The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters office in Washington, DC, has chosen the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as the first Tribe to be selected for a Preparedness Case Study review.
The review took place on Thursday, August 8, 2019 at the Tribal reservation properties in Mashpee.
The Tribal Emergency Management Department, led by Director Nelson Andrews, Jr., facilitated the review.
FEMA conducts grant effectiveness case studies to demonstrate how states and urban areas across the country use a mix of homeland security non-disaster grant programs to improve preparedness. FEMA chooses case study locations to ensure geographic diversity and to link grant investments with recent events.
During the visit from the FEMA Headquarters National Preparedness Office, MWT Emergency Management Director Nelson Andrews Jr provided updates to the four FEMA representatives on previous successes as a result of being awarded the FEMA preparedness grant. Funds that were used to provide emergency response vehicles that have assisted tribal elders during winter storms, drones for search and rescue that have been used for wildfire controlled burns and available for local search and rescue missions. In addition trainings to the tribal staff that have been provided and are currently on going.
As stated by Director Andrews, “Overall this first case study on Tribes that was conducted by FEMA for our Tribal Nation was a success and will help to pave the way in how FEMA conducts and begins to work with additional Tribes in the future, It is a great honor to be a part of this study and I feel that we did an excellent job in show casing the progress of establishing an EM Department with capability enhancement as a result of this FEMA preparedness grant funding opportunity.”
Partnerships are critical to fulfilling FEMA’s mission. FEMA maintains important working relationships on tribal affairs with the agencies and organizations below.
“The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is extremely fortunate to have built an outstanding partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) at the Regional level as well as the national level.” stated Chairman Cedric Cromwell. “Without such strong working relationships among multi-agencies including at the county, state and federal levels, our Tribal citizens and those most vulnerable in our area have potential to be at high-risk in the event of a disaster situation.” said Cromwell.
“Understanding our Tribal Emergency Management department has established necessary critical plans is a comfort. I applaud our director Nelson Andrews and his team for leading this effort. We welcome FEMA representatives from Washington, DC, here to Mashpee as they perform the case study of our Emergency Preparedness programs. We are honored they selected us as a Tribal example.” Cromwell added.
