NMFMA 2020 Spring Conference - Postponed due to COVID-19

The NMFMA Board has decided to reschedule the NMFMA 2020 Spring Conference in light of the Governor’s Public Health Emergency Declaration regarding COVID-19.  The new dates are November 17 to 20 in the fall of 2020.

 

As many of you are aware, the NM Governor has declared a Public Health Emergency for the COVID-19 virus. As a result of this declaration the state is canceling large events through at least April and is limiting state employee travel. They are also advising limiting large public gatherings. As other communities and organizations respond, this could also impact the ability of others to attend the conference. As a result, the NMFMA Board feels it is the best interest of our conference attendees and members to postpone the NMFMA 2020 Conference. While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our conference attendees and members very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by the public health officials.

 

Due to this rescheduling, if you have already registered for the conference and would like to stay registered for the fall 2020 conference, your existing registration will carry over automatically. If you are unsure of your ability to attend the fall conference and would like a refund, please contact JD Padilla or Grant Pinkerton. We, as the NMFMA Conference Committee, are unable to see any hotel reservations, so if you have already booked your hotel room, please contact the hotel directly for cancellation or rescheduling.

 

We thank you for your understanding and will update the NMFMA community as plans are solidified for the 2020 Fall Conference.

 

Nicole

 

Nicole M. Friedt, P.E., CFM

NMFMA Chair

 

Here is information on obtaining online training through - FEMA Region 6.

 

 

 

You Have an Important Job, We Have Training

 

Did you know: The average local floodplain administrator/manager in FEMA Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) has less than 20% of their workload dedicated to floodplain management. But protecting people and property from flooding is a big job. While some of you are full-time and solely dedicated to floodplain management, we recognize that we also have volunteers, part-time staff, emergency managers, mayors, city administrators, building code inspectors, engineers and many more managing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)  in your communities. 

Each month we will send an email with upcoming training opportunities so you can have the training you need to do your job. Please feel free to forward these to other staff in your community who may be interested. Below we feature three free training opportunities: 1. an elevation certificate course, 2. a Base Level Engineering (BLE) webinar, and 3. a social media outreach webinar. 

 

1. Online Course: IS-1105.A: EC Made Easy: Elevation Certificate Overview
Offered by: FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute
Date: Available anytime
Length: 2 hours

Take this online course at anytime. It outlines the purpose of the FEMA Elevation Certificate (EC), how to obtain an EC, how to locate a professional to complete or update an EC, how to complete the EC, how to interpret a completed EC, and how to locate a copy of a completed EC. Link: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-1105.a. 

 

2. Webinar: FEMA’s March Virtual Brown Bag--Community Practices with Base Level Engineering (BLE) in Arkansas
Offered by: FEMA Region 6 Risk Analysis Branch
Date and time: Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 12 pm – 1 pm CT
Length: 1 hour

Register now for this month’s FEMA Region 6 Virtual Brown Bag presented by Whit Montague, Arkansas State NFIP Coordinator and Climatologist. As BLE becomes available in more watersheds in our region, community leaders are looking for ways to use and communicate about it. Whit will share her approach, tools she’s created and lessons learned as she engages communities with BLE data. Please RSVP for this free webinar through the Eventbritepage. Watch your inbox: an Adobe Connect Link and meeting audio details are sent one day prior to the webinar to those who register. One Continuing Education Credit hour will be available for Certified Floodplain Managers. Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fema-region-6-virtual-brown-bag-tickets-33718884090. 

 

3. Webinar: Mitigation Message Calendar for Social Media
Offered by: FEMA Region 6 Mitigation and External Affairs
Dates and times: Wednesday April 8, 2020, 10 am – 11 am, CT or Thursday, April 9, 2020, 10 am – 11 am, CT (click the date you’d like to register for)
Length: 1 hour

Register now for either offering. You will be given a calendar of proposed social media posts that teach and remind your citizens how to protect themselves and their property from multiple natural hazards. Learn how to add your own logo to existing FEMA graphics to amplify the messages and make them your own. Learn how to use hashtags and how to assess how effective your messages are. An Adobe Connect link and a call-in number will be provided via email to all registrants prior to the training session. If your office doesn’t have their own social media account, invite other city, county or response offices with a social media account to sign up. Links: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mitigation-message-calendar-for-social-media-tickets-99992803166 and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mitigation-message-calendar-for-social-media-tickets-100008790986. 

 

 

 

Here is some additional online training through - FEMA.

Register now for FEMA’s March Virtual Brown Bag through Eventbritehere.

