A Message from the SUASI General Manager
by Richard Shortall
Due to the recent announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the Fiscal Year 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program has been extended to June 30, 2009, we have been processing requests for project extensions. We anticipate that most of our major contracts and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) will be extended to March 31, 2008, but still must receive approval from OHS for an extension. Our goal is to close out most if not all of the 2006 grant in early 2008 so that we are not managing overlapping grants for an extended period. Experience has shown that when multiple grants are open with large unspent balances, it is difficult to expend the grant funds within the deadlines.
Our work groups are expected to complete development of the Scopes of Work for the 2007 project contracts during the December meetings. We plan to release the Request for Proposals (RFPs) in January 2008 with a target date of early March for vendor selection and April for contract awards. The work will be performed for a nine-month period – from April through December, 2008. We will simultaneously begin drafting the MOUs for 2007 grant funds. The exception to these deadlines is the Citizen Preparedness Initiatives that will have new guidelines based on the ICF/CirclePoint assessment and plan, which will not be complete until March 2008.
Many work groups have already completed development of proposals for the 2008 Investment Justifications (IJ) and the rest should be finished at the December meetings. Our first draft of the 2008 application is due to the California Office of Homeland Security on January 28, 2008. The draft will be reviewed by the Tier 2 California UASI’s and we will be able to incorporate revisions, as needed, before the IJ is due to DHS in March.
The data collection portion of the CBRNE and Training and Exercise capability assessment projects was launched last month. The regional planners have conducted a significant amount of outreach for this project and will be facilitating the data collection. I want to thank OES Coastal Region Administrator John Anderson, Coastal Law Mutual Aid Coordinator Sheriff Gregory Ahern and Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator Keith Richter for their endorsement of these projects. I also appreciate the support we are getting from all of our stakeholders to make these initiatives a success.
Related to Training and Exercise capabilities, our feature article this month offers a look ahead at plans for next year’s Bay Area SUASI Exercise and Evaluation Program. We also invite you to read the wide range of articles focused on other Bay Area SUASI efforts, including a Spotlight on Initiative article about San Francisco State University's highly innovative Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations program.
We hope that the Dispatch continues to provide insight and inspiration as we move forward with our grant proposal process. On behalf of the Bay Area SUASI Management Team, I would like to extend my warmest wishes for a happy and safe holiday season and a productive New Year!
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Bay Area SUASI Exercise and Evaluation Program
Urban Shield, Golden Guardian and Beyond
Exercising capabilities to prevent, respond to, mitigate, and recover from a terrorist or another kind of disaster is an essential part of the mission for public safety, health, and emergency management agencies. It is during these exercises that strengths are identified and shared as best practices; and gaps, needs, and weaknesses are addressed to strengthen  capabilities. The Bay Area SUASI’s strategic planning efforts, begun under the 2006 SUASI Training and Exercise Project, are beginning to yield important insights through documents such as the Training and Exercise Mandates Preliminary Report. The Bay Area SUASI is committed to supporting homeland security exercises throughout the 10-county SUASI region.
Click the full story link to read more about the Bay Area SUASI Exercise and Evaluation Program.
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Spotlight on Initiative
Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations Program
The Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations (DPVP) program is an innovative interdisciplinary pilot program of the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement (ICCE) at San Francisco State University. DPVP is supported by 2006 grant year funds from Bay Area SUASI. Dr. Gerald Eisman is ICCE’s Acting Director and is also an active member of Bay Area SUASI’s Citizen Preparedness Work Group.
The DPVP program sends students into the community to provide a wide range of disaster preparedness outreach activities. DPVP also enables members of public housing communities to attend courses alongside SF State students on campus, in specially-tailored courses that will prepare them to train others within their community in disaster prevention, mitigation and response.
Click the full story link below to read more about the efforts of the Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations program.
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Bay Area SUASI Project Updates
Provided in this article is an update on many of the projects, highlighting major milestones or activities accomplished over the past month. We hope that these updates will help keep project participants and other interested parties informed of our progress on these important projects.
Click the full story link to read updates about each of the Bay Area SUASI projects.
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Bay Area Citizen Preparedness Project
Community Emergency Preparedness in Action
The Citizen Preparedness project is promoting emergency preparedness in the Bay Area through careful research and evaluation of successful community preparedness programs that may be replicated or tailored for implementation in the Bay Area. The project also provides funding for innovative and effective community preparedness programs in the region.
Click the full story link to read more about regional and county preparedness efforts in the Bay Area.
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Volunteer Management Update
In light of recent events in the Bay Area and Southern California, the topic of volunteer coordination has once again taken on higher visibility and policy makers have gained an increased awareness of the important roles that volunteers play in disaster response. This awareness and visibility have translated into an expanded interest throughout the state in  volunteer management and coordination programs. As work throughout the state progresses, we anticipate that greater attention will be focused on the work that the Bay Area SUASI Program has already done in this arena, including the use of HelpBayArea.org.
Click the full story link below to read more about the Bay Area SUASI Program.
[FULL STORY]
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Payment Changes for Sub-Grantees
Effective December 31, 2007, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS) will no longer make payments to Fisher Scientific/Safety on behalf of sub-grantees. Sub-grantees who selected the “Fisher” option for equipment purchase in their FY 2007 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) applications must ensure that appropriate changes are made in the Financial Management Forms Workbook (FMFW) as well as the Automated Ledger System (ALS). This change is exempt from modification request limitations applicable to OHS sub-grantees.
Sub-grantees are advised to ensure that all Fisher Scientific/Safety purchases and deliveries are complete by December 31, 2007.
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This project is supported by Award No. 4123-06, awarded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Grants & Training (G&T). The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Homeland Security.