FEMA training on project site inspections, project delivery management

Federal Emergency Management Agency instructor Ardean Miller starts Monday a five-day in-person site inspector training for CNMI Public Assistance Office staff and inspector staff from the CNMI Infrastructure and Recovery Program at the Aqua Resort Club in Achugao. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Three Federal Emergency Management Agency instructors started Monday a five-day in-person training for CNMI Public Assistance Office staff and CNMI Infrastructure and Recovery Program inspectors on how to complete site inspections that are required for FEMA projects related to super typhoons Soudelor and Yutu, and in preparation for future disaster response and recovery.

The three FEMA instructors—Ardean Miller, Michel Desrosiers, and Nanette Alo—will also hold a 10-day in-person training for CNMI PAO staff about project delivery management starting Aug. 8 at Aqua Resort Club in Achugao, to orient them on how to comply with FEMA requirements for the same project objectives.

Infrastructure and Recovery Program project liaison Deveney Dela Cruz said Monday that 23 individuals from CNMI PAO and three IRP inspector staff are participating in the site inspections training at Aqua Resort Club.

The three IRP inspectors will only participate in the site inspector training portion of the training, Dela Cruz added.

She said the training was requested by the PAO last May and that IRP and FEMA Interagency Recovery Coordination were able to coordinate it.

She said IRP encourages all their stakeholders to let them know about their training needs that are related to federal project completion.

She noted that all permitting assistance that IRP provides is for review and approval of CNMI permitting agencies.

Dela Cruz said technical assistance is either requested by their stakeholders or designated American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects identified by the Office of the Governor.

She said the projects include the Department of Public Lands As Gonno Homestead Project and various Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Waterline and Wastewater Projects.

She pointed out that IRP is not responsible for approval of funding or approval of permits for any project.

Dela Cruz added that IRP is thankful to the FEMA Joint Recovery Office and especially to FEMA IRC led by Brenda Tillman and her team and FEMA Public Assistance for all their assistance over the past six trainings.

She said they have also been fortunate to collaborate with the CNMI PAO under Governor’s Authorized Representative Patrick Guerrero and his team.

“We look forward to working with them more in the future and helping them to meet their permitting objectives,” she said.