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Region II
March 24, 2020 Volume 5, Issue 7
Preparedness and Resilience Bulletin:
Empowering People and Communities
COVID-19
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 2
Emergency Preparedness Tips
Take Steps to Protect Yourself
Clean your hands often:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially
after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or
sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains
at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together
until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact:
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading
in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher
risk of getting very sick.
Take Steps to Protect Others
Stay home if you’re sick:
• Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care. Learn what to do if you
are sick.
Cover coughs and sneezes:
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or
use the inside of your elbow.
• Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If
soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand
sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Wear a facemask if you are sick:
• If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other
people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare
provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example,
difficulty breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and
sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they
enter your room. Learn what to do if you are sick.
• If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are
caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask).
Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 3
Webinars
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 4
Helpful Information and Resources
• Cash donations to the non-profit of your choice IS THE BEST donation.
• If you have medical supplies or equipment to donate, you may do so through the American Red Cross
by filling out the in-kind donations form available on redcross.org.
• Trained medical volunteers can offer their services by registering with a National VOAD member on
https://www.nvoad.org .
• CFPB Blog: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/protect-yourself-financially-from-impact-
of-coronavirus/
• FDIC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for
Bankers and Consumers:
https://www.fdic.gov/coronavirus/index.html
• SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Small Businesses
Economically Impacted by the Coronavirus
(COVID-19)
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 5
• To sell medical supplies or equipment to the federal government, businesses can register through the System for Award Management (SAM).
• Governor Cuomo announced the "New York State on PAUSE" executive order, a 10-point policy to assure uniform safety for everyone https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause
• NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities
COVID-19 Guidance for Community Providers of Services for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities COVID-19 Guidance for Individuals and Families of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing has an updated
communication tool for use by consumers, first responders, hospitals and healthcare staff to facilitate
safe and critical communication between first responders and those who are deaf and hard of hearing. A English: https://nj.gov/humanservices/documents/covid/Corona%20Virus%20Card%20-%202%20up-
RB_v2.pdf Spanish: https://nj.gov/humanservices/library/slides/Corona%20Virus%20Card%20-%202%20up-RB_v2-SP.pdf
• SAMHSA’s COVID-19 Guidance and Resources
Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, SAMHSA is providing regular updates via a new
consolidated COVID-19 page. This page can be found at samhsa.gov/coronavirus. Please check for
new updates.
• Disaster Distress Helpline
The national Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7/365 crisis counseling & emotional support continues to be
available for anyone experiencing distress or other mental health concerns following the tornadoes in
Tennessee or during the ongoing COVID-19 infectious disease outbreak. Calls (1-800-985-5990; press
"2" for Spanish) and texts (text TalkWithUs to 66746) are answered by trained counselors from a
network of independently operated crisis centers located across the U.S. 1-800-985-5990
Text TalkWithUs to 66746
• New York: https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
• New Jersey: Have general questions about COVID-19? Call the public hotline!
Call the NJ COVID-19 & Poison Center Public Hotline at - 1-800-962-1253 or 1-800-222-1222
Trained professionals are standing by to answer your call 24/7 OR visit nj.gov/health
• Puerto Rico: PR department of Health - http://www.salud.gov.pr/Pages/coronavirus.aspx or call (787)
999-6202
• U.S. Virgin Islands: USVI Department of Health - Visit https://doh.vi.gov/covid19usvi or TEXT
COVID19USVI to 888777 for alerts and notifications.
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 6
Other Covid-19 News
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Insights: Risk
Management for COVID-19
On March 6th, CISA issued a document titled, “Risk Management for COVID-19” detailing the steps to help
executives think through physical, supply chain, and cybersecurity issues that may arise as a result of this
ongoing public health concern. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
COVID-19 has been detected in locations across the world, including multiple areas throughout the United
States. You can read the new CISA Insights at CISA.gov/insights. This document includes information about
identifying mission essential functions, updating incident response plans, factoring in workforce changes in a
distributed environment, and guarding against the possibility of malicious cyber actors taking advantage of
public concern by conducting phishing attacks and disinformation campaigns.
