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Home > Monthly Updates > May/June 2009 Monthly Updates

Monthly Updates - May/June 2009

ICC Monthly Highlights

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, June 1, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 17.

DHS Secretary Napolitano and FEMA Administrator Fugate Brief President on Hurricane Readiness
President Obama stresses need for personal responsibility
Secretary Napolitano and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate briefed President Obama on preparedness efforts for the 2009 hurricane season, which officially began on June 1, 2009. Among other things, the Secretary and FEMA Administrator discussed FEMA's progress on prepositioning assets, developing evacuation plans, and readying emergency communications.

Following the briefing, the President discussed the need for individual preparedness, noting that statistics from Florida indicate a large number of people simply have not made hurricane preparedness plans. He pointed out that those people who can prepare themselves for hurricanes should do so, and thereby enable the government to focus its resources on people—such as the elderly and individuals with disabilities—who are the most vulnerable in major storms. The President urged residents to prepare for the 2009 hurricane season by visiting the federal government's disaster planning web site at www.ready.gov.

In her remarks following the briefing, Secretary Napolitano said DHS is ready for this year's hurricane season, and prepared to support local, state, and tribal partners in need of assistance. However, she stressed that preparedness is a shared responsibility among government agencies, the private sector, and individuals. FEMA Administrator Fugate said that the briefing with President Obama allowed the President to hear firsthand the efforts being made to work with state and local governments. "FEMA has worked to make the American people as prepared as possible," Fugate said.

ICC Monthly Updates

US Department of Homeland Security

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, June 22, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 20.

DHS Announces Nearly $1.8 Billion in Fiscal Year 2009 Preparedness Grants
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today nearly $1.8 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments and non-profit agencies improve their readiness by enhancing protection, prevention, response and recovery capabilities for all disasters. Secretary Napolitano was joined by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in announcing the grants.

"These grants provide direct support for regional preparedness, urban security and medical response efforts in communities across the country," said Secretary Napolitano. "The new grants management initiative launched this year will generate better value for every grant dollar while strengthening our nation's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from all disasters."

The grant program allocations announced today incorporate specific steps undertaken by DHS to improve the ability of state and local partners to apply for and utilize FEMA grant funding:

Considering stakeholder feedback when targeting allocations;
Ensuring that state, local, territorial and tribal governments understand how funds can be utilized to sustain long-term projects; and
Developing a more transparent and efficient application process.

Since 2002, FEMA has allocated more than $28 billion in grants to bolster our nation's preparedness, response and recovery capabilities in response to terrorist attacks and other major disasters. A large portion of the allocation targets are based on risk, and the initiatives funded by these allocations are the result of strategic considerations.

DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) Staff Presents Function-Based Approach to Planning at the Cross Border Workshop
The Pacific Northwest Border Health Alliance Sixth Annual Bi-National Cross Border Workshop was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, May 26-28, 2009. This year's conference entitled, Public Health Resilience: A Collaborative Challenge was highlighted by the signing of the Pacific Northwest Border Health Alliance Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A product of 18 years of collaboration, five States and four Canadian Territories in western North America signed the MOU. This MOU recognizes that signees agree to a collaborative approach for use of available health service resources to: a) prevent and/or mitigate an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition caused by bioterrorism, epidemic/pandemic disease outbreak, or a novel/highly fatal infectious agent or biological toxin through integrated surveillance and early notification; b) respond to surge capacity demands on health systems and health resources efficiently and in a cost effective manner when public health emergencies arise in any jurisdiction party to this MOU; and c) assess current and explore future areas of operational responsibility that could result in efficiencies when providing health services in the jurisdiction of any Party to this MOU.

Debbie Fulmer, Emergency Management Advisor, CRCL, introduced the function-based approach to planning for special needs populations during the conference plenary session This approach, as articulated in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 301: Interim Emergency Management Planning Guide for Special Needs Populations (available at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=45435), illustrates how emergency managers can identify the function-based needs of the community without respect to diagnosis or labels. This allows for a community wide planning strategy that is inclusive of all populations and is applicable to any type of incident, including incidents that result in a significant impact on community health.

Each year the Cross Border Workshop brings together public health partners from emergency management, emergency medical services, risk communication, public health law, academia and other areas of practice. The participating jurisdictions included Canadian Federal, provincial/territorial, regional and first nation representation. United States representation came from Federal, tribal, state and local governments from six states.

