Welcome to the August issue of “Disaster Discourse Monthly,” Hagerty Consulting, Inc.’s monthly e-newsletter that seeks to elevate knowledge about and discourse around emergency management issues. We hope you enjoy reading about new federal funding opportunities as well as innovative ways to detect active threats, among other things.
New Funding Opportunities
On August 3rd, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), totaling $395 million available for both mitigation and resilience projects. The programs make federal funds available to state, local, and tribal governments to reduce or eliminate damage, reliance on federal funding, and repetitive loss in the event of a severe incident. Hagerty’s Director of Mitigation Amelia Muccio discusses these programs and how communities can maximize the opportunities to improve pre-disaster preparedness.
Leadership
In Puerto Rico, officers from Oregon and Massachusetts were on the ground following Hurricane Maria to assist with recovery efforts. These long-distance acts of goodwill were a direct product of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This program allows state-to-state collaboration to obtain the resources needed following a disaster and, as EMAC program director Angela Copple says, “less reliance on federal response elements.” As Hagerty President and Mayor of Evanston Steve Hagerty says, “In my 25 years as an emergency management consultant, I can tell you, without question, those who collaborate together succeed together.” Recently, Hagerty witnessed community collaboration in our own backyard when Northwestern University and the City of Evanston agreed to share their Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
New Horizons
After the devastating 2017 hurricane season and with the threat of ongoing climate change, organizations are turning toward innovative practices to improve preparedness, response and long-term resilience. In Louisiana, Quantified Ventures and the Environmental Defense Fund have turned to Environmental Impact Bonds (EIBs), “in which investors purchase a bond and repayment to investors is linked to the achievement of a desired environmental outcome,” as a potential means of funding the state’s current work toward coastal resiliency. Similarly, emergency management professionals, including Hagerty’s own Vice President of Client Services Matt Hochstein, are envisioning how Blockchain could be utilized to track and expedite FEMA’s disaster relief efforts. Additionally, at certain universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed and implemented PrepHubs, fluorescent structures that will be able to store vital supplies for, and generate electricity following, a major disaster. While these diverse inventions are just undergoing experimentation, they could all prove to be vital towards creating a nation of disaster-ready communities.
Active Threat
Just six months after the Parkland shooting, schools across the country are taking any measure to ensure the safety of their students, and in some cases, doubling their security or permitting teachers to conceal and carry. But what if a school or airport could detect dangerous threats to student and public safety using a simple, household item? Engineers from several universities have come up with a way to detect 15 dangerous and non-dangerous objects using basic Wi-Fi, with over 95 percent accuracy. This new method, though in its experimental stages, could help to reduce the need for manpower and provide a less invasive and expensive way to check backpacks, baggage, and people for threats.