January 2025
Volume 19 Issue 1
**Best viewed on a computer browser or horizontally if you are on a smartphone**
Registration Open for Spring Flood Seminar Q&A
Municipal officials and emergency responders will have a chance to ask questions about the spring flood outlook and emergency resources available from the state on Thursday, February 13th from 12-1 pm.
Registration is now open for this event. Registration is required.
The Q&A will follow the release of a series of VEM's annual Spring Flood Seminars. The videos will be available on January 24th on the Vermont Emergency Management website.
These videos will provide information that assists local officials in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from seasonal flooding. Videos will include presentations from:
- National Weather Service
- Agency of Transportation District Maintenance and Fleet Division
- Agency of Natural Resources/Department of Environmental Conservation Rivers Program
- Division of Fire Safety – including Urban Search & Rescue and State HAZMAT Team
- Vermont National Guard/Vermont Military Department
- Regional Planning Commissions
- Vermont Emergency Management (Preparedness, Response, Recovery & Mitigation)
The live virtual Question and Answer session VEM will allow those who have follow-up questions regarding information on the videos. The National Weather Service will also provide a 30-minute update on the spring flood outlook and take questions on that forecast.
If you have any questions, please reach out to DPS.EMHSTraining@vermont.gov
New Municipal Shelter Guidance
Local Emergency Management Plan requirements for 2025 have been updated to include the requirement that each town or city list at least one local shelter that the town or city has the authority to open should the need arise due to a local incident.
Knowing how to open and run a shelter can be challenging for some towns, so Vermont Emergency Management created a Warming Center and Overnight Shelter Guidance Document. This guidance discusses types of centers and shelters, determination to open a shelter, resources needed to run a shelter (and possible sources), shelter inspections, and more.
Any questions regarding the Local Emergency Management Plan or local sheltering, please reach out to the VEM Regional Coordinator covering your area.
New Disaster Debris Planning Requirements
In November 2024, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) adopted the updated Vermont Materials Management Plan. This plan requires Solid Waste Management Entities to create and submit a Disaster Debris Plan to ANR by April 1, 2027.
These plans are required to include municipal debris contacts, Disaster Hazardous Materials Staging Areas, Trash & Construction and Demolition Disaster Debris Management, and Clean Wood/Vegetative/Inert Debris Management Sites. Please expect your Solid Waste Management Entities to be in contact with the Emergency Management Director or other official from your town responsible for municipal debris to discuss this plan.
New Regional Coordinators: Michaela Foody and Bill Jones
Vermont Emergency Management recently welcomed two new Regional Coordinators to assist towns navigate emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
Michaela Foody will serve as Regional Coordinator for Grand Isle, Franklin, and Lamoille Counties. Michaela recently transferred from the VEM Planning Section, where she spent the last year updating the State Emergency Management Plan and coordinating with state agencies on their roles in incident preparedness, response, and recovery.
Prior to joining VEM, Michaela served as the Public Safety Director and Emergency Management Director for the Town of Milton. She is a graduate of Saint Michael’s College, where she began her public safety career as a volunteer firefighter and EMT with Saint Michael’s Fire and Rescue. She has also been a member of the Milton Rescue Department and Colchester Fire Department/Colchester Center Volunteer Fire Company, as well as a Communications Specialist for UVM Medical Center.
Bill Jones will serve as a Regional Coordinator, serving Bennington & Rutland Counties. Bill joins VEM after building a career in the fire service and comes to us from the Vermont Fire Academy with six years as a part-time instructor and fourteen years as a full-time employee and spent the last eight years as a Training Coordinator.
Bill has lived in Vermont all his life and has been involved in public safety since high school. He’s currently a Captain in the Poultney Fire Department.
School Closures and Food Insecurity
Vermont is one of 8 states that offer free breakfast and lunch to all students at public schools. Some independent schools also offer free meals to their students. Many schools also offer free after-school snacks or suppers. In an emergency event where students are still able to get to school, this policy is a helpful tool for ensuring that impacted children have stable access to food.
However, when school is closed unexpectedly because of an emergency, local emergency managers should be aware that nutrition for school-aged children could become a serious concern. Families may not have enough food on hand because they planned for their children to eat 2 to 3 meals per day at school. They may not be able to travel to buy more food because of the emergency conditions or may not have the money to do so.
School vacations are an additional challenge. Free meals are available across the state during summer vacation, but there are no meals available during fall, winter, and spring vacations. This means low-income families are extra vulnerable to unexpected school closures that occur right before or right after a school vacation.
