Hurricane Iniki

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is home to the new Federal Emergency Management Agency National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.

Operating under a $4.8 million Department of Homeland Security grant, the center will conduct research and provide training with a focus on national hazards, coastal communities and the special needs and resources of island communities and territories. It is one of seven members of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which includes FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness and the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center at New Mexico Tech, National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University and National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M.

On Maui, meanwhile, UH will continue to manage the Pacific Disaster Center under a new five–year agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. The Kīhei–based facility employs approximately 40 professional staff who provide applied information research and analysis support in disaster management and humanitarian assistance. The estimated base budget is about $30 million over the five years, with additional funding expected for competitive grants and contracts.

Tags: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, Pacific Disaster Center, UH Manoa