For the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives as Requested in Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017

The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) is an independent, non-profit organization that oversees a very specific program through which all-hazard emergency management programs are accredited. The National Weather Service (NWS) TsunamiReady® program is not a comprehensive emergency management program and is intended to be a voluntary community recognition program that promotes tsunami hazard preparedness as an active collaboration among local, state, territorial, tribal and federal emergency management agencies, community leaders, and the public. In order for the NWS to administer an EMAP program, considerable additional staff and resources would be required. NWS is neither authorized nor appropriated to conduct the EMAP activity. The comprehensive EMAP process addressing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery is well beyond the scope of the NWS mission and would require new legislative authority for NWS to spend funds to administer a TsunamiReady® EMAP, and would conflict and overlap with other federal agency (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)) authority, and local government responsibility. NOAA stands ready to work with Congress, FEMA, and EMAP to address any concerns with NOAA’s TsunamiReady® program.

https://doi.org/10.25923/cn79-er12

Public Domain