Our Expertise
Effective disaster recovery is a comprehensive process that begins well before a disaster occurs. A well-crafted plan not only mitigates the impact of disasters but also accelerates and streamlines recovery.
Pre-Disaster: Building a Strong Foundation for Recovery
Before a disaster strikes, laying the groundwork for a fast and efficient recovery is essential. This involves strategic planning, defining key roles, setting clear priorities, and ensuring all necessary resources are readily available.
- Develop a Disaster Recovery Plan: Create a comprehensive strategy that identifies key leaders for specific recovery areas, establishes key priorities for both short- and long-term recovery objectives, and outlines processes for effective communication.
- Create a Cost Recovery Plan: Implement systems to track disaster-related expenses, ensuring all spending is documented and compliant with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements. In addition, assign personnel to manage recovery information collection and document all related damages prior to repairs and/or demolition.
- Test and Refine Your Plan: Conduct annual exercises and training to ensure leadership and staff are well-versed in their roles and responsibilities throughout both the initial and long-term recovery phases.
During the Disaster: Staying Organized and Informed
When a disaster occurs, maintaining organization and communication is crucial for an efficient response and smooth transition to recovery.
- Deploy a FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Advisor: Mobilize a FEMA PA expert at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to advise key personnel, ensuring informed decision-making and effective response coordination.
- Mobilize Your Finance/Admin Team: Ensure that trained staff are ready to report to the EOC. Their roles include gathering documentation, processing procurements, and managing emergency purchases through standby contracts. These team members must be well-versed in FEMA requirements and federal regulations (2 CFR Section 200).
- Prepare to Document Everything: Designate a team to record all damage to infrastructure before any temporary repairs or demolitions take place.
Post-Disaster: Recovery and Reimbursement
Once your community is stabilized and immediate goals have been achieved, the focus shifts to recovery and reimbursement.
- Define Cost Recovery Goals: Collaborate with government and community leaders to establish recovery criteria and identify funding opportunities. If a major disaster declaration is issued, explore the FEMA PA program for possible reimbursement of emergency and permanent work costs.
- Implement the Recovery Plan: Once needs are understood, begin implementing the recovery plan, including actions to de-escalate response activities and restore operations. This involves fostering collaboration across the whole community, including coordination with stakeholders, governments at all levels, and industry partners, as well as unified communication to drive redevelopment efforts and ensure recovery success.
- Rebuild with Resilience: After a disaster, FEMA offers mitigation opportunities to support long-term solutions, turning recovery into an opportunity to strengthen against future hazards and risks. These initiatives prioritize restoring, redeveloping, and revitalizing communities to increase resilience and better prepare them for future challenges.
Disaster Cost Recovery
The impacts of disasters can be financially devastating. To help with recovery, here are some essential financial tips:
- Staff essential administrative functions at the EOC to process financial information accurately and promptly.
- During damage assessments, capture detailed photographs and create thorough records of all affected areas before any repairs or demolition begins. This is essential for maintaining eligibility for FEMA reimbursement.
- Use pre-established standby contracts when possible and document all emergency purchases with justifications.
- Quantify resource and funding needs promptly, then consistently advocate for support from FEMA, state, and other federal agency representatives.
By proactively planning, staying informed during the disaster, and managing recovery efforts carefully, you can maximize the effectiveness of your recovery strategy and ensure access to critical funding resources.
