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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Defensible Space and Fire Resistant Building Materials Saves Property
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about wildfire mitigation efforts in California. "'When it looks like it's snowing and its 90 degrees outside, that's not a good thing,' recalled Darren Borgedalen of Mountain Ranch, a community in rural Calaveras County, California. The 'snow' Borgedalen was referring to was actually ash from the Butte Fire that swept his property in September 2015. It burned through more than 70,000 acres, mostly in Calaveras County, damaging or destroying more than 1,000 homes. [...] For years Borgedalen and his wife had maintained a defensible space around their property by keeping the underbrush cleared. With the wildfire fast approaching he brought in his bulldozer and cleared the trail he had established in the previous years. Meanwhile, Mrs. Borgedalen began to clean up any problem areas surrounding the house, garage and workshop before the fire arrived. Borgedalen had used fire resistant metal roofing and siding on his house, garage, and shop building, which withstood the extreme heat and the burning embers from the approaching wildfire."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Calaveras County, California, Needs Additional State and FEMA Assistance in Managing Its $10.8 Million FEMA Grant
"About 10 months after the disaster declaration, the County still had not started Project 78, a major $8.3 million debris-removal project to clear hazardous trees. This has delayed recovery for the entire area because the County is not initiating other critical work until hazardous tree removal occurs. Therefore, delays to this project will create delays to other disaster-related work. In addition, the County's procurement policies and procedures do not fully conform to Federal procurement standards. The County's accounting system is also deficient because it cannot account for all costs on a project-by-project basis, as Federal regulations require. Finally, the County does not have policies and procedures in place to ensure that it will not receive benefits from insurance or other sources that duplicate funding it receives from FEMA. County officials told us they did not have experience with federally declared disasters and were not familiar with applicable Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. Therefore, the County clearly needs additional, ongoing assistance from California and FEMA to ensure it properly manages its $10.8 million FEMA grant. California, as FEMA's grant recipient, is responsible for ensuring that the County is aware of and complies with Federal requirements, as well as for providing technical assistance and monitoring grant activities."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2016-09-22
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City of Eureka, Missouri, Needs Additional Assistance and Monitoring to Ensure Proper Management of Its $1.5 Million FEMA Grant
"Most of the City's policies, procedures, and business practices are adequate to account for grant funds according to Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. However, the City's procurement policies, procedures, and business practices are not adequate to meet minimum Federal standards and address key procurement elements such as -- [1] using full and open competition to minimize risk of unreasonable contract costs, fraud, waste, and abuse; [2] providing sufficient opportunities for disadvantaged firms to compete for federally funded work; and [3] protecting against conflicts of interest. At the time of our fieldwork, FEMA had not completed project worksheets to define the complete scope of disaster work. Because of these uncertainties, Missouri, as FEMA's grant recipient, should provide the City additional technical assistance and increased monitoring. Doing so should provide FEMA reasonable assurance that the City will follow Federal procurement standards in spending the estimated $1.5 million of disaster-related costs."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2016-09-23
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Joint Publication 3-03: Joint Interdiction
From the Purpose section: "This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations and provides considerations for military interaction with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, multinational forces, and other interorganizational partners. It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs), and prescribes joint doctrine for operations and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing and executing their plans and orders. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of objectives."
United States. Joint Chiefs of Staff
2016-09-09
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NCCIC/ICS-CERT FY 2015 Annual Vulnerability Coordination Report
"This report provides a summary of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC)/Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) vulnerability coordination activities for FY 2015. The goal of ICS-CERT is to reduce industrial control systems (ICS) risks within and across all critical infrastructure sectors by coordinating efforts among Federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as industrial control systems owners, operators, and vendors. ICS-CERT coordinates activities to reduce the likelihood of success and the severity of the impact of cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure control systems. This report provides trend analysis for all vulnerabilities reported to ICS-CERT in FY 2015. Most notably, researchers found that 52 percent came from improper input validation and permissions, privileges, and access controls. While this high percentage may indicate a pressing cybersecurity gap, it is also possible that it merely reflects the type of vulnerabilities targeted by researchers reporting to ICS-CERT. The majority of reported vulnerabilities for FY 2015 came from the Energy, Critical Manufacturing, and Water and Wastewater Sectors."
Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team
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Radicalization and Violent Extremism: Lessons Learned From Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.
"From July 28 to July 30, 2015, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the U.S. Department of Justice hosted a conference that brought together practitioners working on countering violent extremism (CVE) programs in the United Kingdom (U.K.), Canada, and the United States (U.S.); researchers from Canada's 'Kanishka Project,' the U.K.'s 'Arc of Terrorism' program, and the U.K. Home Office's 'Prevention Research' efforts; and research programs sponsored by NIJ and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In addition to highlighting the latest results from scientific studies on radicalization to violent extremism, the conference provided researchers and practitioners with the opportunity to discuss how the findings may be applied in the field and to identify questions and challenges that remain to be addressed."
United States. Department of Justice; United States. Office of Justice Programs; National Institute of Justice (U.S.)
2015-07-30
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Going Dark, Going Forward: A Primer on the Encryption Debate
"Public engagement on encryption issues surged following the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, particularly when it was suspected that the attackers used encrypted communications before, and possibly during, the attacks in order to evade detection--a phenomenon known as 'going dark.' While encryption provides important benefits to society and the individual, it also makes it more difficult for law enforcement and intelligence professionals to keep us safe. Some have framed the debate surrounding encryption as a battle between privacy and security. Our extensive discussions with stakeholders, however, have led us to conclude that the issue is really about security versus security: encryption protects critical infrastructure, trade secrets, financial transactions, and personal communications and information. Yet encryption also limits law enforcement's ability to track criminals, collect evidence, prevent attacks, and ensure public safety. Initially, lawmakers and some among law enforcement personnel believed the solution was simple: statutorily authorize law enforcement access to obtain encrypted data with a court order. Unfortunately, this proposal was riddled with unintended consequences, particularly if redesigning encryption tools to incorporate vulnerabilities--creating what some refer to as 'backdoors'--actually weakened data security. Indeed those vulnerabilities would naturally be exploited by the bad guys -- and not just benefit the good guys."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Homeland Security
2016-06
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Privacy Impact Assessment Update for the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Name Check System (E-Check)
"The United States Secret Service (USSS) Information Resources Management Division has established a system called Electronic Name Check System (E-Check). E-Check provides USSS with the capability to electronically collect prospective event participant information to enable automated criminal background checks. This PIA Update is being completed to reflect changes associated with USSS credentialing in conjunction with large events, to include National Special Security Events (NSSE), which have been partially outsourced to a third-party vendor. ECheck has also replaced the USSS Event Name Check System, which was an internal process used to determine suitability for an individual's access into USSS-protected events."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2016-09-28
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Privacy Impact Assessment Update for the Airmen Certificate Vetting Program
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) conducts security threat assessments (STA) on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airmen Certificate applicants and holders to ensure that the individual does not pose or is not suspected of posing a security threat. This Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) update reflects the FAA's final rule that would expand this population to include operators of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for non-hobby and non-recreational purposes who will be issued remote pilot certificates, a type of Airmen Certificate."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2016-09-20
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Federal Automated Vehicles Policy: Accelerating the Next Revolution In Roadway Safety
From the Executive Summary, "For the last 50 years, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been committed to saving lives and improving safety and efficiency in every way Americans move--by planes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, foot, and more. DOT, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has carried out that mission on U.S. roadways in part by consistently embracing new technologies that make driving, riding, biking, and walking safer. Twentieth century automobile technologies (such as seat belts, air bags, child seats, and antilock brakes)--developed in the private sector and brought to the nation's driving public through NHTSA's safety programs and regulatory authority--are responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Today, the automobile industry is on the cusp of a technological transformation that holds promise to catalyze an unprecedented advance in safety on U.S. roads and highways. The development of advanced automated vehicle safety technologies, including fully self-driving cars, may prove to be the greatest personal transportation revolution since the popularization of the personal automobile nearly a century ago."