Watch Ready New York: COVID-19 It's important for New Yorkers to be prepared for all emergencies, including public
health emergencies like COVID-19. Watch Ready New York: COVID-19 for
information on how to make a plan, gather supplies, stay informed, and more.
Click here for the English +ASL video.
Click here for the Spanish video.
Click here for the Chinese video.
Text "COVID" to 692692 to get the latest updates about coronavirus.
Civil Rights and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) In light of the Public Health Emergency concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Office for
Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing this bulletin
information to ensure that entities covered by civil rights authorities know that civil rights laws and their
implementing regulations are not set aside during an emergency. These laws and regulations prohibit
discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex and exercise of conscience and
religion in HHS funded programs.
“HHS is committed to leaving no one behind during an emergency, and this guidance is designed to help health
care providers meet that goal,” said Roger Severino, OCR Director. “Providers should not place persons using
wheelchairs or needing accommodations at the end of the line for health services during emergencies.”
OCR at HHS remains in close coordination with federal partners to help ensure that the Nation’s response
effectively addresses the needs of at-risk populations. To this end, government officials, health care providers
and covered entities should consider adopting, as circumstances and resources allow, the following practices to
help make sure all segments of the community are served:
Employing qualified interpreter services to assist individuals with limited English proficiency
and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing;
Making emergency messaging available in languages prevalent in the affected area(s) and in
multiple formats, such as audio, large print, and captioning and ensuring that websites providing
emergency-related information are accessible;
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 7
Making use of multiple outlets and resources for messaging to reach individuals with
disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and members of diverse faith
communities;
Considering and planning for the needs of individuals with mobility impairments and
individuals with assistive devices or durable medical equipment in providing health care during
emergencies;
Stocking facilities with items that will help people to maintain independence, such as hearing
aid batteries, canes, and walkers.
Being mindful of all segments of the community and taking reasonable steps to provide an equal opportunity to
benefit from emergency response efforts, including making reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities as required by law, will help ensure that the emergency response is successful and minimizes
stigmatization.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/related-stigma.html.
For information regarding how Federal civil rights laws apply in an emergency, please visit:
https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/emergency-preparedness/index.html
For information regarding Emergency Preparedness Resources for Persons from Diverse Cultural Origins please
visit: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/emergency-preparedness/diverse-cultural-
origins/index.html.
If you would like to learn more about Civil Rights, Conscience and Religious Freedom, the HIPAA Privacy
Rule and the HIPAA Security Rule subscribe to the OCR Civil Rights Listserv here.
New CDC Guidance regarding Gowns - Eye Protection – Facemasks
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Facemasks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html
• Provides a definition for surge capacity and the three general strata used to describe it: conventional,
contingency and crisis capacity. • Discusses crisis capacity strategies for facemasks: the use of facemasks beyond shelf life,
implementation of limited re-use of facemasks and alternative options to facemasks.
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Eye Protection: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/eye-protection.html • Discusses contingency capacity strategies: shift eye protection supplies from disposable to re-usable
devices, implement extended use of eye protection. • Discusses Crisis Capacity strategies: Use of eye protection beyond shelf life, recommended type of eye
protection, and selected options for reprocessing eye protection
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Isolation Gowns: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/isolation-gowns.html • Conventional Capacity Strategies: Use isolation gown alternatives that offer equivalent or higher
protection • Contingency Capacity Strategies: recommended types of gowns, use of gowns beyond shift life.
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 8
Requesting Partner Support for Amplification of American Red Cross Blood
Donation Messaging
We are sharing their talking points and social media posts that they’ve requested help with amplifying.
Talking Points:
• One thing people can do to help the country during this public health emergency is to donate blood.
• We need an adequate supply of blood to treat patients in hospitals who need emergency surgery or
trauma patients.
