Louisiana Economic Development Update - May 13, 2011 Businesses urged to register for Mississippi River flooding event The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center, or LA BEOC, an annex to the State Emergency Operations Center, is now activated to prepare for Mississippi River flooding and related impacts. Louisiana's businesses are strongly encouraged to register with the LA BEOC portal -- www.labeoc.org -- so that they can participate in the process and have a voice in the state's preparedness, response and recovery efforts. The LA BEOC provides timely and official information of importance to registered businesses before, during and after a major event. This includes notification of state and local decisions pertinent to business recovery and employee safety. Registered businesses, in turn, can provide on-the-ground intelligence related to the status of their business. By reporting problems directly to the LA BEOC, businesses can help public sector officials prioritize recovery operations. Participation by state businesses of all sizes and from all sectors helps government officials make informed decisions and speeds up the economic recovery process. The LA BEOC also uses Louisiana businesses to fill resource requests from the affected areas. A business must be registered on the portal to communicate its ability to provide goods and services through emergency disaster contracting mechanisms. While the LA BEOC connects Louisiana companies to the state's emergency contracting processes, no governmental agency can guarantee the utilization of any business during an activation of the LA BEOC. The LA BEOC represents the collaboration of Louisiana Economic Development, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute, and LSU's Stephenson Disaster Management Institute. During a disaster in Louisiana, the LA BEOC supports the coordination of activities and resources for businesses and volunteer organizations in Louisiana and across the nation. LA BEOC support of the private sector will improve response and self-sufficiency and will reduce reliance on FEMA and other federal assistance. ###

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