Responsibilities by Facility Type

In the post-disaster scenario, it is very important to quickly identify habitable buildings. Although the greatest number of buildings are privately owned residences, many other buildings may need to be used to provide medical care for victims, emergency management operations, or as potential mass shelters. In addition, private businesses need to become operational as soon as possible to keep the economy moving. The faster the economy of the impacted area returns to normal, the sooner the area will recover.

Completion of the assessment process is limited to the jurisdiction's building department and the additional resources it may request. Many other agencies will be performing inspections and evaluations. Recognizing the potentially large number of individuals working in the area can help eliminate redundant efforts and facilitate information-sharing and cooperation between agencies.

Any government entity that regulates building or lifeline construction and is responsible for facility safety has safety assessment responsibilities. This responsibility falls under governments' role of providing for public health and safety. The following pages provide a list of government agencies with some degree of responsibility in assessing the safety of occupancies in their jurisdictions. In some cases, the agencies use their own resources to carry out the inspections; in other cases, the agencies use SAP resources to complete the appropriate assessments.

Buildings and Structures

Lifeline Facilities and Systems

Damage Reports