FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Recipients

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce the selection of 30 recipients to receive funding under the FEMA 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge program.  The program focuses on building local community resilience to man-made and natural disasters, with an emphasis on innovation, collaboration with community stakeholders, sustainability, repeatability and measurable benefits to the community.

FEMA knows that preparedness is a process that requires continued focus year-round. This year’s award recipients are recognized for programs designed to continue to move community preparedness forward, and assist local areas in building and revitalizing community-based partnerships to advance the nation’s resilience to disasters.

“The best resiliency ideas originate from our states and tribal nations,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The goal of this effort is to further empower communities to collaborate and develop innovative approaches to effectively respond to disasters.”

The program is being funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and administered by the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation who acted as a third-party intermediary to encourage local communities to engage in creative activities that enhance disaster resilience. Funding levels ranged to a maximum award level of $35,000, and applications were open to most local, state, and tribal agencies and governments; business entities; associations; organizations and groups.

“We live in a time of unpredictable shocks and chronic stresses, from climate change to natural or manmade disasters, and helping local communities become more resilient to these disruptions is more important than ever. Yet we’ve also seen that potential solutions to meet the needs of a community are often best surfaced by those who live with the stresses, and perhaps see them from a different perspective,” said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to helping people prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from disruptions, and is proud to support this program and the innovative efforts of local residents to build resilience in communities across the United States.”

Over 1,900 applications were received across the country. FEMA is grateful to all applicants for their dedication and commitment to building community resilience. FEMA recognizes that a government-centric approach to disaster management is insufficient to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident. To meet our nation’s preparedness goals, the whole community must be actively involved in all phases of the preparedness, response, and recovery cycle. These awards are designed to invest in and enhance the whole community effort.

As we applaud the award winners, we also encourage all applicants to remain vigilant in their commitment to their programs and supporting community resilience.

The following is a list of the FEMA 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge award recipients: 

 

FEMA Region 1

Collaborating for Cape Cods Coastal Resiliency
Waquoit Bay Reserve Foundation – Waquoit, MA

Regional Flooding Risk Assessment and Community Rating System Feasibility Study
Greater Bridgeport Regional Council – Bridgeport, CT

 

FEMA Region 2

Call 2 Action Campaign
Rockaway Waterfront Alliance – Far Rockaway, NY

Comprehensive Community Needs Follow Up and Outreach
Schoharie Area Long Term, Inc. – Schoharie, NY

Farm Disaster Preparation Certificate
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County – Canandaigua, NY

Lake George Water Quality Awareness Committees for Community Resilience
The Fund for Lake George – Lake George, NY

 

FEMA Region 3

Community Resilience Following a Nuclear Detonation in Washington DC
Community Emergency Response Network (CERN) – Laurel, MD

Community Resilience through Maximizing Local Supply Chain Capacity
Arlington Office of Emergency Management – Arlington, VA

Dynamic Decision Support for Managing Regional Resources
Center for Disaster Management, University of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, PA

 

FEMA Region 4

Purchase of Garden Area and Cannery
Harvest of the Heart Garden, Inc. – Madison, GA

A Network of Emergency Power in Seymour
Volunteer Fire Department of Seymour – Seymour, TN

 

FEMA Region 5

Countywide Faith Based Community Response
Williamson County Emergency Management Agency – Marion, IL

Trenton Kids to the Rescue
Trenton Police/Emergency Management Service – Trenton, IN

Comprehensive Community Emergency Notification Plan
Indiana Emergency Notification Committee – City of Monticello, IN

Disaster Preparedness:  Surviving Disasters Despite Communication Barriers and Breakdowns Wisconsin Association of the Deaf – Delavan, WI

 

FEMA Region 6

Safe Harbor Master Plan for Vermillion Bay, Louisiana
Twin Parish Port District -Louisiana Sea Grant – Baton Rouge, LA

Greater New Orleans Resiliency Resource Guide
Greater New Orleans Development Foundation – New Orleans, LA

 

FEMA Region 7

Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
The Salvation Army – Kansas City, MO

Risk Watch Program
Tama County Emergency Management Agency – Toledo, IA

Services Expansion
Delaware County Disaster Recovery Committee – Manchester, IA

Faith Based Planning and Preparedness Initiative
St. Charles County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SCCCOAD) for Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service – St. Charles, MO