The Pacific North West Border Memorandum of Understanding may be found at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/PNWBHA_MOU-JCC_TOR_Jan_09_For_Sign-Off_277551_7.pdf.

The following two Department of Homeland Security articles has been previously published in the DHS Today, June 15, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 19.

FEMA Hosts Fourth Annual Safety and Preparedness Expo
FEMA conducted its fourth annual Safety and Preparedness Expo outside its Washington, DC headquarters office. This event attracted hundreds of people and provided an opportunity for FEMA to conduct public outreach and highlight its partners. More than 40 exhibitors were part of this year's expo, with interactive displays and demonstrations.

"The event was a great opportunity to showcase the incredible resources our partners across the emergency response team bring to the table," commented FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.

This year's theme was "Building a Culture of Preparedness." Among the expo activities and displays was a demonstration by the American Red Cross on how to build personal and family disaster kits. Other displays included a hazardous materials decontamination tent, search and rescue demonstrations, mobile emergency response vehicles, and equipment used by first responders.

FEMA's Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental Division sponsored and hosted the expo. Some of those participating included the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services, FEMA's Mitigation and Center for Domestic Preparedness, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and the DC Harbor Patrol.

More information about this event is available at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=48726.

FEMA's Ready Campaign And Citizen Corps Encourage Participation In The National Preparedness Month Coalition
FEMA announced on June 19, 2009 that more than 1,200 national, regional, tribal, state and local businesses and organizations have pledged their support and joined the 2009 National Preparedness Month (NPM) Coalition. Non-member organizations are strongly encouraged to join before the start of NPM. Led by FEMA's Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, NPM is held each September and is designed to raise awareness and promote action surrounding emergency preparedness among citizens, businesses and communities.

NPM 2009 is focused on helping Americans understand what it truly means to be Ready, which includes specific items to include in kits, making a plan, being informed and getting involved. This will also be the focus of Ready's new public service advertisements that are being produced by the Advertising Council and are slated to launch during NPM this September.

"I want to thank the hundreds of coalition members who are making a difference by promoting emergency preparedness in their communities," said Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator. "Taking the steps now to ensure that your family and your community are prepared will go a long way during the next emergency. We urge every American to take the steps necessary to keep their family safe, which include getting a kit, making a plan, being informed, and getting involved."

All National Preparedness Month Coalition members have agreed to distribute emergency preparedness information and sponsor activities across the country that will promote emergency preparedness. Membership is open to all public and private sector organizations. Groups and individuals can register to become members by visiting www.ready.gov, and clicking on the NPM banner.

To see a list of more than 1,200 national, regional, tribal, state and local businesses and organizations which have pledged their support and joined the 2009 NPM Coalition, please visit www.ready.gov/america/npm09/members.html.

For more information on the Ready Campaign and NPM, please visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov. Information is also available by phone at 1-800-BE-READY or 1-888-SE-LISTO. For information on Citizen Corps, to download the study, and to find the over 2,300 local communities who have created Citizen Corps Councils to strengthen collaboration between government and civic leaders and to educate, train, and involve the public, please visit www.citizencorps.gov.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

W. Craig Fugate is Sworn-in as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator
In the company of family and FEMA employees, W. Craig Fugate was sworn-in as the new FEMA Administrator by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

Prior to coming to FEMA, Administrator Fugate served as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. In the role since 2001, he coordinated disaster response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments.

Following his oath ceremony, Fugate expressed gratitude by saying "it was an honor and a pleasure to be asked to serve." He noted to employees that he looks forward to "doing a lot of great things together." Fugate concluded by saying, "When disaster strikes, we are going to be there as a team to support governors, tribal, state and local officials to meet the needs of survivors."

In the coming weeks, Administrator Fugate will work closely with Secretary Napolitano, FEMA teams at headquarters and in FEMA regions, and with local, state, tribal and federal partners to ensure the nation is prepared for this hurricane season.

For further information, please go to http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=48836.

Senate Confirms Timothy W. Manning as the New FEMA Deputy Administrator for the National Preparedness Directorate
On May 6, 2009, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Timothy W. Manning as Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness Directorate, for FEMA.

"I am very pleased that the Senate has confirmed Tim Manning for this critical role that is so vital to FEMA and to our country," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "Tim brings an excellent portfolio and experience to the position, and I am pleased to have him join the DHS and FEMA leadership teams."

