Urban Area Working Group (UAWG) Overview/Structure (including Point-of-Contact)

Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

OMB Control Number: 1660-0125

Expiration Date: 6/30/2024

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Urban Area Working Group Structure, including Points of Contact

Urban Area Working Group (Homeland Security Grant Program)

To support the Whole Community Approach (see Section 1.6 “Strengthening Governance Integration” and Section 6.13 “Whole Community Preparedness”), high-risk urban areas are required to establish UAWGs representative of the counties, cities, towns, and tribes within the high-risk urban area including, as appropriate, representatives of rural jurisdictions, high-population jurisdictions, and high-threat jurisdictions.

UASI implementation and governance must include regional partners and should have balanced representation among entities with operational responsibilities for prevention, protection, mitigation, and response activities within the region. In some instances, high-risk urban area boundaries cross state borders. States and territories must ensure that the identified high-risk urban areas take an inclusive regional approach to the development and implementation of the UASI and involve the contiguous jurisdictions, mutual aid partners, port authorities, rail and transit authorities, state agencies, Statewide Interoperability Coordinators, Citizen Corps Whole Community Council(s), and campus law enforcement in their program activities.

Urban Area Working Group COMPOSITION AND SCOPE

Pursuant to section 2003(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (codified as amended at 6 U.S.C. § 604(b)), eligible high-risk urban areas were determined based on an analysis of relative risk of the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). MSAs are used by 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 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.

An SAA must confirm a specific POC with the designated high-risk urban area. The SAA POC is responsible for identifying and coordinating with the POC for the UAWG. This information must be provided to FEMA with the grant application. SAAs must work with existing high-risk urban areas to ensure that information for current POCs is on file with FEMA.

Membership in the UAWG must provide either direct or indirect representation for all relevant jurisdictions and response disciplines (including law enforcement, fire service, EMS, hospitals, public health, and emergency management) that comprise the defined high-risk urban area. It must also be inclusive of local Whole Community Citizen Corps Council and tribal representatives. The UAWG should also include at least one representative from each of the following significant stakeholders:

• Local and tribal government officials;

• CIO and CISO;

• Emergency response providers, which shall include representatives of the fire service, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and emergency managers;

• Public health officials and other appropriate medical practitioners, including Health Care Coalitions (HCCs);

• Individuals representing educational institutions, including elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education; and,

• State and regional interoperable communications coordinators and state and major urban area fusion centers, as appropriate.

In addition to representatives from the local jurisdictions and tribes within the state, territory, or high-risk urban area, the UAWG should include officials responsible for the administration of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) and the HHS 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 other access and functional needs, socio-economic factors, and cultural diversity.

High-risk urban areas will use the URT to verify UAWG structure and membership. The list of UAWG members must also be submitted at the time of application as an attachment in FEMA GO. High-risk urban areas must notify the SAA and the FEMA Headquarters Preparedness Officer of any updates to the UAWG structure or membership after the application is submitted.

Urban Area Working Group Responsibilities

UAWGs must ensure that applications for funding under the UASI support building capability, closing capability gaps, or sustaining capabilities identified in the high-risk urban area’s THIRA/SPR. The UAWG should support state efforts to develop the SPR particularly as it relates to UASI-funded activities. The UAWG, in coordination with the SAA POC, must develop a methodology for allocating funding available through the UASI. The UAWG must reach consensus on all UASI funding allocations. If consensus cannot be reached within the 45-day period allotted for the state to obligate funds to subrecipients, the SAA must make the allocation determination. The SAA must provide written documentation verifying the consensus of the UAWG or the failure to achieve otherwise on the allocation of funds and submit it to FEMA immediately after the 45-day period allotted for the state to obligate funds to subrecipients. Any UASI funds retained by the state must be used in direct support of the high-risk urban area. States must provide documentation to the UAWG, and FEMA upon request, demonstrating how any UASI funds retained by a state are directly supporting the high-risk urban area.

Urban Area Working Group Charter

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 M&A responsibilities, and funding allocation methodologies are formalized in a working group charter, or another form of standard operating procedure related to the UASI 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 submitted at the time of application as an attachment in FEMA GO and must be on file with FEMA prior to drawing down UASI funding. It also must be available to all UAWG members to promote transparency in decision making related to the UASI.