FM Awards Massachusetts Maritime Academy $250,000 to Support Disaster Mitigation and Recovery Education
JOHNSTON, R.I., USA – Commercial property insurer FM today announced it has awarded a $250,000 grant to Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) to support students studying disaster mitigation and recovery efforts in Emergency Management over the next five years.
The grant will provide $50,000 per year through 2030 to MMA’s Emergency Management Experiential Learning Program, which this spring sent students, cadets and selected faculty to Asheville, North Carolina, which is still recovering from the September 2024 floods of Hurricane Helene.
“There is strong synergy between the Emergency Management program and the work we do at FM. Students aren’t just learning how communities recover, they’re gaining essential insight into risk mitigation, which is the bedrock of FM’s philosophy that the majority of loss is preventable,” said Jessica Waters, vice president, hazards manager, climate and structural resilience at FM; MMA ‘01, M‘09, MMA Board of Trustees. “This program gives future emergency management leaders firsthand insight into why strengthening property and communities before disaster strikes is so critical. We’re proud to support a program so aligned with our mission and impact.”
“Volunteering in disaster recovery gives our students invaluable hands-on, real-world experience to galvanize important concepts and understand the stakes,” said MMA Vice President of External Affairs Elizabeth Simmons. “There is no substitute for grappling with the on-site toll of disaster, and we appreciate FM’s commitment to this important curriculum and to Asheville’s recovery.”
This year, students worked with local partners in North Carolina, including University of Asheville and Warren Wilson University faculty, regional incident management professionals and a leading local volunteer organization.
“At FM, we are deeply invested in the important work these students are doing for communities like Asheville and anticipate their experiences will inform their careers for decades to come,” said Mary B. Fox, assistant vice president, senior corporate responsibility consultant for FM. “We also want to expose students to new ways of thinking about insurance as a career, which involves directly helping people prevent and rebound from loss.”
Category 4 Hurricane Helene, with 140 mph sustained winds, made landfall on Sept. 26, 2024, near Perry, Florida. Helene drove historic rainfall and flooding in western North Carolina, causing an estimated US$60 billion in total damage in the state.
FM’s grant, part of its strengthening communities program, extends a longstanding relationship with MMA that includes creating the academy’s FM Cut Away/Turbine Lab, supporting the boiler and machinery lab, funding student scholarships, mentoring and service on MMA’s board of trustees.