United States. Department of Transportation; United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
2016-09
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High Containment Laboratories: Improved Oversight of Dangerous Pathogens Needed to Mitigate Risk, Report to Congressional Committees
"Several incidents involving the shipment of live pathogens, thought to be inactivated, have recently occurred, potentially exposing people to dangerous pathogens that cause infectious diseases, such as the bacterium that causes anthrax. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to evaluate issues related to inactivation of pathogens in high-containment laboratories. This report examines (1) the extent to which incidents involving incomplete inactivation occurred from 2003 through 2015, (2) any challenges that may affect the implementation of inactivation in high- containment laboratories, and (3) the extent to which the Select Agent Program refer red violations and enforced regulations related to incidents involving incomplete inactivation. GAO convened an expert meeting with the assistance of the National Academy of Sciences to discuss various issues surrounding inactivation. GAO also reviewed relevant laws, regulations, and guidance, and interviewed officials at laboratories that conduct inactivation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-08-30
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Global Implications of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
"Global fisheries face an existential threat in the decades ahead from surging worldwide demand, declining ocean health, and continued illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing also harms legitimate fishing activities and livelihoods, jeopardizes food and economic security, benefits transnational crime, distorts markets, contributes to human trafficking, and undermines ongoing efforts to implement sustainable fisheries policies. It can also heighten tensions within and between countries and encourage piracy. The illicit nature of IUU fishing means that the size of the problem and its negative consequences, can only be roughly estimated. IUU fishing accounts for an estimated 15 to 30 percent of global annual catches, according to some studies. IUU fishing is prevalent because: [1] IUU fishing benefits from high demand. [2] The profits derived from IUU fishing substantially exceed the potential risks. [3] The skills required for most fishers to engage in IUU fishing are minimal. [4] The difference between legally and illegally obtained fish is hard to discern."
National Intelligence Council (U.S.); United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence
2016-09-19
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Green Eyeshades of War: An Examination of Financial Management During War
"In this evolving world environment that many believe will spawn more frequent and increasingly expensive military operations, I predict that the battle cry will not be victory at any cost, as it was in World War II. To the contrary, this new world order will demand victory at the most efficient and most economical cost. In this new world order, full financial support for contingencies is not a given. In fact, getting the funds necessary to win our nation's wars depends upon our military having the confidence of Congress and the American people that military financial managers can and will effectively and efficiently execute those funds during times of conflict. The question is, are we up to the task? This monograph will put military financial management during war on trial, examining fiscal performance and readiness during various conflicts: World War II, Vietnam, Operations Desert Shield/Storm, and Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom. Each of these conflicts is unique, yet each situation validated the critical need for sound fiscal management and controls. Let the trial begin."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Spencer, Larry O., 1953-
2016-07
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Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part I, Hearing Before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 27, 2016
This is a testimony compilation of the April 27, 2016 hearing on "Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part I" held before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. From the statement of Jay Brainard: "We continue to have a culture problem in TSA brought on by an unwillingness to address misconduct of senior executives combined with poor leadership and decision making, all of which have been the number one contributing factor of our security risks and which led to our poor performance. We have low morale, a lack of trust, and field leaders who are fearful to speak out, and for good reason. People at all levels of the agency, both in the field and at Headquarters have spent most of their time having to constantly look over their shoulder when doing the right thing. And let me make one thing abundantly clear, this is not a TSA Headquarters issue. There are legions of decent people at our headquarters who are just as disgusted and just as concerned as I am sitting here today. This is and has always been a senior executive leadership problem; I refer to those at the very top of the food chain." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jay Brainard, Mark Livingston, and Andrew Rhoades.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (2007-)
2016-04-27
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Interrogation Best Practices: High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group
"The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 requires the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) to submit a report on best practices for interrogation. This report, which includes (1) a brief overview of the HIG, (2) the methodology used to select the interrogation best practices contained herein, (3) interrogation best practices, and (4) concluding comments, fulfills the aforementioned requirement. The best practices, which are grounded in science, may be used to inform changes to Army Field Manual 2-22.3. This report does not provide a comprehensive review of the science related to best practices. A report which details the relevant scientific research is currently under review."
