Urban Area Working Group Overview/Structure, including Point-of-Contact

Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

OMB Control Number: 1660-0125

Expiration Date: 4/30/2017

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Urban Area Working Group Structure, including Points of Contact

Composition

Pursuant to provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, eligible UASI sites were determined based on an analysis of relative risk of the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). MSAs are used by DHS/FEMA to determine eligibility for participation in the program. Geographical areas queried do not equate to minimum mandated membership representation of an Urban Area, nor does this guarantee funding for geographical areas queried. UAWGs must continue to take a regional approach to membership but are not required to expand or contract existing Urban Area participation to conform to MSA composition. Detailed information on MSAs is publicly available from the United States Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/metrodef.html.

UASI Program Requirements

The SAA will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the fiduciary and programmatic administration requirements of the UASI program.

• Identify POCs. The SAA must confirm a specific POC with the designated Urban Area. The SAA POCs are responsible for identifying and coordinating with the POC for the UAWG. This information must be provided to DHS/FEMA with the grant application. SAAs must work with existing Urban Areas to ensure that information for current POCs is on file with DHS/FEMA.

• Define the Urban Area. The SAA POC, in coordination with the candidate Urban Areas, must define the Urban Area, as it will apply to the UASI program. The identified city or combined entity represents the candidate Urban Area eligible to apply for funding under the UASI program. For those Urban Areas with a combined entity, that area represents the minimum area that must be part of the defined Urban Area. The definition of the Urban Area is limited to jurisdictions contiguous to the geographic area used to determine eligibility, or those jurisdictions in that area which have established formal mutual aid agreements. States may request a waiver for this limitation for regions previously established by Executive Order, law, or compact. For the purposes of the UASI program, the Washington, D.C. Urban Area will consist of the National Capital Region (NCR) as set forth in 10 U.S.C. §2674(f)(2). In coordination with the UAWG, the SAA POC may redefine the geographic boundaries of an existing Urban Area, as it will apply to the UASI program. The SAA POC must notify DHS/FEMA of this change.

• Establish the UAWG. Membership in the UAWG must provide either direct or indirect representation for all relevant jurisdictions and response disciplines (including law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and emergency management) that comprise the defined Urban Area. It must also be inclusive of local Citizen Corps Council and Tribal representatives. The UAWG should also ensure the integration of local emergency management, public health, and health care systems into a coordinated, sustained local capability to respond effectively to a mass casualty incident. In addition, the UAWG should include officials responsible for the administration of Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s (ASPR) cooperative agreements. Finally, it must be inclusive of members advocating on behalf of youth, older adults, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency and others with access and functional needs, socio-economic factors and cultural diversity.

The SAA POC must ensure that appropriate representation for the defined Urban Area is included per this guidance. DHS/FEMA strongly encourages that, wherever possible, previously established local working groups should be leveraged for this purpose to ensure that UASI funded resources are managed in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The UAWG may also support state efforts to develop the SPR, particularly as it relates to UASI funded activities.

• Governance. The jurisdictions identified in Appendix A – FY 2016 Program Allocations (starts on page 31) represent the candidate Urban Areas eligible to apply for funding. The UAWG will be responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of all program initiatives. States and Urban Areas must consider including counties within which the cities reside, contiguous jurisdictions, MSAs, operational areas, and mutual aid partners, as appropriate, in the governance process.

In keeping with sound project management practices, the UAWG must ensure that its approach to critical issues such as membership, governance structure, voting rights, grant management and administration responsibilities, and funding allocation methodologies are formalized in a working group charter or other form of standard operating procedure related to the UASI program governance. The charter must also outline how decisions made in UAWG meetings will be documented and shared with UAWG members. The UAWG charter must be on file with DHS/FEMA prior to drawing down UASI funding and must be available to all UAWG members to promote transparency in decision-making related to the UASI program.

UASIs will use the URT to verify UAWG structure and membership. Urban Areas must notify the SAA and Headquarters Program Analyst of any updates to the UAWG structure or membership.