• But a lot of blood drives take place on college campuses or workplaces, and those drives have been
cancelled. (As of March 17, the American Red Cross reports nearly 4,000 drives cancelled and more
than 100,000 fewer blood donations – industry numbers are higher)
• If you are a healthy individual, it’s important you go donate blood. Volunteer blood donors are the only
source of blood for those in need.
• Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give. It’s important to note that blood
drives have the highest standards of safety and infection control.
• We recommend people leave home for necessities like groceries, or a doctor’s visit, or the pharmacy –
and donating blood is a necessity too.
• So, give blood – you’ll feel good about it and you’ll be helping your country during this crisis.
• One donation can help save the lives of up to 3 people.
• To find where you can donate blood, visit redcross.org.
Social posts to amplify:
• Blood drive cancellation stats on Facebook and Twitter.
• Blood drive precautions on Facebook and Twitter.
• Patient story on Facebook and Twitter.
CERT (and other Volunteers) Corner
Region II CERT • Teams are being utilized to assist with 211 Calls/COVID Hotline;
• Packaging PPE for EMS / Law Enforcement;
• Supporting local schools by delivering school lunches, homework packets or laptops;
• Assembled a Western Shelter tent to be used for patient screening;
• Providing awareness of the transmission of COVID-19 using CDC brochures, hotlines, adaptive policies
and door to door delivery of information packets.
The FEMA Region II National Preparedness Division is looking to provide a forum where entities doing
important community work in support of local officials, can share information about activities they are
performing in an effort to foster awareness of good ideas and best practices. We realize there are many
CERT, MRC, VOAD/COAD and other volunteers assisting with the response and recovery of Covid-19. If
you would like to share your stories and/or photos here, please email [email protected].
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 9
New Jersey VOAD • Holding weekly coordination calls with all members and partners, providing up to date information on
our collective response and assessing community needs;
• Monitoring situational updates and responding to requests as part of the SEOC ESF-6 & 7 teams;
• Updated helpnjnow.org with specific public facing information from trusted sources;
• Implemented our Continuity of Operations Plan and Disaster Protocols and are fully operational;
• Supporting state food banks with targeted volunteer staffing to supplement staff while maintaining
social distancing discipline;
• Exploring cooperation of VOAD organizations with local school districts in support of free and reduced
meal program distribution; • Accessing plans for concurrent disasters.
Region IX CERT • Working the COVID-19 Call Center at the Health Department and at the EOC signing folks into
the EOC center;
• Controlling the flow of traffic into screening areas, collecting information for County Health
Department;
• Preparing to stand up call center for COVID19 related calls into County Offices;
• Building teams to deliver goods to self-quarantined community members, as well as, deliveries to
elderly and disabled who require assistance for groceries, medicines, and meals;
• CERT set up the county EOC for activation if/when needed. This is something they train on quarterly;
• CERT is assisting Medical Center with visitor screening and information;
• CERT is participating in daily briefings to maintain readiness.
NYC Service recognizes that many COVID-19 response efforts need volunteer support. In order to help match
volunteers to response and recovery needs, the City of New York is activating its Volunteer Coordination Task Force
(VCTF): a collaboration between NYC Service, New York Cares, NYC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYC
VOAD) and NYC Emergency Management that helps connect individuals and volunteer groups with emergency-related
projects.
For Organizations not engaging volunteers at this time:
If your organization will not be engaging volunteers in response to COVID-19, we ask all of our partners to direct any
spontaneous individuals volunteers to the New York Cares Interest Form to be matched with volunteer opportunities.
For Organizations engaging volunteers at this time:
If your organization is currently engaging volunteers or has the capacity to engage volunteers in either of these ways:
1. Ready to engage volunteers on projects outside of your organization's typical programming.
2. Ready to in-take new volunteers to fulfill needs, and want to request volunteer support.
Please complete this survey, and NYC Service partner New York Cares will reach out and may connect you to projects in need
of volunteers or volunteers looking to get involved.
