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NIST,
FEMA Strengthen Disaster Response and Research Capabilities
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 1, 2002
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Contacts:
Michael
Newman
(301) 975-3025
Cindy Ramsay (FEMA)
(202) 646-4117
cynthia.ramsay@fema.gov
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The
Commerce Department's National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced
the signing of an agreement that designates NIST to serve
as a research and technical resource for FEMA. The agreement,
which is intended to strengthen the collaborative bonds
between the two agencies, also will serve to support the
federal government's capabilities to reduce national disaster
losses and enhance homeland security.
In a
joint statement, NIST Director Arden Bement Jr. and FEMA's
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) Director
Robert Shea said, "Both agencies recognize that our
missions in fire, natural disaster prevention and man-made
disaster events are highly complementary; and that based
on our history of successful collaborations following disasters,
it is in the public interest to continue to draw on this
relationship."
Under
the memorandum
of understanding (MOU), NIST—through its Building
and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL)—and FEMA—through
FIMA—will work jointly to:
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Reduce
loss of life and property and protect the nation's buildings
and infrastructure from all types of hazards;
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Aid
the development of technology and methods to evaluate
equipment for use by the nation's emergency first responders
and management communities; and
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Ensure
that FEMA can call on NIST quickly for assistance with
scientific and technological services in disaster investigations,
recovery planning and support technologies.
The MOU states that NIST and FEMA agree:
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To
develop and implement a coordinated annual process to
plan, prioritize, select, and fund projects of mutual
interest in fire, disaster prevention and homeland security—as
well as projects to evaluate equipment for fire, rescue,
civil defense services and other first responders;
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To
establish a protocol for a quick deployment mechanism
that may be activated when both the administrator of FIMA
and the director of NIST determine a need for a NIST response
to extreme events (this would not preclude either NIST
or FEMA from responding to extreme events independently
under their respective authorities);
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That
projects may involve cooperation with and/or participation
of other agencies, industries and university experts;
and
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That
the administrator of FIMA and the director of NIST, or
their designees, will meet on a semi-annual basis to review
progress and provide general policy direction in implementing
this agreement.
As
a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
Technology Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurements,
standards and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate
trade and improve the quality of life.
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency is an independent agency
of the federal government, reporting to the president. Since
its founding in 1979, FEMA's mission has been clear: to
reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's
critical infrastructure from all types of hazards
through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management
program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
- 30 -
For more information on NIST, go to www.nist.gov.
For
more information about FEMA or disaster prevention, go to
www.fema.gov.
 Go
back to NIST News Page
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also: A-Z Subject Index, NIST
Home Page
Date
created: 3/7/02
Last updated: 3/14/02
Contact: inquiries@nist.gov
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