to undertake in an attempt to improve the category’s performance of emergency management support before, during, and/or after a disastrous event like Hurricane Lani?

•             Were there any major surprises that you came away with after learning about your category in terms of the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team initiative?

•             Other aspects you wish to inform senior leadership about?

SUBMISSION GUIDANCE

You have two submission due dates associated with this Long-Term Analytic Study tasker.

1.            Initial Outline: Email to Dr. K no later than end of Week 7 (July 6th) with an initial outline of your proposed approach to this tasker. This is very general in nature and can change before your final submission. This initial outline should simply outline the major topics/sections that you plan to address as part of your final submission. Note that this initial outline is not expected to be an in- depth submission, i.e., think of submitting something like a book’s table of contents. Also, it’s recognized this initial outline may change depending on your further research and writing efforts up until the point of your final submission.

2.            Final Submission: Your completed individual Long-Term Analytic Study assignment should be submitted no later than the end of Week 12, August 10th as a single Word document in accordance with the following guidance. This is “hard” due date…no extensions will be granted.

•             Length = minimum expectation of at least 8 full pages of text

•             The following do not “count” towards a written Word document receiving 100% credit for the Length criteria: title page, table of contents (not required), abstract (not required), executive summary (not required), illustrations (tables, figures, graphs, pictures, etc. …all not required), appendices (not required), or reference list

•             References = at least 10 high-quality “external” references (i.e., not part of the class required readings)

•             Paragraph = 2.0 (double-spaced) … no right-margin justification

•             Font = 11- or 12-point

•             Margins = 1-inch

Note that there is no template for your proposed set of lessons learned. However, it is recommended you provide “headers” to help the reader differentiate when you transition from one topic category to another.

Post your individual Long-Term Analytic Study response to this tasker along with supporting in- text citations and reference list (in APA 7th edition format) to your applicable personal Assignment folder as a single file.

As always, let me know if you have any questions about this tasker.

// signed //

EMRAAS Pilot Project Team Lead