Delaware Homeland Security Terrorism Preparedness Working Group
Meeting Minutes / October 10, 2016
1. Call To Order
A. DEMA Director A.J. Schall convened the Delaware Homeland Security Terrorism Preparedness Working Group (DHSTPWG) meeting at 1:00 p.m., in the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) James E. Turner, III Educational Center. The following documents were provided to all meeting participants:
1) Meeting Notice & Agenda
2) DHSTPWG Meeting Minutes, August 8, 2016
3) Funding Subcommittee Meeting Minutes, August 8, 2016
4) Training and Exercise Subcommittee Meeting Minutes, August 24, 2016
5) Training and Exercise Subcommittee Meeting Minutes, October 5, 2016
B. Minutes from the August 8, 2016 meeting were reviewed and approved. (Motion Approved: Tim Sexton; Second: Lt. Col Wiley Blevins – Passed Unanimously)
2. Old Business
A. Report from Subcommittees
Funding Subcommittee – (Allen Metheny, Chairman)
The Funding Subcommittee and the Working Group are to be collapsed into one meeting per Director Schall's direction. Mr. Metheny discussed the previous meeting's allowing Public Health to lease a vehicle for the Delaware Animal Response (DAR) in order to tow trailers. Mr. Tim Sexton asked about the Projects Un-Funded worksheet given out in previous meetings. Ms. Renee Hupp stated that the worksheet would return in November, but they were looking at ways to better represent those projects and the work associated with them. Director Schall stated that nothing was meant to get lost in the combining of these two meetings and if anyone feels something is left behind that they should contact Ms. Hupp or Ms. Paige Fitzgerald to ensure that all relevant topics continue to be addressed.
Training and Exercise Subcommittee – (Robert Newnam, Chairman)
Mr. Newnam briefed copies of the minutes that were provided to the Working Group. The minutes contained the business of the subcommittee completed during those meetings. The minutes contained information regarding exercise, training, financial updates and other requests for training.
B. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update
Dr. Heather Hirst, the State Veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture, provided an update about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Dr. Hirst stated that they are still on alert for the whole Delmarva Peninsula. One case was just found in Alaska that is a match to the highly concerning strain that affected the Midwest last year. While Alaska seems far away, the bird it was found in have migration patterns that cross the whole United States. She also shared with the group that a case of New World Screw Worm was found on a Key deer in Florida. These are flies that lay eggs in living flesh and can cause a lot of illness in livestock. The New World Screw Worm is mostly found in Cuba, but can be spread by livestock traveling. It was asked if there was any livestock coming into the Port of Wilmington and Dr. Hirst said no, but there is still a concern for people moving with livestock such as goats, horses, and cattle from the Florida area. A further question was asked about what the State has in place for eradication of infected animals in order to prevent the spread of disease. Dr. Hirst said that while Delaware has nothing specific, they do follow the USDA's framework for such activities that way all states have the same operating picture and can approach these issues in a unified manner. Director Schall stated that past planning efforts for threats such as HPAI have provided the groundwork for interagency coordination if a response to such an incident becomes necessary within the state, and encouraged the continued participation of all disciplines throughout the state in trainings and exercises across a variety of scenarios.
C. FY2014/2015 Homeland Security Grant Status
Ms. Fitzgerald briefed on the status of FY14 and FY15. FY14 has been closed out and is finishing up liquidation with a $0 balance. FY15 is in good shape, although there should be a push to buy as many things up front as possible. Director Schall stated that DEMA was aiming to sit down with more people and plan out purchases at the beginning of a grant period rather than waiting until the last minute. A question was asked about goods that have expiration dates. Ms. Hupp provided an example from the EMS discipline in which the purchasing of new body armor was preplanned across the state with purchasing strategy based on expiration dates of body armor currently in stock. Being able to pre-plan and strategize purchases is immensely beneficial as it gives more ability for the planners and purchasers to start to move pieces into position to assure a clean closeout of grant funds.
Ms. Fitzgerald also added that in everyone's packet was information on feedback DEMA received from FEMA regarding project milestones and descriptions. FEMA is requesting more detailed project information to ensure that projects meet the criteria of the grant guidance and can be completed as projected. Disciplines will be contacted as needed to provide information for projects currently submitted, and all future submissions should be mindful of this request for detail and timeline.
