VOLUME 13, NO. 3     June 2001

New FEMA initiative announced at WPI

Like most cities, Worcester has many abandoned buildings that have the potential to turn in to major fire disasters. Just how serious a threat these buildings can pose became clear in December 1999, when a fire in the abandoned Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. building claimed the lives of six firefighters. It was not surprising, then, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency chose Worcester as the site to announce a new pilot project aimed at helping communities reduce the fire danger posed by abandoned buildings. Part of the agency’s Project Impact: Building a Disaster-Resistant Community initiative, the pilot program will marshal the efforts of state, federal and local organizations to help turn Worcester into a model for fire prevention.

The announcement came as WPI played host to "Worcester--A Disaster-Resistant Community." James Lee Witt, then director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gave the keynote address at the forum, which was organized by Mass. Congressman James P. McGovern and Worcester City Manager Thomas Hoover. The program drew more than 400 state, federal and local officials, Massachusetts Emergency Management officials, public safety officers, state fire marshals, business and community leaders, Worcester fire chiefs, and family members of several of the six firefighters who perished in the Worcester Cold Storage fire. Provost John F. Carney gave the welcome address.

McGovern and Witt also announced another initiative for the city. Called "Project Remember," it is a collaborative effort to rehabilitate abandoned buildings to honor the six fallen firefighters.

For more information on the FEMA pilot program, visit www.fema.gov/impact/impact_03.htm.