Due to the President’s Day holiday, Feb. 19, the next APWA Washington Report will be sent Feb. 26. Be sure to follow APWA’s Government Affairs team on X and LinkedIn for updates.
APWA, FHWA Sign Updated Memorandum of Agreement
APWA President Gary Losier, CEO Scott Grayson, and Federal Highway Administrator (FHWA) Shailen Bhatt signed an updated memorandum of agreement (MOA), Feb. 7, while in Washington D.C. for a meeting of APWA’s Board of Directors;- Updating common objectives and specific areas for collaboration, including quarterly communication and participation in newsletters, webinars, and conferences as well as continued work through APWA and FHWA committees and groups, including traffic incident management, the Every Day Counts initiative, Local Technical Assistance program, and more with an underlying focus on integrating safety;
- In addition to the MOA signing with FHWA, the APWA board and Government Affairs team held meetings with key federal agency leaders from the U.S. Depts. of Transportation, Commerce, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Deputy Asst. to the President for Infrastructure Implementation;
- During these meetings, APWA’s public policy priorities were spoken to as well as the many ways the association is a trusted resource for the important work impacting public works in the areas of transportation, emergency management, and water resiliency.
FEMA Offering Mitigation Planning and Project Support Assistance
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced mitigation planning and project support for communities or Tribal Nations lacking resources to start climate resilience or project design;
- FEMA will provide no-charge assistance with hazard mitigation planning and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants project support;
- To apply by the Feb. 29 deadline, use the BRIC Direct Technical Assistance Request Form;
- FEMA plans to select up to 80 communities and Tribal Nations to receive direct technical assistance, which will be announced later this summer.
CISA Releases Violence Prevention through De-escalation Video
- The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) has released a new video on Violence Prevention through De-escalation;
- The video is designed to help critical infrastructure and public gathering location stakeholders identify concerning behavior and mitigate the risk of targeted violence incidences;
- It offers recommendations for security- and non-security-trained professionals on conflict prevention techniques and recommended practices that may augment more traditional security protocols.
On the Horizon
All times ET.
- Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m., The FirstNet Authority will host a webcast about an update to its FirstNet technology. This event is made possible in part due to contributions from the Public Safety Advisory Commission (PSAC), of which APWA is a member. To register, visit Evolving FirstNet for America’s First Responders;
- Feb. 14 at 10 a.m., the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing on Disaster Readiness – Examining the Propriety of the Expanded Use of FEMA Resources;
- Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology will hold a hearing on Examining Fire Hazards – Lithium-Ion Batteries and Other Threats to Fire Safety;
- Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Buy America Implementation;
- Registration has closed but we wanted to let you know FEMA will host three Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) exercises, two virtual exercises on Feb. 27 at 11 a.m., and Feb. 28 at 1 p.m., as well as one in-person exercise on Feb. 29 at 11 a.m.
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