NIST Seeks Input on Standards Related to Disaster Resilience

Comments due by September 1; NIST to host related workshop on July 30

Recent events such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy have prompted many communities to take steps to enhance resilience. When communities effectively respond to and recover from disasters, lives are saved, property is protected, and local economies feel fewer of the challenges and consequences that can arise from natural disasters and other threats.

Realizing the full promise of a resilient America demands a strategic approach and science-informed cooperation between public and private sectors. To advance community resilience in the U.S., the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has established a disaster resilience program and has developed a DRAFT Disaster Resilience Framework. The Framework is intended to develop a community-scale roadmap approach to disaster resilience by assessing existing standards, codes, and practices; identifying gaps that must be addressed; and establishing overall performance goals and measurements for buildings and infrastructure lifelines in order to bolster community resilience.

NIST has issued a call for input for the draft Framework regarding current or forthcoming standards, codes, guidelines, practices, and conformance programs related to disaster resilience, as well as perceived gaps in the current disaster resiliency standardization landscape. NIST is reaching out to individuals and groups in the larger standardization community and beyond to solicit input that will inform the development of the Framework to advance disaster resilience in the built environment.

NIST will not develop standards nor will it assign responsibility for their development. Rather, the intent is to organize, augment, and raise awareness of the numerous public and private standardization activities that are being developed and advanced to enhance resiliency in the built environment. Where appropriate, NIST may perform research to provide the technical basis for new standards or code provisions. The Framework will connect with other programs and activities that affect public safety and have similar missions.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages its members and any relevant stakeholders to review the draft Framework and send updated information on standards and conformance programs to NIST by September 1, 2014 ([email protected] or [email protected]).

In addition, NIST will host its second Disaster Resilience Workshop in cooperation with the Stevens Institute in Hoboken, NJ on July 30, 2014. To learn more about the event or to register, visit the event webpage.