IEM secures $24M contract for Puerto Rico Hazard Mitigation Program
Innovative Emergency Management Inc. (IEM), the largest woman- and minority-owned disaster recovery and emergency management company in the world, was awarded a contract by Puerto Rico’s Public Private Partnerships Authority (P3) to assist with efforts focused on hazard mitigation.
The $24 million, one-year contract with two option years will be administered by the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3) and will support in reducing future disaster losses on the island.
IEM said it is “committed to the Puerto Rico community” and will continue working with the 78 municipalities and agencies throughout the island to develop viable, cost-effective mitigation projects aimed at avoiding infrastructure and community impacts following natural disasters. The company assured that it will use its more than 38 years of experience in the emergency management field to build resilient communities for long-term sustainability.
Currently, IEM’s disaster recovery and mitigation efforts in Puerto Rico include managing more than $21 billion in federal funding projects. Specifically, IEM is supporting COR3 through subgrants to inspect, sketch, cost estimate, plan for disasters and contribute to mitigation efforts by using data analysis.
To date, IEM has supported Puerto Rico on mitigation projects related to the Condado Beach Coral Reef Restoration, the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP, in Spanish), the Advanced Assistance Hurricane Safe Rooms Project, and numerous subgrant applications.
“We are working tirelessly to support Puerto Rico through its recovery after multiple disasters destroyed infrastructure and disabled the island’s ability to conduct daily business,” said Bryan Koon, vice president of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“Our aim since the beginning is to use our knowledge and expertise in disaster recovery and grant management to support the government of Puerto Rico in all their recovery efforts,” Koon added. “During the first contract, we developed more than 306 subgrant applications, exceeding the goal of all four milestones set by COR3, and completed 84.9% more subgrant applications than our competitors. We are excited to continue demonstrating our capacity to manage complex programs on the island aimed at building towards a more resilient future.”
IEM added that its investment in Puerto Rico continues to grow with more than 260 local professionals supporting the island’s reconstruction and resiliency efforts, “our largest office footprint, and nine employees dedicated to this specific project.”
