TRANSCRIPT:  Texas - Mitigation: Build Smarter/Build Safer     


DATE:		       	January 29, 2009

LENGTH:		2 minutes, 31 seconds

PARTICIPANTS:		Don Jacks, FEMA  

			Theresa Swank ��� Mitigation Specialist 
			  
				
				
ABBREVIATIONS:	[U/I] = Unintelligible
      			[PH] = Phonetic Spelling				


	Speaker					Transcription
	

Theresa Swank:	I���m Theresa Swank.  I work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  I���m in Mitigation Specialist.

Don Jacks:	���and as a mitigation specialist, Theresa Swank was staffing a Mitigation Assistance and Flood Insurance outreach table.

Theresa Swank:	���and we are here at the Home Depot on 63rd street on Galveston Island.

Don Jacks:	For those Galveston residents recovering from Hurricane Ike���.

Theresa Swank:	In my mind, mitigation is protecting a community from future, preventable disasters.

Don Jacks:	Swank said surveys show 77% of the homes on Galveston Island suffered damages from Hurricane Ike.  As a result, she and her FEMA Mitigation colleagues are reaching out with ���build smarter and build safer��� messages���..

Theresa Swank:	We���re here to share mitigation information���mitigation efforts on strengthening homes when retrofitting, flood proofing homes���let���s say shattering, things like that.  We have materials that with technical bulletins���coastal construction���so since they have to rebuild, it���s about rebuilding smarter and safer for the next coming event.

Don Jacks:	Building smarter and building safer with mitigation grants will fuel the post disaster economy, said Swank���..

Theresa Swank:	If we can bring in millions of dollars in mitigation grants into a community���.let���s say it���s Galveston, ..as 1900, they���it took a group effort to ummm..what they were���they were mitigators before they were even cool���.[she laughs���]���but if they are rebuilding, they could rebuild smarter, stronger���above the code���protect the envelopes of their homes���elevate their homes from flood waters���you know..develop mitigation plans to protect���um...the community���and let���s say if we can get that money out to schools, community centers���um..Emergency Operations Centers (EOC���s). ���um���so it protects the community, it can also benefit a community economically, so there���s all kinds of benefits to mitigation.

Don Jacks:	So search those mitigation benefits at FEMA.(dot) gov.  Answer your flood insurance questions at Floodsmart. (dot) gov���and join Theresa Swank and me for another segment on FEMA���s Mitigation measures when she discusses the coast benefit analysis of Mitigation���.or how to spend a $1 today and save up to $4 later.  For FEMA���s New Media, I���m Don Jacks.