With the 2012 hurricane season officially underway as of June 1, GSA personnel stand ready to support a seasonal increase in emergency procurements and disaster response logistics. GSA’s strategic solutions, provided in support of federal, state, tribal and local government partners alike, exemplify a pertinent agency focus to support American citizens, local businesses and communities in times of need. Additionally, these efforts represent a major agency undertaking with 2011 emergency procurements totaling over $83 million in vital facilities, supplies and services.
GSA plays a key role in the delivery of vital supplies and services to disaster stricken regions through the FEMA led National Response Framework. We provide these services utilizing existing contracting vehicles and logistics expertise to provide inter-agency partners, first responders, emergency workers and recovery teams with the requisite tools to provide relief from such events as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires in a rapid, cost-efficient manner.
In 2011, GSA’s Wildland Firefighting Division managed the procurement and delivery of vital hoses, water pumps, protective clothing, and hand tools to combat the widespread Texas wildfires. When Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast, causing flooding and power outages across the entire Eastern Seaboard, Federal Acquisition Service Emergency Management personnel led procurements for such items as blankets, sandbags, cots and bottled water to protect, shelter and secure affected residents, homes, and businesses. Following the disastrous EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, regional emergency coordination teams were immediately activated to secure essential local facilities, providing bases for federal response operations and local community engagement to support the ongoing recovery efforts.
This year, should hurricanes, earthquakes or other disasters occur, GSA will again work with its vital partners — public and private alike — to continue to mobilize vital personnel, facilities, supplies and services in support of an inclusive whole community response and recovery effort.
To find information on such operations and general disaster preparedness — including what to do before, during, and after an emergency — visit ready.gov. For further details regarding how to find government services following a disaster, contact the federal government’s national hotline at 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636), or visit USA.gov and FEMA.gov.