2006 hurricane season preparations
Hurricane season starts June 1, and local, state and federal partners have made a coordinated effort to prepare the Commonwealth's preparation and response capabilities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina:

• The Virginia Hurricane Response Plan has been updated to:
  
  • Incorporate lessons learned from hurricanes Isabel, Katrina and Rita.
    
  • Align terminology and procedures with the National Response Plan.
    
  • Bring state emergency support functions in line with the 15 federal ESFs and designate primary and support agencies for each one.
    
  • Add the additional jurisdictions of Surry and Isle of Wight counties to the "Map of Risk Areas," a graphic representation of Virginia coastal regions at high risk for hurricane impact.
    
  • Make some modifications to sheltering procedures, including increases to the estimate of evacuees due to population changes and provisions for the establishment of large-capacity shelters, such as stadiums.
  
  This is an interim revision. A more extensive revision will take place with the completion of the ongoing Hurricane Evacuation Re-study and revision of the Hampton Roads Hurricane Traffic-Control Plan
  
• The state sponsored the Virginia Emergency Response Team Exercise and participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region III exercise. Both involved scenarios in which a Category 3 hurricane impacted the Commonwealth. Gov. Tim Kaine also had a first-ever cabinet-level tabletop exercise, to familiarize members of the executive branch, including Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Bob McDonnell, with emergency operations plans and to provide a review of the observations and lessons learned from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  
• Local partners in every locality statewide are working with VDEM to identify the need for generators at critical infrastructure facilities such as hospitals, emergency operations centers and 911 centers and evacuation shelters. Localities are also designating distribution points for essential supplies such as food, water, ice, blankets and other emergency supplies. These surveys will help deliver assistance faster when and where it is needed during a disaster.
  
• The Commonwealth has achieved 100 percent participation in the Statewide Mutual Aid compact with every eligible jurisdiction in the state. SMA provides, among other things, consistency concerning the insurance and liability coverage of emergency workers when deployed from one locality to another. During an emergency, localities can either coordinate the transfer of resources, such as equipment and personnel, directly, or ask VDEM to coordinate the process.
  
• VDEM's Recovery and Mitigation Division is working with local governments to take a more comprehensive approach to recovery operations by identifying the role of Long-term Recovery and Mitigation (recently-created ESF 14) in post-disaster operations and defining standard operating procedures for recovery personnel. Future long-term community recovery efforts are envisioned as an expanded community-based effort, beyond immediate Stafford-Act recovery programs such as individual, household, and public assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding.
  
• The National Weather Service offices in the Commonwealth, American Red Cross chapters across the state, Virginia Department of Transportation and VDEM are promoting a joint public information campaign called, "It Could Happen to You." In addition, the American Red Cross is partnering with VDEM and the Virginia Department of Health in a local "Prepare Hampton Roads" campaign for general emergency preparedness.
  
• VDOT has begun installation of gates on ramps along I-64 to more efficiently evacuate the Hampton Roads area if conditions warrant. VDOT plans to complete phase one of the installations, one of the two gates on each ramp, by early July. More information on gate installation is available in the May 10 issue of Update.
  
• VDEM is working with the Virginia Department of Social Services to explore how 211 can be effectively incorporated into emergency response plans across the state. 211 is a statewide human services information and referral system mandated by the Virginia General Assembly in 2003. VDSS is testing the system, which launched in February 2006 and currently operates call centers seven days a week, 365 days a year in Richmond, Tidewater and central, northwest and southwest Virginia.

NHC hurricane forecast
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center has released its prediction for the 2006 hurricane season. Echoing Dr. Gray's forecast in April, the NHC forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season, including up to 16 named storms, up to 10 hurricanes and up to six major hurricanes. The prediction expects a continuation of above-normal activity, part of a multi-decadal cycle that began in 1995. However, the NHC does not expect to see as much activity as the 2005 hurricane season brought.

Spring 2006 Standardized Equipment List
The InterAgency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability has released the spring 2006 version of its Standardized Equipment List. The interactive version is available on the Responder Knowledge Base and contains changes to many of the item descriptions, features and operating considerations. It also includes new items such as a water distribution system, a combination respirator, forensic software for cyber security, and a fixed-site infrared chemical detector. Many of these changes may be adopted by DHS for inclusion in the Authorized Equipment List used to determine grant allocation. The SEL contains a list of generic equipment recommended by the IAB to local, state and federal government organizations in preparing for and responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction events. The SEL is a guideline that promotes interoperability and standardization across response organizations at the local, state and federal levels by offering a standard reference and a common set of terminology. The IAB updates the list twice a year in spring and in fall.

Rappahannock and Orange counties part with EMs
VDEM says goodbye to two long-standing emergency managers: Duff Green and Dieter Knuepfer. Green has served as Orange County's Emergency Management Coordinator for 10 years and will continue to serve in an advisory capacity in the near future. A Korean War veteran, Green also served his community on the Town of Orange Council, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Orange County Social Services Board, and as chairman of the Orange County Salvation Army Unit. Knuepfer has served as the Rappahannock County magistrate and emergency services coordinator since 1983. Originally from Germany, he immigrated to the United States in 1928 and served 32 years in the U. S. Army, including active duty during the Vietnam War. He plans to enjoy his retirement. Melissa McDaniel will take over in Orange County and Richie Burke is the new coordinator in Rappahannock County.

Training...
EMI applications
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute is accepting applications for winter classes occurring between Oct. 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007. To take a course at EMI, applicants must meet the selection criteria and prerequisites specified for each course. Participants may not take the same course more than once. Applicants must submit a FEMA Form 75-5 through VDEM, which will submit applications to the National Emergency Training Center between May 1 and June 30 this year. Students will be notified by Sept. 1, 2006 of their acceptance into the requested courses.

Produced by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
10501 Trade Court, Richmond, Virginia 23236