BUILDING A 

DISASTER-RESISTANT 

UNIVERSITY 

August 2003 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University i

Forward ........................................................................................................................................iii

Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1

Mitigation Approach................................................................................................................... 1 

Who Should Participate?............................................................................................................. 2 

How to Use this Guidebook........................................................................................................ 3 

Phase 1 – Organize Resources ..................................................................................................... 5

Make a Commitment................................................................................................................... 5 

Identify Resources ...................................................................................................................... 5 

Community Stakeholders.......................................................................................................... 11 

Form an Advisory Committee .................................................................................................. 16 

Identify a Coordinator or Project Manager............................................................................... 17 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 19 

Phase 2 – Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment............................................................ 21

Identify Hazards........................................................................................................................ 21 

Profile Hazard Events ............................................................................................................... 22 

Inventory Your Assets .............................................................................................................. 24 

Estimate Losses......................................................................................................................... 26 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 27 

Phase 3 – Developing the Mitigation Plan ................................................................................ 29

Prioritize Focus Areas............................................................................................................... 29 

Determine Appropriate Mitigation Actions.............................................................................. 30 

Prioritize Mitigation Actions .................................................................................................... 32 

Prepare an Implementation Strategy......................................................................................... 32 

Assemble the Plan..................................................................................................................... 33 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 33 

Phase 4 – Adoption and Implementation.................................................................................. 35

Adoption ................................................................................................................................... 35 

Implementation ......................................................................................................................... 38 

Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 40 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 42 

Appendix A – Worksheets........................................................................................................ A-1

Appendix B – Library............................................................................................................... B-1

Appendix C – FEMA Regional Offices ................................................................................... C-1
FOREWORD 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University iii

Forward 

In the last decade, disasters have affected university and 

college campuses with disturbing frequency, sometimes 

causing death and injury, but always imposing monetary 

losses and disruption of the institution’s teaching, research, 

and public service. Damage to buildings and infrastructure 

and interruption to the institutional mission result in 

significant losses that can be measured by faculty and student 

departures, decreases in research funding, and increases in 

insurance premiums. These losses could have been 

substantially reduced or eliminated through comprehensive 

pre-disaster planning and mitigation actions. 

September 11, 2001 reminded everyone of the importance of 

taking steps to mitigate the consequences of disasters. In the 

immediate aftermath of the attacks, many higher education institutions reviewed their disaster 

plans and began to reconsider issues of safety and security. Natural and man-made disasters 

represent a wide array of threats to the instructional, research, and public service missions of 

higher education institutions. This document provides planning guidance to these institutions as 

they prepare to identify their risks, assess their vulnerability to natural and man-made hazards, 

and develop a hazard mitigation plan. Its purposes are to encourage higher education institutions 

to take hazard mitigation seriously and to illustrate a course of action for implementing a 

mitigation program to permanently reduce vulnerability to 

future disasters.

This document is both a how-to guide and a distillation of the 

experiences of six universities and colleges across the 

country that have been working over the past several years to 

become more disaster-resistant. It complements the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) State and Local 

Mitigation Planning how-to guides that provide planning 

guidance for creating and implementing a hazard mitigation 

planning process. These how-to guides are excellent 

resources for higher education institutions and are referenced 

in this document whenever appropriate. This guide provides 

basic information designed for institutions just getting started 

as well as concrete ideas, suggestions, and practical 

experiences for institutions that have already begun to take 

steps to becoming more disaster-resistant. See Appendix B 

(Library) for a list of the mitigation planning how-to guides. 

FEMA acknowledges the assistance provided by the following universities in the development of 

this document: 

 Tulane University 

 University of Alaska—Fairbanks 

 University of California, Berkeley 

 University of Miami 

 University of North Carolina at Wilmington 

 University of Washington 

Recent Disasters and Universities 

In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison 

inundated the Houston Area and its 

universities and colleges with 10 to 

24 inches of rain. The total losses are 

estimated to be $745 million. The 

University of Texas at Houston 

Medical School Building had 22 ft. of 

water in it, causing the hospital to 

close for the first time in its history 

and seriously disrupting its research 

efforts. Damage to the Medical 

School has been estimated at more 

than $205 million. 

Resources 

The Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) has 

developed a series of “how-to” 

guides to assist states, communities, 

and tribes in enhancing their natural 

and man-made hazard mitigation 

planning activities. This document 

complements the series, addressing 

aspects of mitigation planning that 

are unique to institutions of higher 

education. The guides will be an 

essential resource for your planning 

effort and are available online at 

www.fema.gov/fima/planning.shtm. 

They can also be obtained free of 

charge from the FEMA publications 

warehouse by calling 1-800-480-

2520.
INTRODUCTION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 1

Introduction 

Disaster-related losses in the United States continue to rise. At all levels, organizations and 

governments are adjusting their behavior and policies to reflect the importance of reducing 

damage caused by extreme events. Hazard mitigation is 

accepted as good practice and many government jurisdictions 

now require it. Higher education institutions have an interest 

on many levels to become more disaster-resistant. 

Administrators, faculty, and staff are realizing that improving 

their campus’ resistance to disaster will not only protect their 

own lives and those of their students, it will also safeguard 

the campus’ instruction, research, and public service. 

MITIGATION APPROACH

Over the past ten years, FEMA has awarded millions of 

dollars in disaster assistance to public and private universities 

and colleges in the United States. Private insurance carriers 

have paid out substantial sums to these institutions as well. 

Losses include measurable interruptions to their instruction 

and auxiliary services (such as hospitals) and immeasurable 

losses to research and the generation of knowledge. 

Moreover, Federal, state, and local governments and private 

foundations have a substantial research investment in higher 

education institutions across the country. Every year, Federal 

research grants to U.S. universities total around $15 billion. 

Therefore, it is in the best interest of the institution and its 

sponsors to take stock of the hazards they face and to develop 

a plan for mitigating their potential consequences. 

This document closely follows FEMA’s mitigation planning guidance for local communities. 

Higher education institutions are themselves communities in many ways, and they can draw on 

important lessons from the efforts of counties and municipalities to reduce disaster risks. Higher 

education institutions are engaged in and skilled at planning exercises for a wide range of issues; 

consequently, the addition or improvement of campus-based hazard mitigation planning will 

yield substantial benefits. Moreover, steps taken to become more disaster-resistant can 

complement the long-term sustainability of the campus and improve the overall quality of life. 

Hazard mitigation planning is a systematic, four-phased 

process for identifying and implementing actions to reduce or 

eliminate loss of life, property, and function due to natural 

and man-made hazards. Each section of this guide focuses on 

a different phase in the disaster-resistant university planning 

and implementation process: 

 Phase 1 – Organize Resources addresses the initial step of 

identifying the resources available and necessary to 

complete the effort. Interested and necessary parties are 

invited to form an advisory committee. An inventory of 

available planning documents is performed and existing 

Background 

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 

2000. The incentive for states and 

local government to undertake 

natural hazard mitigation planning 

was given a boost on October 30, 

2000, when the President signed the 

Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 

(Public Law 106-390). This law 

encourages and rewards local and 

state pre-disaster planning, 

promotes sustainability as a strategy 

for disaster resistance, and is 

intended to integrate State and local 

planning with the aim of 

strengthening statewide mitigation 

planning. The new approach 

facilitates cooperation between state 

and local authorities, prompting them 

to work together. This enhanced 

planning network enables local, 

tribal, and state governments to 

articulate accurate and specific 

needs for mitigation, resulting in 

faster allocation of funding and more 

effective risk reduction projects. 

Colleges and universities can plan 

for the reduction of hazard losses in 

concert with similar planning efforts 

within their host community and/or 

state. 

Recent Disasters and Universities

The Northridge earthquake, which 

occurred in January 1994, damaged 

three universities in the Los Angeles 

area. California State University, 

Northridge suffered the most: nearly 

all of its buildings were damaged 

and the university was forced to 

close for one month. It was able to 

reopen to its 30,000 students with 

450 temporary trailers serving as the 

only classrooms. Damages were 

estimated at $380 million. 
INTRODUCTION 

2 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

plans and documents are collected. The committee develops a strategic plan with obtainable 

outcomes and completion dates. The FEMA how-to guide Getting Started (FEMA 386-1) 

provides potentially applicable guidance on this process for local and state governments. 

 Phase 2 – Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment covers the identification of hazards that 

present risks to the campus and the assets that are vulnerable to those hazards. Higher 

education institutions must assess the risks and their vulnerability to the full complement of 

natural and man-made hazards. The FEMA how-to guide Identifying Your Risks (FEMA 386-

2) provides potentially useful guidance on this process for state and local governments. 

 Phase 3 – Developing the Mitigation Plan examines the development of the hazard mitigation 

plan document. Planning is an integral part of many higher educational institutions. The 

development of a comprehensive hazard mitigation plan should draw from and complement 

existing plans. It should be developed and integrated with local and state jurisdictions and 

reflect the unique mission and characteristics of the institution. The plan should be updated 

regularly and implemented across all levels of the institution. The FEMA how-to guide 

Developing the Mitigation Plan (FEMA 386-3) provides helpful guidance for state and local 

governments on this process and may assist a college or university in aligning their 

mitigation plan with those of their surrounding jurisdictions. 

 Phase 4 – Adoption and Implementation follows the mitigation plan through the adoption and 

implementation stages. Once the plan has been written, the focus shifts to adoption by 

appropriate administrative and instructional units and the implementation of its objectives. 

Even the best plans are inadequate if they are not implemented with vigor and aligned with 

the campus strategic or master plan. Experience has shown that this can be difficult as 

institutions face the consequences of having to change their operations and make adjustments 

to their culture in an effort to become more disaster-resistant. Equally important is the need 

to establish mechanisms for maintaining and updating the plan to keep it relevant. The 

FEMA how-to guide Bringing the Plan to Life (FEMA 386-4) addresses these issues. 

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 

This guide is designed for all higher education institutions 

(community colleges to research institutions, public and 

private). Regardless of the institution’s mission or focus, 

hazard mitigation is a good investment. There are differences 

in the way that small versus large institutions, private versus 

public, and primarily research based or teaching institutions 

will plan and adopt the actions described herein. Wherever 

possible, care has been taken to provide a wide range of ways 

that the process can be adapted based on the particular 

characteristics of an institution. 

Should You Do It Yourself? 

How can you decide whether to do this yourself? Institutions of different types and sizes have 

successfully completed risk assessments and hazard mitigation plans. However, some 

universities and colleges have determined that it was in their best interest to hire a private 

Recent Disasters and Universities

Hurricane Andrew caused $17 

million in damage to the University of 

Miami in 1992. The school was 

forced to close for almost one month 

because there was no water or 

electricity, and it had to purchase 

round-trip tickets to send students 

home during the hiatus. Insurance 

premiums went up dramatically after 

the disaster. 
INTRODUCTION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 3

company to conduct all or part of the risk assessment and to 

help them identify and rank their vulnerabilities to various 

hazards. Many companies provide this service. Contact peer 

institutions; professional associations; and local, state, and 

regional emergency management offices to help you 

determine if a private consultant is appropriate. If your 

institution chooses to engage the services of a private 

consultant, this guide provides important background 

information on the process to allow you to prepare the 

contractual materials necessary to obtain a satisfactory 

product. 

Integrative Approach 

The responsibility for emergency management in the United 

States is shared across many levels of government and the 

public and nonprofit sectors. To be successful at its hazard 

mitigation planning activities, your institution must integrate 

its efforts with appropriate local, state, and Federal agencies and organizations. Higher education 

institutions must work collaboratively with first responders and emergency managers in their 

area. They also must coordinate with state and Federal emergency management organizations 

because response, recovery efforts, and mitigation actions are funded and supported in part by 

these entities. 

This guide takes a multi-hazard approach, recognizing that institutions face a wide variety of 

potential man-made and natural disasters. Not every disaster can be avoided, but steps can be 

taken to reduce the consequences of many extreme events; however, these threats can only be 

identified and mitigated through systematic, comprehensive, pre-disaster planning that leads to 

the creation, adoption, and implementation of a hazard mitigation plan. 

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEBOOK

This book is not meant to be the last word on any of the subject matter covered. It is intended to 

provide an easy-to-understand set of guidelines, to be supplemented by more extensive technical 

information and the use of experts when necessary. As with states and communities, the planning 

process for your campus will be as individual as your institution. Therefore, the step-by-step 

information in this book should be considered only as guidance. 

The framework for this book is based in large part on the mitigation planning guidance 

developed for state and local governments in the form of a series of how-to guides (mentioned 

above). Frequent references to these guides will be made throughout this book, and it is 

suggested that you review the guides before beginning campus mitigation planning efforts. The 

worksheets shown herein were adapted from these mitigation planning how-to guides produced 

for states and local jurisdictions. Blank worksheets are all presented in Appendix A. 

Background 

Four phases of emergency 

management: Preparedness – 

includes plans and preparations 

made to save lives and property and 

to facilitate response operations; 

Response – includes actions taken 

to provide emergency assistance, 

save lives and minimize property 

damage, and speed recovery 

immediately following a disaster; 

Recovery – includes actions taken 

to return to a normal or improved 

operating condition following a 

disaster; and 

Mitigation – refers to activities that 

eliminate or reduce the chance of 

occurrence or the effects of 

disasters. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 5

Phase 1 – Organize Resources 

MAKE A COMMITMENT

A disaster-resistant higher education institution recognizes 

the threats posed by natural and man-made hazards to its 

campus and mission. It formulates policies, programs, and 

practices to assess its risk and implements these across all of 

its teaching, research and public service activities. 

The leadership of a higher education institution understands 

the need to sustain the university’s teaching, research, and 

public service responsibilities in light of the damage, repair 

delays, and financial difficulty that disasters can bring to a community. The goal is to withstand 

the effects of probable hazard events without unacceptable losses or interruptions; in other 

words, to be resilient. 

Resiliency is characterized by the institution’s ability to minimize the impact of probable hazards 

and limit their interruption to the mission of the university or college. This does not mean that 

there will be no damage from large events; indeed, damage from natural and technological 

disasters varies by the force and location of the event. However, a disaster-resistant university

strives to mitigate this damage. Campuses vary in their definition of acceptable losses and 

interruption because these decisions depend on the community, the nature of the hazard, and the 

available resources. 

Once the commitment to become has been made, the first step is to organize resources and 

develop a strategic plan for the process ahead. This means identifying resources on and off 

campus, identifying a campus leader, developing an advisory committee, and gathering 

information. The success of the disaster-resistant initiative depends on the extent of participation 

by on- and off-campus stakeholders. These stakeholders bring the commitment, knowledge, and 

enthusiasm needed to complete the planning process and adopt a mitigation plan. 

IDENTIFY RESOURCES

On- and off-campus stakeholders are crucial to the success of any disaster-resistant initiative. 

The best place to begin is on campus. Higher education institutions are complex and varied 

organizations, but they all share a basic structure that serves as the foundation for the hazard 

mitigation planning process. 

Start with a thorough inventory of all potential stakeholders across the three traditional divisions 

of academia—administration, faculty, and students. All of these groups should be involved from 

the very beginning of the disaster-resistant university initiative. While their stakes differ and 

their commitments are not likely to be equal, each will play an important role in the success of 

the initiative. The inventory will assist you in the next step of identifying an advisory 

group/committee. 

University or College Administration

The active commitment and involvement of the institution’s chancellor or president and chief 

academic and business officers is crucial. An inventory of available resources is equally 

important as commitment, which is presumed to exist if the planning process is to move forward. 