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 10
The National Emergency Training Center (NETC) is suspending all on-
campus training activities for a period of four (4) weeks, beginning
3/15/2020 through 4/11/2020. They will work to reschedule courses for
later in the year to the maximum extent possible.
Train from Anywhere with the Independent Study Program Your training and professional development can continue even in an extensive telework
and virtual environment. The Emergency Management Institute’s (EMI) Independent Study (IS) Program is a
free resource you can use to broaden your emergency management expertise. The IS program features 208
active courses which cover a wide range of topics and are designed to be self-paced, concise introductions to
their subjects.
The IS program’s Professional Development Series includes seven Emergency Management Institute
independent study courses that provide a well-rounded set of fundamentals for those in the emergency
management profession. The series is a requirement for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers
whose positions are funded through the Emergency Management Performance Grant and is also a prerequisite
for EMI’s Basic Academy. A certificate is automatically issued by email after completing the required courses
within the series.
The IS program recently expanded its offerings by working with program office partners to develop specific
courses on hazard mitigation, insurance, and public assistance topics. These courses organize often complex
subjects into individual units that can be more easily studied by working professionals.
Finally, the IS program provides foundational training on key emergency management doctrine such as the
National Incident Management System, National Frameworks (Response, Recovery, Mitigation, Protection and
Prevention) and the Incident Command System. These courses are an ideal introduction for new emergency
managers or an excellent refresher for more seasoned professionals.
For more information go to https://training.fema.gov/mission.aspx
COVID-19: Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners
Platform to Support Country Preparedness and Response In order to assist UN country teams in scaling up country preparedness and response to COVID-19, WHO has
developed these learning modules as a companion to the Operational Planning Guidelines to Support
Country Preparedness and Response. The training is intended:
• For UN country teams (UNCTs)
• For other relevant stakeholders, including partners, donors and civil society
• To support national readiness and preparedness for COVID-19
• To help countries increase their capacity to respond to COVID-19
• To increase international coordination for response and preparedness
• To streamline the process of coordinating resources and assessing country preparedness level
For more information, click here.
Educational/Training Opportunities
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 11
Must Reads
EPA’s List of Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel
Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19
This seven-page document provides a list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2, the
cause of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease). Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, meaning they
are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant product. The
document provides information about Registration Number, Product Name, Company, and
Formulation Type. EPA’s Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance was developed and finalized in
2016 to allow for a rapid response in the event of an emerging viral pathogen outbreak. It was
triggered for SARS-CoV-2 on January 29, 2020.
Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE)
Action Plan Guidance COVID-19 Preparedness and
Response
This tool is designed to support risk communication, community engagement staff and
responders working with national health authorities, and other partners to develop,
implement and monitor an effective action plan for communicating effectively with the
public, engaging with communities, local partners and other stakeholders to help
prepare and protect individuals, families and the public’s health during early response
to COVID-19.
Critical Preparedness, Readiness and Response Actions for COVID-19
All countries should increase their level of preparedness, alert and response to identify, manage and care for
new cases of COVID-19. Countries should prepare to respond to different public health scenarios, recognizing
that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cases and outbreaks of COVID-19. Each country should
assess its risk and rapidly implement the necessary measures at the appropriate scale to reduce both COVID-19
transmission and economic, public and social impacts.
Can I Walk My Dog During A Pandemic? Addressing U.S. Coronavirus
Concerns There is currently no evidence that this strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, is believed to be a threat to dogs. That
said, dog owners face the unique responsibility of maintaining their dogs’ health and safety while adhering to
increasing recommendations towards social distancing, self-monitoring, and even quarantines. To help educate
on how to care for dogs during the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve put together some basic information that can
help decipher dog owner questions during these trying times.
Recommended Guidance for Extended Use and Limited Reuse of N95 Filtering
Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare Settings This document recommends practices for extended use and limited reuse of NIOSH-certified N95 filtering
facepiece respirators (commonly called “N95 respirators”). The recommendations are intended for use by
professionals who manage respiratory protection programs in healthcare institutions to protect health care
workers from job-related risks of exposure to infectious respiratory illnesses.
