Process

This year the region has made some simple changes to the process so it flows more smoothly and quickly.

1) Surveys

The first stages of the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) are reviewed with small groups of subject-matter experts (SME) as needed. In these meetings, SMEs discuss sensitive information that is protected under homeland security disclosure rules, and in some cases cannot be shared electronically broadly across the region.  The last stage of the THIRA however, which directly impacts the Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR), is the setting of capability targets. While these targets are sensitive and will not be shared electronically outside of the THIRA/ SPR meetings, they will be subject to review both via surveys and in-person meetings.

Survey respondents will be asked if changes have occurred regionally that should prompt us to increase or decrease our targets.  Then, in the in-person review meetings, we will use these responses as a starting point to and determine if the target should be raised or lowered.

In the second part of the survey, respondents will be asked if their agency, jurisdiction, or department has increased or decreased capabilities that apply to each target statement listed below (and shared on the survey). Additionally, respondents will be asked what action steps they recommend to build capabilities for these targets, and which funding sources might have been used in the past year to build this capability.

Note that the numbers for each target statement will only be reviewed in the in-person meetings because while the target statements are public and provided by FEMA, the numbers we plug into them are based on our THIRA results and are sensitive in nature. These responses are collected and anonymized, and reviewed in the THIRA/ SPR in-person meetings.

2) Meetings

This year the region will host just 15 in-person meetings to review targets and capabilities in the region. Click on each meeting day and date below to register (you can register to attend multiple meetings on the registration form).

Core capability(committee)	Target # (reference targets below)	Day and date (click on date to register)	Time	Location
Fusion and Intel (IISC): Intel., info. sharing Interdiction, and disruption	19-21	Wednesday, September 14	0830-1130	SETRAC
Cybersecurity (IISC, RMCIC)	6	Wednesday, September 14	1130-1230	SETRAC
Access control and identity verification (FRLEC)	1	Friday, September 16	1300-1530	HEC Media Room
Fire (FRFC): Environmental response/ health and safety Fire mgmt. and suppression SAR Screening, search, and detection	8-9, 11, 26, 37	Tuesday, September 20	1300-1600	HEC Media Room
Health and medical (HMC): Fatality management Health and Social services Mass care services Public health, healthcare, and EMS	10, 13, 24-25, 33	Wednesday, September 21	0800-1200	HEC Room 2081
Critical transportation (RCC)	4, 5	Tuesday, October 4	1300-1500	HEC Media Room
Critical infrastructure (RMCIC): Physical protective measures Risk management for protection programs and activities Supply chain integrity and security	31, 36, 39	Wednesday, October 5	0900-1130	HEC Media Room
Critical infrastructure (RMCIC): Infrastructure systems;	15-18, 22	Thursday, October 6	1300-1600	HEC Media Room
Community resilience (CPC)	2	Friday, October 7	1300-1400	HEC Media Room
On-scene security, protection, and law enforcement (FRLEC)	28	Thursday, October 13	0900-1100	HEC Media Room
Operational communications; (ICC)	29	Friday, October 14	1300-1500	HEC Media Room
Long-term vulnerability reduction and Risk and disaster resilience assessment (all-hands)	23	Tuesday, October 18	1300-1500	HEC Media Room
Recovery Economic recovery Housing Natural and cultural resources Health and social services	7, 14, 27, 35	Thursday, October 20	0830-1130	HEC Media Room
Public information (RCC)	34	Thursday, October 20	1330-1500	HEC Media Room
Operational coordination (all responders) Screening, search, and detection (all responders) Supply chain	30	Friday, November 4	0930-1130	HEC Media Room

Attendance requirement

All voting members of UASI committees are required to attend one THIRA or SPR meeting for each committee they hold a voting seat on. All jurisdictions are required to attend a THIRA or SPR meeting in the prior year before being eligible to request grant funding. Meeting participants will be directed to a sign-in form where they are responsible for accounting for their attendance, what committee they are representing at that meeting, and who they are serving as a proxy for (if applicable). Proxies must come from the same agency with the attendance requirement. It is the responsibility of individuals who vote for more than one committee to send informed proxies who will represent the committee and signify their attendance as a proxy.

