Last week, FEMA announced in a press release that Weber County would receive nearly $140,000 in funds to help reduce the impact of potential disasters.

“FEMA is awarding $139,899 in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding for eligible pre-disaster and hazard mitigation activities to promote resilience and reduce future disaster costs,” the release said. “This funding is designated for Weber County to fund the development, administration and enforcement of new building codes that will help with needed modifications to new and existing structures to make them safer and more sustainable.”

In an email, Weber County Building Inspection Director Stan Berniche told the Standard-Examiner that the funds will largely bolster his department’s abilities.

“The purpose of the BRIC Grant is to use the funds to improve the Building Inspections Department processes for permitting and inspections for needed modifications to new and existing structures to make them safer and more sustainable through the administration and enforcement of the latest building codes as adopted and amended by the State of Utah,” he said. The funds will also be used to better equip and make ready the department for rapid response in the event of a disaster.”

He added the grant will allow his department to expedite changes it was already in the process of updating.

“This is the first FEMA Grant that I have pursued for BRIC funding, but during the time period while all the FEMA Grants were suspended, we have been slowly moving forward with improving our processes as our budget allowed,” he said.

Berniche said the amount is helpful to achieve the department’s present goals but more funding may be needed down the line.

“I believe the award amount will be sufficient to achieve our current goals, and as far as the future goes, it’s hard to say,” he said. “Weber County is experiencing rapid growth and along with that will come new challenges.”

The FEMA press release notes that the funding was part of a wider $584 million that went towards the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs.