FEMA will soon be releasing the third edition of Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 201. CPG201 lays out the changes to the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR and formerly State Preparedness Report). Based on conference calls attended by Haystax representatives and on a draft circulated to some stakeholders, here are some changes we can expect:
THIRA
- Step 1 now emphasizes selecting threats and hazards that are likely to occur in a jurisdiction and will stress specific core capabilities, rather than threats and hazards that are worst case scenarios
- Step 2 now provides standardized impact metrics for jurisdictions to use in determining impacts of scenarios on core capabilities. These are standardized metrics all jurisdictions must use, though additional metrics may be added.
- Step 3 now provides standardized capability targets, rather than asking jurisdictions to write them. These can be thought of as “fill-in-the-blank” targets utilizing the numbers gathered in step 2. Jurisdictions may add additional targets.
- Step 4 from previous years’ THIRAs has been eliminated. No estimation of resources required to achieve targets is necessary.
SPR
- SPR is now required for all jurisdictions, not just states–hence the name change.
- The capability assessment now utilizes the exact language of targets set in the THIRA to measure capabilities, rather than using a 1-to-5 scale to rate level of ability. For example, now a jurisdiction might say they can “restore functions at 10 hospitals within 4 days,” rather than rating their ability to restore healthcare services after an event as a “3.”
- Capability progress is similarly rated in these terms now, so a jurisdiction might indicate that their capability has increased to 10 hospitals from 8 over the last year, rather than saying they went from a level 2 to level 3.
- Jurisdictions are also now requested to indicate a level of confidence in their capability measurements.
- The impact of grant funds on building or sustaining capabilities over the past year must now explicitly be spelled out.
Last but not least, the THIRA is no longer required on an annual basis! The THIRA is required every 3 years now, while the SPR continues to be required annually. The idea here is to set targets on a 3-year cycle, and measure against those targets annually.
Questions about the new methodology? Please reach out to your Haystax representative!