From the flooding of the Mississippi River to the tornadoes that have spawned throughout the country, the rash of weather-related natural disasters has placed enormous stress on local communities and stretched the resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The destruction of homes, schools, medical facilities, commercial structures and government buildings have resulted in an unprecedented need for temporary facilities while the plans for rebuilding the devastated areas take shape. One example is the modular buildings that have been tasked for temporary fire stations and classrooms by the US Army Corps of Engineer’s Critical Public Facilities Team as they attempt to restore public services in tornado ravaged Joplin, Missouri.
For years FEMA has viewed the commercial modular industry as its first choice to provide temporary and permanent modular buildings when emergencies strike in the continental U.S. and the outlying territories. The modular industry’s vast dealer and manufacturing network allows for quick delivery and installation of both new and used equipment for a wide variety of small and large facility applications. Ramtech’s own resume for disaster relief includes providing portable classroom buildings from our extensive inventory program for Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and a design-build contract to rebuild six schools in eight months using modular buildings on the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.
Once the emergency needs are met through the use of temporary modular and portable buildings, a modular construction approach like Ramtech’s Accelerated Building System can be used to provide expedited permanent structures. The ABS method includes design, manufacturing, and construction in a single-source solution that provides for facilities in both a faster construction time-frame and at a lower cost compared to traditional site construction.
Commercial users and government agencies in need of emergency replacement facilities can receive referrals to a qualified modular building supplier by contacting the Modular Building Institute at (888)811-3288 or visiting the organizations website at www.modular.org.
