Future Disasters
Catastrophic events such as the September 11th terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina illustrate the need for a central, coordinating body for the humanitarian effort, so that the disaster survivors get help as quickly as possible.
Disasters result in billions of dollars of damaged infrastructure, loss of
property, the displacement of thousands of people and, in the worst cases, the
loss of lives. According to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), declared disasters can include
biological and nuclear threats, drought, dam failure, flooding, fire, hurricanes,
heat, hazardous material exposure, thunderstorms, tornados, winter weather and
terrorism. In many of these cases, a myriad of obstacles await survivors and
demand long-term recovery efforts in such a scope that requires the coordination
and collaboration of the best resources available.
As the central, coordinating body for humanitarian services in disaster, the
Recovery Corps is recognized by the State of Louisiana through Act 313 as the
lead agency to work with governmental and non-governmental organizations. With
experience in human recovery and key partnerships across the state, the Recovery
Corps takes this charge by simplifying and strengthening the existing infrastructure
in Louisiana without creating additional bureaucracy to meet the needs of people
affected by disaster.
Critical to effective coordination and recovery, we must work side-by-side with other disaster response and recovery organizations to ensure that resources are maximized and efforts are not duplicated. In the event of a federally- or state-declared disaster, the Recovery Corps will engage other disaster recovery stakeholders to identify immediate disaster needs. These stakeholders include:
- Local, state, and national government agencies, such as FEMA and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness;
- Social service organizations, such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army;
- Human service agencies ;
- Public and private funders and grant makers; and
- Private sector organizations.
The Recovery Corps’ deployment plan calls for the coordination of appropriate sub-contractors to provide critical services and information to disaster survivors. The Recovery Corps will focus specifically on nonprofits that excel in recovery planning, job training, housing needs, mental health and wellness, substance abuse counseling, and the needs of persons with disabilities. Each of these organizations will be vetted through the Recovery Corp’s criteria (below) and based on how well they can meet the needs of survivors. Each subcontractor must satisfy the following considerations:
- Scale: financial, personnel, and programmatic systems to address the nature of the disaster;
- Scope: experience and training to respond;
- Program Experience: a proven track record in recovery planning services;
- Sustainability: financial resources to begin services;
- Technology: internal technology capacity to manage the needs of its clients and capture data about the disaster-affected survivors ; and
- Certification: licensed and certified to complete the services.
Pulling the Trigger
The Recovery Corps will deploy the disaster recovery planning network in response
to a federal declaration of disaster, or in the absence of a federal declaration,
a state declaration. The Recovery Corps will soon have in place several Memorandums
of Understanding with partner organizations to ensure that when the need arises,
Louisiana’s human service providers can activate, deploy and meet the
needs of citizens quickly, responsibly, ethically and effectively. Our future
depends on it.
