Increasingly, USACE, FEMA, and their partners are devising ways to solve problems before they occur – to streamline response and avoid delays and complications. One recent example is the Emergency Power Facility Assessment Tool (EPFAT), a secure online tool designed to predetermine the emergency power requirements of critical facilities when a disaster disrupts commercial power service.
Workers flatten delivered sand onto a Broward County, Florida, beach so it fills an engineer-designed template, which includes the sand placement’s height and width along the beach. Photo by Eastman Aggregate Enterprises
EPFAT, developed by USACE and FEMA, provides a permanent and secure off-site Geographic Information System database where information about power requirements, hookups, and switching locations can be stored and managed. Prior to notice events, the tool makes it possible for emergency power teams to have the right generator ready to install in a critical facility such as a hospital, wastewater or drinking water treatment plant, or shelter.
As USACE’s EM expertise has become more expansive and more sophisticated, its leadership has worked to maintain readiness and proficiency in the rapidly developing field. For each PRT mission, a lead division develops the training program and establishes credentialing requirements – the Northwestern Division, for example, takes the lead for planning, coordinating, and training the temporary roofing PRTs.
USACE also works with international and regional partners, engaging in bilateral technical consultations with nations such as Japan, Mexico, and China. Since 1996, USACE has helped partner nations in Europe and Central Asia develop emergency management skills through the Civil Military Emergency Preparedness (CMEP) program. CMEP, which focuses on regional coordination for planning and managing all hazards, supports U.S. national security strategies while encouraging peace and cooperation among allies.
“The type of skills we need to do those things are the types of skills our folks use every day,” said Durham-Aguilera. “We are operational all the time, and there is not a situation we can’t get our people to [to] help the affected communities and the public we serve.”
In May 2012, USACE’s Huntington District became the first federal agency to achieve, through a thorough examination of its programs and personnel, accreditation by the independent Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). USACE’s partnership with EMAP, the only voluntary accreditation process for EM agencies, illustrates the organization’s commitment to maintaining its status as an exemplar in federal emergency management. The Wilmington District achieved EMAP accreditation in October 2013; the Huntington and Pittsburg districts have achieved EMAP accreditation; and several other USACE districts are in the process of accreditation.
Even as USACE continues to improve its ability to manage and reduce disaster risks, Durham-Aguilera pointed out, its technical experts are worthy descendants of an organization established nearly 240 years ago to solve problems on short notice. “Our normal Civil Works Mission means that we have these skills inherent in the work our people do,” she said.
When a massive landslide struck this past March near Oso, Washington, blocking the north fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood, and killing more than 40 people, USACE sent geotechnical engineers, hydrologists, environmental engineers, and others – first to help assess the damage and then, after the response was complete, to help with the massive cleanup effort. “The type of skills we need to do those things are the types of skills our folks use every day,” said Durham-Aguilera. “We are operational all the time, and there is not a situation we can’t get our people to [to] help the affected communities and the public we serve.”
This article first appeared in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building Strong®, Serving the Nation and the Armed Forces, 2014-2015 Edition.