Engineering's Help Needed In Katrina Relief Effort, Corps Commander Says Lt. General Carl Strock U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. General Carl Strock, as well as other federal officials involved with the relief and recovery effort, said the engineering industry's help will be vital in the relief and reconstruction effort of Katrina's aftermath. During a meeting this week of the Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP)—an organization made up of federal agencies and industry organizations focused on infrastructure issues—Strock discussed the federal response to Katrina and ongoing steps being taken to improve the coordination and delivery of assistance from government agencies and private contractors. Strock said industry organizations such as ACEC, are needed to assist with the Katrina relief effort from cash donations, food and water, to housing, machinery, debris removal and engineering services. ACEC staff briefed participants on industry efforts to date, including urging firms to make donations through the Red Cross and other entities, as well as ongoing efforts to assist displaced engineering firm employees and to connect industry resources with the needs facing emergency responders.

Contact Information For Federal Agency Recovery and Relief Effort The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—The Corps' Vicksburg District is coordinating contractor support for the Katrina effort. For more information, ACEC members should go to the District website at www.mvk.usace.army.mil. Click on "Contracting With Us" for information on what is needed and to register as a contractor for Katrina support. The Department of Homeland Security—DHS has activated its National Emergency Resource Registry (NERR) to help coordinate assistance—click here to register. Similar information is available on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website—click here for more information. The USA Freedom Corps—This website lists numerous relief agencies providing services to victims, including clean up, childcare, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food. The Institute for Building Technology and Safety, under a subcontract with FEMA, is in immediate need of skilled engineers, project managers, inspectors, estimators, superintendents, CLC's and anyone with the above skills to be available for a 60 to 90 day deployment to the Hurricane stricken sections of the U.S. Click here for more information. ACEC will continue to provide members with information on Katrina response resources as information becomes available.

Exclusive Briefing On New Transportation Bill Scheduled For Fall Conference Top officials from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration will hold an exclusive briefing for ACEC members at the Fall Conference on key provisions and opportunities of the new transportation bill. The session will be held from 10:45am–noon, Thursday, Sept. 22, during the four-day Conference at Walt Disney WorldŽ Resort, Florida. Susan Binder, Director of FHWA's Office of Legislation and Strategic Planning and Richard Steinmann of the Federal Transit Administration, will discuss important provisions in the new transportation bill, along with new opportunities for engineering firms. Click here to register for the Conference and for more information.

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