The Administration
and Policy Directorate is the administrative component of the agency, and is
comprised of a Director, the business office, the Public Affairs Office, and
the Title III Program Office. This section is responsible for providing
Personnel services to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency including
continual contact with the Personnel Director and Financial Manager of the
Military Department insuring proper procedures are followed. In addition, this
office coordinates all human resource activities and provides interpretation to
the public of TEMA's mission and the many different
facets of the agency.
Resource
Management (Budget/Finance & Contract Management): This section processes several
hundred grants to local governments annually that range in the millions of
dollars (both federal and state). The Financial Manager must insure that all
expenses are allowable under state and federal regulations. The grants
are written, typed, and mailed to the local governments for proper signatures.
Grants are then mailed back to TEMA and properly accounted for as payments are
made against the grants. The financial office also reviews and makes input to
the budget, processes travel claims, and handles procurement matters, and
provides the fiscal section of the Military Department and the state's Budget
Office the required information needed for financial status reports for all
state and federal funds. The following table shows TEMA's
budget for the current Fiscal Year.
|
Funding |
Cost |
State |
Federal |
Local |
Total |
|
Source |
Share |
Share |
Share |
Share |
Funding |
|
FEMA-EMPG |
50% F-50% S/L |
$1,461,700 |
$2,481,700 |
$1,016,000 |
$4,959,400 |
|
TVA |
100% F |
|
$1,050,000 |
|
$1,050,000 |
|
DOE |
100% F |
|
$820,000 |
|
$820,000 |
|
SSEB - All Programs |
100% F |
|
$310,000 |
|
$310,000 |
|
USDOT-HMEP Plng |
80% F-20% L |
$10,923 |
$123,487 |
$19,950 |
$154,360 |
|
USDOT-HMEP Trng |
80% F-20% S |
$30,500 |
$122,000 |
|
$152,500 |
|
FEMA-HAZMAT |
100% F |
|
$4,500 |
|
$4,500 |
|
FEMA-Terrorism |
100% F |
|
$329,000 |
|
$329,000 |
|
DOJ-Terrorism |
100% F |
|
$5,694,400 |
|
$5,694,400 |
|
TOTALS |
|
$1,503,123 |
$10,935,087 |
$1,035,950 |
$13,474,160 |
Public
Affairs Office: The
office of Public Information exists to provide accurate information as quickly
as possible during emergency situations and to increase public awareness of the
functions, role and accomplishments of this agency and its partners during
normal operations. (The office using much the same information, also supports
Operations as needed in notifications to key elected officials.) The primary
avenue toward accomplishing both is via media.
To accomplish the second part of its primary goal, the office oversees activities that impact various public and private organizations and activities that relate to the agency’s image. Examples include the annual weather safety campaigns coordinated by TEMA and the National Weather Service, and events such as the Tennessee Municipal League Conference where TEMA and other offices display their services. The TEMA display, which is used in many of these activities, is managed by the Office.
The office maintains a history of the agency. In doing so, it keeps originals and/or copies of all photographs, negatives and digital images; a videotape archive drawn from television news accounts of TEMA activities; and newspaper clip file of all emergency management coverage within the state. This office also handles all agency printing, photography and graphic design.
The
Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) program is the backbone of the
emergency management program. The program establishes minimum requirements that
the state and local governments must meet to have a qualified emergency
management program. These requirements, as
outlined in the FEMA Civil Preparedness Guide (CPG) 3-1 include:
·
A program established in law or by ordinance
·
An approved staffing pattern
·
An approved Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
·
A budget equal to 50% of the requested funding
·
The Emergency Operations Plan must be exercised and updated every
four (4) years
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) will then provide up to 52% federal funding support to
the state and local government in the financing of the state and local
government Emergency Management Program. Eligible costs under the program
include personnel cost and administrative expenses. TEMA funds 42 professional,
technical, and administrative positions under this program, as well as grants
to 50 counties. The geographical distribution of the counties is as follows:
|
West Region |
16 Counties |
|
Middle Region |
17 Counties |
|
East Region |
17 Counties |
Under the EMPG, TEMA
provides a collection of planning and technical programs designed to provide
professional assistance to the state and local government in meeting their EMPG
requirements and to provide support to local governments that do not receive
EMPG funding.
Superfund
Amendment and Re-Authorization Act (SARA) - Title III - SARA Title III was mandated
by Congress as part of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
of 1986 and was implemented in the State of