3) New Business
A. Director Comments
Director Schall said that the combining of committees would hopefully make both the working group and the funding subcommittee more efficient as items wouldn't have to wait for one meeting or the other to be passed. Director Schall also stated that for 2017 he wanted each discipline to work more closely with their planners to establish clear milestones and make sure projects are getting done in an expeditious manner.
The next two discipline briefings will be Public Health in November and Fire Services in December.
B. THIRA Update
Ms. Hupp provided a quick update on the THIRA process. She said that all but two groups had been spoken with or made contact regarding the core capability assessments. A few were getting organized and completed this week and next week. Reports should start making their way out to the disciplines soon for their feedback.
Ms. Hupp stated that much of the feedback so far had been positive, although there were some ways to improve the process, and those improvements will be incorporated into next year's THIRA.
C. Reallocation Request
Public Health, Delaware Animal Response, has a request to repurpose funding from one of their subgrant equipment lines for up to $2,000. This would just change the purpose of those funds from buying crates for sheltering operations to repairing one the vans air conditioner units. Ms. Hupp stated that the way it was worded in the document would automatically return any funds not used from the $2,000 to their subgrant lines. (Motion Approved: Robert Newnam; Second: Kevin Sipple– Passed Unanimously)
4) Open to Floor
Mr. Dwayne Day discussed the advancements in the state Drone/sUAS program. He stated that federal funds were being opened up for the purchasing of drones as long as the purchaser followed the IB407 regulations. He also stated that there were currently 3 ways the state was looking at drones. The first is a group looking at the nefarious use of drones. They are working closely with the Army to get information on how drones maybe used for negative purposes and are developing an even closer relationship with them by sharing facilities to allow them places to train and test. The second group that is attempting to get off the ground is a statewide group looking at the economic benefits of drone use. Finally there is the MOST Committee, which is organizing the actual pilots within the state and creating guidelines to follow as the statewide drone program moves forward.
It was asked what the intention of the drone program was, if each department would have a drone or if they would be strategically placed within the state. Mr. Day stated that the goal was to ensure that the capability was in the state, but that we didn't have an over abundance of drones around. He highlighted that law enforcement, DNREC, DelDOT, DEMA and the Fire Service were all currently in training and were being urged to work with other departments if a need arises.
A motion to adjourn was introduced (Motion Approved: Tim Sexton; Second: Ray Holcomb– Passed Unanimously)
5) Next Meeting – The meeting adjourned at 1:42 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for November 14, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at DEMA.
Minutes approved by DEMA Director
A.J. Schall, Jr.
Chairman, Delaware Homeland Security Terrorism Preparedness Working Group
Attachment: Attendance Roster
MEETING ATTENDANCE ROSTERName / Agency
Voting Members
A.J. Schall, Jr. / Chairman
Allen Metheny / Co-Chairman, DVFA
Jamie Bethard / DNREC, Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances
Wiley Blevins / LTC DNG
Scott Collins / Police Chiefs Council Representative
Joseph Hughes / League of Local Government
Raymond Holcomb / DSHS/OSEC
Regina Jones / DMV
Mei Johnson / Citizen Corps-Proxy for Marny McLee
Elayne Starkey / DTI-Proxy for Sandy Alexander
Robert Newnam / Delaware State Fire School
Suzanne Raab-Long / DE Healthcare Association
Tim Sexton / Division of Public Health
Kevin Sipple / Kent County Public Safety
Lisa Tanielian / DDA
Funding Subcommittee Guests
Dwayne Day / DelDOT/Alternative for PW
Dr. Heather Hirst / DDA
Harvey Velott / DSP/DIAC
Mark Grubb / DivComm
Rachel Tretina / Del-Tech student
Delaware Emergency Management Agency Staff
Tony Lee / Principal Planner
Shaun Diggs / Terrorism Preparedness Management Analyst
Renee Hupp / Terrorism Preparedness Planner
Paige Fitzgerald / Terrorism Preparedness Planner
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