Emergency Management Systems

PBS&J is an engineering and planning firm with a nationwide reputation for excellence – the result of 40 years of responsive, quality service to our clients. Our 3,800 employees offer a wide range of expertise in civil engineering, environmental, transportation, construction management, and information technology disciplines.

From hurricanes and tornadoes to floods and earthquakes, PBS&J personnel have responded to every type of catastrophic disaster to affect the United States since 1975. Experience has taught us how to help our clients get the most out of their available recovery funds and how to guide them successfully through the complex federal disaster planning and recovery process. With capabilities that encompass the full spectrum of program management, engineering, and support services, we provide a single-source solution for clients that want to manage their own disaster recovery programs.

Planning and Preparedness

Proper planning is essential to ensure that communities and agencies are prepared to handle a disaster and to expedite recovery efforts. As disaster recovery costs have risen, planning has expanded beyond strategy development and training to include measures that reduce the potential of damage. PBS&J's comprehensive planning and preparedness services include:

• Comprehensive emergency management planning (CEMP)
• All-hazard vulnerability and risk assessment
• Force protection and security countermeasures
• Mitigation planning (state and local)
• Evacuation planning (natural and man-caused hazards)
• Disaster recovery planning
• Critical infrastructure analysis/protection
• Debris management plans and training
• Custom computer modeling for loss estimation
• GIS data development and support

Response and Damage Assessment

After disaster strikes, one of the first orders of business is to assess the resulting damage. We offer the proven ability to draw from our extensive corporate resources to staff up and respond quickly when needs arise. Our services include:

• Post-disaster evaluation of critical structures
• Real-time disaster consequence assessment
• Detailed debris estimation
• Coastal damage inspections and evaluation
• Coordination with local, state, and federal agencies

Recovery and Hazard Mitigation

PBS&J is fully qualified to serve as an extension of staff to federal, state, and local agencies that must carry out emergency response and long-term recovery efforts. Our expertise encompasses:

• Identification of key funding sources
• Preparation of project worksheets (PWs)
• Identification and evaluation of mitigation alternatives
• Benefit cost analysis
• Grant application development
• Coastal recovery planning and implementation
• Debris removal management and monitoring
• Grant management and implementation
• Project closeouts and audits

PBS&J Expertise

• Project management using state-of-the-art information technologies
• Natural and man-caused hazard risk assessment
• Computer modeling of disaster impacts
• Mitigation planning and project management
• Grant development and administration
• Evacuation planning
• Beach and dune restoration
• Environmental analysis and permitting
• Critical infrastructure design and management
• Civil, environmental, and transportation engineering
• Construction management

Representative Response and Recovery Experience

• North Carolina Ice Storms (2003)
• Hurricane Isabel (2003)
• Tropical Storm Gabrielle (2001)
• Arkansas ice storms (2001)
• Hurricane Floyd (1999)
• Oklahoma City tornadoes (1999)
• Hurricanes Earl, George, Mitch (1998)
• Hurricane Fran (1996)
• Hurricanes Erin and Opal (1995)
• Georgia floods (1994)
• Northridge earthquake (1993)
• Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki (1992)
• Hurricane Hugo (1989)