BDR Develops Disaster Recovery Planning Model for North Carolina
MAITLAND, FL — November 16, 2009 — BDR (www.beckdr.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), has announced that it is developing a disaster recovery plan for Brunswick County, N.C., in conjunction with the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management. The plan will focus on defining each recovery function purpose, concept of operations for both short- and long-term recovery, and roles and responsibilities for agencies included in the recovery function.
“After a disaster, the emphasis has historically been on response efforts,” says Jonathan Burgiel, president of BDR. “But it is equally, if not more important, to focus on the recovery. A disaster recovery plan is critical for restoring a community to pre-disaster conditions and getting people back to work, businesses up and running, and tourism dollars flowing again. This is especially vital in areas that depend on tourism as a primary contributor to the tax base, as does Brunswick County.”
The Brunswick County Disaster Recovery Plan will outline the short- and long-term recovery steps the county must take after a disaster. Specifically, the plan will include 16 recovery functions, such as emergency management, continuation of government, and economic restoration. Each one of the recovery functions defines lead and support agencies that have specific roles and duties in the activation of that function should disaster occur.
To support plan development, BDR will leverage lessons learned from its experience working with jurisdictions post-disaster, comparing those communities that had successful long-term recovery plans to those that did not. When the plan is completed, Brunswick County will have a disaster recovery plan that can serve as a model for other communities.
“More and more states are recognizing that recovery planning is instrumental to a swift and organized recovery from disaster,” Burgiel says. “Our goal is to help Brunswick County create a sound, actionable strategy that can be replicated in other communities. We’re excited for the opportunity to set a ‘best practices’ planning standard for others to follow.”
BDR (www.beckdr.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC, is a full-service consulting firm specializing in homeland security and emergency management planning, training and exercises at the local, state and federal levels. In addition, BDR provides post-disaster services in the areas of debris management planning, disaster debris program management and monitoring, public assistance coordination and financial recovery.