Local emergency managers can take the following steps to help:
- Limit the need for school closures as much as possible
- Prioritize repairs, snow removal, etc. that would allow the school to open and bus routes to operate. Work with school officials ahead of time to determine the most likely barriers to opening.
- Ensure that emergency operations (sheltering, staging, etc.) do not require schools to close. If a school is a designated shelter, work with school officials ahead of time to plan ways to keep school open while the shelter is in operation.
- Directory of Vermont Principals by School
- Directory of Vermont Superintendents by Supervisory Union
- Be aware of the timing of school vacations and the impact on the nutrition needs of children in your community. A list of regional school calendars can be found on the Agency of Education's website. Please note that schedules for individual school buildings may vary:
- School food service programs have some options to help feed children and impacted adults in emergency situations. Reach out to your local school food service program to discuss how they can work with you in a potential event. You can also reference the training slides on this topic from the 2023 VEM Conference.
- Reach out to your local Hunger Council if you'd like to better understand the nutrition security needs that are specific to your community and the local resources that may be available to address them.
*Article provided by the Vermont Agency of Education*
Training
Most trainings require a Learning Management System(LMS) account. If you don’t have an account, you can register for one at the following link: https://vermont.csod.com/selfreg/register.aspx?c=%255e%255e%255eQGm2wxcSUvINsXvXjRYs1A%253d%253d
For a complete listing of trainings go to the Events Calendar in the LMS: https://vermont.csod.com/LMS/catalog/EventsCalendar.aspx?tab_page_id=-10&tab_id=20000513#m=2&d=03/08/2023
VT- Alert Manager Training: This training is now an anytime training in the LMS. We will still host the virtual live training. You can take this training at the following link on the LMS: https://vermont.csod.com/ui/lms-learning-details/app/video/588bdf66-6e68-490e-aa8b-18ccdd115184
January 2025
ICS 300- Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents
This course focuses on management of expanding incidents and is intended for those who will be serving in the following positions: command staff, section chiefs, strike team leaders, unit leaders, division and group supervisors, branch directors, multi-agency coordination system staff, and Emergency Operations Center staff. This course is for middle management, strike team leaders, task force leaders, unit leaders, division and group supervisors, branch directors, Emergency Operations Center staff.
LOCATION: Camp Johnson- Colchester, VT
DATE/TIME: January 10-12, 2025, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
PREREQUISITES: ICS-100 and ICS- 200
REGISTRATION: State Learning Management System
Vermont Local Emergency Management Director Course
This course will familiarize Local Emergency Management Directors (EMD) and Coordinators (EMC) with major roles, responsibilities, and “how to do it” guidance, across all four phases of Emergency Management.
LOCATION: Virtual
DATE/TIME:
Day 1: January 14, 2025, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Day 2: January 16, 2025, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Must attend both days to receive credit.
REGISTRATION: State Learning Management System
Family Reunification Training
The Standard Reunification Method (SRM) provides school and district safety teams with proven methods for planning, practicing, and achieving successful reunification. The SRM Half-Day Seminar describes the types of events that might require a formal reunification of students with parents and guardians. It introduces the concepts and functionality of the Standard Reunification Method, the key principles and roles involved in the process, and the role that Incident Command plays in reunification. Participants gain a detailed overview and can apply the concepts to their own campus, analyze the physical and personnel resources available, and begin to design and develop an effective reunification plan for their own school or organization.
LOCATION: VA Medical Center- White River Junction, VT
DATE/TIME: January 31, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
REGISTRATION: contact Sunni Eriksen at sunni.eriksen@vermont.gov
February 2025
Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults.
LOCATION: Hybrid- It will be virtual and at DPS Headquarters, Waterbury, VT
DATE/TIME: February 6, 2025, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
REGISTRATION: State Learning Management System:
**This is for people within the state of Vermont only**
MGT 405: Mobilizing Faith-Based Community Organizations in Preparing for Disaster
This course covers emergency planning and brings together emergency managers and first responders with Faith-Based Community Organization (FBCO) leaders in a shared learning environment. This course facilitates effective communication to develop comprehensive local emergency plans.
Topics include (but not limited to):
• The roles FBCOs have played during and after major disasters.
• Understanding the responsibilities and authority of each level of governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as the four phases of emergency management and other significant emergency-related terminology.
• The role leadership plays in FBCO preparedness, applying social networking techniques to prepare members for disaster and completing an emergency plan checklist that FBCOs can utilize during the planning process.
