The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a five-year, $600-million contract to a consortium of four engineering firms—PBS&J, Greenhorne & O’Mara, CDM, and Stantec—to support the agency’s massive risk program. The goal of FEMA Risk MAP is to provide reliable, easy-to-access digital flood risk data that can be used by communities to better assess and plan for flood damage throughout the U.S.
The four firms are working together in a joint venture called the Strategic Alliance for Risk Reduction (STARR). As part of the Risk MAP team, STARR will collaborate with FEMA, states, communities and other organizations to better define and communicate flood risks in critical areas throughout the nation.
Don McEvoy, vice president at PBS&J, said, “We are proud to be a part of this important next step in FEMA’s efforts to minimize losses caused by floods across the country. We will work with FEMA partners to leverage the successes of map modernization to inspire stakeholder action to mitigate risk and raise awareness of potential flood threats nationwide.”
For the last decade, PBS&J has helped FEMA transform its flood maps into more accurate, user-friendly and easily accessible digital maps as an integral part of FEMA’s Map Modernization program. As the map coordination contractor for FEMA’s central territory, PBS&J leveraged innovative GIS and Web technology to achieve time and cost efficiencies and built effective partnerships for the mutual benefit of the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA.
Source: PBS&J