Recent Disasters and Universities

In April 1997, the Red River 

inundated the University of North 

Dakota. The University was forced to 

relocate critical functions such as the 

computer center and had to suspend 

many of its operations. After a month 

of inspection, clean-up, and repairs, 

the university reopened. Damages 

totaled $46 million. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

6 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

A complete inventory of the academic and business units at the campus should be completed 

during this stage. Examples of common stakeholders are listed below. 

University, College, School, or Division Planning Entities. Planning organizations exist at many 

levels of the university, and it is important to identify all of the various planning committees that 

might share an interest or have jurisdiction in the area of hazard mitigation before the planning 

process gets too far. Begin at the top with institution-wide 

committees and work your way down to academic 

departments, if appropriate. Many institutions have planning 

councils or committees, physical facilities committees, a 

master plan committee, building and grounds committees, 

and other such groups. These may be replicated at the college 

level and even at the academic department level in some 

cases. The identification of these committees may begin with 

contacting the institution’s chief academic officer, meeting 

with college deans and department chairs, and researching 

accreditation documents. These committees are particularly 

important because they share a common focus on planning 

and many of their component jurisdictions will be involved in 

the mitigation actions once the plan is implemented. For 

example, an institution-wide campus master plan committee 

is likely to be a key player in the location of future capital 

improvements; since location of the built environment 

relative to potential hazards is a significant driver of hazard mitigation decisions, the 

committee’s commitment to this process is important. The mission statement, jurisdiction, and 

membership of each committee identified in this process should be collected. 

Institutional Research. Many institutions have offices, divisions, or committees that collect and 

conduct institutional research. While their work is not likely to be hazard-specific, their 

involvement is important because they are often the repository of institutional plans and data 

important to the planning process. Furthermore, planners or individuals with long-range planning 

experience often staff them. Thus, their capability is an important resource. Locate the various 

campus offices that collect, analyze, and archive data and collect appropriate contact 

information. 

Development. The Development Office is an important resource. These units are often involved 

in developing priorities for institutions and it is important to know where and how support for 

these priorities is obtained. The Development Office should be represented on the advisory 

committee. Individuals in this office have experience establishing public-private partnerships. 

Donations to the university are typically directed at projects the university has determined as 

priority. Although contributions to specific loss reduction projects are unlikely, capital 

contributions can be devoted to improving the disaster resistance of the project under 

consideration. Disaster resistance should be on your development office’s list of goals worth 

promoting. 

Public Service and Outreach. In much the same way as the Development Office, a unit dealing 

with Public Service and Outreach can be an important resource. These units are likely to have 

extensive information about the surrounding community and can point to existing collaboration 

between your institution and local, state, and emergency management organizations. They also 

Resources 

The importance of planning across 

all aspects of higher education is 

emphasized by several 

organizations, including the Society 

for College and University Planning 

www.scup.org, American 

Association of Community Colleges 

www.aacc.nche.edu, and the 

National Association of College and 

University Business Officers 

www.nacubo.org. These 

organizations provide college and 

university planners with a wide range 

of resources through national and 

regional conferences and web-based 

materials, including links to many 

university and college disaster and 

emergency plans. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 7 

Recent Disasters and Universities

On Labor Day 1998, a severe 

windstorm in central New York State 

damaged many buildings, trees, and 

utilities on the Syracuse University 

campus, forcing the closure of some 

residence halls and relocation of 600 

students. The cost of repairs to 

roofs, windows, and masonry, as 

well as a big debris clearance bill, 

drove the damage figure to more 

than $4 million. 

represent an important resource to the planning process because they often coordinate the public 

information aspect of the institution and can solicit and disseminate information through campus 

newspapers, departmental newsletters, and web pages. Public Service and Outreach can provide 

resources for developing press releases and can advise the planning committee on strategies for 

disseminating information on and off campus. 

Auxiliary Enterprises. Institutions often conduct a wide range 

of auxiliary services, such as running a hospital, elementary 

school, housing and food services, parking, athletics, or 

related enterprises. These entities should already have an 

interest in hazard mitigation and should be incorporated in 

the overall campus planning process. While it may be 

necessary for these groups to go through the planning process 

on their own, the overall coordination of plans and the 

university’s responsibility for the safety of its clients and 

continuity of services is an integral part of the overall 

mitigation plan. In addition to the direct services these 

auxiliary units provide, they may also provide a substantial 

amount of financial support for the institution and an interruption may exacerbate the economic 

consequences of a disaster to the university or college. Existing emergency operations or disaster 

plans should be obtained from these units and key contact people should be identified so that 

their policies and plans are integrated into the campus-wide plan. 

It is especially important to coordinate three particular administrative units that are important to 

the hazard mitigation planning process: Public Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, and 

Risk Management. 

 Public Safety. Police, fire, and emergency medical services are involved in the initial 

response to virtually any natural or man-made disaster on campus. They are also an 

important bridge to local first responders and various emergency management agencies. 

Depending on the type of incident, they may also be called upon to engage in crowd control 

during a riot and/or to be responsible for investigating the potential cause of a man-made 

disaster. Campus police and fire services have emergency plans and standard operating 

procedures that should be incorporated into the hazard mitigation planning process. Identify 

appropriate individuals from these units to serve on your advisory committee. 

 Environmental Health and Safety. Every institution has an environmental health and safety 

officer, or the equivalent, who is directly involved in a wide range of issues relating to the 

management of hazards. These individuals are a key resource for providing plans and 

information regarding the location of various hazards on campus. In many communities, the 

head of this unit or its designee may serve on the Local Emergency Planning Committee. 

These individuals are likely to be responsible for filing reports on campus storage and use of 

hazardous materials. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

8 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

 Risk Management. Most institutions have an office that 

addresses issues of risk management. This office is an 

important resource for developing the mitigation plan 

because it has access to information that can be helpful in 

the planning process. Furthermore, individuals in this 

office are committed to the same goals you are—reducing 

the vulnerability of the institution to hazardous events. In 

particular, risk managers usually deal with insurance 

issues where benefit can be gained from comprehensive 

disaster planning. 

 Telecommunications and Information Systems. The 

events of September 11, 2001, reminded us all of the 

importance of redundant communication systems and offsite backup locations for critical data. From the 

institutional level down to the individual faculty and staff 

members, data backup and storage is an important part of 

ensuring the integrity of the research enterprise and 

reducing interruptions caused by disaster. Cyber terrorism 

and other threats to the security of a communications 

network that higher education institutions depend on 

emphasize the importance of involving appropriate 

representatives of this administrative unit in mitigation 

planning. Their plans and interests should be identified 

and incorporated at the beginning of the process. 

 Physical Facilities and Project Design and 

Management. The long-term goal of reducing 

the effect of natural and man-made disasters 

depends, in part, on the willingness of the 

institution to retrofit existing building stock 

and to incorporate disaster-resistant design 

and construction practices into new and 

renovated buildings. Thus, it is important to 

identify representatives in this area who shape 

the institution’s built environment. 

 Staff Resources. In addition to senior 

administrators, many other staff members in 

the units described above, as well as in other 

areas of the campus, spend most of their time 

ensuring the continuous operation of the 

institution. In many cases, these people are 

among the most receptive to a message about 

risk management. They are, furthermore, 

typically involved with managing their 

individual building’s safety program and 

emergency preparedness efforts. Your 

Resources 

Environmental Health and Safety 

Officials have a professional 

association that is a resource for 

campus-based hazard mitigation 

planning. The group holds an annual 

conference where presentations are 

made about preparing for, 

responding to, recovering from, and 

mitigating natural and man-made 

disasters. The Campus Safety, 

Health and Environmental 

Management Association is a 

division of the National Safety 

Council and has web resources and 

contact information at

www.cshema.org. 

Risk management is an area where 

public and private institutions often 

differ, as private institutions are 

typically more concerned than public 

ones about insurance. This is 

because public institutions are 

generally self-insured. The 

University Risk Management & 

Insurance Association 

www.urmia.org conducts 

conferences and seminars for higher 

education risk managers.

Experience 

Private universities that carry commercial disaster 

insurance can obtain extensive information on 

hazards and risks from the companies they do 

business with, or from insurance industry 

information groups. At some institutions, the cost 

of disaster insurance has become a driving force 

in the decision to pursue disaster resistance. 

Private institutions are facing staggering increases 

in the cost of insurance and the size of their 

deductibles. Comprehensive hazard mitigation 

planning and actions will reduce the damage to 

your institution and reduce reliance on insurance. 

The hazard mitigation planning effort at your 

institution should involve appropriate risk 

management officials.

Mitigation planning and related activities may 

reduce various types of insurance premiums, 

including flood insurance through the National 

Flood Insurance Program. Contact your insurance 

agent for more information on how mitigation 

actions might help manage premiums. 

For an example of insurance industry efforts to 

promote hazard mitigation, consult the Web site of 

the Institute for Business and Home Safety at 

www.ibhs.org. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 9 

inventory should assess whether there are staff 

organizations that can be a resource to the hazard 

mitigation planning effort. 

Academic Affairs 

Many units in academic affairs have a substantial interest in 

hazard mitigation. Their interest ranges from teaching, and 

the importance of reducing interruption to the instructional 

mission of the institution, to the conduct of research and 

sponsored programs. 

Instructional Continuity. Disasters regularly force universities 

and colleges to suspend their primary activity—the teaching 

of students. Such closures disrupt the continuity of 

instruction and limit the ability of the institution to deliver 

the services that students expect. In dramatic cases, a lengthy 

interruption can result in the cancellation of a semester and a 

refund of tuition. These interests are substantial enough that 

representatives of academic affairs should be contacted and 

information collected on the individuals who should be 

involved in the planning process. Since higher education institutions are often decentralized, the 

inventory should reflect the diversity of academic units at your institution. Prioritization of 

instructional needs may occur at the school, college, or even departmental level; therefore, 

several levels of contact may be necessary to ensure that appropriate parties are involved in this 

process. 

Faculty Interests. The disaster mitigation plan requires adoption and implementation across a 

wide range of faculty interests. Unless the discipline of a faculty member makes him or her 

conscious of the impacts or environmental risks of disasters, professors are unlikely to be 

interested in these topics. And yet, they stand to lose a great deal if a disaster hits their university 

and destroys buildings, laboratories, computer systems, databases, books and papers, course 

notes, and specimen collections. An inventory of faculty members can help identify possible 

campus resources. Any number of academic units on campus may house faculty members who 

have teaching or research interests in the area of hazards or emergency management. Identifying 

these individuals early will allow you to determine the appropriateness of involving them in the 

planning process; it also provides potential sources of research and technical specialization for 

the next phases in the process, which include conducting a risk assessment and writing the plan. 

In addition to individual faculty members, most institutions 

have a faculty governance structure that includes committees 

with jurisdiction relevant to the disaster mitigation planning 

process. Some duplication of membership on these 

administrative and faculty committees inevitably occurs. 

Indeed, your inventory of administrative units probably will 

generate the names of these committees and you may have 

already contacted most of them. It is important, however, to 

complete the circle by ensuring that all faculty-based 

committees are identified. On many campuses, issues relating 

Experience 

Academic units that often house 

researchers or teachers with 

specialization in hazards or 

emergency planning issues include, 

but are not limited to: architecture, 

economics, emergency 

management, engineering, 

geography, geology, earth sciences, 

urban planning, public 

administration, sociology, and 

political science. These units 

represent a good place to start an 

inventory of faculty resources 

available on your campus. Use a 

“snowball” approach and ask the 

faculty you contact about others they 

might know who conduct research or 

teach in this area. Ask those 

individuals about their work and that 

of others. In short order a 

comprehensive list of potentially 

helpful faculty will emerge. 

Recent Disasters and Universities

On January 19, 2000, a fire raced 

through an old residence hall at 

Seton Hall University in the middle of 

the night. Students leapt from 

windows, crawled out stairways, and 

a number were rescued by 

firefighters. The fire killed three 

students, and seriously injured 12 

more. The residence hall did not 

have a sprinkler system. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

10 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

to instruction may be determined exclusively by faculty committees; thus, they may become an 

important resource during the adoption and implementation phase of the plan. 

Sponsored Programs and Research. In addition to protecting academic instruction, institutions 

must protect their investment in research and scholarship. A fundamental purpose of any 

disaster-resistant initiative is to protect the university’s research enterprise; therefore, the office 

at your institution that oversees the conduct of research and sponsored programs is an important 

resource. This office may have plans, policies, and staff that address the general issue of 

protecting and limiting the interruption to research at the university. Some institutions have 

started to recognize the value of disaster resistance and are allocating staff support to positions 

such as a hazard mitigation research officer. 

Moreover, these offices are also under increasing pressure from sponsors of research to ensure 

the protection and reduction of potential damage to the work they support—including the effects 

of natural and man-made disasters. The loss of important scientific materials during Tropical 

Storm Allison in 2001 at the University of Texas Medical Center complex and in the lab fire at 

the University of California Santa Cruz in 2002 brought renewed attention to the importance of 

reducing the effects of disasters on the research enterprise. 

Student Affairs 

Students are often overlooked in the hazard mitigation planning process. However, the safety of 

students is of paramount concern to the institution and natural and man-made hazards present 

vexing issues for student safety. Dorm fires, food safety, and evacuation issues all present 

serious concerns for university and college disaster planners. It is important to identify student 

services and student-based resources that are important to the disaster mitigation planning 

process. 

Student Services. The division of student affairs or services has various resources important to 

your effort. Since these units are commonly responsible for on- and sometimes off-campus living 

arrangements and for food delivery on campus, they have communication plans and building 

safety information that should be inventoried. When you get to the stage of communicating 

hazard mitigation information across campus, these units will be very important, and involving 

them early will facilitate their commitment later. 

Student Organizations. Student organizations should be 

canvassed for potential stakeholders. Student committees 

often mirror the faculty governance structure and can be 

important sources of planning information. Students are by 

far the most difficult campus-based population to reach. 

While they do not necessarily affect critical campus decisions 

on risk reduction, they are the objects of it. If they are not 

aware of how to protect themselves in an emergency, there 

will be increased losses to life and property. While youth and 

optimism may make students less aware of risks, the same 

cannot be said of their parents. Educating students about risk 

reduction and assuring their parents are part of the disaster-resistant university effort. After 

September 11, many parents began to raise questions about issues of safety and disaster 

preparedness that could have been answered, in part, by pointing to the comprehensive planning 

involved in the disaster-resistant university process. The steps you take to reduce your 

Recent Disasters and Universities

On September 24, 2001, a tornado 

extensively damaged several 

facilities at the University of 

Maryland. Instructional and student 

services space was damaged along 

with several trailers that were a 

temporary home to the Maryland 

Fire Institute. Two students were 

killed when their car was overturned 

and classes were canceled for one 

day. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 11 

vulnerability to natural and man-made hazards can reduce the uncertainty parents and students 

face about the consequences that disasters can have on their safety and investment in higher 

education. 

Alumni. Former students also serve as a potential resource. Alumni may support the goals and 

program of the disaster-resistant university effort financially, politically, or directly through 

technical assistance. Work with your development office to identify alumni who may be able to 

assist you through fundraising and giving for retrofit and modernization projects and those in 

positions to influence government and nonprofit resource allocation. Alumni may also provide 

valuable technical resources in areas relevant to your planning efforts. 

COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS

Off-campus stakeholders are important resources. Government, nonprofit, and private 

constituencies should be canvassed to identify appropriate resources for your effort. The level of 

disaster resistance of your institution is directly related to that of your community, region, and 

state. Collaboration reduces duplication of effort, often yields technical and/or financial 

assistance, and increases your likelihood of success. The 

actions of off-campus stakeholders can affect your disaster 

resistance. Likewise, the actions of your institution in 

preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an event 

can affect the disaster resistance and sustainability of the 

community in which it resides. 

