Earlier this year, we teamed up with experts from @FEMA, the @libertymutual Climate Transition Center, @NEMAforyou, and the State of Alabama Emergency Management Agency for a webinar on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's BRIC Building Code plus up initiative.
In October of 2023, FEMA announced that it was making $1 billion available in grant funding for its annual Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program as part of its long-awaited Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). BuildStrong has long called for the BRIC Program to set aside funding for the adoption and enforcement of building codes through avenues like the Resilient AMERICA Act. We were thrilled to see and applaud FEMA for its commitment to enhancing community resilience and disaster preparedness through the inclusion of plus up funding for building codes for states and territories as part of the program.
This multi-million-dollar allocation of funds underscores FEMA’s dedication to ensuring that communities across the nation are better equipped to withstand and recover from natural hazards and other emergencies. By investing in the development, adoption, and enforcement of modern building codes, FEMA is proactively addressing one of the key components of disaster preparedness.
The Empowering Resilience: FEMA’s BRIC “Building Code Plus Up” Initiative in Action webinar takes a deep dive this plus up by exploring how the funds can be used to build more resilient communities and why communities should take advantage of this inaugural funding. The panelists for the discussion include:
Camille Crain, the BRIC Section Chief--FEMA HQ, where she’s responsible for managing this massive, discusses the BRIC building code plus up and ways States, Locals, Tribes, and Territories can utilize this inaugural set aside.
Dr. Kelly Hereid, the Director of Catastrophe Research & Development at Liberty Mutual. As a research scientist in the insurance field, she navigates a unique confluence of science, risk management, economics, and policy. Dr. Hereid highlights benefits that updated building codes would provide communities and examples of what they might look like for different catastrophes.
Secretary Russ Strickland, the Secretary of Emergency Management for Maryland as well as the President of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) discussed both a Maryland and national perspective of the building code plus up.
Director Jeff Smitherman, the head of Alabama Emergency Management Agency and Co-Chair of the Alabama Resilience Council, highlights the innovative work the State of Alabama is taking on through The Alabama Resilience Council and Strengthen AL Homes.
