OAKLAND, Calif.—The U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) released $3 million in Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) funds to the University of California, Berkeley to perform structural retrofits to the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union.
The funded project consists of strengthening of existing structures in the Tilden Room and Pauley Ballroom, including installing a structural brace, adding and reinforcing concrete walls, and replacing plate glass windows with tempered or laminated glass.
“Hazard mitigation projects protect communities from disruption and are the foundation of disaster risk reduction efforts,” said Nancy Ward, FEMA Region IX Administrator. “This illustrates the importance of local, state and federal government working together for the benefit of citizens.”
The PDM funds provide 35 percent of the project’s total costs equaling $8,674,000. The University of California will cover the remaining balance. The grant program provides funding for mitigation plans and the implementation of cost-effective projects, such as buyouts of flood-prone buildings, elevation of homes located in the floodplain, construction of safe rooms, or making structures more earthquake resistant prior to disaster events.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to 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.
Media-Newswire June 7, 2010 press release