Government 

All levels of government strive to protect public health, 

safety, and the well-being of its citizens. As such, 

governments at all levels manage hazards and contribute 

important resources to organizations that share this purpose. 

Government jurisdictions commonly overlap those of the 

institution, and they are among the first responders to any 

emergency. Collaboration can improve the disaster resistance 

of all parties and reduce duplication of effort. 

Local Government. Local communities and universities are 

mutually dependent on each other to prepare for disasters and 

reduce potential losses. Communities are the first to feel the 

effects of disasters. Local governments are responsible for 

assembling teams to address natural and man-made threats 

within the community and to follow a sound planning process 

for identifying and selecting the best solution for the 

community. Local governments often have specific statutory 

authority over your institution. They may have funding 

resources available and can provide technical assistance to 

support mitigation efforts. Some specific local government 

groups to canvass include:

 Emergency Management. Depending on your location, the 

Background 

Local Government Powers that 

Apply to Hazard Reduction. 

Planning – Although the degree of 

planning authority of a local 

jurisdiction is determined by state 

legislation, all local governments can 

use a planning process to educate. 

Regulatory Power – Local 

jurisdictions have the authority to 

regulate land use, development, and 

construction through zoning, 

subdivision regulations, building 

codes, design standards, and 

floodplain regulations. Spending 

Authority – The manner in which 

local jurisdictions use public funds 

can influence development in hazard 

areas. One fiscal management tool 

that many communities embrace is 

the capital improvement program, 

generally a 5-year plan for funding 

improvements to public facilities. 

Taxing Power – If the private sector 

encourages development in hazard 

areas, special taxing districts can be 

created to balance more equitably 

public investments. Preferential 

assessments can be used as 

incentives to retain agricultural and 

open-space uses in high hazard 

areas. Acquisition – Local 

governments can acquire land in 

high hazard areas through 

conservation easements and 

purchase or transfer of development 

rights. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

12 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

county or city is primarily responsible for emergency management in your area. Emergency 

management is still a developing profession and your community may have a full- or parttime emergency manager. In either case, your initial efforts should include contacting this 

person because he or she is essential in providing resources about disaster preparedness in 

your area. The local government and the university or college should have a close working 

relationship since reduction in risk accomplished by one necessarily benefits the other. 

Emergency managers are not the only local government 

entities that should be enlisted, however. Many 

jurisdictions are now hiring hazard mitigation planners 

who can be valuable resources and collaborators, and 

traditional public safety units and state and local planning 

divisions can also provide data and technical assistance 

such as mapping. In much the same way that the faculty 

was inventoried, the capabilities of local government can 

be assessed by starting with emergency management and 

working your way out to include others who may be able 

to assist your effort. 

 Planning. Community planners have knowledge and skills 

that are vital to your mitigation planning effort. Planning 

departments maintain demographic, economic, and 

physical data on the community. Planners are also usually 

experienced at meeting facilitation and possess research 

skills and extensive contacts. 

 Special Districts. Identify appropriate local schools, park 

districts, regional government associations, flood control 

districts, and fire suppression and vegetation management 

districts to identify potential resources and to engage in 

partnerships. Park districts may occupy lands near the university and their efforts at risk 

reduction will complement yours. Vegetation management, erosion control, mapping, and 

firefighting are obvious ways that the university and special districts can work together. 

Individuals and staff connected to these districts may possess scientific and technical 

capabilities that can provide hazard information, technical support, and post-disaster impact 

data. 

Many metropolitan areas have regional government organizations that work on issues such as 

land use plans, transportation, and housing. Furthermore, regional planning organizations often 

perform the physical and economic planning functions for multi-county rural areas. These 

organizations gather data and sponsor planning initiatives to cope with risks; they can be of 

considerable assistance in providing hazard data to local governments and universities and in 

conducting sophisticated public information campaigns on risks and how to reduce them. 

Infrastructure Providers. Three components of infrastructure warrant special attention in your 

efforts to identify off-campus resources. 

 Utilities. Utility loss following a disaster creates serious problems for a community and every 

home and business in it, including educational institutions. The ability to respond to an 

Experience 

Many institutions have learned the 

value of integrating their disasterresistant university planning efforts 

with the activities of local 

government. The University of Miami 

exemplifies this process. By working 

with Miami-Dade Office of 

Emergency Management it has 

successfully mobilized financial 

resources through the Local 

Mitigation Strategy, thus working in 

collaboration with local government 

to improve its own and the 

community’s disaster resistance. 

The University of Miami Director of 

Environmental Health & Safety 

serves on the Local Mitigation 

Strategy Steering Committee and 

contributes to the local government’s 

mitigation planning activities. By 

working with local government, the 

University of Miami has been able to 

fully realize all of the potential 

resources that the local, state, and 

Federal agencies have to offer. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 13 

emergency is hampered by the loss of electricity, gas, water, sewers, or telephones, and 

recovery will be constrained as well until services can be restored. 

An interruption to campus utilities may threaten research activities and materials that depend 

on temperature control, fluid flows, gas, or light. The history of disasters and higher 

education institutions includes many examples of the damage caused by utility interruptions. 

Even if the university owns and operates its own utilities, it may require outside assistance to 

make repairs and restore service. Representatives of these critical lifelines should be 

identified as resources and involved in your planning efforts because they have access to 

important information about the security of the utility connections and service at your 

campus. 

 Transportation. Roads, bridges, and transit systems are critical to emergency response and 

business continuity. Extensive damage to transportation systems can leave a campus and its 

community paralyzed. Transportation specialists can provide important information and 

resources, particularly at institutions where 

evacuation is a concern. However, even at 

campuses where evacuation is not a prime 

concern, the repair and restoration of 

transportation systems on and off campus can 

determine the extent of interruption to the 

institution’s operations. 

 Housing. Employees’ and students’ houses, 

residence halls and apartments may be 

damaged by a disaster. Losing even a small 

percentage of the available housing stock can 

put significant burdens on the university, 

including the need to shelter displaced 

employees and students as well as the 

difficulties that may arise from the need to 

instruct a student population whose attention 

and concentration may be diverted by housing 

concerns. Reducing risks in community 

housing—owned or rented—should be a high 

priority for a disaster-resistant university. 

Student-run cooperatives and Hellenic houses 

are also important providers of housing. As 

such, it is in the best interests of the institution 

to involve appropriate community housing 

agencies and experts in the process. These 

individuals may be key resources as the risk 

assessment is conducted and the mitigation 

plan is developed. 

State Government. The state legislature and 

assorted agencies play a large role in making 

financial resources available for increasing 

disaster resistance, especially if the institution is a 

Experience

Sample Advisory Committee Membership 

University of Washington: 

• Director of Records Management Services 

• Executive Director of Health Sciences 

Administration 

• Assistant Vice President for Regional Affairs 

• Director of the Institute for Hazard Mitigation 

Planning & Research 

• Disaster-resistant University Coordinator 

• Director of Student Activities and Union Facilities

• Director of the Student Health Center 

• Director of Purchasing and Stores 

• Representative from the Real Estate Office 

• Associate Vice President for Business Services 

• Associate Vice President for Facilities Services 

• Director of Communication Technologies 

• Director of University Computing Services 

• Assistant Vice Provost for Research 

• Chief of the University Police 

• Associate Director of University Computing 

Services 

• Director of News and Information 

• Lieutenant from the University Police 

Department 

• Associate Vice President for Capital Projects 

• Seismology Lab Coordinator in Geophysics 

• Director of Academic Services & Facilities 

• Director of Environmental Health & Safety 

• Representative from University Relations 

• Representative from Faculty Council on 

University Facilities and Services 

From the community: 

• Program Manager for King County Emergency 

Services Public Health 

• Local risk consultant 

• Director of Seattle Emergency Management 

Section 

• Manager of King County Office of Emergency 

Management 

• Local planning analyst 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

14 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

public one. In addition, if the campus is part of a larger statewide system, budget allocations may 

be controlled at that level. Your inventory should identify resources available from these groups 

and potential stakeholders. 

For both public and private universities and 

colleges, extensive planning and technical 

assistance for risk reduction can come from state 

agencies such as the office of emergency 

management and departments such as planning, 

environmental agencies, geological services, 

water resources conservation, and forestry. There 

may also be hazard-specific offices such as a 

seismic safety commission or flood control 

commission that can assist your disaster-resistant 

university planning efforts. Additionally, states 

receive financial assistance from the Federal 

government to distribute to local entities 

(including higher education institutions) for 

hazard mitigation purposes; however, funds are 

often limited, requiring the state to prioritize their 

distribution. Thus, it is critical to establish and 

maintain relationships with state staff that 

administer these program funds. 

States are required to uphold Federal regulations 

intended to reduce hazard losses, and their role in 

coordinating hazard mitigation planning has 

become even more important with the passage of 

the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. A good place 

to start is to contact your State Office of 

Emergency Management and State Hazard 

Mitigation Officer. Local emergency management 

officials can help you identify this person and 

may even serve as a liaison to this office. A 

network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers is 

maintained at www.hazmit.net. 

Federal Government. The most important resource 

at the Federal level is the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) within the 

Department of Homeland Security. FEMA is the 

lead Federal agency responsible for providing 

technical assistance to other Federal agencies and 

to state and local governments for mitigation 

planning and project implementation. FEMA is 

leading the implementation of the Disaster 

Mitigation Act of 2000. FEMA’s mission is to 

reduce loss of life and property and to protect the 

Background 

Stafford Act/Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The 

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

Assistance Act (Public Law 100-107) authorizes 

funding for the Federal disaster relief (including 

mitigation) programs in place today. The Disaster 

Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000 (Public Law 106-390, 

as amended) is the primary authority for mitigation 

planning. The DMA amends the Stafford Act Section 

409 and provides for a new and revitalized approach 

to mitigation planning. Section 322 of the Act 

emphasizes the need for state, local, and tribal 

entities to closely coordinate mitigation planning and 

implementation efforts. In addition, Section 322 

creates incentives for increased coordination and 

integration of mitigation activities at the state level. 

Together, the Stafford Act and DMA 2000 provide an 

array of funding for planning projects and technical 

assistance to communities. Below is a partial list of 

programs authorized by these acts:

 The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM) 

authorized by the DMA 2000, provides 

funding to states and communities for costeffective hazard mitigation activities that 

complement a comprehensive mitigation 

program, and reduce injuries, loss of life, 

and damage and destruction of property 

before a disaster strikes. 

 The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 

(HMGP) authorized in Section 404 of the 

Stafford Act, provides grants to states and 

local governments to implement long-term 

hazard mitigation actions after a major 

disaster declaration. 

 The Individual and Family Grant Program is 

authorized by Section 411 of the Stafford 

Act and authorizes grants after a disaster to 

cover serious unmet, disaster-related real 

property losses. 

 The Public Assistance Program (PA) is 

authorized under Section 406 of the 

Stafford Act. The program provides funding 

after a disaster for the repair, restoration, or 

replacement of damaged facilities 

belonging to governments and private 

nonprofit entities, and for other associated 

expenses, including emergency protective 

actions and debris removal, in addition to 

funding mitigation actions related to repair 

of the existing damaged facility. 

Both public and private universities and colleges 

have benefited from the Hazard Mitigation Grant 

Program and the Public Assistance Program. It is 

important to familiarize yourself with these programs, 

their regulatory framework, and the appropriate 

person in your state who oversees them. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 15 

nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based 

emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. FEMA is 

organized into regions and your local or state emergency management officials can put you in 

contact with appropriate regional representatives who can share with you the resources that 

FEMA provides for hazard mitigation planning. Many FEMA documents are profiled in this 

guide; however, technical assistance is also available and should be considered an important 

resource for your work. Appendix C provides contact information for each FEMA Regional 

Office. 

It is particularly important to become familiar with the variety of existing Federal Disaster 

Assistance Programs. These programs may provide funding for hazard mitigation actions and/or 

the repair, restoration, or replacement of facilities at your institution following a disaster. 

In addition to FEMA, a wide range of other Federal agencies 

may be able to provide valuable resources for your work. The 

U.S. Geological Survey, National Weather Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the 

Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, 

Education, and Transportation, for example, are also 

potential additions to your inventory. Identify local, state, or 

regional offices of these agencies and determine the 

availability of individuals and resources. The FEMA CD, Mitigation Resources for Success 

(FEMA 372) provides reference information on other federal agency programs that may provide 

hazard mitigation resources. 

Nonprofit Organizations 

Emergency management in the United States has always relied heavily upon nonprofit 

organizations to engage in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. In 

particular, your inventory should include resources available from local units of the American 

Red Cross and Salvation Army. The American Red Cross provides extensive preparedness 

materials that can be leveraged in your efforts to prepare faculty, staff, and students for possible 

disasters. The American Red Cross typically runs emergency shelters, so if your campus has a 

public shelter or will be sheltering your students and employees, it would be wise to involve 

them in your hazard mitigation planning activities. Similarly, the Salvation Army is important 

during the disaster response and recovery phases and can provide important resources for 

temporary housing and feeding displaced students after a disaster. Since many students may live 

off campus, they are particularly susceptible to displacement by natural and man-made hazards. 

Nonprofit organizations may be able to assist you in preparing for such a situation. The National 

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) can provide such information. Please see 

www.nvoad.org. 

In addition to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, other local voluntary 

organizations such as the United Way can provide important resources for your efforts. Early 

contact ensures that you have the widest possible capability for your effort. These organizations 

may not provide assistance to the university directly, but those that provide food and clothing, 

shelter, housing, and medical care can help the community deal with its affected populations. 

The university should be familiar with local nonprofit organizations and their services and 

should enter into mutually supportive agreements where appropriate. 

Resources 

The Federal Emergency 

Management Agency web site 

www.fema.gov/fima/planning.shtm 

contains a great deal of information 

helpful to your planning effort. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

16 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Private Sector 

The private sector can contribute important resources to the disaster-resistant planning initiative. 

As with the operations of the local government, 

business and industry practices in your area help 

determine the overall disaster resistance of the 

community, which in turn affects the disaster 

resistance of the university. This is a symbiotic 

relationship, as businesses that supply the 

university and/or serve the needs of students 

depend on the university being open and 

operating, and the university’s quick resumption 

of its operations following a disaster will have a 

favorable impact on businesses in the community. 

Thus, businesses that contribute to the overall 

well-being of the community may be willing to 

provide technical assistance, staff support, and 

even financial support to the disaster planning 

effort. Depending on the situation, this technical 

assistance may be paid for in full or be donated 

in-kind. 

Worksheet #1 in Appendix A will assist you in 

identifying appropriate partners. 

FORM AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

An advisory committee should be established once the inventory of available resources has been 

completed. The inventory produced a list of potential stakeholders from the institution and the 

community. Now it is time to begin the process of determining who will help make decisions 

about the process and who will serve primarily as a resource. 

Decisions about how to deal with the effects of hazards on an 

institution impact all levels of the organization, and 

stakeholders from the groups described above should be 

considered for inclusion on the advisory committee. Hazard 

mitigation involves academic, administrative, and student 

leadership. Work with, and appoint professionals on the 

campus who are already involved in emergency 

preparedness, crisis response, or risk management, but make 

certain that the committee is made up of people whose views 

extend far beyond what is typically thought of as emergency 

services or environmental health and safety. 

