Disaster planningFEMA grant helps UW create disaster plan

The University of Wisconsin is currently hard at work developing a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan.

The University’s work comes with the help of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to create a Disaster Resistant University strategy. The goal of the program is to help minimize potential damage from natural disasters or man-made events.

In particular the disaster plan will focus on facilitating cooperation between university, state, and federal authorities by identifying key hazards to university property, operations, and individuals.

With the help of Geographic Information Systems, university planners will develop models to map out various disaster scenarios to determine what the necessary course of action in terms of preparedness.

The disaster plan is open for comments and will be led by representatives from across the university including campus police, the Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility, Ag Research Stations, and University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics.