A New Day in Disaster Response

When Hurricane Harvey barreled into the Texas coastline in August 2017, it devastated the Houston area. Harvey caused more than $125 billion in damages and changed the lives of 120 Booz Allen employees, leading to a tireless response effort to help those impacted. But Harvey was just one storm during one of the most active seasons on record—a reminder of nature’s unpredictable power.

At its core, disaster response is an exercise in agility, and Booz Allen’s ability to snap into action quickly, nimbly, and effectively rests on a foundation of thorough preparation. But we also know response efforts must evolve, and what we learned from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma is helping us transform the way we prepare and respond to a wide range of calamities.

Natural disasters often allow for a few days’ warning—and Booz Allen is using collective brainpower to better prepare during those precious moments. To develop best practices, we tapped into our employees representing various emergency management functions, including client-facing expertise with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We’re leveraging all available resources and developing creative solutions to help those who need it most.

Our new emergency loan protocol is one example. For those who suffer catastrophic damage to their home or primary transportation, we recently introduced a new Booz Allen-funded and interest-free emergency loan program. Loans may equal up to 30 percent of an employee’s base salary, not to exceed $25,000.

“It’s refreshing to see how much leadership truly cares,” says Erika Ingram, risk business analyst.

We also have a wealth of trained emergency personnel within our ranks and want to encourage them to mobilize during disasters. Our updated Civic Responsibilities Leave allows employees who are trained, certified, or an active volunteer (e.g., volunteer emergency medical technician, law enforcement) and called up by a government agency (e.g., the National Fire Service, local police department) or non-governmental organization (e.g., the American Red Cross) to take up to 10 days each year to assist.

Booz Allen is thinking differently. We are anticipating. We’re better prepared. We’re empowering people to help themselves before disaster strikes.