RAPID ACTION TASKER #1

 Rapid Action Tasker (RAT) #1

PILOT PROJECT WEATHER EVENT STATUS

Based upon consultations between FEMA senior leadership, internal FEMA offices, and relevant external government, private, and stakeholder agencies/organizations, the specific weather event to “start the clock” regarding the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team’s beginning-to-end FEMA leadership and management concept has been identified.

The specific weather event based on current modeling data from the National Hurricane Center is a tropical depression that has formed off Africa’s west coast. This tropical depression is predicted to have an 85% probability of making landfall along the U.S. east coast with a minimum magnitude of Category 3 (i.e., devastating damage from wind speeds between 111 and 129 miles per hour [mph]). Landfall is currently predicted for the U.S. east coast from somewhere between the Norfolk, VA and Charleston, SC regional areas. However, with such an early projection, natural atmospheric conditions may lead to a different landfall and category strength event at the time of landfall. As of now, the weather event is being classified as a “tropical depression”; i.e., winds near the center of the depression constantly between 23-39 mph.

BACKGROUND

Recognizing that atmospheric changes may impact the latest Hurricane Center projections, FEMA senior leadership and relevant stakeholders have decided that the EMRAAS Pilot Project initiative use this specific tropical depression weather event — projected to become a Category 3 or higher hurricane — to illustrate the pros and cons associated with a FEMA-centric pilot project team to lead and manage a whole community approach for an expected disastrous event.

At the latest FEMA leadership meeting, the initial discussions associated with the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team (based on the discussion above) focused on the first step of forming a “whole community” team of stakeholders deemed appropriate to be involved with a potential hurricane that is projected to impact the U.S. east coast between Norfolk, VA and Charleston, SC. Knowing that emergency management-related resources are limited due to other ongoing commitments, the discussion was varied in terms of which team members were most appropriate for the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team composition. Further, in terms of team membership, there was not a consensus regarding those stakeholders who should be considered “primary” (i.e., decision makers) as compared to “secondary” (i.e., support) team members.

As a result of this round-table discussion, the FEMA Administrator has tasked the OPPA Associate Administrator to have the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team provide a “refresher” point paper on public-private partnerships as they relate to emergency management. Also, having a projected landfall location, the FEMA Administrator requests that the point paper provide a proposed team membership with outlined roles and responsibilities as associated with this pilot project.

RAPID ACTION TASKER #1

Part 1:  Request the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team to discuss the concept of “public-private partnerships” as they relate to “emergency management.” Who are some of the main players? What is a strength and a weakness of how the emergency management community currently handles public-private partnerships?

Part 2:  Specific to the identified pilot weather event – i.e., a hurricane of Category 3 (or higher) potentially impacting the U.S. east coast between Norfolk VA and Charleston SC – provide a proposed team membership for the EMRAAS Pilot Project initiative in terms of which specific partners would you include as part of the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team at this time? What characteristic or trait within the EMRAAS Pilot Project Team membership would you emphasize to best ensure a meaningful and productive partnership?