How large should the committee be? The answer lies, in part, 

with the size of your stakeholder inventory. If you uncovered 

a small number of stakeholders, a committee that includes all 

of them would be satisfactory. If, on the other hand, you 

Experience 

When choosing advisory committee 

members, look for people who: 

 Possess the ability to command 

respect across the institution 

and in the community; 

 Are visionary and open to new 

ideas; 

 Have the desire, time, and 

commitment to support hazard 

mitigation issues; 

 Have the ability to communicate 

planning and hazard concepts 

to colleagues and members of 

the community; and 

 Understand, and are able to 

operate effectively within, the 

political and administrative 

environment at your institution. 

Experience

Sample Advisory Committee Membership 

University of California, Berkeley: 

• Vice Chancellor for Capital Projects 

• Vice Chancellor for Resource Planning and 

Budget 

• Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research 

• A dean of Letters and Science 

• Chair of the Academic Senate 

• Two engineering professors 

• One architecture professor 

• Director of Business Services 

• Director of Emergency Preparedness 

• Director of Community Relations 

• From the Office of the President, the Assistant 

Vice President for Facilities services 

From the community, there are representatives of 

the City Manager and two businesses: a small 

property management company, and the Bayer 

Corporation. Berkeley was also fortunate to have the 

participation of its Bay Area neighbor, Stanford 

University; Stanford Vice Provost brings to the 

committee Stanford's experience recovering from the 

1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and their ongoing risk 

management concerns. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 17 

ended up with a long list of resources, perhaps a two-level organizational structure involving 

subcommittees and/or workgroups is more appropriate, with the chair of each committee serving 

on a steering committee. Regardless of the structure that is chosen, the committee that makes the 

final decisions should be small enough so that members can actively participate and have a sense 

of ownership, yet large enough to include important points of view and key decision-makers. The 

committee must be able to build the relationships necessary to facilitate compromise and 

engender commitments to implement the disaster mitigation plan. 

IDENTIFY A COORDINATOR OR PROJECT MANAGER

The project must have a manager, preferably someone with the time and authority to focus 

exclusively on the activities related to the disaster-resistant university. The project manager 

provides staff support to the advisory committee and may be housed in a variety of different 

units on campus. A full-time coordinator is preferable so that he or she can spend the time 

necessary to understand the full complexity of the situation facing the campus. A part-time 

coordinator would be less likely to develop and leverage partnerships with the community or to 

be able to carefully include the variety of campus units that need to be involved. Regardless of 

the unit the project manager is assigned to, he or she should have access to and support from a 

senior administrator. 

The project manager may come from the campus or be hired from outside. It may be expedient to 

redirect the tasks of someone familiar with the campus’ operations, personalities, and culture. On 

the other hand, an off-campus specialist in loss reduction may be more effective in a shorter 

period of time. The ideal situation differs from campus to campus. 

The project manager should become involved in the activities of any group on campus that is 

working on related issues. The projects of those charged with emergency preparedness, risk 

management, or crisis response are obvious cooperative opportunities, but look beyond them to 

other initiatives in resource planning, space management, instructional improvements, research 

facilities, and business operations. Collaborating with faculty, administrative staff, and students 

on various tasks will allow the manager to introduce the disaster-resistant university concept to 

others and help to establish a mutually supportive atmosphere. 

Authorize the Coordinator and Advisory Committee 

Once the membership of the advisory committee has been 

determined and a project manager identified, a formal 

endorsement of their composition and work must be obtained. 

While the chief administrative officer probably will have 

already announced the institution’s commitment to becoming 

disaster-resistant, it is nevertheless important for the 

committee members and project manager to get a firm 

statement of support and an appropriate charge. 

The likelihood of success will be enhanced if multiple 

jurisdictions recognize the planned efforts of this group. In 

addition to a formal charge from the chief academic officer, 

Experience 

Depending on your situation, it may 

be appropriate to identify a project 

coordinator prior to the inventory 

and designation of an advisory 

committee. In other cases, an 

interim coordinator may be 

designated to begin the process 

with the permanent coordinator 

chosen by the advisory committee. 

Both strategies have benefits and 

drawbacks and the decision is likely 

to be situation- and institutionspecific. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

18 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

endorsement by the faculty senate, staff associations, and student government, as well as local 

government jurisdictions, can go a long way toward energizing committee members and 

providing a solid foundation for the next phase of the process. 

Establish a Timeline 

Once the advisory committee and project leadership is in place, a timeline should be established. 

The primary phases of this process include Phase 1, Organize Resources; Phase 2, Hazard 

Identification and Risk Assessment Study; Phase 3, Developing the Mitigation Plan; and Phase 

4, Adoption and Implementation. The process must allow for sufficient time to complete these 

tasks. Several issues should be addressed as the timeline is established: 

 Will the work be done by a committee of the whole or in subcommittees? If subcommittees 

are used, more time is needed to allow them to organize and develop appropriate work plans. 

 Will consultants be hired? Institutions of all types and sizes have successfully pursued 

disaster resistance on their own, but the process may be slower than if consultants are 

engaged. 

 How many levels of planning will you engage in? Will departments, units, colleges, and 

divisions be involved in developing individual plans to integrate with the comprehensive 

effort? The amount of time planned should take into 

consideration the multiple levels of planning being 

considered. 

Regardless of the answers to these questions, the timeline 

should expressly detail four events: 1) an informal kickoff, 2) 

the first formal meeting, 3) development of a mission statement, 

and 4) development of a communication plan. 

Informal Kickoff. The first meeting of the advisory group will 

probably serve as the informal kickoff. This meeting should 

generate a sense of teamwork and focus on an introduction of 

the team members, the purpose of the meeting, and what the 

team wants to accomplish. The committee’s charge should be 

delivered at this meeting and reviewed regularly throughout the process. The kickoff meeting is 

an ideal time to publicize the institution’s efforts both on and off campus. The inclusion of 

community stakeholders should be explicitly recognized. 

First Formal Meeting. The next important event on the initial 

timeline is the first formal meeting. The project manager 

should develop an agenda for the first meeting that includes a 

review of the charge and how the advisory committee 

members were selected. Prior to the first meeting, committee 

members should be designated to fill three vital roles: the 

chair, a facilitator, and someone to record all of the 

information. The first meeting should include a brief 

presentation on recent disasters that have affected the area. 

The issue of inclusiveness should be addressed and potential 

stakeholders who were not invited to join should be 

identified. 

Experience 

The University of Washington 

Disaster-resistant University Initiative

adopted the following mission 

statement: “To fulfill the University’s 

mission and commitments in the 

event of a disaster, the University 

strives to become disaster-resistant. 

Disaster resistance is achieved 

through recognition and analysis of 

the risks and analysis of natural and 

man-made hazards, mitigation of the 

human and economic impact of 

disasters, and comprehensive 

planning for resumption of University 

functions.” 

Resources 

During the first meeting and 

periodically thereafter, you may 

want to watch a short video or 

conduct a “what if” exercise to 

find out what campus locations or 

assets may be vulnerable to 

hazards. You can obtain 

information on conducting 

tabletop mitigation exercises and 

a list of relevant videos on the 

FEMA Web site or from the 

FEMA publications warehouse 1-

800-480-2520. 
PHASE 1 – ORGANIZE RESOURCES 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 19 

Develop a Mission Statement 

Perhaps the most important objective of the first meeting is the development of a mission 

statement to help committee members understand what outcomes they want to achieve. This step 

can help build a common understanding of the mitigation plan’s purpose. 

Develop a Communication Plan 

It is important early on to decide how and when information about the planning process, and 

information gleaned from the process, are disseminated, and to whom. University 

administrators, faculty, students, parents, and community officials will all take an interest in both 

the planning progress and the result of the process itself. Knowing when and what type of 

information will emerge also builds support for the process. 

CONCLUSION

Once the initial inventory of resources is complete and stakeholders have been identified, the 

advisory committee formed, project manager determined, and timeline established, you are ready 

to move onto the Phase 2—the completion of a comprehensive hazard identification and risk 

assessment. At this point, the effort transitions from planning to completing a thorough 

assessment of the hazards the campus faces, the risks they pose, and the institution’s 

vulnerability to those risks. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 21

Phase 2 – Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 

This section guides higher education institutions on how to conduct a hazard identification and 

“single-point” risk assessment. A risk assessment identifies the hazards that your campus faces and 

assesses your level of vulnerability to these potential events. The risk assessment is a crucial step in 

the hazard mitigation planning process, because this information will be used to identify and prioritize 

the mitigation actions in your hazard mitigation plan. 

In a true comprehensive risk assessment, you would consider all possible hazard events, and 

determine mathematically the expected damages from the whole range of possible events. In the 

“single-point” method, you will select one hazard event and determine losses from that single event. 

While this latter approach is not as rigorous, it provides ample information to determine what should 

be done to reduce the effects of hazards on campus. 

This section closely follows the guidance provided for local 

communities in the FEMA how-to guide—Understanding Your 

Risks: Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses (FEMA 386-

2). The information below is intended to supplement that 

document in an effort to provide specific suggestions for the 

unique situations of colleges and universities. The hazard 

identification and risk assessment study includes four stages: 1) 

identify hazards, 2) profile hazard events, 3) inventory assets, 

and 4) estimate losses. 

The activities you perform in this phase will help you answer the 

questions on the vulnerability questionnaire shown on 

Worksheet #2 in Appendix A. 

IDENTIFY HAZARDS

The first step in conducting a hazard identification and risk 

assessment is to identify the natural and man-made hazards that 

present risks to your college or university. Start by contacting 

your local emergency management office and asking them about 

the hazards your area faces. In addition to your local office of emergency management, the FEMA 

how-to guide (FEMA 386-2) provides excellent advice on other sources of information about local 

hazards. Next, consider the unique hazards your institution may face. In particular, you may conduct a 

hazards history of your institution by using university and local archives to identify disasters that have 

affected your institution in the past. Conduct focus group sessions with members of your advisory 

committee and other campus stakeholders to identify what they believe the hazards are and to identify 

any gaps in your own research. 

Possible resources for the hazard identification include: local 

publications and other historical archives; existing plans and 

reports; experts at your institution or in your community, state, 

or FEMA Regional office; and Internet Web sites. 

Worksheet #3 (Appendix A) can help you organize this 

information.

Background 

Natural versus man-made 

hazards: The hazard identification 

and risk assessment should include 

all potential hazards that face your 

institution, including natural and 

man-made threats. The FEMA howto guide, Understanding Your Risks: 

Identifying Hazards and Estimating 

Losses (FEMA 386-2) provides 

information on the most common 

natural hazards: earthquake, flood, 

hurricane, landslide, tornado, 

tsunami, and wildfire. The FEMA 

how-to guide Integrating HumanCaused Hazards Into Mitigation 

Planning (FEMA 386-7) provides 

information on the complement of 

terrorism and technological hazards 

that may face your institution. These 

documents should be reviewed 

thoroughly before beginning your 

risk assessment.

Resources 

For information about the hazards 

your area faces, consult 

www.hazardmaps.gov. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT 

22 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Prioritize Hazards 

After you have developed a full list of potential hazards 

affecting your campus, prioritize them based on their 

likelihood of occurrence. This step should not downplay the 

possibly devastating consequences of a single unlikely event; 

however, with limited resources, and as a place to start, focus 

on the hazards most likely to affect your institution. The 

advisory committee or a subcommittee can be useful to 

engage in this prioritization. Local and state emergency 

management officials can also provide valuable assistance. If 

communities adjacent to your campus have undertaken this 

step, you should consider using all or part of the same 

prioritized list. 

PROFILE HAZARD EVENTS

Detailed Hazard Profiles 

After the initial list of potential hazards has been compiled 

and you have decided whether to address all or a subset of 

these events, the next step is to create detailed hazard 

profiles. This step addresses in specific terms the scope and 

extent of damage that a particular hazard event could cause to 

your institution. This is an important step, because 

determining the type of impact a hazard event will have on 

your campus can help identify the institution’s vulnerable 

assets. 

Mapping 

The creation of a campus base map upon which various 

hazard events can be profiled is the starting point for creating 

a detailed hazard profile. The FEMA how-to guide, 

Understanding Your Risks: Identifying Hazards and 

Estimating Losses (FEMA 386-2) explains this process in 

greater detail. It is important to point out, however, that your 

geography department or other academic unit with expertise 

in mapping may be able to create this map for you as a 

student project or with limited resources. If a member of the 

geography department is not on the steering committee, 

contact the department, explain your interests, and inquire 

about potential help. 

Experience 

Conducting a risk assessment 

requires a wide variety of experts 

and resources. In preparing for this 

step you should review the skills, 

knowledge and abilities of your 

advisory committee members and 

canvass other campus resources for 

possible contributors. Faculty 

members may already have 

answered some of your risk 

questions as part of their own 

teaching or research activities. Other 

campus units, such as Facilities, 

Planning, Environmental Health & 

Safety, and Risk Management, may 

possess relevant expertise as well 

as data that will help in the risk 

analysis. You should also look to the 

community and state for help. There, 

you may find specialists in the city or 

county government who will help you 

as part of their jobs, or scientists 

working for the state department of 

water or geology. Already 

established community working 

groups or committees may have 

some of the information you need, or 

they may agree to help you get it. If 

adequate capacity is not available, 

seriously consider hiring a consultant 

to complete the risk assessment. 

Experience 

A contractor hired by the University 

of Miami used information available 

for a potential flood event related to 

a hurricane to develop a map that 

displays the campus facilities that 

might be flooded or disrupted by 

road closings or power outages. This 

map subsequently allowed the 

university to target those structures 

for mitigation actions that will lessen 

the impact of a flood event. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 23 

The map should display as many features of your 

campus as possible. At a minimum, it should 

show classroom buildings, dormitories, 

communications and computer facilities, 

laboratories, offices, libraries, food service, 

historic and architecturally important structures, 

parking areas, and any other unique or institutionspecific resources. It will also be important to map 

essential services such as fire, police, emergency 

communications, emergency operations centers, 

medical facilities, and shelters, as all of these 

would be needed during and immediately after a 

disaster. Locations of items such as hazardous 

materials and biological agent storage and use 

areas and animal research facilities should also be 

noted as this information is critical for local first 

responders. Finally, the map should illustrate 

campus lifelines and critical infrastructures such 

as roads and water, power, communication, and 

wastewater lines. 

The base map should extend beyond the campus 

boundaries to include campus-related facilities 

such as residential areas, local fire stations, 

transportation facilities, and fraternity and sorority 

buildings. Coordinate this activity closely with 

surrounding local officials. Placing this map on a 

geographic information system (GIS) will make it 

more useful as the project progresses and the data 

become more complex. GIS can be used to store 

and access the mapping information, displaying 

the areas, systems, and functions that are at risk 

and graphically depicting potentially damaged 

areas and buildings, costs of repair, and 

concomitant threats to operations that will assist 

in setting mitigation priorities. Almost every 

college and university has GIS specialists within 

an academic department such as engineering or 

geography. 

Regardless of whether you choose to address each 

of the hazards you have identified or to narrow 

your focus from the full range of potential hazards 

to a subset of the potential threats, the next step is 

to collect more detailed information. The goal is 

to identify information, maps, experts, and other 

resources helpful to beginning the step of 

Experience 

Information sources at your institution helpful in 

creating your base map include: 

• An accurate listing of all structures on the 

campus, as well as those that the institution 

may own on outlying properties, with as much 

detailed information about the buildings as 

possible. Typically, a facilities management 

department holds these data. Determine the 

amount of space in classrooms, laboratories, 

offices, libraries, and other facilities, such as 

convocation spaces. Most institutions have an 

office that manages the assignment of space 

to various departments or units. Note that 

residential and parking structures should be 

accounted for as well.

