{
  "id": 17053100,
  "title": "As Disaster Costs Rise, Tech Firms Target Emergency Response",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/as-disaster-costs-rise-tech-firms-target-emergency-response",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-29T11:29:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/as-disaster-costs-rise-tech-firms-target-emergency-response-12631285"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2025, the United States faced 23 severe weather and climate catastrophes, each resulting in at least $1 billion in damage, with an estimated total cost of $118.4 billion, according to Climate Central. Since 1980, the Climate Central database has recorded 447 such events, with cumulative losses surpassing $3.3 trillion, adjusted for inflation to 2026. Coordinating responses to these extensive disasters involves numerous agencies and organizations, each maintaining their own systems and protocols for information exchange.\n\nMary Jo Flynn-Nevins, second vice president of the U.S. Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers, explains that fragmented information sharing among emergency response entities is a persistent issue in the United States. Organizations frequently operate in isolated compartments, whether by discipline, agency, or industry, which restricts access to vital data and hampers stakeholders from gaining a comprehensive understanding of incidents. Flynn-Nevins emphasizes that the focus should be on transforming scattered data into practical, actionable decision-support tools for emergency managers.\n\nThe industry is not solely about accumulating information but integrating it into user-friendly, decision-making aids for emergency managers. Established companies like Everbridge and Juvare already offer solutions for communication, incident management, and operational coordination. However, newer entrants face the challenge of demonstrating they can provide something that existing agencies do not already possess. Public sector procurement can be lengthy and challenging, with additional costs associated with integration, cybersecurity, and training requirements. For instance, a FEMA procurement document, approved in February 2025, estimated that rebuilding parts of its crisis management system would cost between $16 million and $25 million and take 24-36 months. In response, FEMA chose to transition its crisis management system to a cloud-based service provided by Juvare, reflecting a broader trend in the sector.\n\nAgencies are more inclined to connect and enhance their existing systems rather than replace them entirely. This presents opportunities for companies that can improve interoperability without disrupting current operations. Ready2Go, founded by Sarah Smith and Patrick Williams, is one such company. They are developing a platform designed to facilitate information sharing among agencies, private organizations, and residents through a \"common operating picture.\" This system would enable residents to register medical and mobility requirements prior to a disaster, with AI tools assisting in matching requests for assistance with available resources. Smith explains that the goal is to enable organizations to operate from a unified viewpoint of incidents, acting as the bridge that connects the entire response ecosystem.\n\nReady2Go's co-founder, Patrick Williams, highlights the ongoing struggle agencies face in operating from a shared understanding of events during a disaster. The critical factor is communication between agencies, ensuring that all parties involved have access to the same information simultaneously. The absence of synchronized communications often leads to disorganized responses. Ready2Go aims to address this by providing a platform that supports seamless communication and information sharing among all stakeholders.\n\nThe emergency-response technology market, according to a recent RAND study, hosts 1,179 AI products with potential applications in emergency management. While the number of providers targeting the sector is growing, several barriers hinder adoption, including funding, staffing, technical capacity, and procurement processes. However, new tools alone are insufficient to resolve the industry's coordination challenges. Flynn-Nevins cautions that vendor demonstrations often utilize controlled scenarios and clean data that may not accurately represent the complexities of real emergencies. For technology providers, the challenge extends beyond creating new capabilities; agencies require proof that these systems can function effectively in real-world conditions, integrate with existing infrastructure, and enhance decision-making without introducing new risks or administrative burdens.\n\nUltimately, technology's effectiveness is contingent on the relationships that support its use. Flynn-Nevins underscores that technology is only as valuable as the partnerships that facilitate its implementation. For providers of emergency-response technology, the opportunity is clear, but proving that new tools can integrate with existing systems, deliver tangible benefits, and earn the trust of organizations is a formidable task, especially when the consequences of failure during disasters are too severe to tolerate.",
  "summary": "Rising disaster costs are driving demand for emergency-response technology, but adoption remains a challenge.",
  "key_points": [
    "23 severe weather events in 2025 caused $118.4 billion in damage",
    "Fragmented information sharing hampers emergency response coordination",
    "Ready2Go developing platform for unified incident information sharing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}