State taps University's business emergency operations center in wake of floods

The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been enlisted in the wake of recent severe weather and flooding in many regions of the state.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness activated the center earlier this week.

The LA BEOC is an information exchange for the state’s emergency officials, its business community, and nonprofit organizations. It provides a conduit for communications, notifications, status updates, and information about resources and supplies.

Companies and businesses who register at the BEOC’s website can provide descriptions of available products and services that could be of assistance before, during or after a disaster. It has about 1,800 members, and 40 industry association members, including a partnership with the Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters.

The center is also the state’s alternate State Emergency Operations Center, and would become its primary one if the main center, located in Baton Rouge, were damaged during a disaster or forced to close due to an evacuation of the region.

The LA BEOC was established in 2010. In November, it opened at UL Lafayette. It is part of University’s National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute, or NIMSAT Institute. NIMSAT was established in 2007, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It’s role is to improve emergency preparedness, response and recovery related to natural disasters. NIMSAT and the LA BEOC are located in UL Lafayette’s Abdalla Hall.

Learn more about the LA BEOC portal at www.labeoc.org, by sending an email to info@labeoc.org or by calling (337) 482-0600. Follow the LA BEOC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.