Jan 03

2019-Q4-Newsletter

December 2019, Vol. 5

2019 State Emergency Operations Plan

On Tuesday, December 17th, Governor Chris Sununu signed the 2019 State Emergency Operations Plan (SEOP).  The plan, updated over a period of 10 months in conjunction with all of HSEM’s Emergency Support Function partners, is a more streamlined version of the plan with several major changes:

  • The SEOC now has four activation levels: Steady State, Enhanced Monitoring, Partial and Full.
  • Domestic and service animals will now fall under the purview of ESF 6: Mass Care, Housing & Human Services. Previously they fell under ESF 11 – Agriculture, Cultural & Natural Resources.
  • ESF 14 has been renamed to Volunteer Management, and will be led by Granite United Way with support from HSEM. This will allow the SEOC to leverage the Granite United Way’s day-to-day volunteer management skills to facilitate and coordinate volunteers services to support relief efforts in disaster areas.
  • *NEW*ESF 16 – Military Support; merely formalizes the role of NH National Guard as a support function in the SEOC. There are no changes to the Guard’s role.
  • *NEW*ESF 17 – Cybersecurity;  DoIT,  NH IAC and NH-CIC will continue to support the SEOC during any activation, the ESF 17 role would only be activated in a larger scale scenario.
  • *NEW*ESF 18 – Business & Industry; the Department of Business and Economic Affairs will lead this ESF to bridge the gap between our private and public sector partners.
  • The seating plan in the SEOC will be undergoing some minor changes to reflect the outlined changes

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NH Flood Hazards Handbook for Municipal Officials

In October, the New Hampshire Silver Jackets Team – a team of individuals representing 15 different state and federal agencies and programs – announced the release of the Flood Hazards Handbook for Municipal Officials.  This new publication is designed to help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods. It includes guidance, best practices and information about available federal and state resources organized into situation-specific sections: Before the Flood, During the Flood, and After the Flood. Information about ways to reduce (or mitigate) flood risk to lessen impacts from future events is also included.

“Improved flood resilience in our New Hampshire communities means reduced potential for flood-related fatalities, property and infrastructure damage, and economic and social disruption,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “I applaud the New Hampshire Silver Jackets, including our state agencies and federal partners that serve on the team, on the completion of this valuable new resource for our local communities.”

Municipal officials are encouraged to download a copy of the Flood Hazards Handbook from the New Hampshire Silver Jackets Team website to learn how it can help their community work toward a more flood-resilient future.

https://silverjackets.nfrmp.us/State-Teams/New-Hampshire

About the New Hampshire Silver Jackets Team

The New Hampshire Silver Jackets, a state-led team formed in 2015, brings together state and federal agencies to focus on flood risk management issues that affect local communities. The team includes representatives from over 15 agencies and programs, including state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Services, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Department of Transportation, Fish & Game Department, Department of Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Office of Strategic Initiatives, and federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District; Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 1 office; the National Weather Service –  Gray, Maine office; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service; and the U.S. Geological Survey, New England Water Science Center.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

House of Worship Emergency Preparedness Seminar

On Monday December 9th, HSEM, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the US Attorney General’s Office, hosted the New Hampshire House of Worship Emergency Preparedness Seminar at the Concord City Auditorium.  Seventy-eight attendees from across the faith community spectrum learned about techniques and best practices for making NH houses of worship safer and more prepared for emergencies in their facilities. Governor Christopher Sununu and US Attorney Scott Murray both addressed the gathering; additionally there were presentations by HSEM Operations Chief Robert Christensen, US Homeland Security New Hampshire Protective Security Advisor Jason Climer, and NH US Attorney’s Office Representative Joe Cafarelli.

For more information about this workshop and future training opportunities for houses of worship, please visit the NH HSEM  Resource Center.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Route 91 Harvest Music Festival Debrief

On Thursday, November 14, Lieutenant Branden Clarkson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department presented a debrief on lessons learned from the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017.   Over 250 first responders and state, local and federal partners were on hand at the University of New Hampshire to listen to Lt. Clarkson discuss the timeline of what happened and the response to the incident.  Interoperability, incident command, and 9-1-1 dispatchers’ handling of calls are all areas of concern that were brought into focus during the event.  The presentation by Lt. Clarkson shares the valuable lessons learned and experience gained with the first responder community.  The event was sponsored by the New Hampshire Tactical Officers Association and hosted by the UNH Police Department.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Service Club and Business Organization Outreach

The HSEM Community Outreach Office has started a new program reaching out to NH service clubs and business organizations to present on the importance of emergency preparedness.  The presentations feature an overview of  HSEM, our mission and the work we do with our partners, as well as the importance of emergency preparedness for individuals, businesses and communities.  Members of HSEM have given presentations to the Bedford Lions Club, the Berlin Kiwanis club, the Laconia Rotary Club, and the Keene Kiwanis Club in the last few weeks.  Additional dates have been scheduled around the state through the spring.  If you are connected with an organization that would be interested in scheduling a presentation, please call 271-2231 or email hsempio@dos.nh.gov.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Operation Santa Claus

The NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management Team of elves extends their gratitude to everyone who supported and donated to this year’s Operation Santa Claus effort. Through the generosity and support of community businesses and members, the team was able to give a Merry Christmas to a record-setting 19 local children this year. The children, ranging from ages 6 months to 14-years, have each received two large boxes of gifts filled with everything from clothing and winter gear to much-wanted toys. Thank you!!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

See Something, Say Something® Resources

Did you know that there are school-specific See Something, Say Something® materials available free from HSEM?  To find out more, or to place an order, go to the HSEM resource center See Something Say Something for Schools Order Form.

There are also free See Something, Say Something® materials that are available for distribution to other interested partners.  To place an order, go to the HSEM resource center See Something Say Something Order Form.

You can also contact the Community Outreach Office at 271-2231 or hsempio@dos.nh.gov to place an order or for more information.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Upcoming Events & Programs

Training:

ICS-300: Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents – January 7th-9th, 8:30a.m. – 5p.m., Laconia

MGT-462: Community Planning For Economic Recovery – January 16th, 8:00a.m. – 4:30p.m., Concord

G290: Basic Public Information Officer – January 21st-22nd, 8:30a.m – 4:30p.m., Concord

AWR-148 Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents – February 4th, 8:00a.m. – 4:30p.m., Epping

AWR-148 Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents – February 6th, 8:00a.m. – 4:30p.m., Littleton

WebEOC Training:

 

Save The Date: The 16th Annual NH Emergency Preparedness Conference – June 23, 2020

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________