3) Stories

There will be a separate survey, available here, for real-world uses of grant-funded teams or equipment. These surveys provide a critical component in the SPR, allowing us to demonstrate to the federal government how we have used the assets, training, and teams they’ve helped us build. These surveys will be available soon.

Personnel Support

Full-time grant-funded planners, coordinators, specialists, and technologists. are required to participate in the THIRA and SPR process. It gives insight into the region’s threats, gaps, and planning needs and is a critical, hands-on, process that requires support from regional partners. The THIRA and SPR process takes a lot of coordination and work and as such, the region will be requesting support. All UASI funded personnel (planners, CERT coordinators, specialists, and technologists) should participate in this request for assistance. If enough assistance is not received, we will request that the Executive Committee help assign UASI funded personnel to help with this process.

Positions funded by the UASI

The following positions are funded by the UASI and should participate in the support of the THIRA and SPR annually:
Community Preparedness personnel:

• CERT Coordinator (3)
• Community Preparedness Planner (4)
• Teen CERT Coordinator (1)

Homeland Security Planners (9)
Homeland Security Technologists (6)
Homeland Security Specialists  (5)

If any UASI-funded personnel are interested in supporting particular meetings, they can reach out to lach.mullen@houstontx.gov.

Target statements

Below is a list of all the standardized target statements, the corresponding core capability, and the disciplines, subjects, or committees who should participate in the target or capability review process. Each year FEMA assign core capabilities and targets to update, which is what we based the meeting schedule above on.

