Local Efforts in Risk Assessment and Hazard Mitigation
Disasters can happen without warning and cause a significant loss of life property and critical infrastructure. These types of disasters can have a significant, if not deadly impact on a local community’s economic, environmental and social well-being. The use of hazard mitigation and risk assessment allows action to be taken by the necessary entities that will allow communities to be more resilient in the wake of disaster (DHS, 2014). In order to accomplish this, several outreach programs have been undertaken by the federal government to increase risk awareness on a local level and the development of project implementation to protect critical infrastructure. Local governments have a …show more content…
Unlike planning team members, stakeholders may not be involved in all stages of the planning process, but they inform the planning team on a specific topic or provide input from different points of view in the community. Outreach strategies are created to ensure needed stakeholders are a part of the planning process. They could include but are not limited to local and regional agencies, businesses, educational institutions, private businesses and nonprofit organizations (FEMA, 2013). Elected officials can ensure visibility for other necessary participants during the entire process. Local community planners can also play an important role as well as emergency management officials and first responders. Once the necessary stakeholders have come to the table a Memorandum of Agreement should be established to outline roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder and can offer a timeline of implementation expectations as well (FEMA, …show more content…
The process fits into the overall strategy of the Department of Homeland Security’s Whole Community concept and the vision of working together from the top, at a federal level, down to local, community wide level (DHS, 2014). Allowing all to be a part in and becoming investors in a brighter, more resilient community that thrives and continues to grow, even in the wake of events that could easily destroy other
Disasters can happen without warning and cause a significant loss of life property and critical infrastructure. These types of disasters can have a significant, if not deadly impact on a local community’s economic, environmental and social well-being. The use of hazard mitigation and risk assessment allows action to be taken by the necessary entities that will allow communities to be more resilient in the wake of disaster (DHS, 2014). In order to accomplish this, several outreach programs have been undertaken by the federal government to increase risk awareness on a local level and the development of project implementation to protect critical infrastructure. Local governments have a …show more content…
Unlike planning team members, stakeholders may not be involved in all stages of the planning process, but they inform the planning team on a specific topic or provide input from different points of view in the community. Outreach strategies are created to ensure needed stakeholders are a part of the planning process. They could include but are not limited to local and regional agencies, businesses, educational institutions, private businesses and nonprofit organizations (FEMA, 2013). Elected officials can ensure visibility for other necessary participants during the entire process. Local community planners can also play an important role as well as emergency management officials and first responders. Once the necessary stakeholders have come to the table a Memorandum of Agreement should be established to outline roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder and can offer a timeline of implementation expectations as well (FEMA, …show more content…
The process fits into the overall strategy of the Department of Homeland Security’s Whole Community concept and the vision of working together from the top, at a federal level, down to local, community wide level (DHS, 2014). Allowing all to be a part in and becoming investors in a brighter, more resilient community that thrives and continues to grow, even in the wake of events that could easily destroy other