Disaster Recovery Coalition of America

What Disaster Recovery Coalition of America does

Disaster Recovery Coalition of America (DRCA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 2008 by Casey Long and headquartered in Alexandria/Annandale, Virginia. Its purpose is to serve as the unified industry voice for private-sector disaster recovery contractors, emergency management experts, and supporting firms at the federal, state, and local levels. The organization represents members across more than 15 industries, including debris management, construction, housing, logistics, insurance, environmental remediation, and consulting, with member firms collectively operating approximately 4,100 offices worldwide — including 2,595 across all 50 states and Washington D.C. — and employing over 243,000 disaster recovery professionals.

DRCA's value proposition is built on four pillars: advocacy, collaboration, education, and leadership. It engages Congress, FEMA, and state emergency management agencies on policy reforms covering housing, debris management, procurement, and contract administration; it maintains a formal Memorandum of Agreement with FEMA and quarterly engagement with agency leadership; and it works alongside peer associations such as NEMA and IAEM on contracting reform legislation. Membership services include working groups, workshops, webinars, briefings, conference participation, and recognition programs such as Member of the Month.

DRCA's revenue model is membership-based (dues are contact-inquired rather than publicly disclosed), supplemented by event sponsorships and partner engagement. It does not sell software or technology products; its assets are the coalition network, leadership credibility (Chairman Pete Gaynor, former FEMA Administrator; policy and legal advisors with state and FEMA experience), and direct policy access. The organization employs 11-50 staff and operates with no parent company, no disclosed outside investors, and no public listing.

Name

Disaster Recovery Coalition of America

Legal name

Disaster Recovery Coalition of America

Website

https://thedrca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Disaster Recovery Coalition of America (DRCA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 2008 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, representing private-sector disaster recovery contractors and emergency management experts across 15+ industries at the federal, state, and local levels through advocacy, collaboration, education, and leadership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association / Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Preparedness, Risk Reduction & Early Warning (DRR) (BPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)

Keywords

• Disaster recovery advocacy
• Trade association services
• Emergency management policy
• FEMA contractor liaison
• Disaster recovery coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DRCA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that advances the common interests of disaster recovery contractors through policy advocacy with FEMA, Congress, and state emergency management agencies; convenes member working groups; provides educational resources such as workshops, webinars, and industry briefings; and offers networking access to government decision-makers. The core offering is membership-based representation rather than a tangible product.

Product overview

The Disaster Recovery Coalition of America (DRCA) is a nonprofit trade association (501(c)(6)) that does not offer a standalone software product. Rather than a product company, DRCA provides membership services and represents a national network of private-sector disaster recovery contractors, emergency management experts, and industry leaders from over 15 industries. DRCA's value proposition centers on four pillars: Advocacy (policy and legislative representation on Capitol Hill and with FEMA/state agencies), Collaboration (member working groups and partnerships with national organizations), Education (workshops, webinars, and industry briefings), and Leadership (standards-setting and thought leadership). The coalition connects members to government officials, facilitates knowledge sharing, and advocates for disaster recovery industry interests. Member companies offer diverse services including debris management, emergency response, disaster housing, construction, grant management, logistics, environmental remediation, and program management—but these are independent member offerings, not DRCA-branded products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DRCA Membership Program
• DRCA Newsletter and Industry Briefings

