DOE and FEMA Promote Disaster Prevention Awareness

Dec. 24, 1999
New initiative will help homeowners protect themselves from the threat of natural disaster before it strikes.

Deputy Secretary of Energy T.J. Glauthier joined Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) Director James Lee Witt in signing a new initiative that helps homeowners protect and better prepare themselves from the threat of natural disaster, before it strikes.

"We want to help disaster-prone communities become not only safer, but also stronger, healthier and more energy efficient at the same time," said Glauthier. "Through our disaster prevention and energy saving efforts, building, power and water systems will become more resistant to the damaging effects of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, ice storms and other natural hazards."

Initially, the project will focus on two communities hard-hit by natural disasters. These cities are Wilimington, N.C., a city recovering from devastating floods, and Oakland, Calif., where strong earthquakes have occurred throughout this century.

Under this agreement with FEMA's Project Impact Initiative, both agencies will pool their resources and work to help make homes more resistant to natural disasters.

For example, during home inspections, trained personnel will help identify potential problems such as structural flaws in buildings in earthquake-prone areas, inadequate weather stripping in homes that lie in flood-prone areas or insufficient insulation in areas prone to winter storms.

The DOE said this partnership "will also demonstrate that energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can help save money and energy, while providing additional protection against natural disasters."

More information on the agreement can be found at www.eren.doe.gov For more information on the Project Impact Initiative, visit FEMA's Web Site at www.fema.gov

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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