disaster response

FEMA, union agree to new policies to fix overtime discrepancies under $16.5M settlement

The new policy is aimed at ensuring FEMA employees are properly categorized under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Workforce Rights/Governance

(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

FEMA suffering staffing shortages as natural disasters intensify

Agency Oversight

House advances nine-week continuing resolution, but it faces uphill Senate battle

Government Shutdown

(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Lawmakers ask FEMA how to avoid future communication breakdowns during disasters

Management

Plans, like for disaster response, are great only if you can carry them out

Defense

(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Nonprofit recommends amending Stafford Act to include FEMA in pandemic, cyber incident response

Congress

NIST

NIST playbook advises local communities on disaster resilience

Management

Top challenges for IGs with the new administration

Agency Oversight

Lawmakers push to eliminate ‘mandatory’ from payroll tax deferral

Federal Newscast

Disaster planning framework asks agencies to make some tough decisions

Technology

FILE - In this March 19, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump attends a teleconference with governors at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Washington. From left, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health. There’s the standard process for getting urgently needed coronavirus equipment: send a request to FEMA. Then there’s the other way: have a buddy who can pick up the phone and call the Trump White House. Trump’s team has proudly recounted instances where a call to the White House has produced fast results for those who have an in with the president. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Poolm, File)

In pandemic, old lessons restated

Tom Temin Commentary

How much has the Pentagon spent on PPE over the last few years?

Analysts at Govini have dissected the trends in PPE spending by the military since 2013.

Defense

Shawn Dodson, left, with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, stacks cases of water donated by Vince Burns, right, from Ridgecrest, at San Bernardino County Fire Station 57 Saturday, July 6, 2019, in Trona, Calif. The area has been hit with two major earthquakes since Thursday. In Trona, a town of about 2,000 people considered the gateway to Death Valley, fire officials said dozens of structures were damaged. San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert Lovingood said FEMA delivered a tractor-trailer full of bottled water because of damage to water lines. Newsom declared a state of emergency for the county. (Will Lester/The Orange County Register via AP)

FEMA looks to build trust in data sharing after IG found it ‘overshared’ records

FEMA’s goal of strengthening its financial transparency stems from the agency’s 2018-2022 strategic plan, which seeks to improve grants management and…

Big Data

This undated photo provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows CDC’s laboratory test kit for the new coronavirus. (CDC via AP)

Effective communication of the utmost importance during pandemic

Workforce

For more on this and the other elements of what makes for effective response, the CEO of the Council on Strategic Risks, Christine Parthemore, spoke to Federal Drive with Tom Temin.