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
2016-08-26
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Advanced Technologies: Strengthened Federal Approach Needed to Help Identify and Mitigate Supply Risks for Critical Raw Materials, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate
"Certain metals, minerals, and other 'critical' raw materials play an important role in the production of advanced technologies across a range of industrial sectors and defense applications. Recently, concentration of the supply of some critical materials under foreign control has renewed questions about the U.S. government's and industry's ability to address potential supply disruptions. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine U.S. efforts to identify and strategically plan for critical materials supply issues. Among other objectives, this report (1) describes federal agencies' activities related to the supply of critical materials and (2) evaluates the federal government's approach to addressing critical materials supply issues. GAO reviewed relevant laws, agency documents, and academic studies; interviewed federal officials; and conducted a two-stage web-based survey of a nongeneralizable sample of critical materials experts selected to cover a range of subject matter areas."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-09-07
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Digs in to Help Carencro
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about flood mitigation efforts in Carencro, Louisiana. "Lush, green Lafayette Parish in Louisiana is surrounded by an abundance of water from lakes, swamps, marsh basins, bayous, and other streams that require constant management. Carencro, a small suburb of Lafayette, sits on the northern tip of the Parish within the Carencro Bayou. Its excess water is drained primarily through the Coulee Beau Bassin, Lantier Coulee, the Coulee Mine (covering more than 30,000 acres) and smaller coulees through the bayou into the Vermilion River. Coulee is a French term for 'flowing' or 'running' in reference to drainage of waterways or streams. While the community is enhanced by the beauty of its natural environment, all that water plagued the more than 8,000 residents of Carencro for many years with major flooding. […] While the study's final report had found that cleaning the coulees was an absolute necessity, it would not be sufficient to alleviate the problem adequately. Ultimately it was decided that, in addition to clearing the coulees of refuse and blockage that had built up over the years, a detention pond should be constructed to hold excess water that would slowly disperse into the coulees and on to the bayou.
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Texas Water Development Board Helps Guadalupe County Safeguard Severe Repetitive Loss Properties
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about flood mitigation efforts in Guadalupe County, Texas. "The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program assists states and communities. It provides federal funds for cost-effective measures to reduce or eliminate long-term risk from flood damage to Repetitive Loss (RL) and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) structures insurable under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Guadalupe County, with assistance from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), has tapped into the FMA program to come to the rescue of homeowners of these identified properties. […] To participate in the project, homeowners were asked to provide a copy of their elevation certificate, the declaration page of their flood insurance policy, a flood loss history from their insurance agent, photos of all four sides of the home and information regarding the type of foundation."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: New Rest Areas Designed with Tornado Safety in Mind
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about tornado mitigation efforts in Texas. "The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is constructing new rest area facilities throughout the state to provide more services and a safer experience for travelers. Not only are the new facilities equipped with surveillance cameras, air-conditioned and heated restrooms, as well as an assisted-use restroom, they have tornado shelters!"
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Water Pump Protects North Little Rock Community
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about flood mitigation efforts in North Little Rock, Arkansas. "Homes in the Rose City subdivision of North Little Rock were kept flood-free during the severe weather of Christmas 2015, thanks to a 1800-2200 gallon-per-minute water pump put in place by the city's Public Works Department. The pump kept floodwaters at bay during the worst flood the state had experienced since 1990."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Information Technology: Agencies Need to Improve Their Application Inventories to Achieve Additional Savings, Report to Congressional Requesters
"The federal government is expected to spend more than $90 billion on IT [Information Technology] in fiscal year 2017. This includes a variety of software applications supporting agencies' enterprise needs. Since 2013, OMB [Office of Management and Budget] has advocated the use of application rationalization. This is a process by which an agency streamlines its portfolio of software applications with the goal of improving efficiency, reducing complexity and redundancy, and lowering the cost of ownership. GAO's [Governmental Accountability Office] objectives were to determine (1) whether agencies have established complete application inventories and (2) to what extent selected agencies have developed and implemented processes for rationalizing their portfolio of applications. To do this, GAO [Governmental Accountability Office] assessed the inventories of the 24 CFO Act [Chief Financial Officers] agencies against four key practices and selected six agencies--the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, the Interior, Labor, and NASA and NSF [National Science Foundation]--due to their IT [Information Technology] spending, among other factors, to determine whether they had processes addressing applications."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-09-29
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Department of Defense Manual 4140.68: Integrated Materiel Management of Nonconsumable Items [Incorporating Change 2, Effective September 28, 2016]
"In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 5134.12 (Reference (a)), this manual: a. Implements the requirements and procedures consistent with DoD Instruction (DoDI) 4140.01 (Reference (b)) for integrated materiel managers (IMMs) and others who work within or with the DoD supply system to assist in the elimination of duplicate national inventory management functions for those nonconsumable items being used by more than one DoD Component or participating federal agency. b. Provides uniform guidance and describes operating procedures for applying primary inventory control activity (PICA) and secondary inventory control activity (SICA) materiel management objectives to assure that only one DoD Component will provide certain logistics support functions to all registered users of the same nonconsumable items, except for those exclusions covered in paragraph 2b of this issuance."
