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FederalDaily - September 2, 2005

FEMA Asks for DHS Volunteers

In an Aug. 29 memo to Department of Homeland (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has requested DHS employees to volunteer to help in the response to Hurricane Katrina. FEMA said it will likely need 1,000 DHS employees within 48 hours and 2,000 within seven days. The advantage of using DHS employees over other citizens is that the DHS employees already have background investigations, travel cards and badges. FEMA said it wanted to specifically identify employees with bilingual skills, commercial drivers’ licenses and logistics capabilities. DHS employees would have to be willing to work “long hours under arduous conditions” and would have to be physically able to work in a disaster area (without refrigeration for medications) and be able to work in the outdoors all day. For more, call (202) 646-4040.

TSP Hurricane Information

Due to Hurricane Katrina, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) operations at the National Finance Center in New Orleans have been suspended, the TSP announced. Therefore paper forms cannot be processed. Recently submitted requests (or confirmations of recent requests) may be delayed. For more information, go to the TSP Web site at: www.tsp.gov/index.html.

Contingency Plans for DFAS Pay Checks

Banks and credit unions in Louisiana , Alabama and Mississippi have implemented contingency procedures in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that will mean a normal payday for those expecting Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) automatic deposits on Sept. 1, DFAS officials announced. DFAS has completed payroll for the Sept. 1 payday, officials said. Electronic funds transfers have been provided to the Federal Reserve banks and treasury checks have been mailed. “DFAS is closely monitoring the financial institutions as each (progresses through its) contingency procedures to assure funds are available to account holders,” a DFAS statement issued Aug. 31 said. For those expecting delivery of checks by mail in the declared disaster areas, local information is the best source for determining when mail delivery will be resumed in their area, officials said.

Soldiers Help Smuggle Cocaine

Sixteen current and former U.S. soldiers and law enforcement officers have agreed to plead guilty to participating in a widespread bribery and extortion conspiracy which operated from January 2002 through March 2004, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Previously, 17 other defendants had already pleaded guilty in this case. In documents filed on Aug. 31, the latest 16 defendants agreed to plead guilty to one count of obtaining cash bribes from persons they believed to be narcotics traffickers, but who were in fact special agents of the FBI, in return for the defendants using their official positions to assist, protect and participate in the activities of an illegal narcotics trafficking organization. DOJ said all of the defendants escorted at least one shipment of cocaine.

$1 Billion in Contracts for Federal Travel

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced this week that 13 U.S. airlines won City Pair airline contracts, valued at $1 billion, to provide federal employees traveling on official business with discounted airfares on 4,703 routes. "For fiscal year 2006, these contracts are expected to save the government more than $2.8 billion," said Barbara Shelton, acting commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service. The new contracts continue to offer discounted fares, last available seats, fully refundable tickets and penalty-free cancellations and schedule changes on 3,978 domestic and 725 international routes. GSA said the awards were based on average flight time, price, service type, flight distribution and number of flights. All City Pair airline fares are posted at http://apps.fss.gsa.gov/citypairs/search/.