ABSTRACT
The number of individuals, communities, and business affected by disasters has skyrocketed. While investigating the impact of these disasters lessons learned through after-action reports have repeatedly demonstrated the need for organizations, both community and business, to conduct prior planning and develop continuity of operations planning. To create this ideal disaster survivor function, a Community-based Emergency Assistance Center can be fashioned such that it serves as a meeting place for stakeholders such as community organizations, non-government organizations, Community Action Agencies, non-profits, and businesses to learn about, prepare for, and mitigate disasters. Short-term population disruptions in the community can make it hard for a business to return to its pre-disaster operating strength. A so-called Community Recovery & Resiliency Center could serve as a helpful venue in which this important work can take place on behalf of the public who would turn to it for needed direction, information, relief, and, protection from the overwhelming impact of the disaster event.