United States. Department of Defense
2016-09-28
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Federal Fisheries Management: Additional Actions Could Advance Efforts to Incorporate Climate Information into Management Decisions, Report to Congressional Requesters
"NMFS [National Marine Fisheries Service] and the Councils manage commercial and recreational marine fisheries that are critical to the nation's economy. The effects of climate change may pose risks to these fisheries that could have economic consequences for the fishing industry and coastal communities, according to the 2014 Third National Climate Assessment. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts to address the effects of climate change on federal fisheries. This report examines (1) information NMFS and the Council s have about the existing and anticipated effects of climate change on federally managed fish stocks and challenges to better understand these effects and (2) efforts NMFS has taken to help it and the Councils incorporate climate information into fisheries management. GAO analyzed responses to its questionnaire from all NMFS regions and the Councils, analyzed seven nongeneralizable fish species selected to reflect variation in the potential effects of climate change, reviewed relevant documentation, and interviewed NMFS and Council officials. GAO recommends that NMFS (1) develop guidance on incorporating climate information into the fisheries management process and (2) incorporate key attributes of successful performance measures in the regional action plans and assess whether agency -wide measures for the climate science strategy may be needed. The agency agreed with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-09-28
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Climate Change: Information on NOAA's Support for States' Marine Coastal Ecosystem Resilience Efforts
"Coastal areas--home to over half of the U.S. population--are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic damage from floods and other extreme weather events that are expected to become more common and intense, according to the 2014 Third National Climate Assessment. This assessment further indicated that less acute effects from changes in the climate, including sea level rise, could also have significant long-term impacts on the people and property along coastal states. Marine coastal ecosystems--including wetlands and marshes--can play an important role in strengthening coastal communities' resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as protecting eroding shorelines from sea level rise. Under the CZMA [Coastal Zone Management System], NOAA is responsible for administering a federal-state partner's hip that encourages states to balance development with the protection of coastal areas in exchange for federal financial assistance and other incentives. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts to adapt to potential climate change effects on coastal ecosystems. This report provides information about NOAA's actions to support states' efforts to make marine coastal ecosystems more resilient to the impacts of climate change and states' views of those actions. GAO reviewed the CZMA and relevant NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] policies and guidance; interviewed officials from NOAA headquarters and six regional offices; and conducted structured interviews with officials from the 25 state coastal zone management programs in all 23 marine coastal states. NOAA provided technical comments on this report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-09-28
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Better Unpaved Roads for Nature and People in Arkansas
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about transportation mitigation efforts in Arkansas. "A common FEMA project in rural areas is the repair or rebuilding of unpaved roads. In 2013, the Arkansas Association of Counties, the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, the Farm Bureau, The Nature Conservancy and a dozen public and private partner organizations joined forces to establish the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Program. Over 85 percent of county roads in Arkansas are unpaved. Eroding unpaved roads can channel rainfall runoff, increasing erosion, and sediment delivery to streams, rivers, and lakes. This sediment can have negative effects for both people and nature. It can fill in gravel stream beds, causing the loss of in-stream habitat for game and non-gamefish and other aquatic species alike, make freshwater sources more expensive to treat for drinking water, and ultimately contribute to loss of lake capacity."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Judicial Branch and the Efficient Administration of Justice, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet of the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, July 6, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the July 7, 2016 hearing on "the Judicial Branch and the Efficient Administration of Justice" before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. From the statement of James Duff: "As the Third Branch performs its constitutional duties, we are focused on being good stewards of the resources Congress has provided, while also meeting the needs of the litigants and the public. To this end, the Judiciary has implemented a number of plans, policies, and procedures which shape the administration of justice. This statement, provided for the record, outlines in greater detail the Judiciary's view on a number of topics. First, the judicial branch of our government is effectively accomplishing its constitutional mandate to resolve cases and controversies brought before the courts by sound management locally and by nationally coordinated best practices through it Judicial Conference and its committees. Second, the Judiciary is effectively and efficiently managing public resources provided through Congress by the taxpayers to accomplish its mandate. Third, the Judiciary is committed to and working towards enhanced access to the judicial process even in the midst of austere budgets." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: James Duff.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary
