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Silver Jackets. Innovative Collaboration to Maximize Solutions. What is Silver Jackets?. Collaborative Team of Agencies State Federal Regional . M ANY A GENCIES – O NE S OLUTION. Silver Jackets Concept.
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Silver Jackets Innovative Collaboration to Maximize Solutions
What is Silver Jackets? • Collaborative Team of Agencies • State • Federal • Regional MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
Silver Jackets Concept • Bring together State and Federal Agencies dealing with or impacting Mitigation Activities • Goal – Make the most of limited state and federal grant funds • Indiana is only the second state in the nation to form a Silver Jackets Team • Ohio is the first state • Each state sets up the team to meet their programmatic needs and desires. MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
Why Silver Jackets ? • Simple name for a Team that blends the best ideas for the benefit of Indiana Citizens • FEMA – Blue Jackets • Army Corps of Engineers – Red Jackets • Other agencies – variety of colors MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
Mission The members will establish an inter-agency communications team to: • enable effective sharing of information • Leverage available agency resources • Improve customer service • Promote wise stewardship of the taxpayers’ investment. MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
What Silver Jackets Is NOT • Arbitrator between an agency and local entity • Project Review or Approval Organization • Separate or Additional Funding Source • Regulatory Arm of any agency MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
How it works • Host agency is IDHS • Regular monthly meetings • Training/workshops
Meeting process • Agency reports • Agencies bring issues to the meeting • Discuss info gaps & data needs • Find solutions among current service capabilities • Current grants or agency programs or policies • Collaborate on a combined solution • Existing programs • New initiatives
Discuss challenges encountered • Each Agency is able to bring challenges or issues to the meeting for others to consider • Find solutions among current service capabilities • Current grants or agency programs or policies • Collaborate on a combined solution MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
2008 IN Floods • 5 record floods • January • February • March • June • September • 3 Disaster Declarations
During the flood- communications • Agency activities • Info for response • USGS brings • Flood hydrologic data – streamgage network • Flood Web page • “Eyes & ears” in the field • Rapid deployment streamgages • Satellite imagery
Enhanced Collaboration • Staff in EOC • Frequent communication between State/Fed partners • DNR, DHS, DOT, IDEM • National Guard • NWS • FEMA • COE
After the floods - collaboration • Setting HWMKs • USGS & IDNR • Flood documentation • FEMA • USGS • IDNR • IDHS • NWS • USACE • Local Agencies
Other accomplishments • Update IN Hazard Mitigation Plan • WebEOC training • “Stay Afloat” campaign • Outreach • Activity book • State Fair
Take Home Messages • By partnering we maximize agency resources for hazard mitigation and avoid overlap • We keep it open and welcome – recently added IN National Guard & Purdue University • Silver Jackets has worked great for IN – maybe it can work for your state MANY AGENCIES – ONE SOLUTION
Silver Jackets Mitigation Activities 6 new streamgages • HGMP for installation • Local/USGS funds for long-term O&M
How did we do?? • Quality of products and services was high • Collaboration between agencies was excellent. The use of the internet web applications and access to real-time data enhanced interagency collaboration
How did we do?? • Human factors played a major role in people’s responses to warnings and other flood information – additional study is needed • There is still room for improvement in flood forecasting, communicating forecast information to the public, and getting the public to take action
Key Findings & Recommendations • Finding 28: Flood inundation mapping will help the public, media, emergency managers, and others visualize the spatial extent and depth of flood waters in the vicinity of NWS river forecast locations. • Recommendation 28: The NWS should expand efforts with state and federal agencies and others to accelerate the implementation of flood inundation mapping across the United States.
Key Findings & Recommendations • Finding 29: The use of 100-year and 500-year flood terminology was confusing to some members of the public. • Recommendation 29a: The NWS should increase its education and outreach efforts on the meaning of existing flood terminology. • Recommendation 29b: The NWS should work with USACE, USGS, and other partners to assess how to communicate flood risk more effectively.
Perfect World • In a perfect world the public would use our information to take appropriate actions to prevent loss of life and/or property • The fact is people do not respond to warnings and weather information in a simple manner • People bring significant perceptual and behavioral histories to the decision-making table.
Final Thought • A whole suite of information – including people’s information sources, perceptions, experiences, and emotions relating to weather events – needs to be understood and carefully addressed to maximize the benefits of our information