Public Sector, Role in Mitigation

Pre-Disaster Mitigation

Prior to a disaster, the public sector has the opportunity to implement several types of mitigation. Public sector entities can use this time to develop and revise their local mitigation plan, which should be compliant with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The local mitigation plan provides a risk and hazard assessment, illustrating what types of hazards and what severity may impact the community and its facilities. The plan includes goals, strategies, and objectives to address the identified hazards and their impacts, as well as a list of proposed projects. Finally, the plan contains the maintenance and update section. The plan must be formally adopted by the community(s) it serves, and public entities should be participants in the plan.

To be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mitigation grants (pre- and post-disaster), a community must have an approved local mitigation plan that contains the proposed project. The intent of the plan helps to facilitate the decision-making processes as well as assure that projects will mitigate vulnerable facilities against known hazards. These plans, if utilized, can serve as a guide for deciding which facilities should be mitigated.

For public sector entities to be eligible for federal recovery dollars, the state must have an approved state [Page 532]mitigation plan. The intent is to ensure that the state is considering mitigation in a holistic and encompassing manner. Public facilities must be included in the project list, and the proposed mitigation action must be in line with the plan's goal, objectives, and strategies, as well as hazard assessment.

Another opportunity to mitigate is during the construction of new facilities or upgrades to existing facilities, when structural mitigation measures can be added to help protect the facility. FEMA has several grant opportunities available to help provide funds to implement mitigation prior to a disaster. These grants provide significant funding to communities who utilize them to help mitigation facilities against future hazards. Berkley, California, is an example of the public sector promoting mitigation through their Un-Reinforced Masonry Upgrade Program by conducting studies to facilitate the upgrades in building codes. This program, as well as other mitigation bond issues, was partnered with private sector initiatives to promote a comprehensive mitigation program.

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