Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities under Title I-B
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following with respect to activities carried out under subtitle B—
a. 2. D. Describe the State policies and procedures to provide Rapid Responses in cases of natural disasters including coordination with FEMA and other entities.
Current Narrative:
WFW has specific procedures in place to provide Rapid Response services in case of a Natural Disaster as stated in Part 687 of the WIOA Public Law. In such a case, the State immediately applies for a National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) for a temporary work program for disaster clean-up activities, which would be coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State Homeland Security and Office of Emergency Services. In addition to applying for an NDWG, dislocated workers experiencing displacement due to a natural disaster, such as flooding, would be covered under the State’s Rapid Response coordination of services and would be a call to address more than just a quick return to work. Therefore, a State Rapid Response Team , in conjunction with local Rapid Response Team members and partners, could be deployed to the disaster site to conduct Rapid Response Informational Meetings and related Rapid Response activities, if necessary.
Rapid Response would coordinate with FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and other relief organizations to ensure the affected workers have a full array of resources to assist them in recovering from a natural disaster. If a natural disaster occurred followed by a FEMA disaster declaration, the availability of the temporary work program would also be highlighted at Rapid Response meetings. If the magnitude of the disaster resulted in mass layoffs/plant closures, and there was not enough WIOA formula funding or Governor’s Discretionary funding available at the state level, then the State would apply accordingly for a mass layoff NDWG. If the disaster led to a sizeable mass layoff NDWG being awarded to the State, the Governor’s Office would take the lead in implementing a state emergency plan mobilizing a host of state and federal resources, which include close coordination of the mass layoff NDWG with the efforts of FEMA and State Homeland Security and Office of Emergency Services, as well as other State agencies.
Partner Services as part of our response team may be comprised of Wagner-Peyser, Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Department of Rehabilitation (DRS), LWDBs, Healthcare navigators for those who have lost their insurance due to job loss, SBA, a FEMA Partner, a Business Services Representative, FEMA representative, Veteran Representative, and Union representatives to assist those represented by a union.