| After Hurricane Ivan came through and devastated | | | | The way the system currently works is, contractors |
| areas of the panhandle of Florida, many people were | | | | with lots of money bid on a complete setup job. A |
| displaced from their homes and forced to move into | | | | complete setup is everything it takes for a family to |
| mobile homes provided by FEMA. Over 17,000 FEMA | | | | move into a FEMA mobile home. I estimate that |
| trailers were issued in the state of Florida after Ivan. | | | | these setups in Florida take approximately $6,500 of |
| I worked for my father's company at the time, who | | | | actual labor and material cost per setup, but each |
| was currently a licensed mobile home installer in the | | | | setup is costing FEMA nearly $10,000-15,000 because |
| state of Florida and Alabama. For almost the whole | | | | the contractors are overcharging. The contractors |
| year of 2005 and some of 2006, I worked for my | | | | are profiting over 50% for each setup. |
| father's company setting up FEMA mobile homes. | | | | I feel that in order to solve this problem, FEMA will |
| Currently, I am a student at the University of West | | | | need to establish a logistics department specializing in |
| Florida where I study supply chain logistics | | | | mobile home setup. This will replace the jobs of these |
| management. FEMA's ability to execute logistical | | | | money-hungry contractors. We need to cut out the |
| processes on such a large scale is amazing-but with | | | | middle man because it is wasted money. If we put |
| almost an unlimited supply of money it should be. I | | | | knowledgeable people in these departments, then we |
| witnessed firsthand at least three FEMA mobile home | | | | can refine processes to efficiently save money. By |
| parks that were created with 40 or more mobile | | | | setting up a separate department we can free up |
| homes within just a few weeks. | | | | money provide money for other disasters instead of |
| I have found by personal experience that FEMA | | | | wasting tax payer's precious money. |
| overspends double or triple a single job's regular cost. | | | | With this separate logistical department, a budget can |
| No doubt, there is an extra price to be paid for the | | | | be given to the department for supplies and labor. |
| expedited services, but this over-abundant spending | | | | Every FEMA mobile home is a standard size and |
| is too much! FEMA has to pay the extra money to | | | | takes approximately the same cost of materials for |
| attract a workforce of skilled laborers. Most of the | | | | each complete setup. The department will be able to |
| workforce has to travel from different parts of the | | | | strategically deliver the appropriate amount of |
| U.S. and find a temporary place live during this period | | | | materials where they are needed for the setup |
| of work. | | | | crews to use for setting up the mobile homes. FEMA |
| The biggest problem I see is that the money spent | | | | can set up a centralized department in every disaster |
| on this work is going into the pockets of the wrong | | | | zone for work orders and checks to be received by |
| people. Instead of the money going into the pockets | | | | licensed installers. As long as the department supplies |
| of the workers who travel far from home, it is going | | | | a sufficient amount of materials with enough safety |
| into the pockets of the contractors. Contractors | | | | stock, then they will not just save money, but also |
| have the money available to keep the projects going | | | | time. By implementing this new department, FEMA |
| until they are able to get checks for the work at a | | | | should be able to save at least 50% lost to |
| later time. Most of the time, these contractors have | | | | contractors and give 15-20% increases to the actual |
| no knowledge of the individual processes that are | | | | workforce for their expedited services. |
| taking place to set up each mobile home. | | | | |