Quantifiable outcome

• DRCA members have helped communities document over 425 million cubic yards of debris (CrowderGulf alone)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• FEMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRCA has a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with FEMA formed over a year ago to enhance communication, coordination, and cooperation between the two parties. They hold quarterly meetings with FEMA leadership to discuss lessons learned, present best practices, and address issues in disaster recovery efforts. DRCA presented a white paper on Hurricane Helene debris operations and provides ongoing feedback on disaster recovery policies and procedures.
• U.S. CongresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDRCA actively engages with Congress to shape disaster recovery legislation, particularly around housing and emergency management procurement. They advocate for policy changes in disaster recovery programs including housing, debris management, procurement, and contract management reform at FEMA. Key engagements include meetings with Senator Rubio's staff on Hurricane Ian recovery, Senator Peters on streamlining disaster recovery, and Congressman Webster on emergency management system improvements.
• National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRCA fosters partnerships with leading national organizations in the emergency management and disaster recovery sectors, including NEMA. NEMA has publicly supported DRCA's positions and collaborated on contracting reform legislation (S. 3648 - HELP Recovery Act).
• International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRCA partners with IAEM, another leading national emergency management organization. IAEM has endorsed DRCA's advocacy positions and collaborated on disaster assistance process improvements and contracting requirement reforms.
• House Transportation and Infrastructure CommitteeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerDRCA was invited to provide input and advocacy for the FEMA Act of 2025 (H.R. 4669), working directly with Chairman Sam Graves, Ranking Member Rick Larsen, Rep. Daniel Webster, and Rep. Greg Stanton on the most significant proposed reform of FEMA and federal disaster assistance in decades.
• FEMA Region 4majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRCA supported the 2024 SE Private-Public Partners Summit hosted by FEMA Region 4, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, and CISA. DRCA participated in panel discussions on private-public coordination success stories.
• Thompson Consulting ServicesflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDRCA Member since 2013. Provides full-service emergency response, recovery, and grant management consulting. Team has supported over 70 federally declared disasters, documented 185+ million cubic yards of debris, and helped secure over $5.5 billion in federal grant funding for clients.
• CrowderGulfflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDRCA member since 2008. Nation's longest-serving disaster recovery and debris management company. Family-owned for 55+ years, completed 615+ recovery projects across 16 states. Has removed and disposed of 425+ million cubic yards of debris. Clients have received $3+ billion in FEMA reimbursements through their projects.
• Tidal BasinflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDRCA member since 2008 (17 years). Provides comprehensive emergency management and consulting services including FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation programs, housing and infrastructure recovery, and federal compliance. Distinguished member recognized for tactical, on-the-ground support throughout the disaster lifecycle.
• SLSCOflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDRCA member since 2010 (15 years). Provides full spectrum of general contracting, construction management, infrastructure and disaster response, along with health and humanitarian services. Mobilizes within hours during disasters delivering emergency sheltering, mass care, field hospitals, and rapid repairs.
• DRC Emergency ServicesflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDRCA founding member since 2009. One of the nation's largest providers of disaster recovery, debris management, and emergency response services. Has provided services since 2001 including debris removal, temporary housing, FEMA documentation, and construction demolition across the United States.
• State Emergency Management Agencies (TDEM, FDEM, MEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRCA provides representation and advocacy with state emergency management leaders. They work closely with agencies like Texas Division of Emergency Management, Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency on disaster response coordination and policy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): IAEM is a membership association for emergency management professionals and has publicly endorsed DRCA's advocacy positions. It is comparable in mission (advancing the emergency management profession) and in member-driven advocacy structure.
• American Public Works Association (APWA): APWA serves public works and infrastructure professionals, many of whom interface with disaster debris removal and emergency contracting. Comparable as a national membership body with policy advocacy in infrastructure and disaster response.
• National Emergency Management Association (NEMA): NEMA represents state directors of emergency management and partners directly with DRCA on contracting reform legislation (e.g., S. 3648 HELP Recovery Act). It is the closest direct peer as a national membership organization convening public- and private-sector emergency management stakeholders.

Emerging players

• Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA): DBIA promotes integrated design-build project delivery, increasingly used for accelerated post-disaster reconstruction. Comparable as a specialized industry association advancing alternative procurement models relevant to DRCA's procurement-reform agenda.

Regional players

• National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA): NUCA represents utility infrastructure contractors whose work overlaps with disaster-related underground and water infrastructure repair. Comparable as a contractor-focused trade association with federal advocacy on infrastructure and procurement.

Broad incumbents

• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC): AGC is the largest U.S. trade association for the construction industry, with overlapping membership from general contractors that perform disaster recovery work. It competes for the same member attention and advocacy dollars at a much larger scale.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): NAHB represents residential construction and remodeling firms, including disaster housing and reconstruction contractors. Comparable as a large national trade association with federal lobbying on housing policy relevant to DRCA's disaster housing agenda.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): ABC represents merit-shop commercial and infrastructure contractors, including firms that perform post-disaster reconstruction. Comparable as a national contractor trade association with federal advocacy, training, and member-service programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drca
• Xx.com/digitalphenom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Disaster Recovery Coalition of America