As with anything in business, there are risks to your operation that can be mitigated before they disastrously impact your organization. Many times, however – the question is how? How do I prepare for emergent events so they do not disrupt my daily operations to a major degree and what tools can I use to prepare? The United States endured 22 separate weather and climate related disasters that EACH caused over $1 billion in damages, and if you take the total of all events the damage soars to nearly $100 billion dollars according to this White House Fact Sheet.
FEMA Funding Before an Emergent Event
The good news is, there are resources available to critical infrastructure companies to help them prepare for major weather events. This is especially important as we near one of the most tumultuous parts of the year when it comes to disasters. Not only do we have hurricane season in the Southern and Eastern parts of America, but there is also the impending wildfire season in the Western region of the country.
There is hope if your critical infrastructure company is wondering how it can fund resources to help prepare for these events. President Biden, in a recent address from the FEMA headquarters, has enacted legislation to increase funds available to private and public sector companies from $500 million last year to a total of $1 billion in 2021. The funds that are now available are through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
FEMA Funding After an Emergent Event
Most emergencies are handled at the local level, without assistance from the state or federal government. However, major disasters or emergencies that disrupt the normal functioning of critical infrastructure companies and communities are eligible for monetary assistance through FEMA. There is a wide range of categories that qualify for FEMA reimbursement, including:
- Debris removal for Utility and Public Works Companies
- Restoration and Reconstruction of Critical Infrastructure companies
- Funds for Critical Infrastructure Companies to mitigate future disasters
How Can We Help?
ARCOS has positioned itself as an industry leader to help critical infrastructure and utility organizations with disaster planning, mitigation and management. With ARCOS Incident Manager, you can develop an in-depth, agile restoration plan that keeps you informed of your available resources and personnel. Also, ARCOS doesn’t just focus on before the storm. With other available resources like ARCOS Callout and ARCOS Crew Manager, we can help ensure your response to an emergent event is organized and executed properly and quickly. With storm season on the horizon, get in touch with us soon to see how ARCOS can help your organization.
