Okaloosa County BOCC — December 4, 2012 — reading text

including payments related to backfilling personnel, which are the direct result of attendance at FEMA and/or approved training courses and programs, are allowable. These costs are allowed only to the extent the payment for such services is in accordance with the policies of the State or unit(s) of local government and has the approval of the State or the awarding agency, whichever is applicable. In no case is dual compensation allowable. That is, an employee of a unit of government may not receive compensation from their unit or agency of government AND from an award for a single period of time (e.g., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), even though such work may benefit both activities.  Travel – Costs (e.g., airfare, mileage, per diem, hotel) are allowable as expenses by employees who are on travel status for official business related to approved training.  Hiring of Full or Part-Time Staff or Contractors/Consultants – Payment of salaries and fringe benefits to full or part-time staff or contractors/consultants must be in accordance with the policies of the State or unit(s) of local government and have the approval of the State or awarding agency, whichever is applicable. Such costs must be included within the funding allowed for program management personnel expenses. In no case is dual compensation allowable.  Certification/Recertification of Instructors – States are encouraged to follow the NTE Instructor Quality Assurance Program to ensure a minimum level of competency and corresponding levels of evaluation of student learning. This is particularly important for those courses that involve training of trainers. This information is contained in Information Bulletin #193, issued October 20, 2005. Additional information can be obtained at http://www.fema.gov/good_guidance/download/10146.  Other Items – These costs include the rental of equipment and other expenses used specifically for exercises, costs associated with inclusive practices and the provision of reasonable accommodations and modifications to provide full access for children and adults with disabilities. Unauthorized training-related costs include: Reimbursement for the maintenance and/or wear and tear costs of general use vehicles (e.g., construction vehicles) medical supplies, and emergency response apparatus (e.g., fire trucks, ambulances). Equipment that is purchased for permanent installation and/or use, beyond the scope of exercise conduct (e.g., electronic messaging signs). The purchase of food is not permissible under this grant , subject to prior approval of the Department of Financial Services, explicitly authorized by 2 CFR, Part 225, Appendix B. While this is an allowable purchase by DHS, please note that FDEM adheres to Florida Statues, which are more stringent than federal guidance. Such expenditures are restricted to the rates specified for Class C meals in Section 112.061, Florida Statutes. C. Exercises Allowable exercise-related costs include:  Funds Used to Design, Develop, Conduct, and Evaluate an Exercise – Includes costs related to planning, meeting space and other meeting costs, facilitation costs, materials and supplies, travel, and documentation. Grantees are encouraged to use government or free public space/locations/facilities, whenever available, prior to the rental of space/locations/facilities. Exercises should provide the opportunity to demonstrate and validate skills learned, as well as to identify any gaps in these skills. Any exercise or exercise gaps, including those for children and individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs, should be identified in the AAR/IP and addressed in the exercise cycle.  Hiring of Full or Part-Time Staff or Contractors/Consultants – Full or part-time staff may be hired to support exercise-related activities. Such costs must be included within the funding allowed for program management personnel expenses.  The applicant’s formal written procurement policy or 44 CFR 13.36 – whichever is more stringent – must be followed.  Overtime and Backfill – The entire amount of overtime costs, including payments related to backfilling personnel, which are the direct result of time spent on the design, development, and conduct of exercises are allowable expenses. These costs are allowed only to the extent the payment for such services is in accordance with the policies of the State or unit(s) of local government and has the approval of the State or the awarding agency, whichever is applicable. In no case is dual compensation allowable. That is, an employee of a unit of government may not receive compensation 22 Packet Pg. 97  8.1.a from their unit or agency of government AND from an award for a single period of time (e.g., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), even though such work may benefit both activities. Attachment: OkaloosaCo Homeland Security Grant 2013 (1276 : Fiscal Year 2013 Homeland Security Grant Agreement Approval)  Travel – Travel costs are allowable as expenses by employees who are on travel status for official business related to the planning and conduct of exercise project(s) or HSEEP programmatic requirements as described in the HSEEP website (e.g., Improvement Plan Workshops, Training and Exercise Plan).  