Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The U.S Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $500,000 in federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds for the LBJ Medical Center’s Storm Shutter System Project.

Kathryn Lipiecki, director of Mitigation Division at FEMA Region 9, in a letter this week informed Lt. Gov. Talauega E. V. Ale, of the grant approval that has been issued for LBJ for the total funding of $584,800 which is the cost of the project and 100% federally funded. The funds are also available for disbursement.

Scope of Work for the project summarized in the FEMA letter, states that LBJ “proposes to install exterior accordion shutters in five wards providing critical care.”

Installing storm/ hurricane shutters is expected to substantially reduce and lessen the need for future disaster relief and the risk of repetitive damages brought by strong winds or hurricane damage to the hospital.

“The aim of the project is to protect the windows and interior of the facility from flying debris during tropical storm events,” the letter said. And all five wards receiving shutters are located in the rear of the facility, and there will be no ground disturbing activities associated with the project.

According to FEMA, the work schedule included with the project application indicates that the project will take 30 months to complete; therefore, the project completion date is February 1, 2026.

The ASG’s Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management (ODAPM), submitted the application on behalf of LBJ, under the Building Resilience in Community (BRIC funding from FEMA.

ODAPM director Lisa Tuato’o explained yesterday that LBJ is a member of the Territorial Hazard Mitigation Council, chaired by Talauega, and coordinated by the ODAPM as the administrator of the Hazard Mitigation program funds.

She points out that the LBJ shutters project is a mitigation project and called the funding approval, “great news” for the territory.

“Praise God for great interagency collaboration. 

“We work together, we win together,” she said.