 

FEMA Region 8

Lightning Location and Analysis System
Crystal Park Homeowners Association – Manitou Springs, CO

Situation Awareness Environment and Knowledge Exchange Portal
Western Cyber Exchange, Rocky Mountain (WCX) – Colorado Springs, CO

Teton County Emergency Response Support Team
Teton County – Choteau, MT

 

FEMA Region 9

Special Needs Population and Home Bound Patients Registry
American Samoa Department of Health – Pago Pago, American Samoa

Roadmap to Preparedness
United Policyholders – San Francisco, CA

Tribal Emergency Response Crossing Boarders Coordination Project
Smith River Rancheria – Smith River, CA

Hawaii Emergency Preparedness System of Support (HiPSS)
University of Hawaii, Office of Research Services – Honolulu, HI

 

FEMA Region 10

Radio in a Box
KRBD Community Radio – Rainbird Community Broadcast – Ketchikan, AK

Emergency Hubs at P-Patch Community Gardens
Seattle Office of Emergency Management – Seattle, WA

 

Additional information on the Challenge program and a detailed summary of each recipient’s project can be found at www.fema.gov and www.ResilienceChallenge.org.  

Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.  The social media links provided are for reference only. 

FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

About FEMA:

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

About The Rockefeller Foundation:

The Rockefeller Foundation aims to achieve equitable growth by expanding opportunity for more people in more places worldwide, and to build resilience by helping them prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. Throughout its 100 year history, The Rockefeller Foundation has enhanced the impact of innovative thinkers and actors working to change the world by providing the resources, networks, convening power, and technologies to move them from idea to impact. In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to address the emerging challenges facing humankind through innovation, intervention and influence in order to shape agendas and inform decision-making. Please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org for more information.

About LAEPF:

The Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation (LAEPF) is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization focused on community stakeholder collaboration and emergency preparedness.  LAEPF works to create partnerships, identify resources and implement programs addressing the challenges of man-made and natural disasters. LAEPF supports the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Division on a variety of programs including the coordination of activities in the Business Operations Center (BOC) with participation from business, government, academic, faith based, and non-profit sectors. 

LAEPF is committed to building community resilience and very pleased to be supporting the application, selection, and implementation process for the FEMA 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Program. LAEPF congratulates the program winners and all applicants on their dedication to community resilience throughout the United States.        

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FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Recipients

Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Receives $1 Million to Rebuild Research Complex

NEW ORLEANS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced more than $1 million in recovery aid to build a new Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Fish Lab and Fish Lab Complex, which were destroyed during Hurricane Rita. 

The Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge encompasses more than 76,000 acres in Cameron and Vermilion parishes and is noted as one of the most biologically diverse wildlife areas in the nation. The Refuge was also home to a biological research complex, where staff and biologists studied the American alligator, fish, plants and waterfowl populations.

“The Grand Chenier complex plays an integral role in the pioneering research performed at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan. “Through FEMA’s assistance, the state will be able to reverse the damage done by Hurricane Rita and build back this complex in a more resourceful manner.”  

Hurricane Rita’s storm surge, high winds and flooding destroyed the Refuge’s Grand Chenier biological research complex of buildings, owned by Louisiana Facility Planning and Control and operated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Rather than rebuild each facility back to its pre-disaster condition, the state decided to pursue a more efficient design, consolidating the buildings and moving them northwest of the original location. 

Six of the buildings destroyed by Rita—a fish lab, fish lab boat shed, chemical storage building, alligator incubator shed, alligator storage shed and freezer storage shed—will be consolidated into three new buildings. The final blueprint calls for a 5,460-square-foot fish lab and an alligator incubator shed, both elevated on pilings 13 feet above base flood elevation, as well as a boat shed. Funding for the consolidated structures also comes from an alligator pump house, trappers camp and airstrip, all of which will not be rebuilt.

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $18.8 million in public assistance funding for Hurricane Rita-related recovery work at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. This figure includes the recent $1 million in funding.

Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/latro.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femalro, blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.      

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Receives $1 Million to Rebuild Research Complex