• Maps of the campus infrastructure—power, 

water, sewer lines, and voice and data 

communications systems. Typically, the 

managers of the physical plant or facilities 

management hold these maps. 

• Previous assessments of facilities that may 

have been done for hazardous materials 

management, deferred maintenance, or for 

insurance purposes. 

Experience 

Universities and colleges are especially 

concerned with protecting and retrieving 

documents. Your hazard profile will probably point 

to the importance of your library, archives, and 

research data. Over the past couple of decades, 

numerous library collections and much research 

have been lost to hazard events. At the same 

time, a great deal has been learned about how to 

protect and restore these important resources. 

Your inventory of hazards and relevant 

information could contain separate sections for 

these special or unique institutional assets. 

Recent Disasters and Universities 

On January 11, 2002, a three-alarm fire broke out 

in the Sinsheimer Laboratories building on the 

campus of the University of California Santa Cruz. 

The fire completely destroyed several labs, 

including the research lab of Professor Manny 

Ares, who lost more than a decade of work on the 

Human Genome Project. Damage from the fire 

has been estimated at $4-5 million. The building 

was constructed in 1987, before fire codes 

required a sprinkler system. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT 

24 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

evaluating the potential threat of this hazard to your institutional mission. A good deal of 

attention should be focused on local, state, and Federal emergency management personnel who 

can assist in providing basic information on the consequences of all of the hazards that have been 

identified. Particular attention should be paid to resources that may show the impact of hazards 

on the unique assets of your institution or those of higher education institutions generally. 

Use the hazard information and prioritization you generated 

earlier to create hazard event profiles, or maps. In the 

beginning, this will involve simple tasks such as delineating a 

fault zone, floodplain, or storm surge run up zone, but the 

complexity of your map will ultimately depend on the size of 

your institution and the hazards it faces. Your maps may later 

include more complex elements, such as a detailed 

earthquake shaking map or an analysis of peak flood 

elevations. When added to the base map, these hazard 

overlays will create a visual display of how the various 

hazards could affect your campus and facilities. 

This effort will be successful only if the campus base map is 

complete and accurate. Be certain to record and archive all of 

the information you use to create the hazard event profiles; in 

addition to safeguarding your work in the event of a disaster, archives may be useful in 

developing the mitigation plan, and they will be essential to future updates of the risk 

assessment. 

Worksheet #4 (Appendix A) can help you determine how to obtain and record hazard 

information. 

INVENTORY YOUR ASSETS

The third stage of the hazard identification and risk 

assessment is to conduct an inventory of campus assets in the 

hazard areas to show how the hazard events you have 

identified could affect the physical components and 

operations of the institution. The campus base map and 

hazard event profiles helped determine where hazards can 

affect your institution; the asset inventory will help determine 

what can be affected. 

The inventory should include information about all of the 

entities located in hazard areas. Your map already shows 

where these entities are located; now, they need to be 

described in sufficient detail so the hazard mitigation plan 

can be developed. The types of assets and hazards determine, 

in part, the type of information to be collected. Several 

Resources 

Community Vulnerability 

Assessment Tool (CVAT) CDROM. The CVAT provides guidance 

on conducting community-wide 

vulnerability assessments. It also 

provides a case study demonstrating 

the process for analyzing physical, 

social, economic, and environmental 

vulnerability to hazards at the 

community level. Some of its 

aspects could be modified for use by 

higher education institutions. For 

more information, visit the NOAA 

Web site at www.csc.noaa.gov/ 

products. 

Experience 

Completing the asset inventory may 

be a substantial task and requires 

considerable time. The information 

you need may not be readily 

accessible, or even available. You 

may have to consult with numerous 

campus offices, personnel, experts, 

etc. and may even need to employ 

outside consultants on structural, 

geophysical and other issues. 

Nevertheless, the inventory is 

essential to calculating the potential 

losses and to prioritizing your 

mitigation actions in the hazard 

mitigation plan. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 25 

general categories of assets are listed below, along with the types of information about them that 

will be important for estimating potential losses. You may find additional assets at your 

institution, and the following guidelines should be modified accordingly. 

In conducting this inventory, you may wish to place priority on identifying which facilities are 

essential or critical to campus operations on a daily basis, and after an emergency. Examples 

include medical care facilities, emergency services (police, fire, ambulance), information 

storage, communications, and utilities. Other priority inventory components include historic and 

cultural resources housed on campus. 

Buildings

Describe each campus building in the hazard areas, detailing its size in square feet, type of 

construction, materials, age, occupancy, maintenance schedule, and replacement and content 

values. Try to calculate the type and value of activities, operations, and special contents (e.g., 

sponsored research, instruction, recreation, animals, special collections, and irreplaceable 

specimens) for each building, as well as any associated capital investments such as equipment. 

Pay particular attention to any laboratories that may be located in the buildings, describing the 

laboratory by its research focus, material and equipment contents, and replacement cost and 

noting the potential for loss or interruption of research and any lab income that could 

subsequently be lost. There will be certain aspects of the buildings’ construction that will be 

relevant for certain hazards. For example, if flooding is a possibility, pay particular attention to 

research investments and activities in the basements and ground floors of buildings. The 

following table outlines these considerations. 

Building Data Requirements by Hazard 

Building Characteristics Flood Earthquake Tsunami Tornado 

Coastal 

Storm Landslide Wildfire 

Building Type / Type of Foundation 9 9 9 9 

Building Code Design Level / Date of 

Construction 

9 9 9 9 9 9

Roof Material 9 9 9

Roof Construction 9 9 9

Vegetation 9

Topography 9 9 9 9

Distance from the Hazard Zone 9 9 9 9 9

Describe buildings according to use. Categories may include 

classrooms, administration, support, research laboratories, 

libraries and collections, housing and dining, special uses 

such as gyms and concert halls, parking, and police, fire, and 

emergency services. Also characterize the occupancy of each 

building in one of two ways: 1) estimated continuous 

occupancy (ECO), an annualized average; or 2) typical peak 

hour occupancy (i.e., an hour between 8 am and 5 pm). 

Resources 

Content Loss Model for Campus 

Library: Determine the replacement 

value of the collections vulnerable to 

a hazard event and multiply this 

figure by the expected damage from 

the event. For example, a library 

collection valued at $225,000 that is 

projected to suffer 10% damage 

from a 100-year flood would have an 

estimated loss value of $22,500. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT 

26 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Infrastructure

In addition to buildings, describe the conditions and 

vulnerabilities of utilities and communications systems. 

Electric, water, and gas systems are essential for campus 

activities and may be critical to maintaining many types of 

experiments, and the ability to move about the campus and to 

communicate via landline, radio, and Internet must be 

maintained if the campus is to remain fully operational. 

Additionally, assess the condition and vulnerabilities of all 

backup systems. 

Finally, administrative systems (payroll, accounts payable, 

student records) are critical to continued operations. Find out 

where they are located and how vulnerable they are. 

Determine the vulnerability of your important data and associated functions and what type of 

backup plan is appropriate. 

At this point you should have sufficient information on the hazard events that could impact your 

institution and on the assets and operations that could be affected. This will help you determine 

how to begin mitigating potential damage and will provide you with a complete understanding of 

the overall risk your institution faces from hazards. It is important to emphasize that for the steps 

just described, FEMA provides considerable information developed for communities that can be 

modified to fit your needs (see FEMA 386-2). 

Worksheets #5 and #6 in Appendix A can help you determine the extent to which particular 

hazards would affect the various elements of your institution. Categories shown are simply 

examples of how you may wish to break out the different types of buildings on campus. Consider 

tailoring the worksheets to meet your situation. 

ESTIMATE LOSSES

The fourth step of the risk assessment is the estimation of the potential losses your institution 

could face from a specific hazard event. The purpose of this step is to describe how your 

institution’s assets will be affected by a hazard event. During this step, you create scenarios that 

estimate the impact of an event on people, buildings, and infrastructure. Some of these entities 

will be more vulnerable than others, and your estimates of losses will vary depending on factors 

such as the age of the building, type of construction, and time of the event. In many cases, it has 

been useful to develop a number of different scenarios that vary by hazard event and expected 

impact. 

Communities typically express their expected losses in dollars, and representing risk in economic 

terms can make a compelling case to administrators and others responsible for hazard mitigation 

policy at your institution. However, while dollar estimates are often required for community, 

state, or Federal assistance, the nature of higher education institutions suggests that other 

descriptions of losses may be appropriate. Lost instructional time, research equipment, data, and 

subjects, along with unique historical artifacts and library collections, should not only be 

Experience 

The University of California, 

Berkeley has developed a loss 

estimation methodology for the 

potential disruption of an earthquake 

to their University and the associated 

impact of that interruption on the 

surrounding region. A report entitled: 

The Economic Benefits of a 

Disaster-resistant University: 

Earthquake Loss Estimation for UC 

Berkeley can be found at wwwiurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/WP-2000-

02.pdf 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 27 

quantified but also described in such a way as to communicate the potential human and social 

costs of failing to reduce risk before disaster strikes. 

In a traditional loss estimation process, three types of potential losses are considered: life, 

property (structure and contents), and function. However, due to the unique characteristics of 

many institutions’ assets, you may also decide to develop separate loss function models for 

special equipment or research facilities that are particularly vulnerable. The basic formula for 

calculating loss to an asset is the replacement or interruption costs multiplied by the percent of 

the asset expected to be damaged from an event. The overall projected loss from a hazard event 

is expressed as the sum of the appropriate loss equations. Additional information on conducting 

loss estimates is available in the FEMA how-to guide Understanding Your Risks: Identifying 

Hazards and Estimating Losses (FEMA 386-2). You should be able to estimate structural, 

content, and functional use equations for each asset. Combined, these estimates provide a 

complete picture of the economic and financial vulnerability of your institution to various hazard 

events. 

The asset inventory and hazard event profiles will provide the necessary information to develop 

detailed loss estimates for each structure and function at your institution. Ideally, all of this 

information should be collected in a common format and mapped using GIS. A composite loss 

map that combines the individual hazard event maps to determine the most vulnerable campus 

areas can then be created. While quantifying losses of information and operations may appear 

challenging, local, state, and Federal emergency management officials have been dealing with 

the complex issue of establishing loss estimates for years and they have a lot to offer as you work 

on loss estimates for your campus. You will probably discover that your institution has much in 

common with communities and that the general guidance FEMA provides to communities often 

is applicable to the needs of your own institution. Loss estimation tables for floods, earthquakes, 

and coastal storms, as well as guidance for estimating losses from other hazards, are available in 

the FEMA how-to guide referenced above. 

You may also consider developing estimates of the impact that an interruption in your 

institution’s operations would have on your community and the surrounding region. The local 

economy is affected by your institution’s presence and spending, so capital costs (repair and 

replacement), student expenditures, faculty and staff salaries and benefits, and other measures of 

institutional economic activity should be highlighted in this calculation. Documenting this 

impact will demonstrate the degree to which the community is dependent on your institution, and 

it will help you in your efforts to mobilize the local community and to build support for your 

disaster mitigation effort. 

Worksheet #7 (Appendix A) can help guide you in calculating the dollar value of losses to 

individual structures on campus. You can use a separate worksheet for each hazard you wish to 

evaluate. 

CONCLUSION

Assessing your institution’s vulnerability to natural and manmade hazards can be a challenging exercise. Imprudent 

decisions that your institution may have made in the past 

most likely will be revealed. It will take real effort to keep 

Recent Disasters and Universities

In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd 

pounded North Carolina, causing 

serious flooding at East Carolina 

University in Greenville. The campus 

was surrounded by water for weeks. 

The university was only partially 

operational, and some students were 

forced to lodge with residents in the 

town. 
PHASE 2 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND 

RISK ASSESSMENT 

28 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

everyone focused on the long-term goal, but this is essential if you plan to take hazard mitigation 

seriously. A thorough analysis of the hazards that affect your institution, a profile of potential 

events, an inventory of the institution’s assets, and an estimate of potential losses are necessary 

before a mitigation plan can be written and your needs can be prioritized. Even if mitigation 

actions are not immediately forthcoming, a risk assessment and vulnerability study will benefit 

your institution in many ways. By recognizing the hazards your institution faces and estimating 

potential losses from these events, your long-range planning efforts will improve and your 

institution will be more likely to make strategic choices that incorporate the principles of disaster 

mitigation. 

Once the hazard identification and risk assessment are complete, you are ready to write your 

mitigation plan. The risk assessment will provide you with the information necessary to identify 

and prioritize mitigation actions based on the vulnerability of your institution; after determining 

and prioritizing appropriate mitigation actions, you can begin securing support and implementing 

the plan.
PHASE 3 – DEVELOPING THE MITIGATION PLAN 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 29

Phase 3 – Developing the Mitigation Plan 

The third phase in the hazard mitigation planning 

process is writing the hazard mitigation plan 

itself. The plan should naturally flow from the 

hazard identification and risk assessment study 

completed in Phase 2 and should complement the 

related plans identified in Phase 1. The purpose of 

the hazard mitigation plan is to lay out in detail 

the proposed prioritized mitigation actions and to 

establish their appropriateness and expected 

utility. Once the plan is complete, it will have to 

be adopted and implemented by appropriate 

institutional representatives; therefore, as with the 

previous phases, it is very important to involve as 

many stakeholders as possible when writing the 

plan. 

As with the previous steps, consult Developing 

the Mitigation Plan: Identifying Mitigation 

Actions and Implementation Strategies (FEMA 

386-3) for general guidance on this topic. In 

addition, work closely with local, state, and Federal emergency management officials to ensure 

that your plan allows you to be fully eligible for all available pre- and post-disaster funding. 

PRIORITIZE FOCUS AREAS

Before beginning to write the plan, conduct a careful review 

of the conclusions reached by the hazard identification and 

risk assessment study. Develop mitigation goals and 

objectives based upon your understanding of problems 

revealed through the risk assessment. 

The mitigation plan should address all of 

the hazards you identified and should 

prioritize them based on your institution’s 

vulnerability to particular natural and manmade hazards. Prioritizing your mitigation 

focus areas involves comparing the 

institution’s mission with the results of the 

hazard identification and risk assessment 

to rank mitigation needs according to their 

associated risks. This process should be as 

inclusive as possible, with the involvement 

of all the appropriate stakeholders. 

Prioritizing the areas you will focus on 

should not be viewed as giving less 

attention to one particular hazard or area 

Background

Goals are general statements of what you want to achieve. 

They are usually long term and represent global visions, such 

as: 

 Minimize interruption to the instructional mission of the 

university or college. 

 Protect the research enterprise on campus. 

Objectives define strategies or implementation steps to attain 

the identified goals. Unlike goals, objectives are specific and 

measurable, such as: 

 Inform the campus community about potential hazards 

and appropriate loss reduction actions. 

 Protect lab equipment valued at $5,000 or more. 

Mitigation Actions are specific activities that will help you 

achieve your goals and objectives. For example: 

 Sponsor a campus hazards segment in the administration 

newsletter. 

 Retrofit lab equipment with appropriate protection. 

 Develop a training session for new lab directors on hazard 

mitigation. 

Background 

Clear goals and objectives provide a 

framework for making decisions on 

funding and implementing mitigation 

actions. 

Resources 

The mitigation plan should: 

 establish goals and objectives aimed at 

reducing or avoiding vulnerabilities to the 

identified hazards; 

 identify actions that will help you accomplish 

the established goals; 

 set forth strategies that detail how the 

mitigation actions will be implemented and 

administered; 

 provide continuity to the planning process as 

it provides a link between determining what 

your community’s risks are and actually 

implementing mitigation actions; and 

 establish a process for regular updates and 

review of the plan. 