FEMA’s vision is a prepared and resilient nation. 12
Discontinuation of Home Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 (CDC Interim
Guidance) • Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may
discontinue home isolation if: • At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery—defined as
resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms
(e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
• At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
For Hospitalized Patients, see (Interim Guidance for Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions
Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19).
FEMA HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
March 20, 2020
NJOHSP Urges Residents to Verify COVID-19 Information, Be Alert
for Potential Scammers Several individuals and groups are attempting to leverage the COVID-19 pandemic in order to cause panic and
scam unsuspecting residents. NJOHSP urges all residents to ensure the validity of information from online
platforms and be wary of scams targeting unwitting residents, virtually and physically.
FEMA News
President Trump Directs FEMA Support Under Emergency Declaration On
March 13, President Trump declared the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic an emergency
declaration pursuant to section 501 (b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
This declaration increases federal support to the Department of Health and Human Services in its role as the
lead federal agency for the ongoing COVID-19 response. The declaration allows for state, territorial, tribal and
local government entities and certain private non-profit organizations to be eligible to apply for Public
Assistance. Visit the FEMA website for additional information on how to apply for public assistance.
FEMA Releases “Earthquake Safety” Guide
On March 2nd, FEMA released the new publication “Earthquake Safety at Home.” This guide identifies why and
where earthquakes might occur and how readers can “Prepare, Protect, Survive, Respond, Recover and Repair”
from an earthquake. This guide discusses wide-ranging steps that readers can take to prepare and protect
themselves, their family, and their belongs. The guide emphasizes the importance of developing family
response plans, assembling earthquake disaster supplies, securing heavy objects and furniture, retrofitting a
home, and more. There are also recommendations for post-earthquake recovery and repair to help individuals
and families resume regular activities as quickly as possible.
FEMA has Launched a Public-Facing Best Practices Site for Emerging Issues The Best Practices site is up and linked off of https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus, and can be accessed directly at https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/best-practices.
Additionally, there has been a DHS Ideascale page launched, https://homelandsecurity.ideascale.com/a/ideas/top/campaigns/61165, that enables the public and others in the community to provide their thoughts and ideas of things that should be considered.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. 13
Active Shooter Exercise Toolkit for Houses of Worship The Active Shooter Exercise Toolkit contains a variety of materials needed for a house of worship to
conduct their own tabletop exercise with little or no previous exercise experience. During this presentation,
FEMA Region II’s Devin Kerins discussed and reviewed Toolkit contents by providing simple tips to help
you structure your exercise and maximize its benefits. Click here to view the webinar.
Signs of Terrorism and Related Suspicious Activity The Region II Individual and Community Preparedness Monthly Webinar: Signs of Terrorism and Related
Suspicious Activity talks about suspicious activity, showing how law enforcement and the public can
identify suspicious behavior and discuss ways to report that information. This webinar is presented by the
New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP). Click here to view the webinar.
Deadlines
FEMA Extends National Advisory Council Application Deadline FEMA is extending the application period for the National Advisory Council from March 13
to March 27. This is to allow individuals who were unable to apply due to the COVID-19
response to submit their applications. Visit the FEMA website for instructions on how to
apply. For questions, contact the National Advisory Council.
The National Advisory Council (NAC) advises FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management, including
preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other manmade disasters.
FEMA Extends Firefighter Grants Deadline FEMA extended the application period for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The new application
deadline is 5 p.m. ET this Friday, March 20. Tools for applicants, including the Notice of Funding Opportunity,
are available on the FEMA website. For questions, contact the AFG help desk.
FEMA Seeks Public Comment on NFIP Publication Regulations On Feb. 12, FEMA published a Federal Register notice for public comments on two proposed changes to the
Code of Federal Regulations regarding publication requirements for the National Flood Insurance
Program. Comments for proposed changes are due no later than April 13. Detailed instruction on how to
comment can be found on the Federal Register site.