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a. 2. C. In addition, describe the State policies and procedures to provide Rapid Responses in cases of natural disasters including coordination with FEMA and other entities

Current Narrative:

Idaho is a sparsely populated state covering a large geographic area, including millions of acres of federal land. Most natural disasters occur on federal land and displace few, if any, individuals and businesses. The Bureau of Land Management coordinates responses for those events affecting federal land; its responses include hiring trained fire crews or utility workers.

For the occasion of a natural disaster requiring assistance from FEMA or other entities, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management is responsible to coordinate the responses of Idaho’s state agencies. In the incident of an emergency, including natural disasters, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) activates an Idaho Emergency Operations Center (IDEOC). Depending on the level of emergency, various levels of service are provided to the community. At all levels, as appropriate, the Idaho Department of Labor participates in the agency coordination to ensure critical functions are operating and assistance is available to those in need. These functions include Rapid Response and Disaster Unemployment.

The Idaho Department of Labor’s Workforce Administration Division serves as the state Dislocated Worker Unit with responsibility for coordinating Rapid Response services around the state. In the event of an emergency requiring an Idaho Emergency Operations Center, the Idaho Rapid Response Coordinator will ensure that a service delivery team is assembled in the affected area and coordinated with the IDEOC.

Idaho’s team for Rapid Response service delivery consists of Idaho Department of Labor staff from the local America Job Centers offering the full-range of one-stop services such as Employment Services, Unemployment Insurance, WIOA Title I-B Dislocated Worker, Trade Adjustment Assistance and Veterans services. The team may also include representatives from organized labor (if organized labor is affected), and East-Central Idaho Planning and Development Association when serving the East Central District (Service Delivery Area/Region 6).

The Rapid Response team is responsible for coordinating the local Rapid Response services and help develop a response plan for worker dislocations. The primary services provided by the Rapid Response team are WIOA Title I-B Dislocated Worker.

Disaster Unemployment is provided to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster. The program is activated in conjunction with a Presidential Declaration for Individual Assistance. After the FEMA declaration, state planners will prepare to submit a request for a National Dislocated Worker Emergency Grant within 15 days. After the initial provision of Rapid Response services under WIOA Title I, the state planners will consult the Rapid Response team for a recommendation to apply for a National Dislocated Worker Emergency Grant.