Prior to coming to FEMA, Deputy Administrator Manning served as the Director of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor. He was named the Department's first Director in April 2007, having previously been appointed to the Cabinet as Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security in 2005 and before that the State Director of Emergency Management in early 2003. In addition to the State's intelligence and anti-terrorism programs, Deputy Administrator Manning also oversaw the daily administration of the State's disaster and emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts.

Deputy Administrator Manning has previously served as a Deputy Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. He has a diverse background in emergency services, working in a number of positions in the State's emergency management agency including the hazardous materials response program coordinator as well as the Chief of the Emergency Operations Bureau, and eventually the agency's Director. Prior to his service with the State of New Mexico, Mr. Manning served as a firefighter, EMT, rescue mountaineer, and hazardous materials specialist.

For further information, please go to http://fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=48260.

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, May 11, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 14.

DHS Wins Top Award for Recruitment of Persons with Disabilities
The department's efforts in recruiting qualified persons with disabilities for DHS positions were recognized by CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine at the publication's conference in April 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. Magazine readers rated DHS as the place they most wanted to work and, as a result, DHS was honored with the "2009 Public Sector Employer of the Year Award." Representatives from several DHS components attended the event.

A workforce that represents the diversity of the nation is a top priority for DHS recruiting efforts, which focuses on recruiting qualified talent. DHS is committed to continued success in the employment, advancement, and retention of persons with disabilities.

Ongoing recruitment outreach and events are scheduled throughout 2009. These efforts are being conducted and coordinated by the DHS Office of the Human Capital officer and the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

To receive additional information about DHS recruiting initiatives for persons with disabilities, contact either Ian Pannell at ian.pannell@hq.dhs.gov or Tanya Cantrell at tanya.cantrell@hq.dhs.gov.

The National Council on Disability

The National Council on Disability (NCD) to Release Report on Emergency Management and People with Disabilities
Vice Chairperson Pat Pound will release NCD's latest report on emergency management and people with disabilities at the International Association of Emergency Managers' 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness, the Power of Citizen Corps on August 12, 2009.

In this report, NCD offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs and practices across the lifecycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors.

NCD's recommendations are based on scientific research and thorough review of policies and practices that have been tested in emergencies of all types throughout the country. It is NCD's expectation that this report will promote a focused dialogue and communicate critical information to be used by those charged with protecting our nation's most vulnerable populations.

In the interim, for more information about people with disabilities and emergency management, please visit NCD's Lessons Learned page and NCD's 2005 report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning.

Recently Released Resources

EPI Hires New Deputy Director
The National Organization on Disability's Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) is pleased to announce that Mr. Bruce McFarlane has joined EPI as the program's Deputy Director. He will be responsible for providing continued technical assistance, outreach and education on emergency preparedness issues involving people with disabilities and special needs and will manage several large EPI projects taking place across the United States. He will also expand EPI's capability to provide workplace safety information to employers hiring people with disabilities.

Mr. McFarlane's contact information is as follows:

Bruce A. McFarlane, Sr.
Deputy Director
Emergency Preparedness Initiative
National Organization on Disability
888 16th Street NW, Suite 811
Washington, DC 20006
(cell) 202-556-5398
mcfarlaneb@nod.org

H1N1 Influenza (flu) Information for National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Audiences
The NICHD supports and conducts research on some of our more vulnerable community members, including: infants; children; women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding; and people with disabilities. Information about flu prevention and treatments for these populations is available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/spotlight-050109-flu-H1N1.cfm.

Workshop Report on Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities Released
On February 3-4, 2009, the American National Standards Institute's Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSI-HSSP) held a workshop on Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs. Over 100 stakeholders, including representatives from standards developing organizations and government agencies, listened to and examined the needs of this community and explored standards-based solutions for more effective emergency preparedness. In a series of panels, roundtable discussions, and public input sessions, participants discussed real-life examples of evacuation of people with disabilities from recent events, the strengths and weaknesses of existing standards, and priorities in creating standards for emergency preparedness.

The final workshop report and executive summary can also be found on the HSSP website. The report contains hyperlinks to presentations delivered at the February workshop for your convenience.

In order to assure the widest release of the workshop report's findings, it has been made fully accessible for individuals with disabilities in both audio and American Sign Language translations. Both translations are available on ANSI's YouTube site.

An ANSI press release covering this event has also been released. To access the press release, please click here: ANSI-HSSP Releases Workshop Report on Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities.

