August 24, 2007 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project Report

(1) DISASTERS WAITING TO HAPPEN:

Schwartz, John. "East St. Louis Levees Fail Test." New York Times, August 23, 2007. Accessed at:

[Excerpt: "The five levees that protect the metropolitan area of East St. Louis, Ill., from the Mississippi River do not meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency's standards for flood protection and will be removed from maps that the agency publishes to record flood vulnerability, government officials said yesterday. The risk of the levees' failure is low, said Col. Lewis F. Setliff II, commander of the St. Louis District of the Army Corps of Engineers. But their inability to meet the standards means that the flood maps will no longer show their presence. Instead, the area will be judged as if it is in an unprotected flood plain, officials said, and that in turn can have a powerful effect on housing costs, economic development and insurance rates."]

(2) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (EMAP) EIIP VIRTUAL FORUM TRANSCRIPT:

Ishmael, Nicole and Paul Rasch. The New Emergency Management Standards from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) (EIIP Virtual Forum Presentation). August 22, 2007, 7 pages. Accessed at:

(3) LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT -- KINGCOUNTYWA CASE STUDY:

Stehr, Steven D. "The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of the Local Emergency Manager: An Empirical Study." International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Vol. 25, No. 1, March 2007, pp. 37-55.

[Excerpt from Summary and Conclusions: "What are some of the implications of the research reported here? One interpretation is that critics of the current approach to emergency management and homeland security in the U.S. are correct in arguing that the federal focus on domestic security has led to decline in preparedness activities for natural hazards at the regional level.... The question is to what extent did this state of affairs lead to a decrease in public safety?"

(4) RECOVERY:

CNBC. Against the Tide: The Battle for New Orleans (Television Program). Sunday, August 26, 2007, 10:00 PM Eastern Time. Informationat:

Louisiana Recovery Authority. Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan: Vision and Strategies for Recovery and Growth in South Louisiana. LRA, May 2007, 22 pages, Accessed at:

(5) SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS:

FEMA. Accommodating Individuals With Disabilities In The Provision Of Disaster Mass Care, Housing, And Human Services: Reference Guide.Washington, DC: FEMA, July 13, 2007. Accessed at:

[Excerpt: "The Reference Guide was originally developed in response to the requirement of H.R. 5441 (PL 109-295), Section 689: Individuals with Disabilities, to develop disability related guidelines for use by those who serve individuals with disabilities in emergency preparedness and disaster relief. This Guide is not intended to satisfy all of the guidance requirements contained in Section 689. Additional guidelines to accommodate individuals with disabilities will be issued in the future."]

B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

NationalEmergencyTrainingCenter

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, K-011

Emmitsburg, MD21727

(301) 447-1262, voice

(301) 447-1598, fax

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