The FEMA how-to guide Developing the Mitigation 

Plan: Identifying Mitigation Actions and 

Implementation Strategies (FEMA 386-3) covers 

this process in detail and should be reviewed 

before you start to write your plan. 
PHASE 3 – DEVELOPING THE MITIGATION PLAN 

30 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Background 

Six broad categories of mitigation actions include: 

1. Prevention – Actions such as planning and zoning, 

open space preservation, , soil erosion and sediment 

control. 

2. Property Protection – Actions such as relocation, storm 

shutters, flood barriers, flood insurance, and structural 

retrofits. 

3. Public Education and Awareness – Actions such as 

outreach projects, hazard information centers, and 

technical assistance. 

4. Natural Resource Protection – Actions such as erosion 

and sediment control, stream corridor protection, and 

wetlands preservation. 

5. Emergency Services – Actions such as hazard threat 

recognition, hazard warning, emergency response, and 

protection of critical facilities. 

6. Structural Projects – Actions such as revetments, high 

flow diversions, spillways, retaining walls, and storm 

sewers. 

of the campus, but rather as a systematic effort to target 

resources toward reducing the greatest potential threats to the 

institution’s instructional, research, and public service 

operations. 

DETERMINE APPROPRIATE MITIGATION ACTIONS

Once your focus areas have been determined, it is time to 

identify appropriate mitigation actions to protect your 

institution’s people, facilities, and research. These actions 

can range from simple and inexpensive, such as securing lab 

equipment, to complex and expensive, such as structural design improvements for new 

construction and the retrofitting or relocation of existing structures. The early stages of this 

process should include an investigation of the full range of appropriate actions, and the initial 

inventory of appropriate mitigation actions should be done 

without regard to cost and benefits. 

This guide is not intended as a complete resource for 

mitigation actions appropriate to natural and man-made 

hazards. Consult the appropriate how-to guides and experts in 

this area for that information. This guide is, however, 

appropriate for considering examples of some basic 

mitigation actions for common hazards and for providing 

some details regarding their application to the unique situations of colleges and universities. 

Many mitigation actions that can reduce losses due to natural hazards can also help reduce the 

effects of man-made hazards; for example, strengthening windows to reduce wind hazards or 

strengthening buildings to resist seismic forces may also help mitigate blast forces. 

Some common actions taken to reduce the damage from future earthquakes, high winds, fires, 

and flooding include: 

 Earthquakes: installing steel moment 

frames, shear walls, and cross bracing; 

strengthening floor systems; 

reinforcing walls with shotcrete/fiber 

materials; reinforcing columns with 

fiber wraps/steel jackets; addition of 

tension/shear anchors and vibration 

dampers; bracing of bookshelves and 

other high mounted items; upgrading 

of utilities; and securing of expensive 

research equipment. 

 High Winds: implementation of 

warning systems and safe rooms; 

reducing or eliminating openings; 

reinforcing window glass and frames; 

strengthening exterior elements to 

Experience 

Urge academic units to safeguard 

important research documents and 

specimens and to make duplicate 

copies of reports and store them 

separately from the originals. 

Background 

It is likely that funding for which your 

institution might be eligible through 

DMA 2000 will be granted in several 

small increments over time rather 

than in a single lump sum. Having 

your mitigation actions ranked in 

order of priority allows you to begin 

implementing the most important 

actions as funding becomes 

available. 
PHASE 3 – DEVELOPING THE MITIGATION PLAN 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 31 

resist positive/negative air pressures and impact; 

improving roof-wall-foundation connections; improving 

roofing materials; adding/reinforcing shear walls; 

vegetation management; installation of shutters or 

window film. 

 Fire: improvement of sprinkler systems; increased use of 

fireproofing and/or fire-resistant building materials; training of permanent/and or volunteer 

staff in firefighting techniques; ensuring adequate water supplies for fire protection; 

vegetation management; maintaining site setbacks. 

 Floods: elevation or floodproofing of buildings; drainage improvements and structural 

works; moving critical uses (communications, library and other collections, offices) to higher 

locations; elevation of vulnerable equipment and research 

subjects, book collections, art, etc. 

 All Hazards: Installation or improvement of backup 

systems (electric generators, computer databases, etc.); 

implementation of contingency procedures; maintenance 

of emergency plans (required by USDA for Federally 

funded research facilities using laboratory animals); 

informing campus personnel of risks and mitigation 

strategies; keeping detailed information current regarding 

hazardous chemicals, biological and radiological agents, 

laboratory animals, and critical works of art and cultural 

treasures. 

The mitigation actions listed above are but a few of the 

actions that can be taken. Reviewing existing literature, 

asking experts, reviewing success stories, and brainstorming 

can identify more mitigation actions. Additionally, the 

FEMA how-to guide Developing the Mitigation Plan (FEMA 

386-3) contains an extensive list of mitigation actions for 

natural hazards, and Integrating Human-Caused Hazards Into Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-

7) outlines mitigation actions for man-made threats. The advisory committee or subcommittee 

should collect information on all of the options available to reduce your institution’s 

vulnerability. As larger numbers of higher education institutions work toward disaster resistance, 

a body of knowledge and best practices will emerge about 

how universities and colleges have adapted and created 

mitigation actions to meet their unique requirements. This is 

still a very new area for many institutions and it will be 

helpful to document what you do and to share your 

experiences with others whenever possible. The professional 

associations listed throughout this guide, as well as FEMA, 

will be interested in assisting you as well as hearing about 

your efforts. 

Experience 

Researchers at the University of 

California, Berkeley are developing 

equipment-specific, customdesigned retrofit actions for the 

equipment they have identified as 

vulnerable to an earthquake. The 

process includes consulting by 

engineering faculty, graduate 

students, physical facilities 

representatives, and appropriate 

construction sciences personnel to 

design and implement these actions. 

As a result, valuable equipment that 

is critical to the continuation of the 

research enterprise at the institution 

will suffer less damage in the next 

earthquake. Seismic Protection of 

Laboratory Contents can be read at 

www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/ 

pub/WP-2003.pdf

Experience 

A recent drainage ditch improvement 

at the University of North Carolina at 

Wilmington will reduce the risk of 

ground floor flooding from a 

hurricane in a building that contains 

animal research subjects. The 

mitigation measure was identified 

after an assessment of previous 

flooding levels from hurricanes and 

of the vulnerability of the research 

that is conducted in the nearby 

buildings. 

Resources 

A compilation of mitigation resources 

and success stories is available from 

FEMA on a CD: Mitigation 

Resources for Success (FEMA 372).
PHASE 3 – DEVELOPING THE MITIGATION PLAN 

32 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Example Implementation Strategy 

Format 

Action: (from your list of selected actions) 

Goal(s) and Objectives Addressed: 

(Sometimes the action will address more 

than one goal and objective) 

Lead Agency/Department: (Provide the 

name and a brief description of each 

support agency) 

Budget: (Provide the dollar amount or an 

estimate, if known) 

Funding Source(s): (List the funding 

source(s)--e.g., operating budget, xyz 

foundation, etc.) 

Start and End Dates: (Indicate start and 

end dates; short-term, long-term, or 

ongoing; and milestones for longer term 

projects) 

PRIORITIZE MITIGATION ACTIONS

As discussed previously, the hazard mitigation plan should identify mitigation focus areas and 

describe the prioritization of actions within each area. After using the hazard identification and 

risk assessment study to determine vulnerability and identifying appropriate mitigation actions, 

rank the actions needed and develop a timeline for 

implementation. 

Possible criteria for ranking include life safety, operational 

criticality, time needed to complete the activity, 

effectiveness/lifespan, or other hazard-specific 

considerations. However, the most common basis for 

prioritization is benefit-cost analysis (BCA), which allows 

multiple projects to be compared across a range of hazards. 

The basic formula includes the following: 

 The cost of the mitigation action; 

 The dollar value of risk reduction (calculated from the potential loss of life, property, and 

function of the institution) each time the hazard occurs; 

 The frequency with which the benefits of the action will be realized (frequency of hazard 

occurrence assumes that the action performs as expected); and 

 The present value of aggregated future benefits (dollar value of risk reduction each time the 

hazard occurs multiplied by the probability of occurrence, multiplied by the life span of the 

action). 

To prioritize mitigation actions, you may create a matrix using multiple criteria of your choosing 

or simply use benefit-cost analysis. Some institutions hire consultants to develop or apply a 

methodology for ranking mitigation actions and to assist them in comparing various mitigation 

actions across different hazard events. In addition to the campus-based experts you have 

identified, emergency management officials can also help you determine appropriate strategies 

for prioritization. Whichever method is selected, it is important for all campus stakeholders to 

understand the process that was followed to determine the rankings and to feel as if they had an 

opportunity to participate in the process, so be sure to 

provide adequate opportunity for input from the advisory 

committee and stakeholders. 

Worksheet #8 (Appendix A) can be used to help you 

track various mitigation options and corresponding 

issues, as well as priority considerations. 

PREPARE AN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

In this step, you will determine how mitigation actions 

will be funded, who (as in which institutional department) 

will be responsible for overseeing the project(s), and how 

long the project(s) should take to complete. An example 

format for this information is shown in the previous box. 

Recent Disasters and Universities

In July 1997, the Colorado State 

University campus was flooded by a 

local creek. Water poured into both 

the library and the bookstore, 

damaging hundreds of thousands of 

books and other valuable 

documents. Most of the campus was 

closed for 1-2 weeks while clean up 

was underway. Damages exceeded 

$100 million. 
PHASE 3 – DEVELOPING THE MITIGATION PLAN 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 33 

ASSEMBLE THE PLAN

Once the priorities have been established and 

the appropriate mitigation actions determined, 

it is time to assemble the plan. As pointed out 

earlier, review the FEMA how-to guide 

Developing the Mitigation Plan (FEMA 386-

3) and share your plan with appropriate local, 

state, and Federal emergency management 

officials. The basic template provided in the 

adjacent sidebar can be modified to your 

institution’s needs. 

CONCLUSION

The hazard mitigation plan documents the 

ways in which your institution will reduce its 

vulnerability to natural and man-made 

disasters. The plan details the purpose of the 

planning effort, the process that was followed, 

and the actions that need to be taken. Once the 

plan is finalized, the next step is to get it 

adopted and implemented. Plan adoption 

refers to getting the plan formally approved by 

the appropriate on- and off-campus entities, 

and implementation refers to the ongoing 

effort to perform the mitigation actions, 

tracking their progress, and measuring their 

impact. Adoption and implementation of the 

hazard mitigation plan are discussed in the 

next section. 

Resources

HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN CONTENTS: 

Executive Summary 

Purpose 

Process Followed 

Major Recommendations 

Goals and Objectives 

Disaster Resistance and University Mission 

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 

Hazard Background of Institution 

Asset Inventory 

Loss Estimation 

Mitigation Strategy 

Identification of Mitigation Actions 

Description of Prioritization Methodology Used 

(e.g., Benefit-Cost Analysis) 

Prioritization of Actions 

Timeline 

Implementation and Plan Maintenance 

Organization and Responsibility for Mitigation 

Integration with Local and State Hazard Mitigation 

Plans 

Maintenance of Plan and Update Schedule 

Resources

As a result of the heightened level of interest in the 

vulnerability of American communities to terrorism 

following the attacks of September 11, 2001, your 

community is likely to be keenly interested in efforts to 

protect people, buildings, and operations from terrorism 

and technological disasters. This presents both benefits 

and challenges, because much of the same information 

that can be used to rally support for mitigation can also be 

of use to potential terrorists, saboteurs, or others with 

malevolent intent. For that reason, you must carefully 

maintain the security of any information that pertains to 

vulnerabilities, security measures, and response plans. 

Your institution’s legal counsel should be able to provide 

guidance on how best to protect such sensitive 

information within the provisions of applicable freedom of 

information laws. 

For more information on information sensitivity, refer to 

the FEMA how-to guide Integrating Human-Caused 

Hazards Into Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-7).

Resources 

University of California, Berkeley’s risk management 

plan can be found at www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/ 

WP-2000-03.pdf 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 35

Phase 4 – Adoption and Implementation 

The final phase in the disaster-resistant university process is the adoption and implementation of the 

mitigation plan. Adoption and implementation go hand in hand. They may happen simultaneously, but 

they are discussed separately here to emphasize the unique aspects of both steps. Adoption is a 

relatively short-term and straightforward process. Implementation, on the other hand, is a long-term 

and complex process that requires the consistent review, coordination, and completion of mitigation 

actions. 

ADOPTION

On Campus 

Once the plan has been completed, it should be presented to 

the chancellor or president of the university for review and 

formal adoption. To ensure success, disaster-resistance 

efforts require the support and endorsement of the 

institution’s chief operating officer. The president or 

chancellor must be a visible spokesperson for the effort. After the president or chancellor has 

endorsed the plan, the key stakeholders on campus identified in Phase 1- Organize Resources, 

some of whom have probably been on the advisory committee or involved in other ways in the 

process, should be consulted and asked to adopt the plan. 

Institution-Wide Governance Body. After the chancellor or 

president has adopted the plan, it should be submitted to the 

appropriate institution-wide governance body. These bodies 

go by many names, such as Board of Trustees, Board of 

Overseers, Board of Visitors, etc. Your institution may have 

more than one such oversight organization. Identify the 

appropriate steps to have your plan endorsed at this level. 

These bodies have the final say over financial, personnel, and 

student matters at many institutions and therefore are very 

important to implementation. They should be kept informed 

of the status of disaster-resistance efforts on campus, 

informed of the plan’s completion, and asked to adopt it. 

Administration. Administrative units identified in Phase 1: Organize Resources should be asked 

to endorse the plan. The advisory committee may consider developing a formal memorandum of 

agreement that reflects the commitment of each unit to the principles of disaster resistance and to 

the strategies detailed in the mitigation plan. The committee should focus on getting the chief 

business officer to emphasize to the various business affairs units the importance of adopting the 

plan. Adoption of the plan by all public safety divisions and environmental health and safety 

divisions is critical. 

Additionally, risk management, auxiliary services, and even the admissions office will be 

important in the successful implementation of the plan and should be asked to formally endorse 

it. 

Background 

Adoption refers to the formal and 

informal acceptance of the plan by 

appropriate entities, such as a formal 

vote or a statement of support or 

memorandum of understanding. 

Implementation refers to putting the 

plan into action by taking steps to 

adopt the mitigation actions 

described in the plan. 

Experience 

At some point it will be important to 

publicize the university’s efforts by 

holding a press conference to 

announce your work. This process 

can begin with the formal 

announcement of the plan’s 

completion with a high profile signing 

by various senior university officials. 

Your effort to make it clear to the 

rest of the institution that support for 

the plan comes from the top will 

enhance the likelihood of 

implementation at all levels. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

36 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

The admissions office may not seem like the most obvious candidate for the adoption of 

mitigation actions, as there is not a lot they can do to make your institution more disasterresistant. However, the admissions office does have a key stake in the adoption and 

implementation of a comprehensive plan—namely, the 

recruitment and retention of your institution’s primary 

customers. Students choose colleges and universities for 

many reasons, and there is little doubt that safety is now 

more important than ever. A formal statement of how your 

institution is working to become disaster-resistant can help 

the admissions office to promote these efforts to potential 

students. 

