It's the first time FEMA is providing training to the Pacific Region in disaster case management and disaster survivor assistance, opening the doors to a whole community approach to emergency management.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has partnered with Guam Homeland Security to provide training in disaster case management and disaster survivor assistance. According to FEMA preparedness analyst and planning specialist Gen Tamura this is the first training of this type in the region, telling KUAM News, "The DSA workshop is the first that we are doing in the Pacific and it is to engage the territory of Guam in order to provide support to the territory of Guam for disaster survivor assistance." Tamura says they are trying to strategize and work with the Government of Guam in order to provide the assistance program to island residents in the event of a disaster, adding, "Disaster survivor assistance is to provide and expeditionary force to actually assist the federal government and the territory to provide assistance to the survivors after the event."

DSA teams quickly deploy to in advance of or immediately following a disaster declaration. The time period of the assistance depends on the needs and the scale of the disaster while they are here DSA performs five essential functions, as Tamura explained, "DSA will perform outreach as a go out to the survivors they will provide the FEMA number where the need to register with tablets they will provide situational awareness as where to go for assistance as disaster recovery centers and other types of assistance as available under the type of event."

As part of this, DSA assesses, informs and reports what is the conditions and what is happening in the community. They conduct on-site registration intake, handle case status inquiries and updates, conduct pre or post registration, survivor needs assessment and refer survivors to assistance available in the community. The two-day workshop is a whole community approach to emergency management which allows all entities to determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their asset capacities and interests.