[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6914-6915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2927]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017]


Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification 
Preparedness Program

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Public meeting notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the date, time, location, and discussion 
topics for a stakeholder meeting open to the public to engage in 
dialogue with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership and 
program managers regarding the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness 
Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep).

DATES: Public Meeting: Monday, February 23, 2009, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the American Red Cross Ballroom, 
Hall of Service, 1730 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006. Enter at the 
E Street entrance. This is not located at the Red Cross Headquarters. 
The nearest Metro stations are Farragut West (exit at 17th and I 
Street, walk south towards H Street for four blocks and turn right at E 
Street) and Farragut North (exit at Connecticut Avenue and K Street, 
walk south towards I Street for five blocks and turn right at E 
Street).
    You may submit comments, identified by Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017, by 
one of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. (All government requests for 
comments--even if, as in this case, they are not for regulatory 
purposes--are sent to this portal.)
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017 in 
the subject line of the message.
    Fax: 703-483-2999.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Office of Chief Counsel, Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Room 845, Washington, 
DC 20472.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number (if available). Regardless of the method used for 
submitting comments or material, all submissions will be posted, 
without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you 
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You 
may wish to read the Privacy Act notice that is available on the 
Privacy and Use Notice link on the Administration Navigation Bar of 
http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Submitted comments may also be inspected at FEMA, 
Office of Chief Counsel, 500 C Street, SW., Room 840, Washington, DC 
20472.
    Instructions: Any stakeholder or member of the public who wishes to 
attend the public meeting or make a presentation is requested to 
provide his or her name and contact details to include e-mail address 
and telephone number, no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 via e-mail to the PS-Prep Program at 
[email protected], or via telephone at (703) 416-
8407. Everyone who plans to attend the meeting is respectfully 
requested to be present and seated by 8:45 a.m. Persons with 
disabilities who require special assistance should indicate this in 
their admittance request and are encouraged to identify anticipated 
special needs as early as possible. Although every effort will be made 
to accommodate all members of the public, seating is limited and will 
be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Grant, Incident Management 
Systems Integration Division, National Preparedness Directorate, 
National Integration Center, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472. 
Phone: 202-646-3850 or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 24, 2008, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 
published a Federal Register notice ``Voluntary Private Sector 
Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program,'' announcing PS-
Prep, a DHS program established under the authority of Title IX of the 
Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, Public 
Law 110-53, 121 Stat. 266, 338 (Aug. 3, 2007). See 73 FR 79140; also 
available at http://www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp (Docket ID 
FEMA-2008-0017). As discussed in the notice, DHS is developing PS-Prep 
to raise the level of private sector preparedness through a number of 
means, including: (i) Establishing a system for DHS to adopt private 
sector preparedness standards; (ii) encouraging creation of those 
standards; (iii) developing a method for a private sector entity to 
obtain a certification of conformity with a particular DHS-adopted 
private sector standard, and encouraging such certification; and (iv) 
making preparedness standards adopted by DHS more widely available.
    The December 24, 2008 Federal Register notice (Docket ID FEMA-2008-
0017) seeks recommendations from private sector stakeholders and the 
public at large regarding the private sector standards that DHS should 
adopt, both initially and over time (73 FR at 79142). The December 24, 
2008 Federal Register notice also states that DHS intends to hold two 
public meetings in Washington, DC to provide a forum for public comment 
(See 73 FR 79145).
    This notice announces the second stakeholder outreach meeting. FEMA 
is hosting this public meeting to discuss issues of interest pertaining 
to PS-Prep. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an open forum for 
additional comment and dialogue with DHS on PS-Prep. Individuals 
desiring to participate will have the opportunity to make a brief, 
formal or informal, presentation of

[[Page 6915]]

not more than 10 minutes and then, if desired, engage in a questions 
and answers session with DHS staff responsible for implementing PS-
Prep. The specific issues to be discussed at this meeting include any 
of the material addressed in the December 24, 2008 Federal Register 
notice to include (i) cost considerations, such as fees for standards, 
certification, and preparedness costs related to size of business 
enterprise; (ii) the impact of existing practices, standards and 
regulations on participation in PS-Prep; (iii) understanding the 
spectrum of private sector preparedness, specifically from self-
declaration of conformance to third-party certification; (iv) the role 
of the Federal Government in private sector preparedness; (v) key 
factors that influence participation in PS-Prep; (vi) the number and 
type of standards to be adopted by DHS; (vii) scalability of the 
certification, specifically related to location, products, services, 
and organizational components; (viii) priorities for national 
preparedness compared to business preparedness; and (ix) suggestion for 
effective outreach strategies and tactics to promote PS-Prep.
    Public attendance is encouraged.

    Dated: February 3, 2009.
David Garratt,
Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. E9-2927 Filed 2-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-46-P