Academic Affairs. The plan should be adopted and endorsed 

by the chief academic officer of the university. The various 

levels of approval in the area of academic affairs should have 

been identified in Phase 1. It is common for the academic 

affairs structure to be more complicated than business affairs. 

As such, depending on the structure of your institution, it 

may be appropriate to get plan approval by the individual 

schools, colleges, and departments. Some academic units will be more involved than others as 

you work to implement the plan; in particular, departments that use hazardous materials, conduct 

research in sensitive areas such as genetics or animal sciences, and those with unique physical 

security concerns should be involved in the plan and asked to endorse it. 

Sponsored Programs or Research Administration. Protecting the institution’s research enterprise 

and knowledge generation resources is an important reason for becoming disaster-resistant. In 

Phase 2: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment, threats to the research enterprise at your 

institution were identified. The office of sponsored programs or research administration is 

generally charged with oversight of sponsored research on campus. They can coordinate 

initiatives to ensure that research is done in an environment that is as resistant as possible to 

hazards, including training on hazard mitigation strategies for new principal investigators, lab 

management personnel, and others involved in research, data collection, or retrieval. As noted in 

Phase 1, sponsors are increasingly asking about appropriate protections to ensure the integrity 

and protection of the work they are supporting. Involving this unit and obtaining their formal 

endorsement will strengthen your efforts to demonstrate the importance of the initiative. 

Student Affairs. The student services divisions and organizations identified in Phase 1 should be 

contacted and asked to endorse the plan. Recognizing that student safety is of paramount 

concern, several of the mitigation actions detailed in the plan 

will probably have an effect on students and the way they 

interface with the institution. Students and organizations that 

have influence over issues such as building and residence hall 

security, the handling of hazardous materials, and the 

evacuation of campus before or after a disaster should be 

involved in this process. 

Experience 

Depending on the nature of your 

institution, it may be necessary to 

send your plan to additional 

organizations. It is common among 

state funded institutions to have a 

statewide or system-wide 

governance structure that provides 

overall policy guidance for some 

number of schools in the state. While 

it may not be necessary to get their 

formal endorsement of the campus 

plan, it is certainly appropriate to 

make them aware of your efforts to 

reduce the loss of life, damage to 

property, and interruption to your 

institutional mission that would be 

caused by a disaster. 

Recent Disasters and Universities

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake 

damaged a number of buildings at 

Stanford University, closing 11 of 

them. After spending about $300 

million over 10 years on repairs and 

retrofits, Stanford has finally 

reopened most buildings. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 37 

The approval and endorsement of on-campus student governance organizations is particularly 

important. In addition to demonstrating that the vision of a disaster-resistant university is shared 

across the entire institution, student government organizations may have access to, or the ability 

to raise, funds that can be tapped to support the work detailed in the disaster mitigation plan. To 

the extent that retrofitting existing structures or the incorporation of disaster-resistant building 

technologies is required on buildings that are maintained or built with student fees, these 

organizations can provide critical support. 

Off Campus 

Off-campus stakeholders identified during Phase 1 are equally important to plan adoption and 

implementation. Regardless of whether they were involved in developing the plan, they should 

be sent a copy and asked to endorse its contents in a memorandum of agreement. This step 

reaffirms that your institution and community are inextricably linked when it comes to disaster 

mitigation. Several groups, in particular, should be sought out to endorse the plan. 

Emergency Management/Hazard Mitigation Planning. It is particularly important to get the 

endorsement and support of your local office of emergency management and/or local hazard 

mitigation planner. In many jurisdictions, the local emergency management jurisdiction has 

never reviewed the campus emergency/disaster plan. Your committee already began to correct 

this important oversight when emergency management staff were invited to become an active 

participant in this process. The approval of and coordination with those responsible for 

emergency management and hazard mitigation for nearby jurisdictions is crucial, especially 

because funding for pre- and post-disaster mitigation is usually coordinated with the state 

through local jurisdictions. They cannot be expected to make informed requests to the state on 

your behalf if they are unaware of your vulnerabilities and your priority for mitigation actions. 

Public Safety/First Responders. In much the same way that 

the local emergency management agency was consulted, first 

responders–police, fire/rescue, and emergency medical 

services–should also be asked to review and endorse the plan. 

Depending on your location, these organizations may not be 

directly involved in hazard mitigation, but they will be 

among the first on the scene should a disaster occur at your 

institution. Therefore, it is important for them to be informed 

of your plan and of any mitigation actions that may affect 

their ability to respond or that could change your institution’s 

response requirements. 

Local Political Jurisdictions. It may be appropriate to ask 

local political jurisdictions to formally endorse your plan, 

depending on your institution’s relationship with them. A 

proclamation or other device to recognize your work and 

show support for disaster resistance can often accomplish this. If your community has a local 

hazard mitigation planning initiative underway, your efforts will demonstrate to the community 

your sincere contribution to sustainability. Political jurisdictions can reciprocate by giving 

enhanced credibility to the integration of college and university planning with local efforts to 

make the community safer. University faculty, staff, and students are citizens of the community 

Recent Disasters and Universities

In July 1999, a heat wave resulted in 

a sustained power outage in New 

York City. The electricity went out at 

Columbia University and was not 

completely restored for 2-3 days. In 

the intervening time, researchers at 

Columbia's College of Physicians 

and Surgeons lost irreplaceable 

research materials—human tissue,

enzymes and cells—because there 

were not sufficient back-up 

generators to keep freezers or 

incubators running. Damages to the 

$200 million research program were 

calculated at many millions of 

dollars. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

38 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

and disasters that affect them strain the entire community. Mitigation actions can reduce that 

burden. 

Private Industry. It may be appropriate to ask some of the private industry representatives that 

were involved in the planning process to consider endorsing the final product. Having them 

formally recognize the plan has two advantages. It increases the likelihood that they might assist 

you with in-kind donations of goods necessary for some of your mitigation priorities—perhaps 

even funding or supporting your fundraising efforts for others. It also demonstrates to your 

institution’s leadership that the disaster mitigation effort has 

successfully involved many segments of the community. 

Some private industry stakeholders are more likely than 

others to be interested in joining forces with the university, 

but a good place to start is with those identified in Phase 1 

and other appropriate industries with an interest in hazards or 

disasters. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Once the plan has been written and adopted, it must be 

implemented. A disaster-resistant university is continuously 

striving to reduce the damage caused to its institutional 

mission by the next natural or man-made disaster. Putting the 

plan in place requires attention to coordinating the effort, 

identifying funding streams, and monitoring progress over 

the long term. 

Coordinating the Effort 

An advisory committee and coordinator were necessary to 

make the planning effort happen. Their responsibility now 

shifts to coordinating and overseeing the implementation of 

the plan. Implementation means achieving the identifiable, 

measurable outcomes described in the plan. This may require 

an adjustment to the membership of the committee, or a 

subcommittee may assume this responsibility. In either case, 

the membership of the committee must be re-assessed for 

appropriateness as the process moves to implementation. 

The coordinator and committee should develop an implementation strategy. The implementation 

strategy lays out the mitigation actions and their priority, but it does not describe your plan for 

carrying out these actions. Thus, the focus now shifts to the steps necessary to bring about these 

mitigation actions. Questions the committee should address in preparing the strategy include: 

 Which unit of the institution (e.g., physical plant, buildings and grounds, instruction, 

academic affairs, a particular college or department, etc.) will the actions affect? 

 Who are the people in those units that will be responsible for implementing the actions? 

 What resources are available to support implementation of the actions? 

 Can implementation be accomplished with existing resources? 

Experience 

Not every mitigation action requires 

significant additional resources. The 

University of California, Berkeley, 

as part of its disaster-resistant 

University program, decided that lab 

resistance to seismic activity was an 

important mitigation goal. Reducing 

the vulnerability of research labs to 

earthquakes was one of its 

objectives. The planned mitigation 

action relied simply on proper 

storage and security of chemicals, 

the physical stability of expensive

equipment, and the safety of lab 

personnel from overhead hazards. 

The mitigation strategy took 

advantage of graduate and 

undergraduate students to conduct a 

survey of lab vulnerability and to 

subsequently implement actions that 

will reduce the damage to people, 

equipment, and research during the 

next earthquake.

At the University of North Carolina 

at Wilmington, knowledge from a 

Cooperative Extension service agent 

who was a specialist in hurricaneresistant landscaping was 

incorporated into campus 

landscaping. Thus, without requiring 

any additional funds the institution’s 

tree and shrub stock will be less 

likely to be damaged during the next 

hurricane. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 39 

 If not, what additional resources will be required? 

 What is the timetable to complete the actions? 

 How will the effectiveness of the activities be measured? 

 What is the timetable for periodic review of the actions’ efficacy? 

Funding the Projects 

Many mitigation actions can be completed with existing resources. However, the coordinator and 

advisory committee should work with senior administrators to identify sources of funding for 

projects if existing resources are insufficient. Those working to secure funding should think 

creatively, regardless of the size of the project. You have worked hard to establish hazard 

mitigation as a priority on campus and have justified mitigation in terms of economic and life 

safety, but you may still have to aggressively pursue funds. 

Several sources of funding exist: 

University or System. Identify whether university resources 

can be redirected from another area to meet your needs. 

Assistance from the business affairs office can help 

determine whether this is possible. If the advisory committee 

and coordinator have been effective at obtaining the support 

of the chancellor or president, disaster mitigation may be 

prioritized in such a way that when revisions are made to 

strategic plans, funds will be redirected to disaster mitigation. 

This may be politically divisive, but the conflict will be minimized if the entire university 

community has been kept apprised of your efforts and senior administrative officials are 

supportive. It is important to coordinate your efforts with other strategic and long-range planning 

efforts on campus. Institutional priorities are established in these plans, and you should be 

involved in the appropriate planning processes in order to secure funding. There should be some 

duplication of membership across the disaster-resistant university steering committee and other 

long-range planning initiatives on campus. 

If your institution is located within a system, public or 

private, you also need to consider resources available at these 

levels. Depending on the mitigation action you are pursuing, 

the system may be more or less inclined to support your 

efforts. For example, the retrofit of existing structures and the 

incorporation of hazard-resistant building technologies are 

more likely to get support at the system level than something 

that is unique to a less enduring aspect of the institution, such 

as lab retrofits. It will be easier to obtain funds for your effort 

if your system is aware of and endorses your plan. However, 

it is worth noting that disaster resistance can only be 

achieved with some contribution by your own institution. Some financial commitment must be 

present if you hope to successfully leverage the additional funding streams detailed below. 

Local Government. Local governments are an important place to begin your search for funding, 

because even if they do not become a source of funding, their support may be required to secure 

funding from other levels of government or private sources. Additionally, funding for mitigation 

Resources 

Additional information about 

potential funding sources for natural 

hazards mitigation can be found in 

the FEMA how-to guide: Developing 

the Mitigation Plan (FEMA 386-3). 

For potential sources of funding for 

man-made hazards mitigation, 

consult the FEMA how-to guide: 

Integrating Human-Caused Hazards 

Into Mitigation Planning 

(FEMA 386-7). 

Recent Disasters and Universities

In 1998, Hurricane Georges 

prompted the closure and 

evacuation of Tulane University. 

Ultimately, the hurricane did not hit 

New Orleans, but Tulane's risk 

management practices dictated early 

evacuations to protect the university 

community's safety. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

40 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

actions may be available at the local level, because although local governments are often 

required to “do more with less,” sometimes surplus funds do become available. You are more 

likely to be made aware of possible funding and to secure it when it becomes available if you 

have worked closely with local emergency management personnel on the development of your 

plan and securing their formal endorsement. When coordinating your mitigation priorities with 

those of your local jurisdiction, emphasize the fact that major mitigation actions contribute not 

only to the disaster resistance of your institution but also to the overall well-being of the 

community. 

State Government. State government can be an important source of mitigation funding. For 

public institutions, state appropriations are an important part of new construction and renovation; 

while this will be less important for private institutions, working with your state hazard 

mitigation officials ensures that you are informed of funding 

available for mitigation. In addition, state officials are 

responsible for implementing the pre-disaster mitigation 

funding elements of the DMA 2000. States are the conduit 

through which most FEMA funds flow, including mitigation 

program funding, and they set the priorities for allocating 

those funds. 

Federal Government. A close relationship with mitigation 

officials in your FEMA Regional Office will keep you 

informed of the availability of and steps to apply for Federal 

hazard mitigation funding. You should also involve your campus’ government affairs unit so that 

your institution can fully take advantage of mitigation funding opportunities created by Federal 

legislation and rule changes. A list of FEMA Regional Offices appears in Appendix C. 

Private Organizations. Your search for mitigation funding should include a survey of local, 

regional, and national organizations in the private sector that may provide support for your 

mitigation priorities. The private sector stakeholders involved in your planning process may 

support or be aware of others that would support some of your disaster mitigation priorities. To 

the extent that mitigation on your campus minimizes your interruption from a disaster, and thus 

the impact of a disaster on the community at large, private organizations may be willing to 

provide some funding to implement portions of your plan. 

Private foundations of all sizes represent a potential source of mitigation funding. Your office of 

sponsored programs or research administration can assist you in searching for foundation 

opportunities that might support mitigation. Foundations with a direct connection to the 

university or college are especially important. Many institutions have “friends of the 

university/college” foundations that provide support for all types of activities on campus. These 

foundations are excellent resources in your efforts to identify funding sources for disaster 

mitigation. 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Being disaster-resistant does not end with the completion of the plan and formal adoption. 

Indeed, the final step in implementing the plan is to establish a process for regularly monitoring 

and evaluating your progress. 

Experience 

Government affairs officials at your 

institution represent an important 

conduit in your efforts to stay 

apprised of Federal legislation and 

rule changes that could affect your 

efforts. They should be informed 

regularly of your mitigation priorities 

and invited to explore strategies for 

possible support. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 41 

Plan Review and Modification 

At least once annually, but perhaps even more frequently, the entire hazard mitigation plan 

should undergo a thorough review. Mitigation actions may have been completed, or the 

vulnerability of your institution to a particular hazard may have changed. Changes in 

organizational structure may necessitate different implementation strategies. A disaster that 

presents new challenges to your institution and community may have occurred. Furthermore, 

new stakeholders may have been identified. Regular updates to the plan will ensure that it is 

timely and that the data are current. Doing an abbreviated version of the risk assessment and 

updating the plan and implementation strategies accordingly may be sufficient for a 

comprehensive review of the plan. 

The plan may require a new round of endorsements if it has changed substantially. A simple 

notice to the stakeholders of the whereabouts of the new plan and changes from the previous 

document may suffice if the changes are minimal. However, even if there have only been minor 

changes, senior administrators should be made aware of the review and apprised of the changes. 

Plan review and modification is also an opportunity to publicize the successes of mitigation 

actions taken and to reaffirm the continuing commitment to 

disaster mitigation. 

Maintaining the Momentum 

Key to implementing the plan is maintaining momentum. 

One of the greatest long-term challenges to disaster 

resistance is waning interest in hazard mitigation. Disasters 

fade into the past, and committed university and community 

leaders or supporters can change their priorities, their minds, 

or their jobs. Other, weightier problems may arise, and 

attention to them will take human and financial resources 

away from disaster resistance. It is imperative that you 

establish and cultivate relationships with campus leadership 

and acquire permanent authority to manage disaster 

resistance efforts. 

One of the most effective ways to maintain momentum is to 

publicize successes. You may wish to designate a person or 

group to develop a publicity plan for your efforts; this campaign should include ways to keep the 

university’s disaster resistance efforts visible to the campus community and the nearby 

jurisdictions. 

