More Than $2 Million Approved To Shield Louisiana Department Of Agriculture And Forestry
Funds will protect crucial operations from hurricane-force winds
Release Date: May 4, 2009
Release Number: 1603-849
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- When a hurricane impacts a community, area survivors are left without food and water amid scorching temperatures and potential fires. To ensure the continuous coordination of firefighting activities and transportation of food and water to affected areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) are providing funds to protect Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) facilities involved in the operations.
The LDAF buildings in Baton Rouge and Hammond will be hardened and retrofitted to resist a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph. The mitigation work, which is expected to begin in June or July, includes the installation of impact resistant glass, storm screens and wind-rated, storm-proof doors. In addition, roof straps will be used to secure equipment such as air conditioners, vents, fuel tanks and other equipment.
"LDAF supports the federal response after a disaster, and it is vital that its buildings are able to withstand strong hurricane winds to allow responders to bring emergency assistance without interruptions," said Tony Russell, acting director of the FEMA Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office.
The LDAF administrative office building and a food storage facility for perishable and non-perishable items in Baton Rouge as well as a satellite administrative office in Hammond will benefit by the more than $2 million in FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding.
"Without the improvement of these buildings, the LDAF response could be crippled during emergencies," said Mike Strain, D.V.M., Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry commissioner. "The three facilities are critical to LDAF during emergency operations."
"The state must be capable of functioning in an emergency situation in order to help our citizens, and improving these facilities is an important step in Louisiana's emergency preparedness," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
LDAF uses the buildings to manage and coordinate Emergency Support Functions (ESF) 4 and 11, two supporting mechanisms in response to a federally declared disaster. Under the ESF 4, LDAF is responsible for firefighting activities. The primary LDAF ESF 11 functions include providing food, water and ice to affected areas, responding to animal and plant diseases, ensuring the safety of the commercial food supply, distributing emergency fuel, as well as coordinating pet evacuation, transport and sheltering for people with critical transportation needs. The Baton Rouge office is the hub for 30 LDAF facilities statewide.
The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funds to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster. A congressionally mandated study conducted for FEMA revealed that mitigation saves society an average of $4 for every dollar spent.
Created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005, the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the coordinating and planning body leading the most extensive rebuilding effort in American history. The central point for hurricane recovery in Louisiana, the LRA works closely with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and partners with state and federal agencies to oversee more than $20 billion worth of programs, speed the pace of rebuilding, remove hurdles and red tape and ensure that Louisiana recovers safer and stronger than before. For more information about the LRA and its 17-member board, visit lra.louisiana.gov.
FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 12-May-2009 18:02:14