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 deborah.costa@fema.dhs.gov.

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.