The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and National Silver Jackets program have determined that the American Samoa Government has satisfied all the requirements to charter an American Samoa Silver Jackets Team.
State and Territories Silver Jackets teams partner up to bring local agencies to learn from one another and work together to reduce risk from floods and sometimes other natural hazards.
Under the direction of the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR), Lt. Governor Talauega Eleasalo Ale, and ODAPM Director Lisa Tuatoo, the American Samoa Silver Jackets Team, a combination of federal and local government departments and agencies, has been established.
ODAPM is designated to take the lead in coordination of all the government departments and agencies participating in the program.
Team activities include state hazard mitigation plan updates, inundation mapping, tabletop exercises, development of emergency action plans, risk communication workshops, and coordination of perishable data collection.
ODAPM Director Tuatoo says, “Becoming an official team member of the Silver Jackets is quite an accomplishment for the Lemanu & Talauega administration and at such an opportune time while working on related requirements for the Tuala-uta and Fagaima drainage projects where repeat flooding issues need to be resolved.”
American Samoa is the second to the last territory to become an official Silver Jackets member.
Federal agencies in the American Samoa Silver Jackets team are the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Local departments and agencies who are members are:
- Governor’s Office
- Fono
- Samoan Affairs
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Port Administration
- Department of Public Works
- American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency
- Historic Preservation Office
- American Samoa Power Authority
- American Samoa Telecommunications Authority
- American Samoa Chamber of Commerce
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources
- Governor’s Resilience Office
- Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management.