Please do not hesitate to contact Karen Hughes, Director of Homeland Security Standards (khughes@ansi.org) or Jessica Carl, Program Administrator (jcarl@ansi.org) should you have any questions.

CEPIN, NTPI Partnership Provides Special Needs and Emergency Management Community Web-Based Training
The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) announced its partnership with St. Petersburg College's National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI)—part of the Center for Public Safety Innovation—to create a self-paced, web-based training program for special needs and emergency management communities. CEPIN's training is funded by FEMA and is designed to lessen the impact of disasters on people with special needs.

The CEPIN self-paced training will: increase public awareness about challenges that people with special needs face during disasters; examine gaps in emergency plans that serve the special needs population; and start the dialogue needed to develop mutual understanding and respect between the special needs and emergency management communities.

"NTPI offers a lot of resources and we are looking forward to what this agreement will produce," Neil McDevitt, the Program Director of CEPIN said. "Our alliance with NTPI is the type of relationship we really want to see between the special needs population and emergency managers. This collaboration will make it easier for both communities to give and receive services when disaster strikes. The web-based training will reinforce the idea that teamwork and preparation always creates a 'win-win' situation."

NTPI, funded by St. Petersburg College, provides education and training in terrorism awareness, prevention, and provides the tools needed to respond effectively during disasters and terrorist attacks. Along with CEPIN, NTPI will provide: course analysis; structural design; and course development, implementation and evaluation.

"The National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI) at St. Petersburg College is proud to continue a partnership with the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., (CEPIN/TDI) formed to provide best-practice training for special needs populations and emergency management personnel," said Chris Littlewood, Project Coordinator II for St. Petersburg College's Center for Public Safety Innovation. "The goal of the course is to help emergency managers and special needs population advocates to determine who would be impacted by a disaster or emergency situation and, therefore, included in an all-inclusive emergency planning process."

CEPIN's web-based training is being developed with the help of subject matter experts from NTPI and other organizations. Training pilots will be held through Summer 2009 and CEPIN will officially launch the course in late Fall 2009.

Points of view or opinions in the above article are those of the author(s) and do not represent the position or policies of the Department of Homeland Security.

Disability Law Handbook
The Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers Southwest ADA Center, a program of the Independent Living Research Utilization at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, announces the publication of The Disability Law Handbook, a 50-page guide to the basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability related laws.

Written in an FAQ format, The Disability Law Handbook answers questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Social Security Act, the Air Carrier Access Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments.

To download your individual copy of The Disability Law Handbook, go to http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/dlh/disabilitylawhandbook.pdf.

Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities
The National Disability Authority (NDA) has launched an important new publication entitled "Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities". The publication is aimed at ensuring the speedy and safe evacuation of public buildings by people with a disability, particularly in the event of an emergency. This publication will be of special interest to facilities managers, accommodation officers, health and safety personnel, access officers, disability liaison officers and human resource professionals in the public sector. To read the report, go to http://www.nda.ie/cntmgmtnew.nsf/0/195244135ECA466B8025741F00529C24/$File/Egress1.html.

Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana: Mitigation Assessment Team Report, Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance
In response to Hurricane Ike, FEMA deployed a Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) to evaluate and assess damage from the hurricane and provide observations, conclusions, and recommendations on the performance of buildings and other structures impacted by wind and flood forces. The MAT included FEMA Headquarters and Regional Office engineers, representatives from other federal agencies and academia, and experts from the design and construction industry. The conclusions and recommendations of this report are intended to provide decision-makers with information and technical guidance that can be used to reduce future hurricane damage. To read the report, go to http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3577.

Upcoming Events

July 12-15, 2009
An International Conference on Rebuilding Sustainable Communities with the Elderly and Disabled People after Disasters (CRSCAD)
John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA
This conference will bring together specialists and stakeholders from around the globe to share information and experiences and to develop strategies around some of the core issues concerning the place of the elderly and individuals with disabilities in local, regional, national and international post-disaster reconstruction policies, plans and programs. For more information, see http://www.rebuilding.umb.edu/.

