Region IV Disaster Volunteers Receive Critical and Timely Instruction

Disaster volunteer attendees and presenters listen intently to instruction on disaster relief procedures.

Earlier this month Disaster Volunteer Training was presented to over 30 local Atlanta Regional Office team members and broadcasted to all the field offices in the region in an ongoing disaster training effort to keep the volunteers trained and prepared as the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 2016. The training covered HUD's disaster playbook, and roles and responsibilities during Mission Assignments including lessons learned from the recent disaster efforts in South Carolina. The day's training culminated with commitments to convene a table top exercise over the short-term to sharpen the group's overall coordination skills and understanding of policy and procedures in support of disaster relief efforts.

The training covered Housing Support Functions playbook, roles and responsibilities and during Mission Assignments included lessons learned from the recent disaster efforts in South Carolina. The day's training culminated with a table top exercise which sharpened the group's overall coordination skills and understanding of policy and procedures in support of disaster relief efforts.

Region IV Deputy Administrator Willie Taylor (yellow shirt) kicks-off Region IV Disaster Volunteer Training.

"This training is vital to HUD (staff) being well-prepared in advance of when we engage in disaster relief", said Willie Taylor, HUD SE Deputy Regional Administrator. "It helps us identify roles and responsibilities that will support HUD's mission which ultimately is to protect life, property and (natural) resources that are a part of HUD's overall investment portfolio. These actions when implemented support the long-term economic and social fabric of the communities that we serve."

HUD's role before and after a disaster has expanded in recent years and continues to be redefined through the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). Mykl Asanti, Atlanta Regional Office, Field Policy Management and Ed Ellis, Knoxville Field Office Director, organized, developed and led the training for the region. Tony Hebert, Disaster Recovery Coordinator, Regions I-X from FPM HQ was also a critical presenter.

HUD provides a variety of disaster resources and also partners with Federal and state agencies to help implement disaster recovery assistance. Under the National Response Framework the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (www.fema.gov/) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) (www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/index.html) offer initial recovery assistance.

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