Post-crisis lessons: ELITE results for home safety
Post-crisis lessons from ELITE explain forest-fire, earthquake and flood checklists, costs and U.S. household gaps as of May 2025.
Safe Hearth Editorial Board
What Do Post-Crisis Lessons Cover for Households?
Post-crisis lessons cover forest fires, earthquakes and floods with preparation, response and recovery checklists. CORDIS reported in May 2015 that ELITE workshops gathered multidisciplinary experts on those hazards, as summarized in research reports. FEMA found in its May 2025 summary of the 2024 survey that 67 percent of respondents worried about losing water and 66 percent about losing electricity. The ELITE work ended on 30 June 2014 and left a public repository with guidelines and tools, as recorded by CORDIS in May 2015. Renters lagged behind owners on insurance and supplies, which shapes household priorities.
How Did Post-Crisis Lessons Build a Living Document?
Post-crisis lessons live in a public repository with training materials, guidelines and tools for responders. The ELITE work ran from January 2013 to 30 June 2014 with total costs of 1185911.40 euros and an EU contribution of 940418 euros, as recorded by CORDIS in May 2015. Households can judge such records using data sources and methods.
| Item | Detail as of May 2015 |
|---|---|
| Programme | FP7 Security |
| Period | January 2013 to June 2014 |
| Total cost | 1185911.40 euros |
| EU contribution | 940418 euros |
| Hazards studied | Forest fires, earthquakes, floods |
| Output | Public living document with guidelines and tools |
All figures in the table are from CORDIS as reported in May 2015. “Vital information gained from previous disasters may not get to the crisis managers and first responders who need it most,” as CORDIS wrote in its Results in Brief in May 2015.
What Do Post-Crisis Lessons Mean for U.S. Preparedness Today?
Post-crisis lessons matter because 83 percent took at least 3 actions while only 32 percent felt confident, as FEMA reported in May 2025. The same FEMA summary in May 2025 put the 2023 share at 57 percent and the 2024 participant base at over 7500 people. Gaps by housing stand out in safety statistics, since FEMA noted in May 2025 that 87 percent of homeowners had insurance versus 43 percent of renters, and 73 percent of homeowners held emergency supplies versus 60 percent of renters.
How Can Households Apply Post-Crisis Lessons With Limited Budgets?
Post-crisis lessons point to low-cost routines covering water, power loss and family contact plans. FEMA reported in May 2025 that 26 percent named cost as the top barrier and 71 percent expected help from family or friends. American Red Cross reported in February 2024 that its Home Fire Campaign saved at least 2030 lives nationally since October 2014.
Post-Crisis Lessons FAQ
What are post-crisis lessons for households?
Post-crisis lessons for households are checklists distilled from forest fires, earthquakes and floods for preparation, response and recovery. They come from ELITE work described by CORDIS in May 2015.
Where do post-crisis lessons live after ELITE ended?
The post-crisis lessons living document is a public repository with training materials, guidelines and tools. CORDIS described it in May 2015 as maintained by a community of practice.
Why do post-crisis lessons matter for U.S. households?
Post-crisis lessons remain relevant because gaps persist between action and confidence. FEMA reported in May 2025 that cost blocked preparation for many households.
How can households start using post-crisis lessons on a budget?
Households can apply post-crisis lessons by storing water, planning power loss and agreeing on family contact steps. American Red Cross work reported in February 2024 shows alarms and planning save lives.