by jbs080309 h3 — August 10, 2009—The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with the assistance of the International Code Council and numerous other organizations such as the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, have released a white paper titled “Recommendations for an Effective National Mitigation Effort” (.pdf file). It outlines the importance of mitigation efforts aimed at building disaster resiliency across the nation.
The release of the white paper comes at a time where the threat of flooding, tornados, hurricanes and other disasters weigh heavily on economically challenged states and localities across the country, note the organizations.
While mitigation initiatives can come with hefty short-term price tags, the long-term effects of successful mitigation plans and projects can prove to be crucial investments for the safety and resiliency of any community. The groups note that natural and man-made disasters can happen anywhere and at any time, making the effort to increase attention to all-hazards mitigation efforts essential to national preparedness.
“Construction codes are an integral part of mitigation aimed at building disaster resiliency, but in too many communities there simply aren’t enough resources for building safety,” said International Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland. “‘Recommendations for an Effective National Mitigation Effort’ is a tool we support and need to improve mitigation. It underscores the importance of legislation being considered in the U.S. Senate that would provide a federal grant program to assist communities across the country as they adopt and administer construction safety codes that protect property and the public.”
The white paper is available on the Code Council’s Web site under the Public Safety tab, under the Public Safety heading.
