Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

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April 2004                                                                            Volume 6 - Number 3

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Perspectives...

Where Should Mitigation Fit in a Community Emergency Management System?

By Douglass T. O’Neill

Local emergency managers whether they operate in a rural or urban community should consider the importance of mitigation programs in their community emergency management system. Mitigation in very essence is different from the other aspects of the emergency management system. Mitigation looks at long-term solutions to create disaster resistance communities. The aim of those long term solutions is to reduce the risk of a disaster to limit the damage to citizens of the community and their property. Thusly, the community members need to be motivated and empowered by emergency management system to become not only a shareholder but a stakeholder in their community.

“Mitigation involves, among others, land use planners, construction and building mangers, both public and private, business owners, insurance companies, community leaders and politicians” (Haddow/Bullock, 2003). Urban and rural communities are teaming with the community members and municipal workers that have these skills and tool sets to accomplish mitigation. Community members can bring power of already organized community based and faith based organizations. These organizations are usually already well grounded in the community culture, highly visible and influential, and can be affiliated with larger national community and faith based organizations.

The national emergency management system in essence starts at the local level and progresses upward to the state and national levels. Historically communities have come together on an emergency response level. The volunteer fire department is a good example of a community emergency response system. Local emergency managers and leaders have the knowledge, skills and ability to effectively manage a comprehensive emergency management system. But rarely do these local leaders have the resources to divert funding from emergency response to pre-disaster mitigation. A good mitigation program starts with a local community empowering effort, where the community can recognize the importance of the argument that it is in the best financial interest of their community to support mitigation. Supporting and funding mitigation efforts will eventually allow the community emergency response to concentrate on more specific life safety response issues during emergencies instead of requiring large scale response measures. Ben Franklin quipped about planning when he commented about “penny wise, pound foolish”. Communities need to realize that local funding of mitigation activities and programs will eventually save the community from larger emergency response costs.

There are numerous examples of how and where mitigation plays a role in a community emergency management system. Local participation in the Federal mitigation programs like the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) can bring federal funding to local communities to entice local matching dollars. Local adoption and enforcement of stricter building codes can be a great start for mitigation activities in a community. Stricter building requirements in specific hazard areas like: installing hurricane shutters, hail/ fire-resistant shingles, shatter resistant window films, and extra strengthening in roof designs. Community and Faith based group’s involvement in community emergency systems include: pre-disaster involvement in response plans and training like Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), community hazard assessments, cleanup of possible flooding areas, and vegetation management/cleanup programs.

There are numerous examples and case studies of communities that have successful community based mitigation programs. All of these successful communities have several common management concepts. These communities had a progressive emergency management system, had built a community partnership between the private and public sector, had assessed and prioritized risk reduction activities, and had built support within their community by communicating mitigation plans and the real and possible successes that these mitigation programs bring to the community.