 

Community Practices with Base Level Engineering (BLE) in Arkansas

12 p.m. – 1 p.m. CT

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

 

This month’s FEMA Region 6 Virtual Brown Bag is titled Community Practices with Base Level Engineering (BLE) in Arkansas. Adobe Connect Link and Conference line details are sent one day prior to the webinar. Watch your inbox! 

 

Please RSVP for this free webinar through this Eventbritepage. Feel free to share this email and the registration link (https://r6virtualbrownbag.eventbrite.com) with other interested stakeholders. Please note that one Continuing Education Credit hour will be available for Certified Floodplain Managers.  

 

I hope you can join this online webinar! An Adobe Connect link and a call-in number will be provided via email to all registrants prior to the training session.  

 

Diane

  

 

 

 

Diane Howe, CFM

Risk MAP Lead | Risk Analysis Branch | Mitigation Division

FEMA – Region 6

Diane.Howe@fema.dhs.gov

 

Base Level Engineering:

              Flood data to expand local risk awareness

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA.gov

      Congratulations to Loretta Hatch!   She was hired as the New Mexico State Floodplain Coordinator effective February 8, 2020! As you know, Loretta has been with the DHSEM Mitigation Unit as a Mitigation Specialist since August 2019. What you may not know is that she served for seven years as the Village of Bosque Farms Planning and Zoning Administrator, Floodplain Manager and Code Enforcement Officer. She provided development and plan review, was responsible for enforcement (including courtroom experience with prosecuting violations) and conducted outreach throughout the community. She also applied for, managed, and implemented the New Mexico Clean and Beautiful Grant for the Village.

 

She has served on the Board and been President of the New Mexico League of Zoning Officials. As a member of the New Mexico Floodplain Managers Association she has served as the Region IV Director and Conference Committee Chair. She currently serves on the board of the Middle Rio Grande Economic Team promoting economic development for Bosque Farms.

 

In addition to providing technical assistance, site inspections, application review, and overall support as a Mitigation Specialist, in the last six months Loretta has taken the lead on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Assistance Visits, coordinated a multi-agency committee on State NFIP compliance and  completed the new ‘State Tiered Assessment’ for floodplain program funding. She has even taught two week-long ‘Introduction to the NFIP’ (L273) classes. It’s exhausting just listing all of her accomplishments!

 

We are thrilled to have Loretta stay on the Mitigation Program Team in her new role as State Floodplain Coordinator. Her contact information is Loretta.Hatch@state.nm.us and 505-377-1616. Please join us in welcoming your new State Floodplain Coordinator, Loretta Hatch!

 

Wendy Blackwell, CFM

Preparedness Bureau Chief

 

New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

PO Box 27111

Santa Fe, NM 87502

 

Contact:

Office: 505-476-9676

Cellular: 505-231-8517

Primary Email: Wendy.Blackwell@state.nm.us

   CFM Study Guide

ASFPM has recently developed a CFM Study Guide  to help those who are interested in becoming a CFM to study for the test.  Click on the link or go to CFM Certification, Certification. 

These You Tube videos may also be helpful as you study for the CFM exam:

Part 1 - Intro: History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9H8HM57gU&t=0s&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&index=4

 

Part 2 - Ancillary items to FPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giJBv75zm2A&t=0s&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&index=8

 

Part 3 - BFE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX5-cYTB4rU&t=0s&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&index=9

 

Part 4 - Mapping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z11M-_njlw8&t=171s&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&index=2

 

Part 5 - Map:FIS Excercise Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gxThIIZqw0&t=0s&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&index=3

 

Part 6 - NFIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FMHNqkpDmc&index=6&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&t=0s

 

Part 7 - Elevation Certificate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spUSWXmwJW4&index=7&list=PLMW0WSdc7771DSqt2u2r6vbtT70cu8E9K&t=0s

The CFM exam is proctored at every NMFMA Workshop/Conference.


FEMA is seeking Environmental Floodplain Specialists and Historic Preservation Specialists.  Check out the FEMA/NFIP page on the "Other Agencies" tab.




  Purpose of the New Mexico Floodplain Managers Association


1. To promote public awareness of proper floodplain management;
2. To promote the professional status of floodplain management and secure all benefits resulting there from;
3. To promote a liaison between individual concerns with proper floodplain management and to
  encourage the exchange of ideas;
4. To keep individuals concerned with proper floodplain management well informed through education and
  professional seminars and to provide a method for dissemination of information, both general and technical;
5. To inform concerned individuals of pending floodplain legislation and other related management 
  matters, and;
6. To study and support legislation pertinent and necessary to the effective implementation of floodplain
  management matters.