• The process for developing a local emergency plan, listing the elements of a comprehensive county emergency plan, and evaluating a plan for FBCO engagement.
LOCATION: Virtual
DATE/TIME: February 11-12, 2025, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. each day
REGISTRATION: https://ruraltraining.org/course/mgt-405-v-mobilizing-faith-based-community-organizations-in-preparing-for-disasters/?scheduled=true&id=11546
ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Active Shooter Response Training
ALICE training is the leading program for response to violent critical incidents (VCI). VCI are man-made forms of violent disasters, including; active shooter, violent intruder, mass shooting, terrorism, workplace violence, and other unexpected tragedies. The mission of ALICE is to save lives. The training program empowers individuals to participate in their own survival using proactive options-based response strategies when faced with violence. Participating in ALICE Instructor Certification provides you with the training necessary to teach others these lifesaving strategies.
LOCATION: The Mountain School at Winhall, Winhall, VT
DATE/TIME: February 18, 2025, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION: https://web.cvent.com/event/8de0fd7b-27a1-4b24-a6c0-2e21e2000411/summary?RefId=social
Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) K-12 101 Train-the-Educator (TtE)
Each school day, our nation’s schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In June 2013, the Obama Administration released the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide), which provides an overview of Federal guidance on school emergency management planning. The School Guide, produced by the U.S. Departments of Education; Justice, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Health and Human Services, incorporates lessons learned from events, like the school shooting in Newtown and the tornadoes in Oklahoma, as well as years of emergency planning work by the Federal government, to present a recommended process, important content elements, and key considerations for school emergency operations plan (EOP) development. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of a high-quality school EOP. With this K-12 101 TtE VTBR, an expert team will provide an overview of the recommended six-step planning process to create a high-quality school EOP, which includes the following: Step 1: Forming a Collaborative Planning Team Step 2: Understanding the Situation Step 3: Determining Goals and Objectives Step 4: Plan Development Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance. Pre- and -post-training activities will provide guidance on how this training is relevant to emergency operations planning and assist with the implementation of what is learned.
LOCATION: Virtual
DATE/TIME: February 18, 2025, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION: https://seiservices.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcu2hqjMoGN104nG6_KdqqfHy6d8piRC4#/registration
ICS 300- Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents
This course focuses on the management of expanding incidents and is intended for those who will be serving in the following positions: command staff, section chiefs, strike team leaders, unit leaders, division and group supervisors, branch directors, multi-agency coordination system staff, and Emergency Operations Center staff. This course is for middle management, strike team leaders, task force leaders, unit leaders, division and group supervisors, branch directors, and Emergency Operations Center staff.
LOCATION: Bennington Rescue Squad- Bennington, VT
DATE/TIME: March 7-9, 2025, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
PREREQUISITES: ICS-100 and ICS-200
REGISTRATION: State Learning Management System
**Must attend all three days to receive credit.
April 2025
VT-Alert Manager Training
This training is intended for Town Officials or Non-Profits who use VT-Alert for public and private notifications. This class is required for all people who will be using the program at the manager level. This training can also act as a refresher as needed. The class will be approximately 1.5 hours long and consist of sending live test alerts. A computer and internet connection are required. A second computer monitor is highly suggested as there is a follow along portion to the class.
LOCATION: Virtual
DATE/TIME: April 16, 2025, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION: via State Learning Management System
June 2025
Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program Bootcamp
The goal of this course, Exercise Bootcamp, is to reinforce prior exercise management training and to coach emergency managers through the planning, conduct, and evaluation of a tabletop exercise. The course is divided into four modules each focusing on a different aspect of the exercise management process, with a combination of classroom instruction and individualized engagement between students and instructors. The modules are:
• Module 1: Scoping
• Module 2: Design and Evaluation Planning
• Module 3: Preparing for Conduct
• Module 4: Post-Conduct (AAR and Beyond)
LOCATION: Virtual
DATE/TIME:
Day 1 - June 24, 2025, 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Day 2 - July 22, 2025, 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Day 3 - August 26, 2025, 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
REQUIRED: Conduct your tabletop between August 10th and October 1st
Day 4 - October 26, 2025, 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
PREREQUISITES: L0146 Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), Previous participation in an exercise (as documented by a sign-in sheet and accompanying brief narrative describing the student’s role in the exercise(s))
REGISTRATION: State Learning Management System
**Must attend all four days to receive credit.