In the wake of disaster, swift action from government agencies and humanitarian organizations is crucial to mitigate damage and aid in recovery. Continue reading to learn more about disaster relief and emergency management as well as how modular disaster relief buildings offer a cost-effective solution for providing shelter, security, and organization.
Key Takeaways
- Disaster relief involves the immediate response of emergency management services to help communities recover from natural and manmade disasters.
- Modular solutions can be used for a variety of purposes to aid response teams and victims.
- BOXX Modular provides disaster relief modular buildings that are safe, affordable, and sustainable.
What Is Disaster Relief?
Disaster relief is the immediate support to minimize suffering and provide basic human needs to areas affected by a catastrophe. Humanitarian organizations and government agencies work together to provide first aid, water, food, and shelter to affected areas.
Natural disasters are large-scale geological or meteorological that pose severe risks for loss of life and property. Common natural disasters include:
Natural disasters are large-scale geological or meteorological that pose severe risks for loss of life and property. Common natural disasters include:
- Drought
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Hurricanes and tropical storms
- Tornadoes and severe storms
- Tsunamis
- Wildfires
- Pandemics
- Avalanches
- Landslides
- Extreme winter weather
Conversely, manmade disasters result from human activities, negligence, or error. These are just as serious, but not caused by natural forces. Common manmade disasters include:
- Industrial accidents
- Transportation accidents
- Structural failures
- Nuclear accidents
- Terrorist attacks
- Incidents of mass violence
Disaster relief and emergency management are crucial for both natural and manmade disasters to help victims recover and rehabilitate properly. There are four phases of disaster relief: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
The first phase, mitigation reduces the effects of a disaster after it occurs. However, in some cases, mitigation prevents situations from developing into large-scale disasters.
Preparedness, the second phase, involves creating a plan of action before the disaster strikes like establishing a chain of command and practicing coordination across agencies.
When emergency services and first responders are deployed in the affected areas, it’s the beginning of the third phase, also known as response.
Finally, in the fourth phase, recovery works to restore the impacted area to its pre-disaster state by focusing on employment, rebuilding destroyed property, and repairing key infrastructure.
During the third and fourth phases, providing an adequate, secure facility that can withstand post-incident hazards is crucial. Below, we will discuss the benefits of choosing modular solutions for disaster recovery in more detail.
Modular Disaster Relief Building Uses
There are numerous ways modular buildings can play a part in providing effective disaster recovery. Not only do modular disaster relief buildings offer temporary shelter to victims, but they can also assist emergency responders as they work to help those directly affected. Some common uses include:
- Cafeterias and dining halls
- Classrooms
- Offices for emergency response teams
- Emergency operations management centers
- Emergency shelters and temporary victim housing
- High-security spaces for government agencies
- Homeless shelters
- Intensive care units
- Isolation zones
- Medical facilities
- Restrooms and shower trailers
- Supply warehousing
- Testing facilities
- Triage units for patient screening
4 Benefits of Modular Disaster Relief Buildings
There are many reasons people turn to modular solutions for disaster recovery. Continue reading to discover the benefits of modular disaster relief buildings and how Boxx Modular can help meet the needs of those affected by catastrophes.
1. Quick Deployment
Temporary modular shelters offer an immediate solution for communities that experience manmade or natural disasters and don’t have time to waste on traditional construction methods. Modular disaster relief buildings are deployed quickly and efficiently, helping emergency teams mitigate the impact and provide relief to communities affected.
All components of emergency modular buildings are built before being delivered to the site, making them ideal for situations with accelerated timelines. Leasing used modular buildings is an even faster option since they’ve been previously assembled and can be delivered immediately.
Once modular buildings are complete, they can be delivered anywhere, including remote locations. This means there’s no need to make advanced decisions about placement, making rapid deployment modular buildings ideal for ever-evolving emergencies.
2. Extreme Durability
With a framework made of wood, or steel and concrete, modular disaster relief buildings are known for their structural integrity and durability. The materials chosen depend on the location of the disaster and the surrounding environment.
For example, wood frameworks offer superior insulation, provide strength and stability, and are completely biodegradable. When engineered properly, they are highly resilient to seismic activity, making them ideal for earthquake-prone locations. In addition, wood frameworks are suitable for coastal regions because they’re designed to withstand high winds and storm surges.
Steel and concrete are more consistent than wood, require few raw materials, and are fire-resistant, making them ideal for locations affected by wildfires, explosions, and other similar hazards. Areas experiencing tornadoes, hurricanes, or heavy snowfall can also benefit from the resiliency and durability of steel and concrete emergency modular buildings.
3. Affordable Options
When disasters occur, communities are left with the urgent need to recover and rebuild while saving as much as they can throughout the process. As unfortunate as it is, catastrophes are expensive, and because they’re usually unexpected, the costs to help and support those affected can pile up fast.
Disaster relief modular construction is an affordable, cost-effective option. There’s no large upfront expense or need to borrow money when leasing a used modular building, and flexible lease terms ensure you’re only paying for the emergency modular building for the time it’s needed.
4. Environmentally Friendly
While manmade and natural disasters can hurt the environment, modular disaster relief buildings help support sustainability and protect the environment. As we mentioned before, modular buildings are built off-site, generating less waste, minimizing disruption to adjacent green spaces, and reducing toxicity since building materials aren’t exposed to the elements.
Rather than throwing out excess materials during manufacturing, modular pieces are recycled and reused. Plus, the buildings themselves can be disassembled and removed from the site when they’re no longer needed and then reassembled and used again in the future.
At BOXX Modular, sustainability is one of our priorities. When constructing modular structures, including emergency modular buildings, we ensure we’re meeting the highest LEED standards. This means using less energy, and less water, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Understanding what disaster relief is and where disasters occur can play a key role in emergency management and selecting modular disaster relief buildings. Whether it’s temporary shelters or medical facilities, we offer modular solutions for disaster recovery in various environments and locations within our service area.
Be ready for disasters before they strike. Contact our team to learn more about available modular disaster relief buildings.
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