U.S. Office of Foreign

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U.S. Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance
(O F D A)
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WHAT IS OFDA ?

• Part of the U.S. Agency for International
  Development (USAID)/Bureau for Democracy,
  Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA).
• DCHA/OFDA is responsible for coordinating the USG
  response to international disasters.

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Legal Authority

• USAID is the U.S. federal agency authorized under
  Chapter 9, Section 493 of the Foreign Assistance
  Act (FAA) of 1961, to provide International
  Disaster Assistance.
• The USAID Administrator is appointed by the
  President of the United States as the Special
  Coordinator for International Disaster
  Assistance.
• USAID may coordinate and chair the inter-agency
  working group during major disasters.

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USAID Organization
U.S. Agency for International Development
Transition Initiating
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian
Assistance
Food for Peace
American Schools and Hospitals Abroad
Private Volunteers Cooperation
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
Operations Support
Disaster Response Mitigation
Program Support
Africa Region
Asia-Pacific Region
LATAM Caribbean Office-Costa Rica
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USAID

• Provides assistance to developing nations in the
  areas of
• Improving health and population conditions
• Protecting the environment
• Promoting economic growth
• Supporting democracy
• and ...

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USAID

• Provides humanitarian assistance to victims of
  natural and manmade disasters through OFDA

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OFDA LAC Office
Senior Regional Coordinator
Consultants
Support Staff
Emergency Operations Center
Advisor SOUTHAM
Advisor Caribbean (Barbados Office)
Advisor CENTAM/ Mexico
Regional Disaster Response
Military Liaison/ Logistics Officer
Information/Reports Officer
Communications Support

• EOC has DSN, CNN, SAT Phones, teleconferencing,
  Internet/Email via SAT Links

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OFDA Latin America Caribbean Office The Region
We Assist
Historical OFDA Funding
OFDA/LAC Main Office in San Jose, Costa Rica
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OFDAs Mission is To

• Save lives.
• Alleviate suffering of disaster victims
• Support prevention, mitigation, and preparedness
  activities.
• Reduce the economic impact of the disaster.

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Comparison FEMA and OFDA

• FEMA - responsible for the coordination of
  federal assistance to domestic disasters in the
  U.S. and its territories.
• OFDA - responsible for coordinating USG foreign
  disaster relief activities.

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U.S. Military Involvement Process
SECSTATE
SECDEF
Head of Government
USAID/OFDA
50K Limit
Joint Staff (JCS)
U.S. Ambassador
National Emergency Management Office
OFDA/LAC (Costa Rica)
SOUTHCOM
Local Disaster Office
Most Probable DoD Request
Component
USMILGP or JTF
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OFDA Response Options

• Initial provision of up to 50,000 to the
  Ambassador/CM
• Fund NGO/PVO/IO/UN directly, or provide funds
  through the Embassy or USAID Mission
• Provide disaster relief commodities

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OFDA Response Options

• Deploy
• Regional Advisors
• Assessment Teams
• Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) or
  portions of DART

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OFDA Relief Commodities

• Located in 5 stockpiles Guam, Italy, Honduras,
  Homestead, and Maryland
• Types of commodities
• Blankets wool and polyester
• Body bags, chainsaws, gloves
• Plastic sheeting
• Water containers 5 - 3,000 gal.

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Regional Advisors

• Regional Disaster Management Specialists
• Language skills
• Located in
• Latin America-Caribbean
• Africa
• Asia-Pacific

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Assessment Teams

• Assess disaster situation
• Define needs and priorities
• Recommend USG response actions
• OFDA responses are demand driven and are based on
  reliable assessments

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What is a Disaster Assistance Response Team
(DART) ?

• It is a rapid response management team made up of
  disaster relief specialists

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What is the purpose of a DART?

• Assist the Ambassador or Chief of Mission.
• Identify and prioritize needs
• Report on the situation.
• Recommend response actions.
• Coordinate with the affected country and other
  response organizations.

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When Disaster Strikes !

• Conditions under which the U.S. Government
  (through USAID/OFDA) may respond
• Disaster is beyond the ability of the affected
  country to respond
• Affected country requests (or will accept)
  outside assistance
• It is in the interest of the U.S. Government

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Disaster Declared

• By the Ambassador, who may request assistance up
  to 50,000. Further assistance requires OFDA
  review and approval.

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USG Disaster Response Coordination

• Coordinated with/through the U.S. Ambassador or
  Chief of Mission of the affected country.
• Based on the support and the needs of the
  affected country.

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International Humanitarian Relief Community
Affected Country
The Fog of Relief
OFDA
Red Cross
USG
PVOS
NGOS
ICRC
GOVERMENTS
IOS
DONOR
UN Agencies/PAHO
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OFDA Disaster Preparedness Training Program

• Through its regional office in San Jose, Costa
  Rica, OFDA supports disaster management training.
• OFDA/LAC spends the majority of its time in
  disaster mitigation and preparedness efforts.