2016-07-06
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Marine Corps Operating Concept: How an Expeditionary Force Operates in the 21st Century
"The purpose of the Marine Corps Operating Concept (MOC): 'How an Expeditionary Force Operates in the 21st Century' is twofold: Describe in broad terms how the Marine Corps will operate, fight, and win in 2025 and beyond; and shape our actions as we design and develop the capabilities and capacity of the future force. The MOC guides our collective efforts to ensure the Marine Corps' future readiness and relevancy. The Marine Corps, as an integral part of both the Naval force and the Combined/Joint force, must be a tailorable, flexible, and versatile force capable of responding to any crisis across the full range of military operations (ROMO). We must be a coherent and fully integrated 'Naval Force' that can contribute to deterrence, provide maritime security, perform sea control, and project power ashore to impose our will upon adversaries. We must be an 'Expeditionary Force' that is trained and equipped and able to operate in austere conditions and hostile environments. We must be an 'Agile Force' that can navigate the physical and cognitive dimensions of complex situations and seize the initiative. We must be a 'Lethal Force' with a 21st century approach to combined arms that integrates information warfare and seeks to destroy and defeat our enemies across five domains- air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. Ultimately, we must continue to be a 'Winning Force.' As Marines have always done, when our Nation calls upon us, we must fight and win regardless of the dimension or domain. 'Victory is our legacy - in the past, now, and in the future.'"
United States. Marine Corps
2016-09
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Privacy Impact Assessment for the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate's (NPPD) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) developed the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program to support Government-wide and agencyspecific efforts to implement adequate, risk-based, and cost-effective cybersecurity. CDM provides continuous monitoring, diagnostics, and mitigation services designed to strengthen the security posture of participating federal civilian departments and agencies' systems and networks through the establishment of a suite of capabilities that enables network administrators to know the state of their respective networks at any given time, informs Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) on the relative risks of threats, and makes it possible for Government personnel to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. This PIA is being conducted to cover Phase One, Two, and Three of the program and addresses privacy risks associated with CS&C's deployment and operation of the CDM Federal Dashboard."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2016-09-30
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Emergency Manager's Efforts in Hard-Hit Texas Area Ensure Community Readiness
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about mitigation efforts in Buna, Texas. "For more than three decades, Emergency Management Coordinator and Floodplain Administrator Billy Ted Smith has taken a proactive approach to engaging the communities he serves in preparing for when disaster strikes. With good reason. Since 1973, according to Smith, Texas has had 72 major disaster declarations. The three counties he serves-Jasper, Newton, and Sabine-have seen more than their fair share of hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and floods, as well as tropical and winter storms. […] Everything from identifying hazards common to the area, knowing the risks, making an emergency supply kit, developing an emergency plan, becoming familiar with evacuation routes, heeding warnings and purchasing radios. Smith also encourages homeowners to find out if they live in a floodplain. Some of the worst natural disasters in history-measured by fatalities-have been river floods."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: East Texas Community Sees Far Less Flooding with Construction of Detention Pond
This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. "The FEMA Best Practices Portfolio consists of mitigation stories submitted by individuals and communities that describe measures they have taken to reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. These Best Practices are meant to provide ideas and concepts about reducing losses and to encourage others to evaluate their own risk and consider mitigation as a long-term solution to reducing that risk." This Best Practice Story is about flooding mitigation efforts in Pine Forest, Texas. "Texas was hit with torrential rain during most of March, resulting in a federal disaster declaration for 11 counties including Orange. […] Since 2012, however, the city's detention pond-a mitigation project prompted by the flooding that followed Hurricane Ike in 2008- has proved a valuable investment. A detention pond is a low-lying area that temporarily holds water while slowly draining to another location. The pond provides some flood control during heavy rains."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
