Disaster Preparedness Daily News

Posts Tagged ‘disaster recovery’

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s major disaster declaration issued for Arkansas.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health as a way of disaster preparedness plan.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
• Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

• Application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our first responders and ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Despite confidence in client loyalty, SMBs without effective disaster preparedness plans lose customers.

Symantec Corp. announced the findings of its 2009 SMB Disaster Preparedness Survey, reflecting the attitudes and practices of small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) and their customers toward technology disaster preparedness. The report shows a large discrepancy between how SMBs perceive their disaster readiness and their actual level of preparedness. The data also suggests SMB downtime costs their customers tens of thousands of dollars each year. As a result, the findings show that SMBs can – and often do – lose business as a direct result of being unprepared for disasters.

“The startling part of this research is the fact that SMBs don’t realize the impact their outages have on customers, particularly when they have tools at their fingertips to help them be prepared to deal with disasters,” said Pat Hanavan, vice president, Backup Exec product management, Symantec. “While no one wants a disaster to occur, the reality is that they happen. Rather than continuing to be unprepared, small and mid-sized organizations can take simple steps to protect their data. And, as companies communicate their plans to their customers, they strengthen those relationships and become a trusted partner.”

Confidence High Regarding Preparedness

The findings show that SMBs are confident in their disaster preparedness plans. Eighty-two percent of respondents say they are somewhat/very satisfied with their disaster plans, and a similar number (84 percent) say they feel somewhat/very protected in case a disaster strikes. SMBs also believe their customers will be understanding and patient if there is a disruption to their computer or technology resources. In case of such an outage, only one-third (34 percent) of SMB respondents believe their customers will evaluate other options, including looking at competitors. Read the rest of this entry »

If you were affected by the Aug. 4 storms and floods in Jefferson County and receive a U.S. Small Business Administration home loan application, you should fill it out and submit it - even if you don’t want a loan.

When you are referred to the SBA, an SBA loan application has to be completed before some types of aid options can be considered, according to officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

Filling out an SBA application does not guarantee you will be approved for a loan, nor does it mean you must accept a loan if you are approved. However, if a home loan application is declined, your case may be referred back to FEMA’s grant programs.

FEMA disaster assistance covers only basic living requirements and will not normally compensate for your entire loss. If you have insurance, the disaster assistance may help pay for basic needs not covered under your insurance policy. The SBA application may be completed before your insurance is settled.

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