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Program Background

• OFDA/LAC's training activities commenced in 1989
  with the Disaster Management Training Program
  (DPM).
• Beginning with its anchor course, Training for
  Instructors (TFI), OFDA/LAC began the DPM as a
  multi-course venture with instruction in disaster
  management concepts, training capacity
  strengthening, and technical disciplines such as
  search and rescue and fire management.

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Program Background

• The DPM was divided into four series of courses
• Training Management, teaches effective
  instruction skills, focusing on organization of
  materials, lesson planning, and classroom
  presentation.
• Disaster Program Administration/Management,
  presents an introductory survey of disaster
  management concepts and definitions designed to
  teach participants a uniform approach to managing
  disasters in order to better coordinate and
  administer programs.

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Program Background

• DPM Continued
• Event Management, provides technical training in
  areas such as damage assessment, needs analysis,
  and shelters.
• Technical/Skills Support, emphasizes specific
  emergency response knowledge in technical areas
  such as fire suppression, search and rescue, and
  hazardous materials handling.

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Training for Instructors (TFI)
5 Days long

• Participants learn training methodologies, how to
  establish teaching goals, performance objectives,
  and how to manage a classroom environment course
  includes
• Informing vs. instructing
• Communication and platform skills
• Purpose and objectives
• Lesson plans
• Methods of instruction
• Audio-visual equipment/Classroom facilities
• Testing and evaluation methods

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Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (EDAN)
3 Days long

• This course includes many key elements of
  disaster program management
• Disaster Cycle
• Characteristics of events that generate adverse
  events
• Team work and group dynamics
• Operation and logistics
• Data gathering techniques
• Information analysis and interpretation
• Measurement of the impact of an event
• Critical decision-making
• Use of assessment forms

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Damage Assessments and Needs Analysis for
Discision-Making (DANA/DM)
3 Days long

• This is a follow-on (advanced) DANA course with
  focus decision-making.
• Participants must be graduates of DANA to be
  eligible for this course.

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School Security Course(CUSE)
5 Days long

• Provides and prepares participants with knowledge
  required to promote and execute school security
  course includes
• Country and community risks
• Country and community resources
• Cycles of disasters
• Educational system and disasters
• School Security Plan
• Stress management

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Advanced Course for First Aid Assistants(APAA-EM
T)
12 Days long

• Provides participants the necessary knowledge and
  techniques to provide first aid at an accident
  scene.
• Course also covers proper care of sick person,
  how to stabilize, and properly transport a
  patient to a hospital or clinic.
• This course is also known as Emergency Medical
  Technician (EMT).

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Disaster Management Course
5 Days long

• This basically a management course with some
  focus on disaster management (such as cycle of
  disasters).
• Discusses ideal characteristics of a disaster
  manager.
• Exposes participants to the qualities and
  attitudes expected of a disaster manager.

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Forest Fire Fighting
6 Days long

• This Basic Course of Prevention and Control of
  Forest Fires is comprised of 16 lessons and a
  duration of six days.
• The course employs the interactive method of
  teaching and the practical demonstrative way and
  is based on objectives.
• Course includes classroom exercises and field
  practice.

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Hazardous Material Handling Training(HAZMAT)
3 Days long

• Introduces participants to directive/regulations
  and knowledge necessary to
• Recognize presence of HAZMAT
• Be able to take initial proper steps to ensure
  safety and protect the environment
• Course includes U.S. procedures to use in case of
  a HAZMAT emergency and how to secure an incident
  site.

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Collapsed Structures Search Rescue
8 Days long

• Purpose of the course is to teach participants on
  techniques to find, stabilize, and extract
  trapped victims from collapsed structures.
• Course includes how to organize and start a SAR
  mission.
• Course focuses on using local tools and local
  capacity vs high tech that maybe unavailable in
  the the affected country.

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Incident Command System (ICS)(Currently Offered
by PAHO)
3 Days long

• Teaches participants first response and efficient
  command of an emergency scene.
• The course includes the following
• ICS
• Basic system structure
• Human relations at the scene
• System installation
• Plan of action and organization
• Execution, control, closure, and evaluation

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Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Management
Training

• This is currently basically the FEMA EOC course
  (in English only) with minor adjustments for use
  outside the U.S.
• OFDA is coordinating with countries and other
  organizations to determine need for an EOC course
  in Spanish.
• If needed, the course will be redesigned to
  reflect political and resources realities of
  Latin America.

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www.usaid.gov/hum_response/ofda/
Questions ?
www.ofdalac.org