#	Core Capability	Target	Statement	Example disciplines and subjects (and/ or committees)
1	Access Control and Identity Verification	Credential Acceptance	Within (time) of an event, be prepared to accept credentials from (num) partner organizations involved in incident management.	First responders, emergency managers, technologists, first-responders (FRFC, FRLEC)
2	Community Resilience	Public Risk Awareness	Within (time), (num) households are covered by risk-appropriate insurance, including homeowners, flood, windstorm, and seismic.	Community outreach, public information, community organizations, mutual-aid groups, VOADs, insurance industry partners, first-responders (CPC)
3	Community Resilience	Community Outreach	Every (time), conduct (num) outreach events or activities to increase awareness of locally significant threats and hazards to help the residents be more prepared to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from those events.	Community outreach, public information, WUI outreach, higher education and research partners, community organizations, mutual-aid groups, VOADs, private sector partners, first-responders (CPC)
4	Critical Transportation	Evacuation	Within (time) notice of an incident, complete the evacuation of (num) people requiring evacuation, including (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring evacuation).	Medical transport, public transit, private transportation partners, first-responders (RCC, CPC)
5	Critical Transportation	Clear Critical Roads	Within (time) of an incident, clear (num) miles of road affected, to enable access for public, private, and non-profit emergency responders.	Medical transport, public transit, private transportation partners, first-responders (RCC, CP)
6	Cybersecurity	Cyber Plan Updates	Every (time) appropriate authorities review and update cyber incident plans/annexes based on evolving threats covering (num) publicly managed and/or regulated critical infrastructure facilities.	CISOs, cybersecurity practitioners, public works, radio shops, critical infrastructure operators, first-responders (RMCIC)
7	Economic Recovery	Reopen Businesses	Within (time) of an incident, reopen (num) businesses closed due to the incident.	Chambers of commerce, business districts, economic recovery, Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZs), economic development, community preparedness, first-responders (RCC, CPC)
8	Environmental Response/ Health and Safety	HAZMAT clean-up	Within (time) of an incident, assess, contain, and begin cleaning up hazardous material releases from (num) hazmat release sites.	Environmental remediation partners, HAZMAT teams, environmental partners, VOADs, community preparedness, first-responders (FRFC, CPC)
10	Fatality Management Services	Body Recovery/ Storage	Within (time) of an incident, complete the recovery, identification, and mortuary services, including temporary storage services, for (num) fatalities.	Mortuary services, DMORT, public health, forensic sciences, first-responders (HMC)
11	Fire Management and Suppression	Structural Firefighting	Within (time) of an incident, conduct fire fighting operations to suppress and extinguish (num) structure fires.	Firefighting, wildland firefighting, community preparedness, first-responders (FRFC)
12	Forensics and Attribution	Evidence Collection and Analysis	Within (time) of a suspected terrorist attack, conduct outreach to the fusion center and Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in the community and identify (num) personnel assigned to support follow up information sharing, intelligence analysis, and/or investigative actions associated with the collection, examination, and analysis of evidence, as well as the identification of perpetrators.	Fusion analysts, criminal investigations, local, state, and federal terrorism partners, evidence analysis, first-responders (IISC, FRLEC)
13	Health and Social Services	Reestablish Services	Within (time) of an incident, restore functions at (num) affected healthcare facilities and social service organizations.	Healthcare, social service organizations, VOADs, infrastructure partners, first-responders (HMC)
14	Housing	Long-Term Housing	Within (time) of an incident, (num) people requiring long-term housing, including (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring accessible long-term housing), find and secure long-term housing.	Recovery, housing,  community development, DAFN, first-responders (RCC)
15	Infrastructure Systems	Communication Systems	Within (time) of an incident, restore service to (num) customers (without communication service).	Critical infrastructure partners (public & private), energy partners, telecommunications partners, first-responders (RMCIC)
16	Infrastructure Systems	Community Power	Within (time) of an incident, restore service to (num) customers (without power service).	Critical infrastructure partners (public & private), energy partners, first-responders (RMCIC, ICC)
17	Infrastructure Systems	Sanitation	Within (time) of an incident, restore service to (num) customers (without wastewater service).	Critical infrastructure partners (public & private), public works/ engineering, first-responders (RMCIC)
18	Infrastructure Systems	Water Service	Within (time) of an incident, restore service to (num) customers (without water service).	Critical infrastructure partners (public & private), public works/ engineering, first-responders (RMCIC)
19	Intelligence and Information Sharing	Intelligence Cycle Auditing/ Execution 1	During steady state, and in conjunction with the fusion center and/or Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), every (time) review ability to effectively execute the intelligence cycle, including the planning, direction, collection, exploitation, processing, analysis, production, dissemination, evaluation, and feedback of available information, and identify the (num) personnel assigned to support execution of the intelligence cycle.	Fusion analysts, criminal investigations, local, state, and federal terrorism partners, evidence analysis, first-responders (IISC)
20	Intelligence and Information Sharing	Intelligence Cycle Auditing/ Execution 2	Then, within (time) of the identification or notification of a credible threat, identify/analyze local context of the threat for the respective area of responsibility, and facilitate the sharing of threat information with (num) priority intelligence stakeholder agencies/ entities in accordance with the intelligence cycle, and all dissemination protocols.	Fusion analysts, criminal investigations, local, state, and federal terrorism partners, evidence analysis, first-responders (IISC)
21	Interdiction and Disruption	Interdiction/ Disruption Activities	Within (time) of the identification or notification of a credible threat, conduct outreach to the fusion center and Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in the community and identify (num) personnel assigned to support follow up interdiction and disruption activities that may be undertaken against identified suspects and/or contraband.	Fusion analysts, criminal investigations, local, state, and federal terrorism partners, evidence analysis, first-responders (IISC, FRLEC, CPC)