Supplies – Supplies are items that are expended or consumed during the course of the planning and conduct of the exercise project(s) (e.g., copying paper, gloves, tape, non-sterile masks, and disposable protective equipment).  Disability Accommodations – Materials, services, tools and equipment for exercising inclusive of people with disabilities (physical, programmatic and communications access for people with physical sensory, mental health, intellectual and cognitive disabilities).  Other Items – These costs include the rental of equipment and other expenses used specifically for exercises, costs associated with inclusive practices and the provision of reasonable accommodations and modifications to provide full access for children and adults with disabilities. Unauthorized exercise-related costs include: Reimbursement for the maintenance and/or wear and tear costs of general use vehicles (e.g., construction vehicles) medical supplies, and emergency response apparatus (e.g., fire trucks, ambulances). Equipment that is purchased for permanent installation and/or use, beyond the scope of exercise conduct (e.g., electronic messaging signs). The purchase of food is not permissible under this grant, subject to prior approval of the Department of Financial Services, explicitly authorized by 2 CFR, Part 225, Appendix B. While this is an allowable purchase by DHS, please note that FDEM adheres to Florida Statues, which are more stringent than federal guidance. Such expenditures are restricted to the rates specified for Class C meals in Section 112.061, Florida Statutes. Exercise Requirements Training and Exercise Plan Workshop. States and Urban Areas are required to conduct an annual Training and Exercise Plan Workshop (TEPW). A Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan must be developed from the workshops on an annual basis and submitted to the States respective Exercise Program point of contact. The State Exercise Program point of contact should submit a copy of the State and Urban Area plans to hseep@dhs.gov. The Training and Exercise Plan will include the State’s prioritized capability requirements and a Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan (schedule) that supports the identified capabilities. In addition to submission of the Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan to hseep@dhs.gov, all scheduled training and exercises should be entered into the HSEEP National Exercise Scheduling (NEXUS) System, located in the HSEEP Toolkit on the HSEEP website https://hseep.dhs.gov. States must complete a cycle of exercise activities during the period of this grant. Exercises conducted by States and Ur\ban Areas may be used to fulfill similar exercise requirements required by other grants programs. To this end, grantees are encouraged to invite representatives/planners involved with other federally-mandated or private exercise activities. States and Urban areas are encouraged to share, at a minimum, the multi-year training and exercises schedule with those departments, agencies, and organizations included in the plan.  Exercise Scenarios. The scenarios used in HSGP-funded exercises must be based on the State/Urban Area’s Homeland Security Strategy and plans. Acceptable scenarios for SHSP and UASI exercises include: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, cyber, agricultural and natural or technological disasters. The scenarios used in HSGP-funded exercises must focus on validating existing capabilities and must be large enough in scope and size to exercise multiple tasks and warrant involvement from multiple jurisdictions and disciplines and nongovernmental organizations and take into account the needs and requirements for individuals with disabilities. Exercise scenarios should align with objectives and capabilities identified in the Multiyear Training and Exercise Plan.  Special Event Planning. If a State or Urban Area will be hosting a special event (e.g., Super Bowl, G-8 Summit) the special event planning should be considered as a training or exercise activity for the purpose of the Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan. The State or Urban Area should plan to use SHSP or UASI funding to finance training and exercise activities in preparation for those events. States and Urban Areas should also consider exercises at major venues (e.g., arenas, convention centers) that focus on evacuations, communications, and command and control. States should also anticipate participating in at least one Regional Exercise annually. States must include all confirmed or planned special events in the Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan. 23 Packet Pg. 98  8.1.a  Exercise Evaluation and Improvement. Exercises should evaluate performance of the objectives and capabilities required to respond to the exercise scenario. Guidance related to exercise evaluation and improvement planning is defined in the HSEEP located at https://hssep.dhs.gov.