October 28, 2004
Grant to help UW lessen impact of natural disasters
The University of Washington was recently selected as one of 28 universities to participate in a national program to save lives and lessen property loss and economic damage from natural disasters on their respective campuses.
The Disaster Resistant Universities (DRU) program is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) a division of the new US Department of Homeland Security. The UW has received the largest competitive grant of those awarded — a $300,000 planning grant that will be matched locally to develop and implement projects aimed at mitigating the effects of natural disasters. The other universities received between $18,000 and $226,000 in funds.
At the UW, the grant will allow the University to build on earlier successes since completing a similar pilot program in 2001. This planning grant will provide support for non-structural disaster programs, according to Steven Charvat, Emergency Management Director.
“The selection of the UW as one of the handful of research universities nationwide to participate will continue to highlight our efforts in making the UW a nationwide leader in disaster preparedness,” Charvat said.
In addition, a separate grant to provide structural earthquake protection to critical facilities is pending. “We are hopeful that our track record of past successes in effectively implementing sound disaster reduction programs will allow the UW to continue to receive additional federal support,” said Charvat.
One product of the current effort will be a business resumption plan, Charvat said, allowing the UW to resume normal education and research operations in as short a period of time as possible. Also included will be additional tabletop disaster exercises, expansion of the new Campus Emergency Response Team program, hosting an international Disaster Risk Reduction Best Practices Symposium, conducting a campuswide Safety and Disaster Preparedness Fair, and developing plans and procedures in assisting the campus’ special needs population after a disaster.
The UW has been a partner with FEMA and the State of Washington Emergency Management Division in an earlier Disaster Resistant University pilot project as a regional disaster partner with the City of Seattle, King County and other State agencies.
Also selected to participate in the 2003 program were previous recipients: Tulane University, University of Miami, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the University of California/Berkeley.
