Disaster Accountability Project

Disaster Accountability Project

Founded	2007
Founder	Ben Smilowitz
Focus	Disaster management
Method	organization, education, advocacy
Website	disasteraccountability.org

Ben Smilowitz in 2016

The Disaster Accountability Project (DAP) is a non-partisan watchdog organization dedicated to improving disaster management systems. DAP was founded in 2007 by Ben Smilowitz as a reaction to the responses to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.^[1] DAP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a 2008 Echoing Green fellowship organization.^[2]

Initiatives

• Disaster Accountability Project Hotline - a toll free hotline through which survivors of a disaster, relief workers, and whistle-blowers can report gaps in relief services.^[3]
• Federal Emergency Management Agency's ice policy - an effort to pressure FEMA to reverse its decision to only deliver ice for "medical emergencies" following a disaster.^[4]
• FEMA Structural Reforms - among other reforms, DAP has advocated for the elevation of the FEMA Administrator to a U.S. Cabinet-level position.^[5]
• Report on Southern Louisiana Emergency Preparedness^[6] - a study conducted in 2009, which evaluated the emergency preparedness plans of 22 Southern Louisiana parishes based upon their comprehensiveness and accessibility to the general public.^[7][8] The study revealed that 11 of the 22 parishes surveyed could not or would not produce copies of their emergency plans when requested.^{[9][10][11][12]}
• ReliefOversight.org^[13] - a website created as a response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. ReliefOversight.org monitors the activities of relief organizations in disaster zones during the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster.^[14][15][16]

References

1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
2. "Ben Smilowitz - Echoing Green". Echoinggreen.org. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
3. SCHMIDT, KATHRINE. "Got a beef with FEMA? Call this hotline". Houmatoday.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
4. "SunHerald.com : FEMA getting heat on ice". Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
5. "Group wants FEMA head in Cabinet". Politico.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
6. "» Report on 22 Southern Louisiana Parish Emergency Plans Released Disaster Accountability Blog: Public Accountability Requires Citizen Action (Disasteraccountability.org)". Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
7. "New report warns of gaps in Louisiana disaster plans". Nola.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
8. "Report Warns of Gaps in Louisiana Emergency Plans, Officials Skeptical". Insurancejournal.com. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
9. "Disaster Accountability Project". Emergencymgmt.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
10. King, Naomi. "Report calls local hurricane plan mediocre". Houmatoday.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
11. "Don't miss Project's findngs". Iberianet.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
12. Naomi King. "Report: Parish disaster plan lacking". Houmatoday.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
13. "Relief Oversight | Aid Work Accountability Made Public by Disaster Accountability Project". Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
14. "Web Sites Ask Public to Monitor Relief Efforts in Haiti". Philanthropy.com. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
15. "helphaitiquake". Helphaitiquake.blogspot.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
16. "Apps of Kindness: Civic Hackers Coding for Haiti Launch New Form of Volunteerism « Chrissie Brodigan". Archived from the original on 2010-06-23. Retrieved 2010-06-16.

External links

• Disaster Accountability Project website