FEMA advances CMH's $20 million grant request
Contact: Sarah Bello
CMH's was one of five applications selected in Oregon for the program
This week, Columbia Memorial Hospital was notified that its application for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant was selected to advance after a rigorous national competition. It was one of five BRIC applications selected in Oregon.
CMH announced its BuildCMH Expansion Project earlier this year, with the goal of building a resilient hospital facility that can withstand a natural disaster, such as a tsunami or earthquake.
The $20 million dollar grant will help achieve resiliency goals outlined in project plans, including constructing a deep pile foundation and tsunami vertical evacuation structure able to accommodate 1900 people, as well as locating critical infrastructure, generators and the helipad on the roof.
“We could not be more thrilled for our project and community,” says Erik Thorsen, CEO. “We want to say thank you to the many elected officials who wrote letters of support for our application. This is confirmation that our plans to construct a resilient hospital for our community are in line with FEMA’s goals to help communities build resilience to extreme weather events.”
According to the FEMA press release, 124 projects in 115 communities were selected for BRIC grants totaling $1.8 billion. The selections are critical mitigation projects and activities to reduce natural hazard risks for states, local communities, tribes and territories.
“Columbia Memorial Hospital serves communities on Oregon’s North Coast, and it must be able to withstand a natural disaster,” says Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who represents the First Congressional District of Oregon. “It is an honor to have helped secure federal funds that will help Columbia Memorial Hospital build new disaster-resilient facilities. I look forward to seeing how the project develops and will continue advocating for the investments and resources coastal communities need.”
Learn more about the BRIC grants at FEMA.gov.