National Advisory Council

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

Committee management; request for applicants for appointment to a subcommittee of the National Advisory Council (NAC).

SUMMARY:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requests that qualified individuals interested in serving on a subcommittee of the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) to provide advice regarding Preliminary Damage Assessments, apply for appointment as identified in this notice. Appointed members will serve on the subcommittee only and will not be members of the NAC.

DATES:

FEMA will accept applications until 11:59 p.m. ET on August 10, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

The only method for application package submission is by email. Application packages by U.S. Mail will not be considered. Please submit using the following method:

• Email: Manuel Barrios, Alternate Designated Federal Officer, Recovery Directorate, Office of Response and Recovery, FEMA, fema-pda-act@fema.dhs.gov.

• Save materials in one file using the naming convention, “[Last Name]_[First Name]_PDA Application” and attach to the email.

FEMA will send applicants an email that confirms receipt of your application and will notify you of the final status of your application once FEMA selects members.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Manuel Barrios, Alternate Designated Federal Officer, Recovery Directorate, Office of Response and Recovery, FEMA, (202) 212–3026, fema-pda-act@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The NAC is an advisory committee established in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. ch. 10. As required by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA), the Secretary of Homeland Security established the NAC to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. Appointees may be designated as a Special Government Employee (SGE) as defined in section 202(a) of title 18, U.S.C., or as a Representative member. SGEs speak in a personal capacity as experts in their field and Representative members speak for the stakeholder group they represent.

The Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117–263, Sec. 5603, was signed into law on Dec. 23, 2022. The Act requires FEMA to convene an advisory panel consisting of emergency management personnel employed by State, local, Territorial, or Tribal authorities, and the representative organizations of such personnel, to assist the agency in improving critical components of the preliminary damage assessment process. This advisory panel will consider: (1) establishing a training regime to ensure preliminary damage assessments are conducted and reviewed under consistent guidelines; (2) utilizing a common technological platform to integrate data collected by state and local governments with data collected by the agency; and (3) assessing instruction materials provided by the agency for omissions of pertinent information or language that conflicts with other statutory requirements. The advisory panel will also identify opportunities for streamlining the consideration of preliminary damage assessments by the agency, including eliminating duplicative paperwork requirements and ensuring consistent communication and decision making among agency staff.

To serve on this advisory panel, FEMA will select:

(1) At least one representative from each of the ten (10) FEMA Regions selected from emergency management personnel employed by State, local, Tribal, or Territorial authorities within each region.

(2) At least two representatives from national emergency management organizations.

(3) Such other members as the Administrator shall deem appropriate.

To the furthest extent practicable, representation on the advisory panel shall include emergency management personnel from both urban and rural jurisdictions. Members will not receive compensation for their service. Members may be required to file a confidential financial disclosure and complete ethics training provided by FEMA.

FEMA is requesting that individuals who are interested in and qualified to serve on the advisory panel apply for appointment. Appointments will be for a one-year term, with the possibility of renewal, which will begin Sept. 1, 2023.

To apply, please submit an application package to Manuel Barrios as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. There is no application form, but each application package MUST include the following information:

• Cover letter, addressed to the Office of Response and Recovery, that includes current position title and employer or organization you represent, home and work mailing addresses, preferred telephone number, and email address; the discipline area position(s) for which you would like consideration; and why you are interested in serving on the PDA Advisory Panel.
• A summary of the most important accomplishments that qualify you to serve in the form of three to five (3–5) bullets, in fewer than 75 words total.
• Three (3) peer or supervisor references including full name, position title, employer or organization, preferred telephone number and email address. References must be able to attest to the qualifications and accomplishments you have listed.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Your application package must be less than eight (8) total pages to be considered by FEMA. Information contained in your application package should clearly indicate your qualifications. FEMA will not consider incomplete applications. FEMA will review the information contained in application packages and make selections based on the requirements listed above, expertise in the subject matter area, and ability to meet membership expectations. FEMA will also consider overall composition, including diversity (including, but not limited to geographic, demographic, and experience) and mix of officials, emergency managers, and emergency response providers from State, local, Tribal, and Territorial governments, when selecting members.

DHS is committed to pursuing opportunities, consistent with applicable law, to compose a panel that reflects the diversity of the United States. DHS does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, disability and genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. DHS strives to achieve a widely diverse candidate pool for all its recruitment actions. Federally registered lobbyists may not apply.

Expectations: Appointees to this volunteer service opportunity are expected to fully participate in meetings, work with fellow members as a team, and maintain a high degree of integrity. The NAC Bylaws contain more information and can be found at: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_nac-bylaws-041223.pdf. FEMA estimates a four (4) hour minimum time commitment per month for regular communications, special activities, and subcommittee participation. Some selected members will serve in leadership roles and participate in additional meetings and activities. Members may be invited to attend in-person meetings of the NAC up to twice per year, typically three (3) days for each meeting. FEMA does not pay members for their time, but may reimburse travel expenses such as airfare, lodging, meals, incidentals, and other transportation costs within Federal Travel Regulations when pre-approved by the Designated Federal Officer.