A reality of university life is that problems change, people change in response to associated 

pressures, organization charts change, and people take other positions and move away. These all 

operate to diminish your efforts. However, if the development of your mitigation plan has been 

collaborative and the process has engaged diverse stakeholders, your chances of success are 

good. The larger the planning group and the more inclusive the process, the more likely your 

hazard mitigation program is to retain its momentum and continue to reduce losses of life, 

property, and function from disasters long into the future. 

Experience 

Capitalize on what disaster 

researchers often call the “teachable 

moment” or “window of opportunity” 

that emerges in the post-disaster 

environment. Your efforts to 

publicize your plan and mitigate 

future damage must be sensitive to 

the recovery effort, but it does not 

have to be postponed until recovery 

is complete. In fact, the recovery 

phase is often when it is easiest to 

retrofit the built environment and 

affect attitudes about disaster 

mitigation. Publicizing your plan and 

efforts at disaster resistance is both 

appropriate and necessary if 

implementation of your goals and 

priorities is to be achieved. 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

42 Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

CONCLUSION

The first plan that your college or university adopts establishes a baseline from which to measure 

progress. As you implement and evaluate actions, your knowledge of hazards and how to best 

reduce your vulnerabilities increases tremendously. In order to effectively monitor your 

progress, it is important to take advantage of the worksheets provided here and in the mitigation 

planning how-to series. 

Over time, new partners will become involved in the planning process, providing additional 

reservoirs of experience and support. Since the political and social arenas, as well as the natural 

environment, are continually changing, you must periodically revisit and update your plan. As 

your plan evolves over time, you should see a corresponding improvement in your campus’s 

resilience to the damaging effects of disasters. 
APPENDIX A – WORKSHEETS 

Appendix A – Worksheets 

Worksheet #1: Build the Planning Team 

Worksheet #2: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 

Worksheet #3: Identify the Hazards 

Worksheet #4: Profile Hazard Events 

Worksheet #5: Inventory Assets 

Worksheet #6: Assess Priority Assets 

Worksheet #7: Estimate Losses 

Worksheet #8: Identify Mitigation Actions
Worksheet 1 Build the Planning Team 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

In establishing a planning team, you want to ensure that you have a broad range of backgrounds, 

responsibilities, and experiences represented. Below are some suggestions for institution 

organizations and departments to include in a planning team. 

Use the checklist as a starting point for forming your team. Check the boxes beside any 

individuals or organizations that you have both on and off campus that you believe should be 

included on your planning team so you can follow up with them. 

College/University Administration

F Chancellor/President 

F Vice Chancellor (VC)/Vice President (VP) Planning and Facilities 

F VC/VP Budget and Finance 

F VC/VP Business 

F Planning Entities

F Safety Units (Police, Fire, Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management) 

F Telecommunications/Electronic Communications 

F Human Resources 

F Development Office 

F _________________________________________________________________ 

F _________________________________________________________________ 

F _________________________________________________________________ 

Academic Departments

F Academic Senate Representatives 

F Architecture/Planning 

F Engineering/GIS 

F Earth Sciences/Geology/Geography/Hydrology (depending on the major hazards) 

F Sociology 

F Public Administration 

Student Representatives

F Student Council Representatives 

F Student Life/Residence Life 

F Students from relevant academic departments (vis-à-vis potential thesis topics) 

Community/Off-Campus Representatives

F Local Emergency Manager 

F Emergency Services (Fire/Police) 

F Local Emergency Planning Committee Representative 

F Local Community Planner 
PHASE 4 – ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

F Local Economic Development Officer 

State Representatives

F State Hazard Mitigation Officer 

F State University Liaison 

F State Emergency Manager 

Local Utilities

F Electric Utility 

F Gas Utility 

F Water Authority/Sewage Authority 

F Telephone Companies/Telecommunications 

F Internet/Fiber Optic System 

F Transit Authority 
Worksheet 2 Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 

 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Vulnerability Questionnaire 

1. What are the hazards in your locale? 

 

2. Do you know the frequency and magnitude of possible future hazard events? 

 

3. Has the university/college ever been affected by any hazard events? If so, how? 

 

4. Are some parts of the campus particularly vulnerable to damages, or is the entire area vulnerable? 

 

5. Are some buildings particularly vulnerable to damages? If so, how? 

 

6. What are the uses and occupancies of the vulnerable buildings? 

 

7. What will the expected damages do—threaten life safety? Ruin buildings? Destroy equipment and 

computers? Disrupt work? 

 

8. Are your utilities vulnerable to damages? How? 

 

9. What systems depend on either building functionality or utility functionality? 

 

10. What could it cost to repair damages? 

 
Worksheet 2 Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

11. How long could it take? 

 

12. How will teaching be affected? 

 

13. How will research be affected? 

 

14. How will students be affected on campus? 

 

15. How will students be affected off campus? 

 

16. Will employees who live in the area be able to get to work? 

 

17. Will employees’ homes be affected by the hazard event(s)? 

 

18. Could the university be closed down for a significant period of time because of possible disaster 

losses? 

 
Worksheet 3 Identify the Hazards 

 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: What kinds of natural hazards can affect you?

1. List the hazards that may occur on campus. 

a. Research newspapers and other historical 

records. (Check campus archives in library.) 

b. Review existing university and community 

plans and reports. 

c. Talk to the experts on campus and in your 

community, state, or region. 

d. Gather information on Internet Web sites.

In the hazard list below, put a check mark in the 

boxes on the left (Column I) beside all hazards 

that may occur on your campus.

2. Focus on the most prevalent hazards in your 

community or state, and your campus. 

a. Go to hazard Web sites. 

b. Locate your campus on the Web site map. 

c. Determine whether you are in a high-risk 

area. Get more localized information if 

necessary. 

d. In the hazard list below, put a check mark in 

the boxes on the right (Column II) beside all 

hazards that pose a significant threat to your 

community and/or campus. 

Use this space to record information you find for each of the hazards 

you will be researching. Attach additional pages as necessary. 

 I II 

Avalanche 

Coastal Erosion 

Coastal Storm 

Dam Failure 

Hazard or Event Description 

(Type of hazard, date of event, 

number of injuries, cost and types 

of damage, etc.) 

Source of Information Map 

Available 

for This 

Hazard? 

Scale of 

Map 

Drought 

Earthquake 

Expansive Soils 

 

Extreme Heat 

Flood 

Hailstorm 

 

Hurricane 

Land Subsidence 

Landslide 

 

Severe Winter Storm 

Tornado 

Tsunami 

 

Volcano 

Wildfire 

Windstorm 

 

Other__________ 

Other__________ 

Other__________ 

 
Worksheet 4 Profile Hazard Events 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: 

Obtain or create a base map. 

Title of Map Scale Date 

 

You can use existing maps from: 

 Campus facilities department 

 Campus GIS maps 

 USGS topographic maps or Digital 

Orthophoto Quarter Quads (DOQQ) 

 Maps from your city and county 

 Topographic and/or planimetric maps 

from other agencies 

 Aerial topographic and/or planimetric 

maps 

OR you can create 

a base map using: 

 Field surveys 

 GIS software 

 CADD 

software 

 Digitized

paper maps 

 

 Obtain Hazard Profile Information Record Hazard Profile Information 

Flood 

 1. Meet with your local floodplain administrator 

to review the Flood Insurance Study and 

mapping information. 

 1. Transfer the boundaries from your Flood Insurance Rate 

Map onto your base map (floodway, 100-yr flood, 500-

yr flood). 

 2. Transfer the Base Flood Elevations onto your base map. 

Earthquake 

 1. Seek out specialists either on campus or in local 

or state emergency management offices to 

determine risk 

 2. Review state geological survey maps 

 3. Go to the website: 

http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov 

 1. Record the probability, epicenter location(s), and 

shaking intensity of potential earthquakes. 

Tsunami 

 1. Get a copy of your tsunami inundation zone 

map from your local or state Emergency 

Manager. 

 1. Copy the boundary of your tsunami inundation zone 

onto your base map. 

Tornado 

 1. Find your design wind speed.  1. Record your design wind speed: _________ 

 2. If you have more than one design wind speed, print, 

download, or copy your design wind speed zones, copy 

the boundaries of your design wind speed zones onto 

your base map, then record the design wind speed zones 

on your base map. 

Coastal 

Storm 

 1. Get a copy of your FIRM. 

 2. Verify that the FIRM is up to date and 

complete. 

 3. Determine the annual rate of coastal erosion. 

 4. Find your design wind speed. 

 1. Transfer the boundaries of your coastal storm hazard 

areas onto your base map. 

 2. Transfer the BFEs onto your base map. 

 3. Record the erosion rates on your base map: _______ 

 4. Record the design wind speed here and on your base 

map: ___________________ 

Landslide 

 1. Map location of previous landslides. 

 2. Map the topography. 

 3. Map the geology. 

 4. Identify the high-hazard areas on your map. 

 1. Mark the areas susceptible to landslides on your base 

map. 

Wildfire 

 1. Map the fuel models located within the 

urban/wildland interface areas. 

 2. Map the topography. 

 3. Determine your critical fire weather frequency. 

 4. Determine your fire hazard severity. 

 1. Draw the boundaries of your wildfire hazard areas onto 

your base map. 

Other  1. Map the hazard.  1. Record hazard event info on your base map. 

Note: Use FEMA 386-2 for 

assistance in completing this 

Worksheet. 
Worksheet 5 Inventory Assets 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: What will be affected by the hazard event? 

Determine the proportion of buildings, the value of buildings, and the population on 

campus that are located in hazard areas. 

Hazard 

Number of Structures Value of Structures Number of People 

Type of Building 

# on 

Campus 

# in 

Hazard 

Area 

% in 

Hazard 

Area 

$ on 

Campus 

$ in 

Hazard 

Area 

% in 

Hazard 

Area 

# on 

Campus 

# in 

Hazard 

Area 

% in 

Hazard 

Area 

Residential 

Classroom 

Buildings 

Administration 

Research 

Recreational Use 

Libraries 

Medical Facilities 

Dining 

Facilities/Auditoria 

Utilities 

Y N 

1. Do you know where the greatest damages may occur in your hazard areas? 

2. Do you know whether your critical facilities will be operational after a hazard event? 

3. Is there enough data to determine which assets are subject to the greatest potential 

damages? 

4. Is there enough data to determine whether significant elements of the campus are 

vulnerable to potential hazards? 

5. Is there enough data to determine whether certain areas of historic, environmental, 

political, or cultural significance are vulnerable to potential hazards? 

6. Is there concern about a particular hazard because of its severity, repetitiveness, or 

likelihood of occurrence? 

7. Is additional data needed to justify the expenditure of funds for mitigation initiatives? 
Worksheet 6 Assess Priority Assets 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: What will be affected by the hazard event? 

Compile a detailed inventory of what can be damaged by a hazard event. 

Inventory the assets that are of highest priority to your institution’s operations that can be 

damaged by a hazard event. 

Hazard 

Critical Facilities Emergency Operations Communications Systems Data Systems Laboratories 

Name or 

Description 

of Asset 

Sources of 

Information 

9 9 9 9 9

Size of 

Building 

(sq ft) 

Replacement 

Value ($) 

Contents 

Value 

($) 

Function 

or Use 

Value ($) 

Displacement Cost 

($ per day)

Occupancy 

or Capacity 

(#) 

Other 

HazardSpecific 

Information 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Worksheet 7 Estimate Losses 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: How will the hazard events affect you? 

Hazard 

Structure Loss Contents Loss 

Name/Description of 

Structure 

Structure 

Replacement 

Value ($) x 

Percent 

Damage 

(%) =

Loss to 

Structure ($) 

Replacement 

Value of 

Contents ($) x

Percent Damage 

(%) =

Loss to 

Contents ($) 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

 x = x = 

Total Loss to Structure Total Loss to Contents 

Structure Use and Function Loss 

Name/Description of 

Structure 

Average Daily 

Operating 

Budget x 

Functional 

Downtime 

(# of days) +

Displacement 

Cost per Day 

($) x

Displacement 

Time ($) = 

Structure 

Use and 

Function 

Loss ($) 

Structure 

Loss + 

Content Loss 

+ Function 

Loss ($)

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

 x + x = 

Total Loss to Structure Use & Function 

 

Total Loss 

for Hazard 

Event 

Note: Use FEMA 386-2 for 

assistance in completing 

this Worksheet. 
Worksheet 8 Identify Mitigation Actions 

Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

Date: 

Instructions: For each type of loss identified on previous worksheets, determine possible 

actions. Record information below. 

Hazard 

Priority Possible Actions 

(include location)

Sources of Information 

(include sources you 

consulted for future 

reference and 

documentation)

Comments 

(Note any initial issues 

you may want to discuss 

or research further)

Planning Reference

(Determine into which 

pre-existing planning 

systems or activities the 

suggested projects can be 

integrated)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

APPENDIX B – LIBRARY 

Appendix B – Library 

Publications:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mitigation Resources for Success, FEMA 

372. 

FEMA, Getting Started, Building Support for Mitigation Planning, FEMA 386-1, FEMA 386-

1CD. 

FEMA, Understanding Your Risks, Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses, FEMA 386-2, 

FEMA 386-2CD. 

FEMA, Developing the Mitigation Plan, Identifying Mitigation Actions and Implementation 

Strategies, FEMA 386-3, FEMA 386-3CD. 

FEMA, Bringing the Plan to Life, Assuring the Success of the Hazard Mitigation Plan, FEMA 

386-4, FEMA 386-4CD. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool, 

www.csc.noaa.gov/products. 

University of California, Berkeley, Economic Benefits of a Disaster-resistant University: 

Earthquake Loss Estimation for UC Berkeley, www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/WP-2000-02.pdf.

University of California, Berkeley, Seismic Protection of Laboratory Contents, wwwiurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/WP-2003-02.pdf. 

Note: To order FEMA publications, please call the FEMA Publications 

Warehouse: 1-800-480-2520

Web Sites:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): www.fema.gov 

FEMA Mitigation Planning: www.fema.gov/fima/planning.shtm 

Multi-Hazard Mapping Initiative: www.hazardmaps.gov 

American Association of Community Colleges: www.aacc.nche.edu

Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association: www.cshema.org

Institute for Business and Home Safety: www.ibhs.org

National Association of College and University Business Officers: www.nacubo.org

National Emergency Management Association: www.nema.org

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: www.nvoad.org

Society for College and University Planning: www.scup.org

State Hazard Mitigation Officers Network: www.hazmit.net

University Risk Management & Insurance Association: www.urmia.org
Building a Disaster-Resistant University 

APPENDIX C 

Appendix C – FEMA Regional Offices 

I. 442 J.W. Mc Cormack POCH 

Boston, Massachusetts 02109 

(617)223-9540 

II. 26 Federal Plaza 

New York, New York 10278 

(212) 680-3600 

III. 615 Chestnut Street 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 

(215) 931-5608 

IV. 3003 Chamblee-Tucker Rd. 

Atlanta, Georgia 30341 

(770) 220-5200 

V. 536 South Clark St. 

Chicago, IL 60605 

(312) 408-5500 

VI. Federal Regional Center 

800 N. Loop 288 

Denton, Texas 76209 

(940) 898-5399 

VII. 2323 Grand Boulevard 

Suite 900 

Kansas City, MO 64108 

(816) 283-7061 

VIII. Building 710, Box 25267 

Denver, CO 80225-0267 

(303) 235-4800 

(303) 235-4976 FAX 

IX. 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200 

Oakland, CA 94607 

(510) 627-7100 

X. 130 228th Street, SW 

Bothell, WA 98021 

(425) 487-4600