How to Develop Agreements for Mass Care Services (July 2022)

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide a range of vital—and often irreplaceable—resources, capabilities, innovative technology, and expertise to SLTT governments. The purpose of this guide is to provide guidance to SLTT governments and NGOs to better understand why Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) are important and provided tools for improving delivery of mass care services and emergency assistance. The guidance provided in this document will help enable SLTT governments and NGOs to work together in identifying existing resources and capability gaps and determine what services and support they can provide to each other. 

Tools and Resources Provided in the Guide Include: 

• Best practices for initiating, developing, and implementing MOAs
• Tools to identify, categorize, and organize resources and capabilities 
• Case studies highlighting the effective use of MOAs between SLTT governments and NGOs
• Process highlighting major milestones in developing and implementing MOAs
• Example MOA developed by a jurisdiction for an NGO
• Template for developing MOAs in accordance with the guidance provided in the document

Additionally, this guide addresses GAO findings from September 2019 that FEMA and the American Red Cross need to ensure key mass care organizations are included in coordination and planning.  

INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND POLICY GUIDE (IAPPG) (May 2021)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to present Version 1.1 of the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG). The IAPPG consolidates information on Individual Assistance (IA) programs offered by FEMA to a state, local, territorial, or tribal government jurisdiction affected by a disaster. The IAPPG will:

·        Supersede IAPPG Version 1.0 and the policy changes to the Individuals and Households Program resulting from the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, Section 1212 Memorandum, dated March 25, 2019;

·        Provide an updated guide to programs and activities available to an affected state, local, territorial, or tribal government following a disaster; and

·        Increase consistency in implementation, collaboration in planning, and the sharing of knowledge between state, local, territorial, or tribal governments, FEMA, and other Federal and non-Federal entities who assist disaster survivors.

Updates in Mass Care / Emergency Assistance:

·        Added service animal guidance for shelter operators (Chapter 2: II.D. Delivery of Assistance).

·        Adjusted declaration language under Sheltering section to specify that local governments cannot request declarations. Declarations may only be requested by states, tribes, and territories. (Chapter 2: II.D. Delivery of Assistance).

LOGISTICS REQUIREMENTS FOR MASS CARE RESOURCES OPERATIONAL (DRAFT) (OCTOBER 2013)

An operational draft for the logistical requirements for mass care resources, which provides additional considerations when ordering or deploying Mass Care Type Resources.

FEMA MASS CARE TYPING DEFINITIONS

FEMA’s Resource Typing Library Tool (RTLT) is a publicly accessible, online catalogue of resource typing definitions and job title/position qualifications. These definitions provide a standardized set of minimum criteria for use by the whole community when building, sustaining, and inventorying resources; and when planning to deliver or delivering services through a national mutual aid network. This catalogue also includes definitions contained within the Mass Care Services core capability. Some Mass Care Services definitions included are:

1. State Mass Care Coordinator
2. Shelter Manager
3. Field Kitchen Manager
4. Animal Intake and Reunification Specialist
5. Access and Functional Needs Advisor (NQS)
6. Donations Coordination Task Force Leader (NQS)
7. Shelter Management Team
8. Field Kitchen Unit
9. Mass Evacuee Support Team
10. Pedestrian Point of Distribution Team
11. Donations Coordination Task Force

We encourage you to explore these and other Mass Care Services Definitions on the Typing Library – RTLT (fema.gov)

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION #6 – MASS CARE, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, TEMPORARY HOUSING, AND HUMAN SERVICES ANNEX (JUNE 2016)

Emergency Support Function (ESF) #6 – Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services coordinates and provides life-sustaining resources, essential services, and statutory programs when the needs of disaster survivors exceed local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area government capabilities.

2018 POSITION GUIDE BOOK, STATE ESF #6 COORDINATOR – WASHINGTON STATE EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION #6 (February 2018)

This Position Guide Book lists essential tasks for the state level ESF #6 Coordinator (alternatively referred to as the “mass care lead”) in the Washington State Emergency Operations Center (State EOC) and/or a Joint Field Office (JFO). This guide serves as a ready reference and describes the basic tasks that must be performed through the ESF #6 desk at the State EOC.
The ESF #6 Coordinator serves as the primary point of contact for all ESF #6 related matters. Additional ESF #6 positions are discussed in separate position books.

STATE COORDINATION FOR FEDERAL MASS CARE RESOURCES (JUNE 2012)

This guidance document provides a template of suggested procedures for a state to consider during the request and employment of Federal mass care resources. Roles and responsibilities, coordination mechanisms and resource ordering processes are identified. States can use this document as a guide to develop their own operational procedures for a mass care response that exceeds the resources of the affects State, local and non-governmental organizations providing service.

WORKING WITH THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY: A CULTURAL COMPETENCE GUIDE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND VOLUNTEERS

This publication is directed primarily at local, state, federal and community organizations that provide services in a community impacted by disaster. It is designed to provide the information necessary to develop culturally sensitive policies and to equip volunteers with the skills necessary to respectfully serve members of the LGBT community in a disaster. This guide will be most useful as emergency response directors create training programs in advance of disasters. A one page cultural competence guide is included as part of this guide for use as Just-in-Time training after a disaster has occurred.

JOPLIN PAYS IT FORWARD: COMMUNITY LEADERS SHARE OUR RECOVERY LESSONS (2013)

The collection of stories in Joplin Pays It Forward provides us insight into Joplin’s incredible journey to rebuild in the wake of mass devastation. Among its many inspiring lessons, the stories tell us how Joplin was able to live up to its promise to re-open completely destroyed schools by the start of the school year; how Joplin worked with a state university to provide shelter, a surge medical clinic, and a volunteer coordination point; and how Joplin was able to coordinate the thousands of volunteers that flooded in to provide support.

SHELTERING & FEEDING CAPABILITIES DEFINITIONS (September 2019)

The NVOAD Mass Care Committee and defines capability as the ability to deliver a service with the kinds of available resources.

MULTI-AGENCY DEFINITIONS OF MASS CARE TERMS (September 2019)

The National VOAD Mass Care Committee compiled this multi-agency definitions of mass care terms for use as a reference by NVOAD member agencies, emergency managers and mass care practitioners across the nation.