22	Logistics and Supply Chain Management	Life-Sustaining Goods Delivery	Within (time) of an incident, identify and mobilize life-sustaining commodities, resources, and services to (num) people requiring shelter and (num) people requiring food and water. Maintain distribution system for (time).	Logistics, food/ water private-sector partners, sheltering partners, first-responders (RMCIC, RCC)
23	Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction	Building Code Review	Every (time) , (num) jurisdictions review their building codes, and, if necessary, enact or update risk-appropriate, disaster resilient building codes.	Fire departments, codes and permitting, first-responders (RCC)
24	Mass Care Services	Relocation Assistance	Within (time) of an incident, move (num) people requiring temporary, non-congregate housing, including (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring accessible, temporary, non-congregate housing), from congregate care to temporary housing.	Public transportation partners, DAFN, housing partners, first-responders (RCC)
25	Mass Care Services	Community Sheltering	Within (time) of an incident, provide emergency sheltering, food, and water for (num) people requiring shelter and (num) people requiring food and water, including (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring accessible shelter) and (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring food and water), and (num) animals requiring shelter, food, and water. Maintain for (time).	Sheltering partners, animal rescue/ sheltering, food and water private sector partners, first-responders (RCC, CPC)
26	Mass Search and Rescue Operations	Search and Rescue	Within (time) of an incident, conduct search and rescue operations for (num) people requiring rescue.	USAR, fire department rescue teams, first-responders (FRLEC, CPC)
27	Natural and Cultural Resources	Resource Restoration	Within (time) of an incident, restore (num) damaged natural and cultural resources and historic properties registered in the jurisdiction.	Arts partners, environmental groups, parks departments, land offices, historic preservation groups, first-responders (RCC)
28	On-Scene Security, Protection, and Law Enforcement	Community Protection	Within (time) of an incident, provide security and law enforcement services to protect emergency responders and (num) people affected.	Law enforcement, first-responders (FRLEC)
29	Operational Communications	Interoperable Communications	Within (time) of an incident, establish interoperable communications across (num) jurisdictions affected and with (num) partner organizations involved in incident management Maintain for (time).	Communication partners, jurisdictional radio shops, first-responders (IISC)
30	Operational Coordination	Unified Operations	Within (time) of a potential or actual incident, establish and maintain a unified and coordinated operational structure and process across (num) jurisdictions affected and with (num) partner organizations involved in incident management Maintain for (time).	Emergency management staff, first-responders, first-responders (RCC, FRFC, FRLEC)
31	Physical Protective Measures	Critical Infrastructure Security Plan Updates	Within (time) of completing a risk and vulnerability assessment, appropriate authorities review and update physical security plans covering (num) publicly managed and/or regulated critical infrastructure facilities to incorporate new information from the assessment.	Public works, communications, public critical infrastructure operators, first-responders (RMCIC)
32	Planning	EOP Updates	Within every (time) update all emergency operations plans that define the roles and responsibilities of (num) partner organizations involved in incident management across (num) jurisdictions affected, and the sequence and scope of tasks needed to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from events.	Emergency managers, first-responders (RCC)
33	Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services	Medical Care	Within (time) of an incident, complete triage, begin definitive medical treatment, and transfer to an appropriate facility (num) people requiring medical care.	EMS, medical transport, hospital systems, public health authorities, first-responders (HMC)
34	Public Information and Warning	Information Delivery	Within (time) notice of an incident, deliver reliable and actionable information to (num) people affected, including (num) people with access and functional needs (affected) and (num) people with limited English proficiency affected.	Public information staff, emergency managers, DEFN, media partners, EAS committee, WEA message originators, first-responders (RCC)
35	Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment	Threat and Hazard Modeling	Every (time) after identifying threats and hazards of concern, model the impacts of (num) threat and hazard scenarios to incorporate into planning efforts.	Emergency managers, program management, first-responders (RMCIC, RCC)
36	Risk Management for Protection Programs and Activities	Critical Infrastructure Assessment	Every (time) appropriate authorities conduct a review of relevant physical and cyber threats and hazards, vulnerabilities, and strategies for risk management covering (num) publicly managed and/or regulated critical infrastructure facilities.	Public works, communications, public critical infrastructure operators, first-responders (RMCIC)
37	Screening, Search, and Detection	Conduct Screening Operations	Within (time) of notice of a credible threat, conduct screening, search, and detection operations for (num) people requiring screening, including (num) people with access and functional needs (requiring screening).	Soft target/ event venue operators, law enforcement, fire, emergency managers, first-responders (FRLEC)
38	Situational Assessment	Situational Briefings	Within (time) of incident, and on a (num) (time) cycle thereafter, provide notification to leadership and (num) partner organizations involved in incident management of the current and projected situation. Maintain for (time).	Law enforcement, fire, emergency managers, first-responders (FRLEC, FRFC, RCC)
39	Supply Chain Integrity and Security	Supply Chain Risk Preparedness	Every (time) engage (num) partner organizations involved in incident management to promote awareness of threats, dependencies, vulnerabilities, and strategies to support restoration of private sector supply chains.	Private sector supply-chain partners, emergency managers, LEPC, critical infrastructure operators, first-responders (RMCIC, RCC)
40	Threats and Hazards Identification	Community Threat/ Hazard Assessment	Every (time) engage with (num) jurisdictions and (num) partner organizations involved in incident management to assess the threats and hazards that are realistic and would significantly impact your communities.	Response/ EM partners, emergency managers, LEPC, critical infrastructure operators, first-responders (RMCIC, RCC)