Center for Disaster Resilience Solutions

The Center for Disaster Resiliency Solutions, (CDRS), Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation.  It has 501C-3 status.

Vision

The vision of the Center for Disaster Resilience Solutions is to provide expert guidance and services to jurisdictions that will then help them improve their capability to minimize the loss of life and property in all disasters, including those of a catastrophic nature.  The Center assists jurisdictions in analyzing their capability to prepare for potential risks and threats in their geographic area, and by helping them develop solutions that will lead to improved resilience across the board - from individual to "whole community" and regional preparedness.

Mission

To provide Community Resiliency Solutions to enhance disaster recovery which includes assistance in disaster readiness and preparedness, risk assessment and vulnerability analysis, education and training, disaster mitigation strategies that enhance the betterment of all peoples including those with disabilities and those serving as caretakers.

Uniqueness and Differentiation

The uniqueness of the Center for Disaster Resiliency Solutions lies in its ability to quickly engage in the assessment of risks and threats to a jurisdiction and bring forth a broad range of expertise to assist in developing solutions to disasters.  Because of their extensive experience in emergency preparedness, the Center staff is able to "hit the ground running" and immediately begin to offer advice on building a more resilient capability. Further, because there is no learning curve, per se, other than to acclimate to the environment in which the jurisdiction resides, the Center team can immediately provide incremental guidance on how to solve difficult problems associated with disaster preparedness and resilience.

CDRS is unique in the following ways:

• Its' Vision and Mission focuses on saving lives and mitigating the serious consequences of natural and manmade disaster/emergencies, with specific efforts toward persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

• The founders, officers, and associates are all expertly skilled and experienced in natural and manmade disaster/emergency preparedness, planning, education and training programs and services.

• Its' team includes members who have directly participated in 9/11, Hurricanes Irene and Sandy; and members who themselves are disabled, but experienced the difficulty of getting adequate services.

• Its' staff conducts leading-edge workshops, seminars and focus groups designed to help all residents effectively prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster/emergency.

• It has effectively included the youth of the community in the Disaster/Emergency discussion, to include defining the role youth can play during a disaster/emergency.

Disasters Resiliency Scope 

As disasters become more frequent and intense, communities must become more resilient in order to reduce loss of life and property, and to avoid the ever increasing cost of recovery operations and reconstitution.  Jurisdictions are being urged to pursue measures that will lead to greater resiliency in order to ensure both preservation of life and to reduce the impact of disasters overall. Studies are revealing that attention to how a community is rebuilt following a disaster can provide improved resiliency if the need is recognized and the design for rebuilding of structures and infrastructures capitalizes on mitigating measures that will produce greater strength and durability.

The same holds true for the "softer" areas of planning and preparedness.  For example, greater awareness of what local residents can do individually and collectively to prepare for risks to their communities can mitigate loss of life and property.  In addition, recognition that those with disabilities and special needs have unique requirements before and during a disaster can lead to improvement and greater human resilience.

The Center was founded on the belief that, by combining the right amount of knowledge and experience in disaster planning and preparedness with state of the art and emerging technologies can lead to improved resiliency.

Current Position

The Center focuses on support and counsel to jurisdictions affected by catastrophic disasters, and those where there is potential for destruction in the future. Significant emphasis is on assisting jurisdictional leadership in understanding the issues surrounding catastrophic events, assessing the threat and developing ways to minimize destruction and loss of life and other assets through resiliency.

The Center combines a broad range of team member experience in disaster preparedness at all government levels and private industry.  This experience has been gained through past employment in public and private planning, training and service and through the development of standards in all areas of natural and technological emergencies.  In addition, the Center's officers and associates have worked extensively with persons with disabilities, identifying the impact of their particular situation on local disaster planning. The Center consists of capable team members from areas around the country who have implemented Federal, State and local emergency preparedness programs.

Given current predictions for more frequent and severe disasters, the Center's outlook for opportunities to help jurisdictions achieve greater resilience is positive. Greater resilience leads to corresponding decreases in the loss of life and property and the infrastructure catastrophic destruction from major events.  The, loss of critical infrastructure has proven to be of particular concern to regions and communities with the increasing threat of severe hurricanes, earthquakes and tornados as well as potential terrorist events. Because of its broad range of expertise, the Center brings unique capabilities that will support planning and decision making that helps jurisdictions become better prepared and thus more resilient to present day threats and risks.

The Center will identify numerous opportunities in regions and states to support jurisdictions in need.  Among them will be communities that experienced significant loss following recent hurricanes, floods and natural disasters that are focused on establishing greater resilience for future events.  Through resources provided by Federal, State and local jurisdictions, the Center will assist in the analysis of local and regional issues and concerns and suggest "best practice solutions" to local decision makers for consideration and adoption by their respective jurisdictions.

Future Outlook

Steps in seeking opportunities to help communities and jurisdictions will be described in the pending development of the Center's web site, interaction with and briefings to local leaders, dissemination of information on the Center's capabilities and unsolicited grant proposals geared towards solving resiliency oriented problems for jurisdictions and their residents.  The Center will build upon experience and interaction with the disability community in FEMA Regions, primarily New York and New Jersey, where Center staff gained considerable knowledge and experience concerning the critical needs of persons with disabilities in disaster situations. The Center will seek solutions to recommend to local leadership in how to improve preparedness for persons with disabilities.

Future plans call for expanded emphasis on regional readiness and preparedness, including greater attention to the destructive effects of hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes as well as catastrophic technological disasters.  The focus will be on determining how to present potential solutions to jurisdictions that will make areas less susceptible to the destructive outcomes experienced in past disasters.