August 3-4, 2009
4th Annual Disaster Planning for Hospitals Conference
Chicago, IL
Discover how to effectively prepare your facility for a large scale disaster with special emphasis on both response and recovery. World Research Group's faculty shares in-depth case studies on every step of the process from creating an emergency operation plan to repatriation of patients after an evacuation. Highlights include:

Keynote Address from the Joint Commission on the 2009 Emergency Management Standards
Insights into responding to the H1N1 Swine Flu
Developing an action plan to maintain sustainability for 96 hours
Improve patient care by developing a mass casualty triage system
Creating an emergency operation plan for special needs populations
Enhancing patient tracking systems to ensure reimbursement following a disaster
Addressing the legal and ethical issues of crisis care
Two in-depth training workshops to choose from

For more information, see http://www.worldrg.com/showConference.cfm?confCode=HW09075&field=summary.

August 9-12, 2009
2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness: The Power of Citizen Corps
Arlington, VA
The 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness: The Power of Citizen Corps, is being hosted by the FEMA Community Preparedness Division and is open to all who are interested in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for all types of hazards. It will bring together approximately 600 state and local elected officials, emergency management, fire and police services, public health and emergency medical services, non-governmental organizations, private business and industry, advocacy groups, and members of public.

More details on the conference, including registration information, can be found on the conference website at http://www.iaem.com/NCCP2009.htm.

September 17, 2009
Third National Disaster Preparedness Summit
Seattle, WA
This educational seminar is designed to help both government and private sectors create or update their current disaster plan by providing the knowledge and tools necessary to complete an efficient emergency plan in order to ensure that their business, employees and property will survive and recover in the event of a disaster.

For more information, see www.nationaldisastersummit.org.

September 21-23, 2009
Wireless RERC State of Technology Conference: Wireless Emergency Communications
Atlanta, GA
This FREE event will bring together both domestic and international stakeholders in a think tank environment to examine the potential of wireless communications technology for improving support and assistance for persons with disabilities before, during, and after a natural or manmade disaster. The target audience is the wireless industry, emergency management and public safety officials, broadcast and cable industry, individuals with disabilities, disability organizations, and researchers working on issues of emergency communications. For more information, see http://sot.wirelessrerc.org/.

September 21-24, 2009
New Mexico Emergency Management Association (NMEMA) Annual Conference
"Passport to Preparedness"
Clovis, NM
The New Mexico Emergency Management Association, NMEMA, is dedicated to serving the emergency management community by offering opportunities for networking, development of professional standards, conducting trainings, and fellowship. NMEMA hosts an annual emergency management conference in the late summer/early fall to bring together New Mexico's emergency managers, responders, and support professionals in the emergency management field. All local, county, state, federal, military, public, private and volunteer organizations participate in order to share the latest information in emergency planning, trainings, and technology and to review disaster response and recovery.

October 31-November 5, 2009
IAEM 57th Annual Conference & EMEX 2009
"Emergency Management: United We Stand"
Orlando, FL
The IAEM Annual Conference provides a forum for current trends and topics, information about the latest tools and technology in emergency management and homeland security, and advances IAEM committee work. Sessions encourage stakeholders at all levels of government, the private sector, public health and related professions to exchange ideas on collaborating to protect lives and property from disaster.

For more information, see http://www.iaem.com/events/Annual/intro.htm.

DISCLAIMER: DHS CRCL does not endorse the resources or events mentioned in this newsletter. All references describing non-Federal resources and events are provided to ICC stakeholders for information purposes only.

Join the ICC Listserv!

The Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (ICC) has created a listserv. Please join our listserv to receive the ICC's Monthly Updates and access other information pertinent to emergency preparedness and individuals with disabilities.

To join, see http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/archives/icc-dispreppubs-l.html or go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/ and click "Online Mailing List Archives," then select "ICC-DISPREPPUBS-L" and complete the subscription form.

For more information about the ICC, see www.disabilitypreparedness.gov.

About the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties oversees the implementation of Executive Order 13347, Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness, which was signed by President Bush in July 2004. This Executive Order is designed to ensure the safety and security of individuals with disabilities in all-hazard emergency and disaster situations. To this end, the Executive Order created an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. The ICC is comprised of senior leadership from more than 25 Federal departments and agencies. Its mission is to ensure that people with disabilities and their specific needs are fully integrated into all aspects of our nation's emergency management system; including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The Secretary of Homeland Security is the Chair of the ICC, and this role has been delegated to the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The Council has concentrated its work in nine major areas:

Emergency Communications;
Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace;
Emergency Transportation;
Health and Human Services;
Homeland Security Policy and Operations;
Housing;
Nongovernmental Outreach
Research; and
State, Local, and Tribal Government Outreach